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View Full Version : After 3 1/2 years, my greatest success


Wulfmann
12-20-08, 07:47 PM
Some of us have played SH3 religiously almost since it arrived. I waited for patch III but except for a small detour to work on flight sims and a stint in SH4 I have continued to make my way to sea with the goal of killing the English and stopping their supplies from getting through.
After early vanilla, Seawolves etc gamey versions I long ago settled on GW (albeit I modify the RND and SCR files for my opinion on correct history but all in all I doubt much different in difficulty.)
I play 100% no eye of God in tactical (wimps) and I make a conscience attempt to play real as well. No port raids no out of character for real U-Boat activity.
I attack shipping, my duty.
I rarely get a glimpse of anything big but have run into a very few task force by happen stance, not my job.
Last night I was returning from a poor performance with 3 fish left in the bow and one in the stern when reports of a task force north of Scotland and right in my path.
I lined up and right at dawn a ship was spotted and I dove quickly went to silent and turned 90% in hopes of getting lucky, lucky like I have yet to.
Odd, I thought. I could only make out one trail of smoke!
A battlecruiser and wearing a huge mustache so I am guessing 25 knots or more, maybe 30???
Hydro was picking up many more screws and they had that familiar dreaded sound of destroyer engines. But they were far behind their charge.
Damn, only 3 torpedoes and I was sure this was the mighty Hood, most feared of all of Tommie's ships.
As she neared I could finally make out one after turret and with the old superstructure she could only be the HMS Repulse and she was beautiful, graceful and slicing the water in all her magnificence!
Setting was spot on. I had the approach perfect the range was about 800 (no time, moving too fast) and as I fired three at 4% spread 20% off the bow I saw the first smoke from the lagging escorts, eight in all.
Two fish struck home (2 reported maybe all 3 hit, not sure) in the engine room area.
As the big ship had started to slow and took on a slight list to port I continued on silent hoping to alter position enough for the escorts to look where I was and not figure where I went all while keeping an eye on the big Schlachkreuzer.
She was listing and moving very slow maybe 3-4 knots maybe 5 but she was getting away and if the hounds ever got my scent I would never catch her. Every time a ping went off I shuttered thinking this was it, crash dive and forever lose my big chance.
When a string of pings went off I was ready on the "C" key but alas they searched for maybe an hour and a half and then all packed up and raced off as if first home got a free round.
They left Repulse plodding along all alone. I waited until I could not hear the destroyers and increased speed until I could get a perfect shot with my last fish from the stern tube. I was careful and made sure it was flat and true.
It was another 20 minutes before Repulse turned over showing her red bottom and 4 big screws.
In truth this success was flawed because in reality the tin cans would never have lagged behind, Repulse would have slowed if need be and once damaged the cans would have never left her to die but the fact is I have only rarely even seen a task force and, because of the large screens and little time to adjust just never get position.
I have actually seen HMS Hood twice and once misjudged and was too close almost being run over and once managed a hit on a KGV but (Since GW versions forgetting the gamey ones) that is the real life of a virtual Kaleun when one plays like one is real.
I recently almost completed a full war career getting from start to October 44 and have only completed one GW to end a 1943 one and that was not easy.

I do hope the team rebuilds SH4 U-Boats into a similar experience but the longer it takes the cheaper my next game PC will be (This one can easily do SH4 now).

Well, time to get U-48 back to see there are more English to kill.

Wulfmann

Here comes Repulse
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Wulfmann/Repulse.jpg
Hits
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Wulfmann/Repulse-hit.jpg
How bad is she?
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Wulfmann/Repulse-after-hit.jpg
Listing an hour later
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Wulfmann/Repulse-list2.jpg
Final hit, Repulse ist Gesunken!!
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Wulfmann/Repulse-coup-de-gros.jpg

Scape
12-20-08, 08:10 PM
Someones getting an Iron Cross for xmas!

nikbear
12-21-08, 03:38 AM
You lucky bugger:up:great result and good shooting,you really kept your cool when the time came,its moments like that that make me go to pieces,drinks are on you when next in port:rock::rock::rock:

GoldenRivet
12-21-08, 03:41 AM
great job. taking down a biggun is a good feeling
:up:

Jimbuna
12-21-08, 06:30 AM
I guess the drinks are on you upon your return http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/thumbsup.gif

papa_smurf
12-21-08, 10:38 AM
Just shows that being patient with this game can be worth it. Now all I've got to do is sink one myself:damn:

Wulfmann
12-21-08, 03:36 PM
Just shows that being patient with this game can be worth it. Now all I've got to do is sink one myself:damn:

I admit, I am a wuz. I have adopted the great fighter ace Erich Hartmann's approach to being a Kaleun.
He knew no matter how good a pilot one can be luck will catch up to every dog fighter so he choose to be an assassin of the air, sneaking up on his opponent, unseen, blasting him before the enemy was aware he was there.

I have found battling escorts is a numbers game and the less often I play it the better chance to survive.

Your comment sums up surviving SH3 GW; patience.

4/5 times I have been killed it has been because I tried to force the issue or was impatient in some way.

I recently almost completed a second 43 career but on the last mission I got cute (did not have the renown to buy a XXIII) so spent my renown on homing fish and became a Schlachtboot. Very last mission, all I had to do was survive but being a big shot I was over confident and went against all my rules and of course, died a fool.

My simple rules? I do not fight, I run.
I am a sniper not a brawler
Convoy attacks, I attack with 5 fish on silent no reloads. I get what those give and I get deep and in an odd direction before the escorts get in and find me. Once they do it is hard to shake them and one lucky string on DC's and the party is over.

I have one main goal; get back to base alive.
My second goal is to safeguard the crew while doing my best to sink as much as possible but as if my crew were really alive and their families depended on me to get them home safe.
My last career before this one I ignored radar detection reports and was run over by a destroyer in a rain storm in the spring of 43, starting from 9/39.
How stupid.

Your are right, patience.
Assassinate the English, do not joust.
You can win 20 times but if you lose once it is over.

Wulfmann

GoldenRivet
12-21-08, 04:24 PM
He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day

:yep:

every time i have died in SH3 it is because i overlooked or ignored one of my own rules or succumbed to "Moby dick syndrome" and chased the "white whale" to my own demise. :nope: