the ultimate noob guide - mentors wanted

[Fledermaus]

Hi all

here's the short story: I'm a noob to subsim games and I have many questions. I'm starting the campaign for the 5th time (including the turorial) so I get the hang of it now. Yes I can sink boats and yes I can climb the ladder. But I do have several questions regarding the gameplay.

Is there, in any way, a possibility that I ask all those questions here, one by one, and include my own experience so me, and my fellow subsimnoobs, can use this post as a "noob reference guide"?

I need some veterans to check this post on a regular base though: can I count someone in then? Please :-D

[jwilliams]

A good place to start is to read Silent Hunter V Tactics & Tips (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=162934)

If you have any other questions, ask away. I'm sure members here would be happy to help.

[Decoman]

I have a question: Could someone please list the different ways of using the targeting system for firing a torpedo?

The notion here is not so much to explain THE way to do it, but to set up a comparison. Intuitively, there would/should be two ways, the realistic way and the less realistic way, but is this really the case? Someone mentioned that you have to 'unlock' a target with the auto system, for the firing solution to work, that seem very unintuitive if that is really the way it works.

[reaper7]

While there is 2 main ways to Play regards Targetting. The reality is there are variants in the way they are played depending of what options you selected in difficulty e.g map contacts on/off.

In Basic TDC you just match the numbers i.e. get your 1 to line up with his 1, get your 2 to line up with his 2 or get your 3 to line up with his 3.
This means you have to be close to him 1000m or less I think.
Now someone posted you can do an even better method of Auto TDC with shots of even 4000m with percision.
If you first lock on to your target (You will see the Yellow torp line pointing where your looking) if you then set up your torpedoes and then unlock the Yellow torp line now jumps ahead of the target to lead it.
This is the path the torps will take to impact the target.

With Manual TDC (Obtained by turning Auto TDC off by clicking on the XO pic on periscope screen) you need to Identify your Target, select his range, select speed and select his AOB to work out the torpedo solution.
I won't go into great detail here on those methods as there's a sticky at the top of this forum showing TDC Targeting methods.

Hope this if of help. Good Luck. :)

[Fledermaus]

September, 22th: I started a new campaing. Completed the "tutorial" (sinking every enemy I encounterd, giving me 21 crew points) and using the canal between Kiel and Brunsbuttel, I got on my way for the first mission: British supplies. Because I know the importance of "accidently" running into an aircraft carrier and hopefully sinking it, I will use the canal to travel to Plymouth. I have no idea on how to spend the crew points in the best way, so I'll do that after this mission.

Answers:

1. Here's a very good guide on how to start SH5:

http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/2010/sh5_intro/tip_sh5_feb2010.php

2. Ok, the hydrophone only works when below periscope depth (or lower).

3. Targetting vessels (those floating things) for noobs:
New TDC tips: The TDC in the traditional sense is gone....meaning that you won't be turning dials (I know, I know...a step backwards). He's going to say "I see a unidentified freighter on bearing 45, range 2000 meters travelling 10 knots with an angle on bow of 35 starboard."
You have to click the underlined items and fill them in with ID book, stadimeter and AOB readings or you can hand input them by clicking on the number and entering new numbers.
Taken from this post:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=162934

Questions:

a. Do you actually sink every enemy you encounter or do you stick to the mission objectives?

b. No idea why the dude always answers "can't do" when asked to reveal hidden enemies.

c. Is there a difference between "end patrol" or "refit" considering the time? I always run out of time for completing missions...

d. "man the deck gun" or "man the flack gun" doesn't do much: they go over to the guns but I still have to fire them myself. Is there any way that you can tell them to shoot the target themself?

[Coldcall]

I think the auto targeting has been better implemented in Sh5 than previous versions. For a start, its now not really automatic in that even the joining up the numbers routine requires tweaking torp speeds for longer distances than 1000 metres.

But even with the dots on dots routine one can do long range attacks of about 2500-3000 metres depending on AOB etc..

PS: One piece of advice for anyone using the joining the dots method of torp attack is to pre-set your torps speeds to match the one you are using for the first torp. Otherwise oince you've fired it, the next torpedo might be defaulted to a different speed which means you have to re-range again. It can be annoying especially in bad weather where the lock keeps breaking.

[Fledermaus]

"Pre-set your torpedo's" ?? How do you do that? I never did that and still I'm able to hit vessels (yes: noobtalk).

[Gammelpreusse]

to the upper left where you chose your torpdo tubes there's also a setting for depths and speed (steampowered torps only). It makes sense to set the speed for all torpedos before starting to fire them.

[Coldcall]

"Pre-set your torpedo's" ?? How do you do that? I never did that and still I'm able to hit vessels (yes: noobtalk).

All i meant by pre-setting the torp speed is say you want to fire off two torpedos in quick successsion using the fastest torp speed/for longer range, its better to prepare each tube prior to doing your ranging/aiming/firing. Otherwise if the speed on the second toprpedo is different than the one you initially used to line up your shot, you'll have to fiddle with the dial again in between torp 1 and 2.

It just makes your life easier.

[Fledermaus]

can someone please help me with answering these questions?

Questions:

a. Do you actually sink every enemy you encounter or do you stick to the mission objectives?

b. No idea why the dude always answers "can't do" when asked to reveal hidden enemies.

c. Is there a difference between "end patrol" or "refit" considering the time? I always run out of time for completing missions...

d. "man the deck gun" or "man the flack gun" doesn't do much: they go over to the guns but I still have to fire them myself. Is there any way that you can tell them to shoot the target themself?

Thanks - I need it ;-)

[jwilliams]

can someone please help me with answering these questions?



Thanks - I need it ;-)

a. Do you actually sink every enemy you encounter or do you stick to the mission objectives?

Yes i attack any target i can find, if i can get away with it. e.g. if the convoy isnt to heavly defended.

b. No idea why the dude always answers "can't do" when asked to reveal hidden enemies.

Lack of morale??? use the morale mod. the morale system in game is bugged and doesnt work quite right.

c. Is there a difference between "end patrol" or "refit" considering the time? I always run out of time for completing missions...

Yes. refit just give you more fuel and ammo.
end patrol. lets your men rest improveing their morale. Your uboat is also fully repaired.

d. "man the deck gun" or "man the flack gun" doesn't do much: they go over to the guns but I still have to fire them myself. Is there any way that you can tell them to shoot the target themself?

man the gun.... then look through binoculars... get the target in center of binoculars and press the space bar to order the man to fire at the target.

Be more aggressive.

Good hunting. :salute:

[Fledermaus]

Thanks your info is very usefull !

[SabreHawk]

Actually when it comes to the deck gun, you dont even have to man it first. Just get the target ship in your binoculars put the crosshair on the ships so it turns red and hit spacebar.
That will do both, marking that ship for firing and man the gun. No other previous steps needed.
And if you have more than one ship to target, as soon as the one your firing on is detroyed just line up on the next one and hit spacebar again.

Then when the show is over, hit R for surface the boat and that will unman the gun, though by this time your WO will probably have enough morale that F5 will work for unmanning the gun. I've just been using R cause it always works reguardless. Even though that's not it's function.