Neutral Ships

[Zosimus]

Well, I was playing today in my new VIIB, which I struggled to get.

Anyway I caught sight of a merchant right off the Eastern shore of England, lined up a shot and blew a torpedo into the side of it. Then I surfaced with the deck gun to finish it off. The ship turned all its lights on and shone them on me, but I paid them no mind. A few shots and the ship sunk... neutral tonnage.

Okay, so I reloaded and left them alone. Cheating, I know, but I'm still in the learning phase. So I left all of that and went up north near England and found a great merchant. I got too close, however, and it started zigzagging. Nothing to do but steam far ahead and eventually I got a great shot and hit it broadside with a torpedo. Again the searchlights went on. Does that mean it's neutral? To be on the safe side, I let it go.

So I found another merchant and lined up a perfect shot on it. I must have been a mere 400m off its bow, but the waves kept sloshing up over the periscope so I chanced on surfacing. And hit U. I clearly saw a flag (all black) but with searchlights apparently illuminating it. Neutral? I assumed so and went off hunting something else.

Is there no way to improve the gamma correction or something so the flags can be more visible? I think someone mentioned a mod that would make them more visible. I think I need it desparately.

[Admiral Halsey]

From my playing of the game ships that zigzag are always enemy and the reason they light you up is so any guns they have can see what they're supposed to shoot.

[HW3]

Lighted ships are neutral, not all neutrals will be lighted. Search lights do not mean the ship is neutral, only the running lights and lights shinning on their flag do. Ships will use their search lights to try to spot a threat. Later in the war they will use them to help their gunners shoot at you. The mod you want is called "Flags_enlighten".