The answer is if you don't like it go hunt ships instead, simple. ;)

US subs didn't go inside jap ports, and if they did, they'd likely as not never come out.

I didn't say I'd eliminate photo missions, but rather eliminate the ones in the stock game. In RL, subs photographed things like the beach defences at Tarawa.

All we need to do this is a new "ship." The ship would be nothing. No model, no texture. You place it in front of the beach areas where guns are almost on land—CLOSE. Then you make the mission to photo beach defenses, and you aim towards the guns, and it will "lock" because of the invisible ship. Alternately the "ship" could be some kind of obstacle in the surf.

Other acceptable special missions are dropping off coastwatchers. I can see the suppply, etc, missions for places like the Philipines with active guerrilla forces. Even China.

BTW, maerean_m, while hard to please, my solution is to actually DO IT. I just haven't grokked all the patrol related stufff and triggers yet. Give me time. When I'm done with the ports in my campaign, you could try the missions, but it'll be rather hard ;) . The Palau ones are still there in my campaign layers, but given that I have added reefs to Palau, getting in to take pictures will be rather harder than the stock game (and I eliminated the NE port altogether putting everything in the anchorage).

Anyone want to make a beach obstacle for me (I don't do 3D)? If you do, make it a SHIP since the camera will only lock on ships. :D

tater

I just finished a photo recon mission of Tokyo harbor. Had to target the ship("L" key) and the icon became active. I had to take two or three snaps of different ships and the mission was complete. As I headed out, I found a Yamato sitting still waiting for me to leave. She went down and out I went. Good luck to you.