jscharpf
10-21-12, 10:59 AM
Using LSH3 5.1 with the OLC gauge add ons and difficulty set at historic minus the outside view option and the stabilizing thing (these two options I left unchecked).
I'm starting my first campaign using these settings (after some basic training and practice), and I'm starting out on day one using the Type II sub. I am trying to keep the crew happy as realistically as possible, so I move them around in shifts to sleep, etc.. I enjoy this aspect of the game.
The trip out of Kiel is always fun for me, because I went through the canal and I'm learning all the flag meanings.
Set out to sea on Sep 1, 1939. On the way to my assigned sector there was (what turned out to be) a friendly convoy of various German ships. I used this opportunity to practice calculating the distance, speed, and AOB. I also used the outside view to verify how close I could identify the ships. I am thinking that over time I will gain experience in this area and be better able to ID ships. Right now I have no confidence lol. In any event, I spent several hours (real time) moving around, pretending to stalk them, etc.. just trying to see how I could do if this were a real enemy.
So... moving on, I reached my objective sector (mission said that part was complete, now I just had to patrol for 24 hours).
After cruising around finally a convoy was spotted! I was VERY excited. I started by plotting generic locations based on the watch reports ("contact xxx degrees far out")...
Soon I got close enough to see some detail.. my guess is they were around 12-15KM out. I spend A LOT of time, sneaking, trying to ID, getting closer, moving out.. sort of plotting their general direction so I could later move to a good striking position.
This was a small convoy of 4 ships. None of them looked like warships. They looked like 3 merchant types (from what I could see in the book) and one very long large ship.. I still don't know what it was. I'm guessing a troop ship because that was the closest I could guess.
So here is where I sort of cheated, I used outside view to fly to their location just to see them better. I will not use this all the time, but until I can get better at ID I will do this.
So after doing some distance, AOB, speed calculations.. I was able to generalize that they were moving SSE at about 4 knots. I was facing sort of north..I also identified them as Polish but wasn't sure if it was ok to fire on them being only September 3, 1939.
Anyway, while looking at them from the periscope, suddendly I saw an explosion! I went to outside view, flew to their location, and there was a STUKA DIVE BOMBING THEM!!!! I was able to "chase" the Stuka lol, it was FUN.. but this told me "hey I guess it's ok to attack!".
So he took out one ship, at least he put a hole it and it was burning.. this was one of the smaller ones.. I focused on the large ship.. very carefully calculating and recalulating everything.. over and over..
So I get to within.. I forget exactly, somewhere around 2000 m... I still see this Stuka flying around.. I get everything into the TDC as best as I think I can.. and fire ONE torpedo..
I jumped to the outside view again.. started following the torpedo.. it looked WAAYYY OFF.. so I forgot about it.. I mean.. it looked like I was leading the big ship by way too much.. so I decided to just stay in outside view near the convoy and watch the Stuka.. suddenly I see a big BOOM on the large ship!! TORPEDO HIT!!!!!
I was shocked but jumped up! My wife was in the house and thought I hurt myself lol!.
I just watched this huge ship.. heard these fog horns.. flares.. it looked kind of sad and I felt bad..weird..
Anyway.. it slowly SLOWLY sank... life boats.. people.. done....
The stuka was still buzzing around..
I got cocky and launched my other two torpedos quickly at the other ships and missed horribly..
So the big ship went down, there were three more left, one burning and moving slowly. I surfaced and just got behind it.. stalked it until I could reload (Only have 5 total torpedos).
I fired the rest and of course missed lol..
I was out of torpedos but felt pretty good about the mission.
The Stuka flew away and dissappeared.
The message said that I completed both parts of my mission having stayed in that sector for a while.
I returned home but when I looked at the report it said I sank absolutely nothing! Could this be because of the Stuka? I mean no damage NOTHING.
My record shows I completed one mission with no results.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the game to the point where the historical aspect is more important to me than getting "credits" but I'm just wondering what could have happened. At first I thought maybe we weren't at war yet, but that Stuka would disagree.
Overall it was VERY fun, I'm glad I found this gem of a game.
