Wondering what your habits were...

[squadldr76]

I've looked through the search function and haven't come across this particular question, so if it has been asked before, please forgive me and point me to it. :)

I play both SH3 and SH4, usually alternating back and forth depending on what book I'm reading at the time. Currently, I'm paging through "Silent Victory", so naturally I'm in a fleet boat at the moment, trying my hand at manual targeting (yikes! :doh:). Basically, I'm curious as to how you all play. Does everybody here have their own set patrol routine? Or do you all play to your own taste...

Generally, when I leave port, I'll accelerate x256 to my area, set up a back and forth search pattern and run at no more than x32, doing underwater sweeps about every 6 hours.

I guess, specifically, what I'm asking is what sort of search patterns do all of you use. And in a nutshell, how do you play, going from leaving port to coming home? I'm just wondering how everybody else runs their simulator, maybe picking up a few ideas to change things some.

"He who has the most tricks always wins the audience."

[papa_smurf]

Great idea for a post matey:yeah:.

As for how i go about a patrol, it generally goes along these lines:
- Leave port
- Plot course to assigned patrol grid, via known traffic routes.(This is done in stages, so if I come across a convoy/ship I can leave my plotted course, and pick it up after sinking ships.)
- Stay surfaced for as long a possible. (this changes depending on what year it is/aircover/weather)
- When reach patrol grid, I patrol in a zig-zag pattern for at least 48hrs.
- Once done, head home again via known shipping routes, in the hope of sinking more ships:D

Hope this helps.

[Brag]

I leave port at TCx1.
Once away, I transit to my assigned grid the safest way possible at TC x128.

Once on the assigned grid, I stay mostly submerged for the 24 hours.Then I either stay or go hunting in the best hunting grounds. As long as I have fuel and torpedoes, I stay on patrol. I enter port at TCx1.

At the moment I'm cleaning ashtrays at BDU at TCx1. As I don't have an adequated computer. :wah:

[zoso791]

Great question.
At the moment this is what I've been doing. I leave port at 64x or so. I plot the "best" course to the area I'm to patrol. That is I plot the course to as many known convoy routes and hot zones as possible. I usually go to 256x until I reach the first waypoint. From there I dive to between 15-25m and order ahead slow. With the type IID I use this means 12-15 hours of submerged hydrophone observation.

Once my oxygen gets below 50% I surface. Depending on the weather I either dive back to that depth again once O2 levels return or stay surfaced at 1/3 speed. Usually I run all this at 128x or so.

Once I reach the square I have to patrol I basically do a number of zig zag patterns throughout the area. Usually I do one zigzag on the surface and one submerged. It all depends on the weather and the time.

Jan

[DirtyACE]

I usually get the hell out of port as quick as possible with minimal lag so probably at around 32x or 64x TC. I also try to sail as much as possible on the most fuel efficient speed setting and I travel submerged as much as possible to save fuel and to pick up more contacts on hydrophones.

After I have left the port, I set the shortest possible route to the assigned patrol area, sinking any enemy vessels on the way. Once at the patrol area, I stay for 24 hours, usually just floating around, stationary. Afterward I sail for the various shipping lanes.

[Kubryk]

Well, I start with plotting course towards my patrol grid. As I play stock SH3, my orders are boring - go there and stay for 24hs. Don't know if this is more interesting in GWX.

My route to patrol grid is usually a happy medium between safety and fuel consumption. I travel submerged on 20m during day, I charge batteries on surface during night. I patrol my designated grid once, keeping the pattern - I travel surfaced only during night and chases. However I dive every 60-90 minutes to check hydro manually. If I'm not speeding towards target I usually travel with smallest telegraph speed (3 knots submerged, 5 knots surfaced with charging, 7 knots without charging). Thus I can stay longer at sea, once after 30 days I had still 75% of my fuel!

After leaving my grid I usaually go to zones I expect to find traffic in. I stay on patrol for as long as I have torpedos. Since all I can experience are heavy seas, I don't use my gun. In case of good weather I would go hunting on small merchies with my deck gun.

In my scenario usually one patrol lasts for 30 days or so. That means I don't get as much qualifiqation bonuses as if I would gain with 14-days at sea at a time (after all it's one bonus after every patrol, if this is important for you, you should consider shortening your patrolling time).

Because I have crew fatigue on, I travel with TC higher than 32, usually 64, and 128, if in 1 hour RT I cannot find any target. (on my current patrol it took 10 days of game time until I found something worth a shot, dissapointing - it was German invasion on Norway time, I expected to find some sort of British task force near Bergen :) )

I always have a book or a guitar on me, so long no-contacts periods don't bore me :)

When I'm coming back to Kiel, after reaching Denmark (the year is 1940) I plot a course and set TC for a highest amount possible. Since I read about renown stealing bug, I no longer dock my boat manually, instead I end patrol when I'm 25km from my base.

Take care,
Kubryk

[Task Force]

A average task force patrol...

plot out of port...

crank tc to 4.

Plot corse to where I think good pickings are (bdu can keep its grids). (its kind of like fishing, for realy big fish.)

crank up tc.

Find ships (or not.)

use up all, or alot of my aamo.

rtb.

