another noob question

[nappy]

So i get a message. enemy task force is otw from truk to rabaol. it is expected at x.y at 16.00 hours 7 july 1942. To my utter amazement im actually close enough to get there in time.. in fact ill be there several days in advance.

So i move to the point.. put engine on idle until about 6 hours before the task force is expected to arrive and start doing my stuff to try and locate them (mostly going by hydrophones) and.....nothing..absolutely nothing.. i expand my search area.. still nothing.. i reload my game to the save point i have about 1 day ahead and start searching towards truk in a z moving across the expected approach line.. still nothing..i reload again. wave my magic wand.. still nothing. i pray to thor and odin, do complicated search patterns.. still nothing...

my question.. when these types of messages appear, are they allways more or less correct? or could it be that the convoy turned back? or something else coulda happened so they wouldnt be anywhere near the expected location at the expected time ?

oh and one more thing:
its now july 18th, 1942, im using an S18 boat (the one i started with), up to this point i have not been able
to "buy" a single upgrade for my sub. The upgrade table in my home port is completly empty..nothing there. is this normal ? i have about 1820 renown, but nothing to use them on :(


nappy-curious

almost forgot, im using:
SH IV, version 1.5 with the following mods:
RFB_2.0
RFB_2.0_Patch_23April2010
RSRDC_RFB_V575
RSRDC_V5xx_Patch1

[G2B]

They are there somewhere, if all else fails look at the shipping lanes and get ahead of where they are going to be :D

Not sure about your upgrades, usually early on pickin's are slim as far as new equipment.

[nappy]

i was ahead of where they were going to be by several days, they just never showed :wah:

my S boat really really needs to be replaced.. slow, no aft torpedoes, no anti air, and only HE shells for my gun.. me want bigger and better boat :arrgh!:

nappy


They are there somewhere, if all else fails look at the shipping lanes and get ahead of where they are going to be :D

Not sure about your upgrades, usually early on pickin's are slim as far as new equipment.

[Admiral8Q]

You have to tough it out at the start of the war. After about 3 or 4 successful patrols they will usually offer you a new boat:03:

[rein1705]

download the mid war conning tower mod. the old S-18's could still dish it out my friend. it's just harder. I'm currently using the S-36 in 1942

[Keelbuster]

Well, based on a radio report you only usually have information on an area where they are expected to be. If they are travelling SSW, that defines a large cone covering the area from S to SW. This can be a very large area, especially if the intercept point is far away. Secondly, I find that in SH4 (with TMO), convoys and TFs zig very often. They change course constantly, and while they might have their overall destination constant, the way they get there can be very complicated. It takes a lot of luck to actually detect and close with them. Radar can _really_ help with this. Finally, I would never just sit and wait for the intercept, rather, patrol a grid over where you expect them to be, and do so at ahead full, so that you cover the search grid as fast as possible and increase the chance of an intercept.

[nappy]

it is now september 1942, and although i havent been able to buy a single upgrade for my S boat, i have managed to sink about 40.000 tons of cargo ships...kinda proud actually. on my last mission i even managed to sink 3 cargo ships :arrgh!:

nappu

[rein1705]

Most impressive. Way to go, win one for the S-Boat skippers out there like me.:rock:

[Admiral8Q]

Well done Nappy! What realism are you playing on?

[nappy]

hmm...somewhere around 85%

i have external view on for the beautifull graphics.
dud torpedoes turned off
map contacts turned on.

im expecting to reverse all these settings on my next campaign with 100% realism :arrgh!:

nappy

[Admiral8Q]

hmm...somewhere around 85%

i have external view on for the beautifull graphics.
dud torpedoes turned off
map contacts turned on.

im expecting to reverse all these settings on my next campaign with 100% realism :arrgh!:

nappy
I prefere a game that is fun. I have map contacts on, cam of course, the pics I get! Dud torps on, that's why I take the Mark 10's :03:

[rein1705]

i play about 50% but im an S-boat give me some props lol. All the limited fuel batt o2 co2 no duds no stable view map contacts on. um... unrelistic damage repair but i still get my ars handed to me if i make a mistake.

[nappy]

well, this is my first real campaign, im still trying to figure out what my difficult level should lie at to give me the best experience. at the moment i expect that to lie somewhere between 85%-100%.

the only thing im kinda worried about is the auto map update. i can see that removing that will yield an entirely different game. in any case i will have to try it at least once :)

nappy


I prefere a game that is fun. I have map contacts on, cam of course, the pics I get! Dud torps on, that's why I take the Mark 10's :03:

[rein1705]

its flippn hard good luck buddy

[raymond6751]

As in real life, the radio report was a guess on the destination of the task force.

You were right to get to the projected spot, as HQ would expect you to. After that, using best estimate of speed from their departure point, how far could they get in your direction?

What port would be their likely destination, if not the one mentioned in the message? What mission might they have? Should we abandon search?

Realistic problems.

[nappy]

All relevant questions.

Here is what i did in one of the cases:

convoy otw from truk to rabaul. it was reported to be at spot X in the bismark sea at datetime Y. I reached the correct spot (checked the location twice) about 2 days before the convoy was supposed to be there and saved.

first try: about 6 hours before reported time i started zig zagging towards truk. Nothing

Second try: about 6 hours before the reported time i submerged and ran in sircle around the spot trying to find em with my hydrophones. Nothing.

Third try: about 12 hours before the reported time. more agressive zig zagging at flank speed towards truk. Nothing.

Fourth try: moved my boat to just outside rabaul to try and catch them as they came close. Zig zagged at high speed just north of rabaul.. nothing.

fifth time: (almost forgot). about 6 hours before the reported time i started zig zagging towards rabaul. thinking that relevant speed between my boat and the convoy would be smaller and as such i would have more time close to the convoy when they passed me. Did this at about 6 knots, 1/2 speed. Nothing came of it.

In all cases i stayed at my search for at least 1 day more than what i thought was required.

if any of you have any ideas please let me know :)

nappy


As in real life, the radio report was a guess on the destination of the task force.

You were right to get to the projected spot, as HQ would expect you to. After that, using best estimate of speed from their departure point, how far could they get in your direction?

What port would be their likely destination, if not the one mentioned in the message? What mission might they have? Should we abandon search?

Realistic problems.

[Mav87th]

You say "6 hours before expected time" and "12 hours before...". How long after the expected time do you stay then?

And a general question - are the radio reports times in the spots local time or is it PEARL base time ? - can be quite different on the other side of the dateline.

[cptroyce]

Well, based on a radio report you only usually have information on an area where they are expected to be. If they are travelling SSW, that defines a large cone covering the area from S to SW. This can be a very large area, especially if the intercept point is far away. Secondly, I find that in SH4 (with TMO), convoys and TFs zig very often. They change course constantly, and while they might have their overall destination constant, the way they get there can be very complicated. It takes a lot of luck to actually detect and close with them. Radar can _really_ help with this. Finally, I would never just sit and wait for the intercept, rather, patrol a grid over where you expect them to be, and do so at ahead full, so that you cover the search grid as fast as possible and increase the chance of an intercept.

KB- As a noobie also, I found your post helpfull as well..it seems logical and obvious..but only after it's pointed out.:up:

Royce

[nappy]

for each try i generally stayed 1-2 days longer than then reported time.

maybe it was not enough?

For the reported times...that is a good question. i always compared them to my ingame time, you know, the clock in the lower right corner of the screen. If the times in the radio message was not the same, then i was way off :88). Ill pay particular attention to that next time such a message comes.

nappy


You say "6 hours before expected time" and "12 hours before...". How long after the expected time do you stay then?

And a general question - are the radio reports times in the spots local time or is it PEARL base time ? - can be quite different on the other side of the dateline.

[rein1705]

Shoot fellas thats a good question on the time of contacts... i think its base time.