Problem is I am trying to get out of yard work today so I can play lol..
This could get addicting!
I'm starting my first campaign using these settings (after some basic training and practice), and I'm starting out on day one using the Type II sub. I am trying to keep the crew happy as realistically as possible, so I move them around in shifts to sleep, etc.. I enjoy this aspect of the game.
The trip out of Kiel is always fun for me, because I went through the canal and I'm learning all the flag meanings.
Set out to sea on Sep 1, 1939. On the way to my assigned sector there was (what turned out to be) a friendly convoy of various German ships. I used this opportunity to practice calculating the distance, speed, and AOB. I also used the outside view to verify how close I could identify the ships. I am thinking that over time I will gain experience in this area and be better able to ID ships. Right now I have no confidence lol. In any event, I spent several hours (real time) moving around, pretending to stalk them, etc.. just trying to see how I could do if this were a real enemy.
So... moving on, I reached my objective sector (mission said that part was complete, now I just had to patrol for 24 hours).
After cruising around finally a convoy was spotted! I was VERY excited. I started by plotting generic locations based on the watch reports ("contact xxx degrees far out")...
Soon I got close enough to see some detail.. my guess is they were around 12-15KM out. I spend A LOT of time, sneaking, trying to ID, getting closer, moving out.. sort of plotting their general direction so I could later move to a good striking position.
This was a small convoy of 4 ships. None of them looked like warships. They looked like 3 merchant types (from what I could see in the book) and one very long large ship.. I still don't know what it was. I'm guessing a troop ship because that was the closest I could guess.
So here is where I sort of cheated, I used outside view to fly to their location just to see them better. I will not use this all the time, but until I can get better at ID I will do this.
So after doing some distance, AOB, speed calculations.. I was able to generalize that they were moving SSE at about 4 knots. I was facing sort of north..I also identified them as Polish but wasn't sure if it was ok to fire on them being only September 3, 1939.
Anyway, while looking at them from the periscope, suddendly I saw an explosion! I went to outside view, flew to their location, and there was a STUKA DIVE BOMBING THEM!!!! I was able to "chase" the Stuka lol, it was FUN.. but this told me "hey I guess it's ok to attack!".
So he took out one ship, at least he put a hole it and it was burning.. this was one of the smaller ones.. I focused on the large ship.. very carefully calculating and recalulating everything.. over and over..
So I get to within.. I forget exactly, somewhere around 2000 m... I still see this Stuka flying around.. I get everything into the TDC as best as I think I can.. and fire ONE torpedo..
I jumped to the outside view again.. started following the torpedo.. it looked WAAYYY OFF.. so I forgot about it.. I mean.. it looked like I was leading the big ship by way too much.. so I decided to just stay in outside view near the convoy and watch the Stuka.. suddenly I see a big BOOM on the large ship!! TORPEDO HIT!!!!!
I was shocked but jumped up! My wife was in the house and thought I hurt myself lol!.
I just watched this huge ship.. heard these fog horns.. flares.. it looked kind of sad and I felt bad..weird..
Anyway.. it slowly SLOWLY sank... life boats.. people.. done....
The stuka was still buzzing around..
I got cocky and launched my other two torpedos quickly at the other ships and missed horribly..
So the big ship went down, there were three more left, one burning and moving slowly. I surfaced and just got behind it.. stalked it until I could reload (Only have 5 total torpedos).
I fired the rest and of course missed lol..
I was out of torpedos but felt pretty good about the mission.
The Stuka flew away and dissappeared.
The message said that I completed both parts of my mission having stayed in that sector for a while.
I returned home but when I looked at the report it said I sank absolutely nothing! Could this be because of the Stuka? I mean no damage NOTHING.
My record shows I completed one mission with no results.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the game to the point where the historical aspect is more important to me than getting "credits" but I'm just wondering what could have happened. At first I thought maybe we weren't at war yet, but that Stuka would disagree.
Overall it was VERY fun, I'm glad I found this gem of a game.
Problem is I am trying to get out of yard work today so I can play lol..
This could get addicting!