No Enemies?

[Maring]

Hi guys,
I'm kind of new to SH4 and to this forum in general but I have a question.
I've installed SH4 v1.5 + TMO 2.5 + RSRDC + TMO patch.

I'm in the fourth patrol of my career and I haven't found a single japanese merchant... They seem to be non-existant for some reason. I have found a couple of US merchants and a rather large Japanese convoy that sunk me at least twice before I decided to take the other way around.

Is it possible that conflicts arise between the two mods that completely wipe out any Japanese shipping, or am I just not looking in the right places?

[gmuno]

What were your patrol-zones?

[Maring]

I can't remember exactly. I think it was Luzon and then the strait between Borneo and Celebes, and some near Indochina.

[Armistead]

I assume you meant the RSRD patch, not TMO patch? Install order

1_TriggerMaru_Overhaul_2-5
RSRDC_TMO_V502
RSRDC_V5xx_Patch1

The patch is needed to fix single traffic. Assuming you have that, you did find a convoy, those are your goals, not singles, so study here how to attack and evade.


RSRD is very historical, early war, Dec 41, most the action is around the Philippines, then moves south to Borneo , Jan 42, then big action around Java Feb-March 42. The Solomons is great the rest of 42, big action Sep-Dec. I like Bismark and Truk to Home Waters shipping lane in 43. In 44, the Formosa and Borneo shipping lanes are good. In 1945 Korea Straits.

You don't have to go to your patrol zones, some do for realism, but as long as you sink ships, you'll get promoted. Patrol zones can be tricky, but usually something is coming through that area, but timing can be an issue.
Traffic comes through at a scheduled time, if you get to your patrol zone early or late you may miss it. Don't always be in a rush to leave the patrol zone after the star greys out, hang around a few more days.

Early war, two good maps, RSRD includes all these movements. Save to your pictures and you can magnify to see better. The good thing about RSRD is the dates, ports and courses are fairly accurate, so as you study, try to time a place to ambush, like a strait, instead of looking in open ocean.

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu235/Armistead1424/appendix10-4.jpg

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu235/Armistead1424/appendix11-4.jpg

RSRD has most battles, small to large, here is a link to study where to be.

http://combinedfleet.com/battles/

This link shows virtual battles, will give you a better idea of TF movements in battle.

http://combinedfleet.com/battles/.

You can also replace the shipping lanes map with one for TMO/RSRD, gives you better info for RSRD traffic.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/downloads.php?do=file&id=2739

Admiral Armistead will gladly send you on patrol, just give me your patrol date and base and I'll give you orders...

[Maring]

Wow, Thanks a bunch. That was exactly the information I needed. I think I was just always early at the patrol area. You know, with unlimited fuel you can just go there ahead flank all the way wich I don't think you're supposed to :P

In the mean time I'm busy doing a patrol of the borneo makassar choke point. Finally found my first two merchants. A 1600 something ton and a 10000 ton Nippon Maru. :D

[Maring]

By the way, Could you point me in the direction of some good tutorials on how to take on a convoy? I usually get blown right out of the water by those pesky destroyers :(

Thanks again

[USS Drum]

unlimited fuel



You shouldn't use unlimited fuel, with limited fuel, you will really still never run out as long as your cruising speed is 8 knots.

[Webster]

what you found was THE biggest complaint people have with RSRDC, the absolute void of no ships if you arent in specific areas


You shouldn't use unlimited fuel, with limited fuel, you will really still never run out as long as your cruising speed is 8 knots.


translation - dont use anything over ahead std except for very short periods because it burns too much fuel

[Armistead]

By the way, Could you point me in the direction of some good tutorials on how to take on a convoy? I usually get blown right out of the water by those pesky destroyers :(

Thanks again

Not sure any sticky tutorials, but use the search tool, try these words, ect.

evading Escorts
attack tactics
Surviving attacks

Remember your goals.

Plot to get in attack postion ahead without being scene.

Attack when conditions are favorable if possible, night, rough water, fog.

When attacking submerged, try to keep a narrow profile, don't leave your sub broadside to a near escort, stay narrow.

With TMO, more than not, you most likely will get found out, the goal is to get your attack off before they do. Hopefully you can sink some ships before the escorts get above you and attack. The best way to survive a depth charge run is to go deep, silent, below the thermal. When you hear him making a run and charges drop, hit flank and make a couple minor turns. The charges should fall behind you, once they explode, go back to slow speed silent, rinse and repeat.

