Zero's, Zero's & More Zero's

[CDM]

Is it me or are there a ridiculous amount of aircraft in this game? :/\\!! They seem to fly in any weather! Same planes going back & forth. All they accomplish is knocking out the time compression. :hmph:

Is there anyway to adjust, mod or limit the amount of planes?

[Pigboatcook]

I'm not sure what mods you have or not. The stock aircraft are very prolific. I run TMO/RSRDC with NMMO and the aircraft are less frequent, but also quite deadly if you decided to go all OK Corral with them.

[Webster]

ok, two things, one use my reduced aircraft mod and it helps a lot.

second, even with my mod there are two airplane "highways" that stay filled with constant aircraft going back and forth and these are easy to see if you open the map and draw a straight line from pearl to Tokyo and from Tokyo to Formosa. these two lines are to be avoided so go off to one side or the other of these lines and you will only see 10% of the aircraft you see now.

that said if you are sighted and reported the game will often, but not always, send aircraft your reported location at times so that cant be avoided but its usually just a plane or two and if they don't spot you they move on.

[CDM]

I'm not sure what mods you have or not. The stock aircraft are very prolific. I run TMO/RSRDC with NMMO and the aircraft are less frequent, but also quite deadly if you decided to go all OK Corral with them.

I do not use any mods yet. Should I and where do I get them

[Pigboatcook]

If you are using the Steam version I'd get the CD instead which will give you SH 1.0 then get the SH 1.5 add on. That fixes the early game issues. The Steam version is 1.3, I believe, and has problems still.

After that go here to the download section. First you'll need the JSGME program(free) to enable the mods.

I recommend TMO 2.5 with it's patch, then RSRDC for TMO which is 5.02 along with the 5.xpatch for it. Your mileage may vary. There are many mods just make sure you get those that are compatible with each other. The Berbster has a thread off a massive amount of helpful tips, tricks, etc.

For an easier enemy AI you can also use the TMO with training wheels. All of the above are in the download section here.

[thegrindre]

I do not recommend TMO because it's too hard and modifies too much stuff.
Try something else instead as a new guy.
I'm using Webster's GFO.

:)

[nrnstraswa]

Yeah, I've been on a couple patrols myself and noticed the same thing.

[merc4ulfate]

I would always recommend TMO and RSRD together. Yes it can be a bit harder with TMO but you can use the auto targeting until your ready to step down from that. RSRD will add historic traffic and battles that you will never get in a stock game.

Generic Mod Enabler - v2.6.0.157
1_TriggerMaru_Overhaul_2-5
1_TMO_25_small_patch
RSRDC_TMO_V502
RSRDC_V5xx_Patch1
Improved Ship Physics 2.6_TMO_RSRDC
TMO_Visuals_for_RSRDC
FJB_Navigation_Maps
FJB Color Navigation Map
Gyoraitei
11 New Ships + Yamato AA Fix by Miner1436
Ship pack 1
More_DDs_for_AITorpedoLauncher
More_IJNDDs_AITorpedolauncher
SMALLER SEA PLANTS SMALL
SMALLER SEABED ROCKS
#5 Depthcharge Sound
#2 Other Clouds
Webster's Eliminate Floating Plankton for v1.4 and v1.5
Aircraft_reflections
Hull_Numbers

[Sniper297]

You can mod it yourself if you want, use notepad to open \Data\Cfg\AirStrike.cfg and change the 2000 kilometer max range to 200 or even 20.

[YonMaruIchi]

I have not experienced all weather planes but generally they are supposed to add both gameplay and realism. The idea gameplay-wise is that if you're going to be sailing around enemy controlled waters positioning yourself to sink their vulnerable merchant ships you better do it at night or during bad weather if you're willing to burn the extra fuel, planes can't fly during those times allowing you to move around however you like intercepting enemy ships or convoys. This is also realistic as historically submarines always dove in the morning in enemy waters. "We dive at dawn" is an accurate mantra for how a sub should operate, that is their ace in the hole ability that no other ship has. During the Tokyo express runs in the Guadalcanal campaign, for example, any Japanese ship left in range of Henderson Airfield during the day would've have been bombed, so what the Japanese did is they transported troops on fast-moving destroyers rather than troop transports to reinforce their position on Guadalcanal under the cover of night, and were safely out of range of bombers again before dawn came. Submarines were also used for this purpose on both sides. You have the sole ability to exploit the plane's only weakness (night) at the cost of movement.

