Identification and Eye Strain

[Nukesub]

Ahoy Kaleuns,

Before I go get opinions, please note, that I have the Flags Enlighten mod installed.

Now, how close do you generally have to get to identify a ship? I have found that, even on a dark night, I have to get really close, less than 1000m to make an absolute judgement on flag ID. This usually puts me within visual range of the ship I want to attack which subsequently leads to zigzagging. Unless of course I approach under water.

Secondly, is there a mod that makes the lines on the map tools darker? I have noticed that once you select a different tool, the lines you drew with the previous tool become greyed out and can be a real pain to see clearly. A tool that made those lines black and bolded (to contrast more against the background of the nav map) would be quite handy.

Thanks in advance o7 and good hunting!

[Fourfifties]

You could try playing with the gamma and contrast settings on your monitor if you haven't done so already. I upped my Gamma a bit because I was straining to find ships at night that were already well within visual range; I no longer have my face glued to the monitor on stormy nights.

[Pisces]

I know this may not be practical for most players. But it does help tremendously to reduce the ambient lighting of you playing environment. Avoid bright lightsources. Kill lamps. Your eyes accustom to the brightest source they see, and the the darkest pixels have to suffer from that. For me even the metal texture in GUI of the attack periscope screen in OLC GUI was too bright to allow me to see ship signatures at night in the game.

Go for real immersion and keep a red bicycle light above your keyboard when playing. ;)

[jakethescot]

As posted in another thread, I always make my approach submerged. Once I identify the flag as hostile, I move into position for attack.
If I can't I.D. the flag, or it's a neutral, I sail away.

[GJO]

I like the idea of having a red light over the keyboard - I play the game within the confines of my real life boat (usually with earphones plugged in) so this would only add to the immersion effect!

Identification is not that difficult if you get up close and this is what the most courageous commanders would have done. Darkened ships are less of a problem than those with illuminated flags - the effect of the in-game illumination graphics usually obscures the flag - in real life, many neutral ships had large painted flags and even their country of origin painted on the hull sides. In the game, some illuminated ships are legitimate targets but, if I am not sure I let them go. In real life unarmed neutral ships would have been stopped and boarded - and if found to be carrying supplies for the enemy, they would have been evacuated to the lifeboats and sunk with carefully placed explosive charges - something that is not possible in the game.

[Nukesub]

You see, that is the trick. This confirms I am still very much a neophyte.

I am quite nervous with how close I get to convoys because I just am not sure the extent to which an escort can hear me! Of course I am doing ahead slow and silent running, but still. I don't have an innate grasp on how close I can get, so I try to identify as far away as possible.

[HW3]

The way I look at it, If a neutral is in a convoy headed to England, he is fair game. They know that they are taking a chance by being there. As far as how close you can get, at just over 1kt and silent running, you can safely get to about 1000M of a escort without being heard early in the war.

[Succat]

Yeah but around 900-800m they detect you with ASDIC donsen´t matter which speed or silent running, i set the speed manual to 1kn but still they ping you.

[vanjast]

Yes.. always tone down your RL ambient lighting. That red light idea sounds good but then the wiff might think I'm up to sumfing :-)

What I always do, it go through the whole attack procedure. Right up till the moment I can ID the ship.

If I can't ID the ship I don't fire ... unless.

1) ship is in convoy
2) has no lights on (requirement for neutral shipping)

This also depends on what year it is.... Post '42 anything is fair game if not obeying the International Rules according to the Kriegsmarine :D