They're many tactics you can use to beat the AI, once you figure your limits.

Oh, don't take on planes or escorts on the surface with TMO, it's not stock, you'll lose and fast....don't let them see you.

[Leon West]

what you found was THE biggest complaint people have with RSRDC, the absolute void of no ships if you arent in specific areas


Sadly enough, it's beginning to even get to me, now that I have revisited SH4 myself. The first thing I did as soon as the game finished installing was run out and download TMO and the RSRD mods.

They're absolutely great, but at first I thought I had a conflict with mods and had missed a step and broken my game. So I posted a question identical to the OP of this thread. After 28 days I hadn't seen anything but planes. Finally around day 30 or so, I sunk a single 6,000 ton merchant with my deck gun and had to return to Pearl for lack of fuel.

My second patrol was even more frustrating. It lasted around 40+ days. This patrol consisted of diving away from Japanese bombers almost constantly. I ran into a destroyer on the surface and crash dove to be depth charged for a good long while, managed to sneak away, and began my parade of plane diving for another few weeks, where I finally ran into a Minelayer off of the coast of Saipan. I took about 3 pot shots at him, missed all of them, dove and evaded, and once again, finally had to return to Pearl due to lack of fuel. This time with absolutely NO TONNAGE.

I imagine if an American captain returned from a patrol with no tonnage or ships damaged for the entire duration they'd court martial him, right? I am very curious about that. I'd like to know the same about German captains.

Anyways, I digress. I love that the RSRD campaign is very historically accurate but I'm considering deactivating it in JSGME so I can get to the action quicker, especially since I don't have much time to play due to my job. If I do go this route (which I'd like to avoid) would I have to deactivate everything and reactivate? Or can I just deactivate RSRD and everything will still work? No matter what I know for a fact I will definitely have to start a new career if I do go this route.

Thanks in advance, and hopefully I'm not thread-hijacking.
--Lee

[Webster]

many many people wish he had added the historical shipping and battles to the correct areas yet left the rest of the areas alone and not removed shipping from them. had he done that i think it would have easily been THE most favorite mod for the game.

[Armistead]

Sadly enough, it's beginning to even get to me, now that I have revisited SH4 myself. The first thing I did as soon as the game finished installing was run out and download TMO and the RSRD mods.

They're absolutely great, but at first I thought I had a conflict with mods and had missed a step and broken my game. So I posted a question identical to the OP of this thread. After 28 days I hadn't seen anything but planes. Finally around day 30 or so, I sunk a single 6,000 ton merchant with my deck gun and had to return to Pearl for lack of fuel.

My second patrol was even more frustrating. It lasted around 40+ days. This patrol consisted of diving away from Japanese bombers almost constantly. I ran into a destroyer on the surface and crash dove to be depth charged for a good long while, managed to sneak away, and began my parade of plane diving for another few weeks, where I finally ran into a Minelayer off of the coast of Saipan. I took about 3 pot shots at him, missed all of them, dove and evaded, and once again, finally had to return to Pearl due to lack of fuel. This time with absolutely NO TONNAGE.

I imagine if an American captain returned from a patrol with no tonnage or ships damaged for the entire duration they'd court martial him, right? I am very curious about that. I'd like to know the same about German captains.

Anyways, I digress. I love that the RSRD campaign is very historically accurate but I'm considering deactivating it in JSGME so I can get to the action quicker, especially since I don't have much time to play due to my job. If I do go this route (which I'd like to avoid) would I have to deactivate everything and reactivate? Or can I just deactivate RSRD and everything will still work? No matter what I know for a fact I will definitely have to start a new career if I do go this route.

Thanks in advance, and hopefully I'm not thread-hijacking.
--Lee

People have to decide if you want historical play or constant random action. Again, RSRD has more traffic, it just doesn't spawn all over the ocean. A better point with RSRD is many convoys are much larger, the invasion forces are huge. In 44 convoys get larger overall. One thing I hate about stock is that it often mixes up captial warships with convoys...

Discussed elsewhere, once you know your history and learn RSRD, you can stay engaged in every battle, know every convoy, etc..I can attack large groups non stop all war, but there is no randomness, everything shows up, same course, same place...historical. That's why I added a lot to it to mix it up..

I myself get bored with attacking singles and let them pass.

Historically, many sub skippers went out with no results due to just not seeing anything, usually got offered one more patrol, but if skippers didn't get results in a few patrols...transfer to something else.