In fact I'd even say your main enemy as a submarine is planes, not destroyers. Submarines' purpose in the war is to counter planes' control of the seas. You have the unique privilege of sailing around enemy waters because of your ability to dive. Any task force or even a lone torpedo boat can go and sink merchants and rack up the tonnage but because planes exist they would be detected and bombed before they sailed around for long. This is why airfields meant control of the surrounding sea.

Yes sailing around during the day constantly diving when waves of planes come after you is annoying but the solution is not to reduce the number of planes; but rather to not be surfaced during the day and do all your traveling at night. That way you can keep time compression on and simply surface and sink whenever dusk/dawn comes, not very time consuming at all once you get used to it.

Taking away planes is not a solution but merely a "I want an easy and non-challenging way out" rather than a realistic one. Being able to sail 24/7 kinda makes intercepting convoys too easy and simplistic. There's no other factors besides "it'll take us both this many hours to make it to point C, cool let's go"

This is not to say daytime sailing is not impossible, just a risk depending on when and where you are. In stock I believe it's not even a risk at all, just a slight annoyance because in stock your air radar tells you when *any* plane gets close to you and gives you adequate time to dive. While playing the mods I have now (RFB and RSRD) I've on several occasions gotten surprised bombed and sunk during the wee in between hours even with air radar because of undetectable low flying bombers.. certainly frustrating, but ultimately my fault and avoidable. My point is they are meant to provide a real threat to sink you, not simply interrupt your time compression. Planes are bad news. And in RFB one bomb is all it takes anyway :yeah:

Be wary of when you're several timezones away from your base though, morning can come sooner than you think if you're not paying attention... :salute:

[vdr1981]

ok, two things, one use my reduced aircraft mod and it helps a lot.



O yeah, I remember that, one of the most useful mods for SH4...:yep:
Any chance to see something similar for SH5/OHII ?

[TorpX]

Agree with YonMaruIchi. If you can sail around fearlessly, on the surface, all day, every day, the game isn't very realistic.

[merc4ulfate]

I think you all need to read actual patrol reports. The Tunny was constantly heading for deep water due to aircraft patrols. Wanna know the truth ... just read them.


PATROL REPORTS (http://maritime.org/doc/subreports.htm)

[CDM]

Realism is no planes flying in dense fog. Realism is Zeros with limited range. I'm not asking for much.

The only problem I have with the planes is that they knock out the TC when they're constantly going back & forth to nowhere. I spend too much time with my sore finger on the plus key! :mad:. Pearl to Japan takes forever as it is even at 5k plus time. :/\\!!

[Webster]

O yeah, I remember that, one of the most useful mods for SH4...:yep:
Any chance to see something similar for SH5/OHII ?

I never got into sh5, I have the game around here somewhere and played it for about a month but just never got into it, it left my computer a long time ago after a reformat and was never reinstalled.

never say never but I don't think I will be playing it much or modding that game.

I cant even find the time or energy to do an updated version of GFO (lord knows it badly needs updating) so don't expect to see any sh5 mods from me.

[HertogJan]

Webster's Better Air Patrols for v1.4 and v1.5
Read the README inside the Mod for info.

Only one thing to add, be very careful when you come across one of 'em, run like hell cause they can really hurt you.

[Webster]

Webster's Better Air Patrols for v1.4 and v1.5
Read the README inside the Mod for info.

Only one thing to add, be very careful when you come across one of 'em, run like hell cause they can really hurt you.

yes I made the ones you do see more dangerous to you.

I wanted less planes for more realism, but I also wanted the planes you do see to act more like the enemy and not just fly overhead and ignore you, even though there is still the chance you go unspotted and they don't attack.

I adjusted how often they would attack you and the time intervals between those attacks to better simulate what a real plane would do during an attack and not wait 5 minutes to turn around.

I think the end result is a more realistic feel when encountering a plane.

[Silent_Kebab]

İ love Zeros awasome planes :D

[Armistead]

If you're playing stock, it's laughable. I use TMO/RSRD and a host of smaller mods and fixes. Travs. mod is great as well if u fine tune some stuff, but i love how he uses spotter planes that just fly high and follow u calling in assets. Also, not as much air traffic, but if u get spotted near airbases, they will come and hunt you a very long time...

[Aktungbby]

Silent_Kebab!:Kaleun_Salute: https://s3.amazonaws.com/lowres.cartoonstock.com/animals-sheep-kebab-doner-doner_kebab-hero-abr0710_low.jpg:D

[Jimbuna]

Welcome to SubSim :sunny: