Noob stuff

[David Brock]

i'm a total noob to the SH family of sims. I got SH3.4.5i n a bundle off of steam. Anyway I installed the GWX3 mod in the sim and I have a couple of questions. I seem to be getting less contact with surface ships then the stock sim is this normal? Second when I get a sound contact on the map and the lines show up what exactly are they telling me? I'm guessing angle of the contact to the sub. But but does the length of the line tell me? Thanks for the help.

[TabbyHunter]

Welcome to the family....

First, you're likely in the early phases of the war. I, having just re-installed SH3 GWX myself, have noticed less contacts than I remember on my previous career that lasted well into late '43 (and only ended due to the lose of my computer at the time)...Just be more agressive. :arrgh!:


And as to the lines..Map contacts on tells you where the ship is, if you can hear it. The length of the line is also how far away it is.

[Sailor Steve]

WELCOME ABOARD! :sunny:

Contacts: The first thing to understand is that every SH game gives way, way, WAY more contacts than they ever got in real lifes. Supermods like GWX and NYGM cut the amount of contacts down until there are only WAY more than they got in real life. I use a program called SH3 Contacts (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/downloads.php?do=file&id=3780), which can be adjusted to increase or decrease the number of contacts available, the number of reports you receive, and the maximum range at which contacts will be reported. I use it to reduce all the numbers even further, but then I'm a little jaded after playing subsims for almost thirty years. I often spend weeks at sea and never encounter an enemy ship, coming home with no kills at all. Needless to say that's not the game most people want to play. You can use it to increase the numbers to your liking as well.

The lines tell you the distance and direction of each contact, in true bearings, i.e. not relative to the boat. The bad news is that in the stock game they are perfect. You can measure them to get the exact range to the target, which is another thing that could not be done in real life. Grey contacts are merchants, red ones are warships, which is yet another piece of unrealism. A good soundman could tell fast screws from slow ones, but the game reports auxiliary cruisers as warships, when despite the fact that they were armed they were still merchants.

[David Brock]

Ok so the longer the line the farther away a reported ship is?

[Aras]

Ok so the longer the line the farther away a reported ship is?

Yes. They practically tell you where the ship is exactly located (as mention by Steve, pretty unrealistic)

[Aktungbby]

David Brock!:Kaleun_Salute:

[Jimbuna]

Welcome to SubSim David :sunny:

[maillemaker]

FYI, radar detection contacts work the same way. In fact, stock the game radar detector works better than actual game radar! :)

Steve

[Jimbuna]

Welcome to the family....

First, you're likely in the early phases of the war. I, having just re-installed SH3 GWX myself, have noticed less contacts than I remember on my previous career that lasted well into late '43 (and only ended due to the lose of my computer at the time)...Just be more agressive. :arrgh!:


And as to the lines..Map contacts on tells you where the ship is, if you can hear it. The length of the line is also how far away it is.

If you want more contacts try the SpySat mod but to many it is a game killer:

http://www.mediafire.com/?omgwwjmntzi

[David Brock]

Thanks guys, part 2. I ran into a convoy tonight and ran into a few issues. I'd have a sub lined up in the periscope and go to the weapons officer to target it and he'd pick another ship (worse choice). a) how to I get him to pick the ship I want? b) How do I quickly disable\cancel his choice quickly so I'm not wasting time? Also even tho I sank a ship on each of my last 2 patrols I've ended up with negative renown.... What am I most likely doing wrong? Thanks again for all the help.

[maillemaker]

Thanks guys, part 2. I ran into a convoy tonight and ran into a few issues. I'd have a sub lined up in the periscope and go to the weapons officer to target it and he'd pick another ship (worse choice). a) how to I get him to pick the ship I want? b) How do I quickly disable\cancel his choice quickly so I'm not wasting time? Also even tho I sank a ship on each of my last 2 patrols I've ended up with negative renown.... What am I most likely doing wrong? Thanks again for all the help.

I've never used the weapons officer for targeting so I can't answer that one.

If you have negative renown you sunk friendlies or neutrals.

In GWX if you start the war in 1939 you will start one month before the war starts - there are no targets to sink until the war starts in September.

Steve

[David Brock]

Thanks Steve, LOL I think that it's just that I suck. I was out on a patrol from June 3 to the 26th 1040, all up and down the east coast of England and didn't even open the doors on my tubes........

[Sailor Steve]

a) how to I get him to pick the ship I want?
Just pointing the periscope at the target doesn't work. You need to lock onto it first. Either click on the 'Lock' button or hit 'L'. This will lock you onto the target and the WE will then give info for the ship you want.

b) How do I quickly disable\cancel his choice quickly so I'm not wasting time?
Repeat the above procedure to unlock the target and then lock onto a new one.

Also even tho I sank a ship on each of my last 2 patrols I've ended up with negative renown.... What am I most likely doing wrong? Thanks again for all the help.
You're sinking neutrals or friendlies. That's the only way to get negative renown.

Thanks Steve, LOL I think that it's just that I suck. I was out on a patrol from June 3 to the 26th 1040, all up and down the east coast of England and didn't even open the doors on my tubes........
I've had whole patrols where I never even saw an enemy ship. On the other hand I'm the oddball - I like it when that happens.

[David Brock]

So I'm in the middle of a patrol and I get a message saying " Based changed to Lairent (sp?)" So does this mean at the end of my patrol I go there instead of returning to Wils?

[Jimbuna]

Yes

[David Brock]

Thank you sir! :)