Staying Alive in the Pacific

[UdiHrant]

Thanks to all here for help in technical areas of SH4/TMO. I now have a relatively stable and good looking platform.

Now - how about staying alive and getting at those Japs!?

So far I'm getting skunked and have only sunk a fishin boat!

In my first few patrols I have learned how NOT to get caught and sunk by Jap air patrols but have not found any juicy targets. Instead I have approached ports guarded by patrol craft or in one case a pair of DDs.

I have attached them and did not live to regret it. In both cases I was spotted at periscope depth, waited while they turned on me and fired a few head on torpedos before running. No joy.

Has anyone developed a few handy tactics or a dictum to handle what kind of targets to avoid and to approach? I'm tempted to ONLY attack fat and juicy targets at this point but would appreciate any tactics tips...

[BillBam]

Attack merchants...stay away from DD (or any other patrol craft), they are deadly and really not worth the effort anyway because of the low tonnage.

Follow the traffic lanes and be sure to search on the surface and not submerged.

[UdiHrant]

but of course if I'm lucky enough to run into a flat-top I will HAVE to try to sneak in on her, escorts or not

[BillBam]

Of course but you just don't want to be "trying" to sink the escorts, only in self defense. If you have a task force your best bet is to get in front of the TF, drop to below the thermal layer (and best to at least 250/300 feet,) and wait for the front escorts to pass by before going to PD to get your AC kill.

[Armistead]

I think Duc reworked enough traffic in TMO that you want to pay attention to historic and watch the flicks while docked stating where the action is because seldom do you get sent there. Learn what nations are being invaded, locate the large historical battles.

Early war they're many large invasion fleets. RSRD mod corrects all the traffic and I love the historics of it, but some can't deal with convoys not popping up every 100nms.

[Ducimus]

RE: Staying Alive in the Pacific

TMO assumes the player has a firm understanding of submarine sims in general. The devil is in the details,

For example:
Should I attack this convoy/harbor and when?

That depends on...
- light conditions?
- wind conditions?
- fog conditions?
- depth under keel?
- number of escorts?
- are the escorts alerted?
- is the convoy due to zig soon?
- Is there air cover, and has it been really active?


How should i attack this target?
That depends on...
- how many fish remaining aft or fore?
- How many deck gun shells remaining?
- is the target armed?
- How long can i maintain visual contact?
- How rough is the sea? (magnetic or impact pistol question)
- should i expecting "company" soon if i take awhile to sink him?
- How frequent is the air cover?


But overall, as difficulty goes, think about it in terms of threading a needle. The stock game asks you to thread a needle where the eye of the needle is the size of a quarter. TMO reduces that to the size of a nickle or a dime. Once you get good at it, it ceases to be a challenge, and becomes a routine of making the most correct decisions based on the current conditions.

[Rockin Robbins]

And make no mistake, in TMO the decision not to attack is often the correct one.