I have the habbit of useing alot of tc.:yep:

[squadldr76]

Very interesting ideas on this side too!

I knew it was a mistake posting this one on the SH3 forum. Reading everything everybody is saying makes me want to get back into the Atlantic, but I'm mid-patrol in the Pacific right now! I think I need about 8 computers to run my hobby adequately:

1. SH4 w/RFB - out of Pearl Harbor
2. SH4 w/TMO - Pearl Harbor
3. SH4 w/RFB - Phillipines
4. SH4 w/TMO - Phillipines
(The above running in different subs, at least one with a Sugar boat)

5. SH3 w/GWX - Type II in the Med
6. SH3 w/GWX - Type VII on the west side of England
7. SH3 w/GWX - Type IX off the US coast

Ok, only 7 computers! I'm leaving now before I sound too neurotic...:doh:

[Task Force]

Very interesting ideas on this side too!

I knew it was a mistake posting this one on the SH3 forum. Reading everything everybody is saying makes me want to get back into the Atlantic, but I'm mid-patrol in the Pacific right now! I think I need about 8 computers to run my hobby adequately:

1. SH4 w/RFB - out of Pearl Harbor
2. SH4 w/TMO - Pearl Harbor
3. SH4 w/RFB - Phillipines
4. SH4 w/TMO - Phillipines
(The above running in different subs, at least one with a Sugar boat)

5. SH3 w/GWX - Type II in the Med
6. SH3 w/GWX - Type VII on the west side of England
7. SH3 w/GWX - Type IX off the US coast

Ok, only 7 computers! I'm leaving now before I sound too neurotic...:doh:
6. SH3 w/GWX - Type VII on the west side of England
same here, Viib.:yep:

[squadldr76]

Same here, Task Force. I believe out of all the various aspects I mentioned above, driving VIIB around the western side of England is my favorite. There's just something about VII's.

Maybe someone should write a song about it. :rock:

[Jimbuna]

Leave port usually x1

Never travel aboxe x128 unless crossing the Atlantic.

Patrol grid for 24 hours then follow my hunches further afield.

RTB x1

[Leg]

I usually leave the port at x32 or x64 tc, then I move to the patrol area at no more than x256 tc or x128.. sinking what I find on my route.
I patrol the area for 24 hours and then move to the next area to the one given by the bdu and so on untill I am short of torpedos or fuel. Then I RTB at x128 or x256 tc

[nikbear]

Leave port usually x1

Never travel aboxe x128 unless crossing the Atlantic.

Patrol grid for 24 hours then follow my hunches further afield.

RTB x1

Exactly the same here:o But with the odd beer here and there! Sinking ships is thirsty work :03::arrgh!:

[Paul Riley]

A normal patrol for me would consist of the following -

- leave port by the safest route I can decide on.I will draw 1700km circles around UK and Rekyavik,the main air zones in the immediate area,and head for the small air gap that can be seen as the two circles almost converge.I call this the Biscay Air Gap.As air attacks have been quite horrendous the last few months most of this early phase of the patrol will consist of making frequent crash dives to evade aircraft,until I am approx 1700km west of France.I refrain from attacking them,as a Liberator tore into two of my watch crew the last time I tried to fight back,and my flaks were just bouncing off him.After that I have made it standard drill to crash dive.
I also have weather checks every hour while in the air zones,and take full advantage of poor weather to hide my uboat,and it has worked well during bad storms.This will allow me to make as much ground as possible on the surface.As soon as fog clears,or the skies become cloudy I dive,as I have been almost caught off guard during cloudy days,preventing a good crash dive in time.

- I will then naturally sail to my assigned patrol square,using the most efficient speed,usually between 8-10kts.Once I am free of the air zones,I will travel along the nearest lane to my postion,so my current patrol is in AK48,and looking at the map puts me in a spot where there is a major convoy lane,and a merchant lane to the south.I opted for the convoy lane in the north.
When I reach my patrol zone,I will normal face the uboat towards where I expect contact to be made,so in this scenario that would mean facing SW.I then dive to 50m and simply listen for the next 24hrs,surfacing at dawn for an hr to get some air,then back down again.

- After 24hrs has expired,I will begin assigning myself new patrol zones,until contact is made.This will involve moving to either side of the suspected convoy track,making sound checks about every hour,for about 1 week.I worked out a convoy travelling from Halifax to my position would take somewhere between 7 and 10 days,maybe a little more.
I did in fact recieve a radio signal of an incoming convoy at about the time I estimated,and made all the neccessary plans for an interception,which is where I am now.
I will continue to harrass and attack my current target until my torpedoes are gone,or I get to about 25% fuel,in which case I will have to turn back.Making high speed runs to get ahead of the convoy for about 3hrs sure burns fuel.I wonder how many more runs I will manage at that rate?.
I plan to break off either way once I am entering the 1700km zone explained earlier.Trying to attack a major convoy while evading aircraft is not a wise choice :o

Oh,I forgot,I will go no higher than 32TC when in the air zones,and no higher than 128 anywhere else.
I expect my patrols to last at least 1 month,upto a total of 2 months including the return journey :o

Cheers :up:

[Jimbuna]

Leave port usually x1

Never travel aboxe x128 unless crossing the Atlantic.

Patrol grid for 24 hours then follow my hunches further afield.

RTB x1

Exactly the same here:o But with the odd beer here and there! Sinking ships is thirsty work :03::arrgh!:

Precisely


http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd320/pasquarade/drunkcob.gif

[RoaldLarsen]

What I do depends on the year. I am currently in 1944Q2 so I follow something like this routine:
Follow the escort out of harbour at TCx8 until he turns around.
Set speed ahead flank.
Plot a course to my assigned patrol area and back to base as follows. If leaving a French base, go through the southern half of the Bay of Biscay. Once out of Biscay, or Fjords, set course as follows. If patrol area is in the air gap, plot shortest course to edge of air coverage, then shortest course outside of air coverage to patrol area. If patrol area is inside air coverage, plot shortest route to patrol area.
Once I have 20m water under keel, dive to periscope depth.
If time is between 23:00 and 03:00 or between 08:00 and 16:00, set speed to 2.9 knots, else 1.9 knots.
Set TCx32.
At 19:00, set TCx1024 (TCx128 if within 75km of base)
Once I again have 20m water under keel, dive to 25m.
If time is between 16:00 and 03:00, run submerged until 07:00 else until 16:00.
Set TCx32
Go to periscope depth.
Check weather.
If fog is medium or heavy, or we are ouside air coverage, set speed ahead 1/3 else if wind speed > 9m/s set speed ahead full, else set speed ahead flank.
Surface.
If wind speed < 6m/s run decks awash, else, if wind speed <= 9m/s. run decks partly awash.
Recharge batteries.
If fog medium or heavy or outside air coverage, set TCx1024 until fog light or none or inside air coverage, then TCx32.
If fog light or none and batteries fully recharged and in air coverage, submerge to 25m.
Repeat from step 5.
If aircraft detected far off, crash dive.
If aircraft detected too close, man flak guns, fight off aircraft, crash dive after it drops its bombs.
If battery charged < 90% set speed 0.9 knots else set speed 1.9 knots.
Stay submerged for at least 24 hours.
Repeat from step 11.
If a radio contact is received and is within range, plot intercept and attack.
Goto step 30.
If we detect a contact on our own, observe its course and speed, then intercept.
if contact is a convoy or task force, report contact.
Attack.
Repeat intercept and attack until enemy destroyed, or out of ammo, or too damaged to continue.
When arrive at patrol area, patrol for 24 hours as follows: Run about 100km on a course perpendicular to expected traffic, run a few km parallel to expected traffic, run 100km on reciprocal of first patrol course. Complete the loop. Repeat.
If fog medium or heavy or patrolling in air gap, submerge every 2 hours for sound check, else run submerged except to recharge as in steps 5 - 19 above.
After 24 hours, randomly decide whether to move to an adacent grid square.
Repeat from step 32.
Once torpedoes expended or too much damage, return home by reverse course.
Same submerged/recharging routine until depth below keel < 10m, then surface and run at flank at TCx32 until 5km from base, then reduce speed to 1/3, TC to 8.
Inside harbour reduce to slow.
Reverse into berth.
Accept flowers from prettiest nurse, suggest she come to my quarters to help arrange them, right after I have filed my report.
Notes on certain steps:
3. There is less air coverage is the southern part of the Bay of Biscay, and fewer surface patrols as you exit the Bay from the south.
5. I set these speeds so it won't take too long to recharge batteries at 07:00 and 16:00.
7. I run 12 hours at TCx1024 so fatigue state and watch changes line up (4 and 6 hour watches run a complete cycle every 12 hours), and to minimize contacts detected while submereged because there are too many ships in the game.
13. Where aircraft cannot can't operate e want to conserve fuel, else we want to be going at least 10 knots, to reduce dive times.
15. If weather allows, I run decks awash so as to reduce dive times and to be harder to detect.
16. It should usually take no more than 80 minutres to fully recharge.
18 . I run surfaced at TC32 when aircraft might spot me.
33. Kaleuns didn't decide where to patrol. BdU did.

[Paul Riley]

Good stuff there Roald :up:

I am actually looking forward to 1944,as surely the game will be far more complex and hazardous by then :o

[Redbear]

In general, my approach is:
- Leave port
- Plot course to assigned patrol grid, via high traffic routes/areas.
- Stay primarily surfaced on the way, but submerge and listen at least once in a 24 hour period. (I figure BDU wants me at the assigned grid, so I don't delay too much on the outward journey).
- When I reach my patrol grid, I patrol for at least 24hrs, per my orders. I set my own pattern, based on the grid, expected traffic patterns, allied air cover, weather, etc.
- After fulfilling my orders, I head to what I feel will be the best hunting, while considering the safety of my boat (e.g. I don't do harbor raids). I stay out until my eels are near spent or my fuel begins to run low.
- I have learned to keel one torpedo for the trip home, since I always seem to find a nice target on the return trip when I don't have any! If nothing shows up, I'll find something to sink just prior to heading into home waters (I hate bringin a torpedo home!).