Newby Question

[qbidlevaquin]

First of all I would like to extend my appreciation to all those modders and posters for their efforts to make SH4 so enjoyable! I have had my share of frustrations, but with this forum's help, many of the problems on my installation have been mitigated. Please have your favorite choice of drink and bill it to Qbidlevaquin.
As a student of history, I appreciate the realism that went into programming this game. My newby question is, In the stock game with v 1.4 Patchs and minimal mods, when on way to patrol destination in far northern pacific, I am running into Kates, Vals and Zero's. I tried to follow them at P depth but I can never find the carrier. Does the game just spawn these devils to slow down my transit to the patrol area? or do they have to be based on a carrier that has more speed than my submerger Gar class sub?
Thanks Again
Qbidlevaquin

[Dread Knot]

or do they have to be based on a carrier that has more speed than my submerger Gar class sub?
Thanks Again
Qbidlevaquin

Welcome.

Just about any WW2 carrier would be far faster than a submerged submarine. They usually averaged 20 to 30 knots.

[Wicked Popsicle]

Welcome aboard mate

[Stealhead]

That typo is funny he has a submeager Gar. I know he meant submerged but that is a funny typo.

[Sailor Steve]

And you misspelled his typo. He typed 'submerger', only substituting an 'r' for the 'd' at the end. You turned it into 'submeager'. It's okay to point out a mistake, but it's rude to laugh and make fun of it.

[kylesplanet]

First of all I would like to extend my appreciation to all those modders and posters for their efforts to make SH4 so enjoyable! I have had my share of frustrations, but with this forum's help, many of the problems on my installation have been mitigated. Please have your favorite choice of drink and bill it to Qbidlevaquin.
As a student of history, I appreciate the realism that went into programming this game. My newby question is, In the stock game with v 1.4 Patchs and minimal mods, when on way to patrol destination in far northern pacific, I am running into Kates, Vals and Zero's. I tried to follow them at P depth but I can never find the carrier. Does the game just spawn these devils to slow down my transit to the patrol area? or do they have to be based on a carrier that has more speed than my submerger Gar class sub?
Thanks Again
Qbidlevaquin

Not knowing exactly where you are, its hard to answer but they can be spawned from carriers or land bases. To my knowledge, they don't just spawn.

One of the things that annoy me most in the stock game is the enormous amount of planes...very unrealistic.


I would offer one suggestion, get the U Boat expansion. I never play U Boats but most all mods have switched to 1.5 and it is well worth the $10.00 just for the goodies that come along with it. If you install RSRDC, you can cut down on that air traffic and get historical traffic with convoys, task force and so on.

BTW: I really like Knob Creek bourbon so the bills on the way. :D

[DarkFish]

Generally speaking, planes don't just spawn. There are a few occasions however in the campaign where airgroups are spawned to represent historical air attacks.
But usually if you run into an aircraft it means there's either a carrier or a land airbase around. And yes, carriers move much faster than your sub, most can exceed 30 kts.

Also, if you are spotted (by either an aircraft, ship or land unit) they know you're there and they'll keep sending planes after you for the next day or so. Radio reports you send often have the same effect as the enemy picks them up and triangulates your position.

One Drambuie for me please!:()1:

[Inner Sound]

Nothing intelligent to add, and since you dont specifically exclude the iggirint....

Mine's a Guinness.

[qbidlevaquin]

I will tip one with you. As far as location, I was traveling in the North Pacific halfway between Pearl and Sitka. There were no islands visible when I zoomed in. So I am suspecting that the carrier was traveling generally in the west northwest direction at double my speed, while sending the aircraft out on patrols. I should have turned south got out of their way and then on the surface do an end around to ambush the suspected carrier.

Had only time for a quick mission last night, picked Midway after watching what the lowly Porpoise had to put up with on the History Channel. No Porpoise or Salmon or a meager Gar, just a pimped up RockRobins Balao.
Results: Winged a couple IJN fleet flatops and sent two Kongo class BB's to Davey Jones's locker.
Interesting Highlight was while at 450 feet avoiding 6 destroyer escorts, saw a carrier push a destroyer out of the way, strange no damage to either.

Best Regards
Obid

[Armistead]

No doubt planes around often mean a Carrier group. You can tell a lot by the type of plane. Still, trying to locate the direction of a Carrier by the direction planes are flying is about impossible. Planes seem to fly back and forth in one path, so which way would you go, not to mention random planes will come in from other directions.

[qbidlevaquin]

Restarted that mission from an incremental save, started follwing the general west northwest direction of the Vals and Zeroes. Then on the surface went flank speed north then west and waited patiently. Sonar said warship contact, went to periscope depth, was disappointed to see two widely space DD's, they must have spotted me as they came at me like gangbusters. I immediately dove below the thermocline and changed directions, I did leave some decoys as I went below the thermocline. I resurfaced miles north of them but they were not interested because they were circling where the decoys. Radar picked up the rest of the task force barrelling north/west at a fast pace. I sat and waited to identify them. It ended up being a fleet carrier in the Akagi class with some cruisers, two ISE class battlewagons and more DD's. They might have been what was left of the Midway TF, heading back for the safety of Japan. While battling this TF, I saw the Akagi CV pushing a DD that got in it's way, what was strange was that neither ship sustained any apparent damage. By the time that I was out of torpedeos, the IJN was down one fleet carrier, two ISE Battleships and a couple DD's. I had to retire to Midway for refit and repair of the damage that avoiding the DD's caused. I went on three different orders on this patrol after this opportunity of a lifetime. I had only 3 torpedoes left and they order my Gato to photograph the harbor at Tapei. I had just inserted an agent in Osaka harbor and had my way with the merchants in the East China sea, not wanting to be a dead hero, I returned to Pearl without the photos. I was expecting a court marshal at least, but I got two medals the crew got a lot of promotions and I was offered the first Baleo class sub for my next patrol.
So it looks like the tonnage overruled the dumb desk bound admiral's decision to reprimand me for not completing a suicide mission. So my new motto is come back alive.
Obid