Back to SH4 for a try - questions graphics and torp. attacks

[Catfish]

Hello,

after shelving SH4 for a while because my old computer was not up to the job graphic wise, i re-installed SH4 recently and now run it on an E8400 3 GHz dual core proc. with 2 Gb dual channel Ram and a decent graphic card (nvidia 512 mb).

Seems this new system is almost worse than the last, i cannot even switch on one of the checkboxes in the graphic settings menu withou getting a slide show. And this is with relatively low resolution - 1024x768, 75 Hz. Which Cray computer did they have in mind when they made this game ?!
OK, all setting to lowest possible, with my lonely sub near the empty coast of the Philippines i get some 15 fps - great. :shifty:

Then i seem not to be able to choose personal realism settings when starting a career. I want to make it all realistic, despite the exterior view to "on". In school and single missions it all works, but not in campaign - either all settings including torpedo attack are "easy", and exterior view is possible, or it is set to anything but easy (difficult, realistic etc.) and exterior view is off. Hmm.

Now the torpedo attack itself - the manual is a bit cryptic here. So what is the correct order of what to do? I thought it is:

Identifying target
Distance to target
Relative position to target
Course o.T.
Speed of target

Submit all settings to the TDC ok, switched that to "follow target", and update settings now and then. Open a torp. tube, short re-check, and fire.
I guarantee you no torpedo will hit the target, instead they all run to the left, or right, 90 degrees right or left from my bow direction and rough targetting "solution" lol. So ... what am i doing wrong here ? I know the Mogami cruiser zig-zags and changes speed in the school torp mission, however none of my torps go at least in its rough direction.

But the worse is this graphic thing, the mouse is somehow "elastic" and you cannot even hit the rigth buttons without careful aiming ?

P.S. patched to version 1.4, no mod yet installed.
Thanks and greetings,
Catfish

[Fishie]

First off- what's the specific model of your card, and what drivers are you using?

Do you have AA/AF turned on? If so, by how much?

Torpedo attacks are a black art. Keep trying. Once you get some good practice in, you can get a snapshot off in about a minute 30 if you're desperate.

AOB is HUGE. If you can't determine it correctly by looking at it, range once, mark the spot, wait a minute, raise the scope, measure again, mark the spot, lower the scope.

Then just draw a line- measure the course angle to your sub- AOB. Measure the distance traveled in x time- that's your speed.

Then you have a perfectly viable shooting solution.

Another easy way to do it is to take 2 measurements, then go to the speed control in the TDC, and hit the stopwatch there- crew will tell you the course and speed. Simply spin the aob until the target ship heading matches.

Good hunting :ping:


*edit*- order of attack on my sub:

1st observation- identification. (typically pause while I'm thumbing through the recog manual)
2nd observation- 1st ranging.
lower scope, twist dial to approximate AOB. Hit chronometer, and wait 1 full minute.
3rd observation- 2nd ranging, speed/course finalization- fine tune AOB if needed, and start PK.
Hit chronometer, wait another full minute. - open tubes after this observation, set torp settings/depth/speeds
4th (shooting) observation- 3rd ranging, compare result to PK. Should be very close.
Fire salvo- 3 torps is typical. If I'm *really* confident in the solution, I'll fire a single or a double. I adjust the gyro angle of each torp independently, based on range and target size. A Battleship, for instance, will get all 6 torps, will be fired at under 1500 yards, and the fish will be spread so as to hit her stem to stern. A medium cargo will get 3, stern-bow-middle in that order.

[Snorkle]

WRT torpedo attacks, go with the Dick O'Kane method (1.4 stock, no mods, God's eye on):

1. Plot target heading: on sonar contact, put mark on 1st sighting, time 3 minutes 15 seconds to next mark, then extend a protactor heading through 1st and 2nd mark for an appreciable distance, end with 90 degree angle at the approximate shot location. Measure distance between marks: e.g. 0,9 km means target makes 9 knots. Make an additional reading at 3:15 to verify target speed and heading.

2. Move to intercept, ending with a straight run on the 90 degree bearing down to 700-1000m (I draw a 1 km circle centered on the intercept point). This is concurrent with taking readings as above. I submerge before the target draws within 10 km so as not to spook him into fleeing or zigzagging.

3. Set TDC during the approach phase. I punch in speed 0, range 1000 on 0 degree bearing and leave AOB neutral as it doesn't affect the shot in the least. The torp will thus run at 0 gyro angle (straight ahead). Don't touch the TDC again after you've punched in the 0 bearing, and make sure Position Keeper is off! If you're using your stern tubes, set the shot bearing to 180 degrees.

4. All stop at the desired range on periscope depth and wait for the maru to appear. Set individual torpedo speed to fast and 4-6 m depth depending on the target. Turn attack scope to 10 degrees off the 0 (shot) bearing for 9-12 knot targets, 5 degrees off for 4-7 knot targets, 15-20 degrees off for 15-20 knot targets. E.g. if the maru moves from left to right at 9 knots, I aim the scope at the 350 mark, if it moves from right to left I aim at the 010 mark. Open tubes (Q for each tube in turn) prior to shooting. Fire torps when juicy parts cross the aiming bearing.

I don't bother with ID'ing targets except for nationality <g> and depth. I don't bother with the stadimeter or AOB setting as I already know the shot range and the torp will smack in at 90 degrees regardless.

Sometimes you get 2 or more ships running line astern across your shot bearing - I usually get the first two easily enough by juggling the bearings a bit. E.g against a 9 knot column moving from left to right, I aim the first shot at 010 (punch bearing into TDC) and sight the target at 000 degrees. Immediately after firing, punch TDC on the present bearing (000) and move scope to 350 bearing for the subsequent shot. The second target usually speeds up (if it has power to spare) when the first maru is hit, so I fire somewhat early, aiming the first fish at the bow and the second just fore of the funnel.

Hope this helps.

[Catfish]

Hello,
thanks for your methods of hitting anything - i was quite good at it but the slow old PC made my give up and play SH3 instead - until now.
I have two graphic cards to choose from (PCI-e), both do not seem to be up to the job - currently installed is an MSI NX7300LE card (Nvidia
GeForce chip) with 256 mb RAM as i just realized oops, and i also have a packaged Geforce 8400GS with 512 Mb. Seems both are not "decent"
cards, however - which card would you try to get - best "bang for buck" - wise ?

Strange is: the currently installed 256 Mb card is shown with 512 Mb in the vga information window ?

PCIE is set to 16x, Nvidia system setting program:
Anisotropic filtering: managed by application
Antialiasing: Multisampling
Antialiasing settings: managed by application
Triple buffer: off
Extended limit: off
Error reports: off
max. number of pre-rendered picturs: 3
Force MipMaps: no information
Multi-Display/mixed GPU-aceleration: MUlti-display performance mode
Texture filtering - anisotropic sense optimization: On
Texture filtering - anisotropic mip-filter optimization: Off
Texture filtering - negative Lod-Bias: allowed
Texture filtering - trilinear optimization: On
Texture filtering quality: Quality
Threaded optimization: Auto
Vertical synchronization: Use setting for 3d-applications
Matching texture clamps: use hardware


The online test whether my system is suited for SH4 passed with the best possible results (?)

Driver version is 27.03.2009, 6.14.11.8250

Then i use aTuner, with Antialiasing set to 2x, Anisotropic by application, Vsync default on.

Apart from the specs sent here i have no idea what they do ...

Thanks and greetings,
Catfish

[Fishie]

Try the 8400. The 7300 would definitely be suspect, but the 8400 might get the job done okay- it's been a while since I've messed with Nvidia stuff.

If you want awesome graphics at a reasonable price, it's hard to beat a Radeon 4850. That's what I use, and it kicks SH4's butt all the way to the cleaners :)

[Catfish]

Hello,
thanks Fishie ! Will install the 8400 next and keep my eyes open for a better one ..

B.t.w. - how would you change it ?
First de-install all drivers, go to 640x480 resolution, and then shut down PC and exchange the card ? Will i have to re-install SH4 for this ?

Thanks and greetings,
Catfish

[Fishie]

Hello,
thanks Fishie ! Will install the 8400 next and keep my eyes open for a better one ..

B.t.w. - how would you change it ?
First de-install all drivers, go to 640x480 resolution, and then shut down PC and exchange the card ? Will i have to re-install SH4 for this ?

Thanks and greetings,
Catfish

I'd download the drivers ahead of time, put 'em in a location you can remember, then do the following:

Restart the computer in safe mode- while there uninstall the device from the device manager (control panel ->system->hardware->device manager), and then go to add/remove programs and remove your nvidia stuff.

Shut the machine down, disconnect power, install new card.

Use the new drivers (you DO remember where you put it, right? :) ) to install the new card, and you should be all set.

[Catfish]

Hello,
ok, thanks - will try this tomorrow and post results -
Greetings,
Catfish

[Catfish]

Hello,
once again thanks, tried the 8400 and it performs a lot better. Even hit the Mogami in the school training, and the water visibility is much better - great graphics when you can see the underside of the sub shimmering below the waves of the sunny Pacific.
B.t.w. even OFF runs a lot better now, 20 fps - great !
Will look for the mentioned other cards, seems that does the trick.
Greetings,
Catfish