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View Full Version : I've fallen in love with the TAI map.


gutted
03-06-10, 03:05 AM
Yup. It's true.:rock:

I'm plotting at record pace now (I don't use map contacts).

At first i didn't like it because it kept popping out when i didn't want it to. Note to devs: Make it remember it's state when i leave the nav map. But i've spent a fair amount of time using it the last week... and once they fix a few minor issues with it and maybe add one or two more bells to it.. it's going to be perfect.

With the periscope zoomed in and pointing at the target.. we no longer need a 360 bearing plotter to draw a line in the direction of the target, nor have to to resort to the protractor to find the bearing. Just draw the line down the middle of persicope cone on the map from your ship to the desired range.

There's just 3 things that need to be done.

1. Those intermidate range readings on lines need to go. Or they atleast need to be aware of the size of the map and the zoom level. I'm sure you've seen it but if you haven't.. open the map fully... draw a few lines, then size it down so you can use it with the scope. Now at a glance try picking out your pencil marks in all that clutter. Yuck!

2. There should be a faint white line down the middle of the scope cone, just barely visible. That way we can draw those bearing lines out alittle more accurately.

3. When at the sonar station, i'd like something simlar to the scope cone.. except just a single line that indicates the direction the hydrophone is looking. Maybe a dotted white line. When doing interval sonar tracking (i guess thats what you'd call it). It would be much quicker if we could draw the line out while sitting there.

I've been getting up at each interval and running to the Obs Scope (that i left in the up position) so i can use its cone to plot the line. It's not ideal, but i find even doing that is still quicker than using a protractor or a 360 bearing plotter. It shouldn't have to be that way. We could just draw it using the direction the hydrophone is looking without resorting to such time intensive methods.

In the rare instance that i'm actually pointing down my waypoint path, pulling out the protractor and using that blue waypoint line as my 0 bearing reference IS alittle quicker than running to the scope, but 9 times out of 10.. i'm not pointed down it anymore. I'd have to pause the game, draw a line out from the nose, and then use the protractor to get the correct bearing.

Despite that, im loving it. No more jumping back and forth between different screens. It's all right there on one screen, and they work together. And i no longer have to restot to zooming ridiculously close to see the marks on the 360 bearing plotters.


Awesome.

kylania
03-06-10, 03:07 AM
For those of us with map contacts ON, the tool helpers need to be white so we can actually see them. Light grey on dark grey (visual range symbol) is totally impossible to read or even tell where your tool is.

Nisgeis
03-06-10, 04:37 AM
2. There should be a faint white line down the middle of the scope cone, just barely visible. That way we can draw those bearing lines out alittle more accurately.

As a stop gap, could you turn the periscope so that the edge of the target picture is on the part you want to plot for and then plot down the side of the cone? I can't remember if the edge if the target picture is very fuzzy or not.

rulez_Cz
03-06-10, 04:54 AM
yeah I must agree - there are good things about the new system.
I kinda like the way of working out the torpedo solution and telling the data to 1st officer - thats kinda really immersive for me .../itīs a shame captain doesnt speak/ - if modders or preferably developers finish all the bits it might be fun.

I really love the ship manula where you can filter by the ship striuctures...that is so cool. Hope they add all the rest of the data though. I wonder if there is no info about draft - does that mean there is no point to set torpedo depth ? Is that a gentle way to tell us that the option is broken ?

jwilliams
03-06-10, 05:03 AM
I wonder if there is no info about draft - does that mean there is no point to set torpedo depth ? Is that a gentle way to tell us that the option is broken ?

The draft appears on the UI for selecting tubes.

But i would still like the manual to be bigger and have mast hights, ship lengths and more views of said ships.

B_O_L_T
03-06-10, 08:37 AM
Ship draft is still available just presented differently now, it requires that you identify the target type, you will see a small tick box to the right of the small icons beneath the ship type display, click this to confirm the ship type when you believe you have identified it correctly, this places a green check mark on the ships graphic and updates the ship name in your list of observations sent to the xo.

Next if you look at the torp window, there is a small button that presents a drop down view allowing you to set depth and switch between contact and mag detonator, in this view you are shown an outline of the targets hull based on your ship selection at the scope, and can see exactly where your torp should strike in relation to its hull and allows you to set the torp depth precisely.:yeah:

gutted
03-06-10, 11:47 AM
As a stop gap, could you turn the periscope so that the edge of the target picture is on the part you want to plot for and then plot down the side of the cone? I can't remember if the edge if the target picture is very fuzzy or not.

With map contacts off, how would you know when the "edge" of the cone is on the target?

You likely wont even have the ship in view anymore either.

There IS one little trick.. draw out a circle and nestle it into the cone and use it's center point to draw your line.. but anytime you move the scope you have to move the circle.