I'm not sure it's possible to get rid of speed in the contact report. Maybe someone can figure it out. I don't see small merchants as an issue. It's easy to bump the speed up high enough to be able to keep up with an 11 kt convoy. These merchant ships do after all just represent generic classes of ships.

Why not remove the box around reported convoys and just have us find the convoy with the grid number that is given. With a grid number the direction of travel it should make finding the convoy in a grid a lot harder but not impossible you have its general location but not exact location like we do now with the little boxes. This is what I am looking for.

I think the speed changes would be a good way to introduce some additional uncertainty. I remember when I first started playing with Improved Convoys and started encountering zig-zagging convoys...it made the whole process a lot more interesting and realistic. I think the same thing applies here, the net result will be a more realistic tactical experience. I'll be very interested in trying this when it becomes available.

I'm guessing that realistically, whoever spotted that convoy had enough information to relay a more accurate position - not just a grid number.

Kriegsmarine Grids were subdivided into even smaller grid. This is not illustrated in the game's map but in real life, I assume this is the 6 character location value that would have been relayed by spotters to BdU.

Correct me if I'm wrong. :88)

yes, the KM grid system can give pretty accurate locations. Combined with target courses, speeds, sea states and winds, and reports updated every hour (if shadowed by a contact holder U-Boat).

Like we know, the game gives us only approximate location, like "DE 86". So it doesen't represent minor quadrants at all. Should be like "DE 86 52". Every Grid (DE in this example) were divided usually in 81 major quadrants (there were exeptions) which were then divided into 81 minor quadrants. There is a good site about this, but I don't remember it anymore :shifty:

Krupp

I think we are soon getting out of hand here. If the purpose is to just make the game harder, then this will be one way to do it. But if we want some kind of realism in this, then we should go for that. A position message always have to consist what it is, course, and speed. All these values are estimated values, but if they are going to do some good, captains made sure the numbers was so accurate they could be. So to my opinion, gladely mess with course and speed, but information should be so accurate it could be for the time the convoy was sighted by another submarine or what else have reported it.

Sooo, I just had my first encounter with a Grosser cargo and this new exiting feature about random speeds.

During the overhaul I plotted the target 8 times in 40 minutes (5 min intervals). These are not 100% exact values, but they show the difference in target speed pretty well IMO. Range to target stayed between 16000 and 14000 meters.

0 - 5 mins: target travelled 1.2 km -> speed 7.8 knots
5 - 10 mins:0.6 km -> 4 knots
10 -15 mins: 1 km -> 6.5 knots
15 -20 mins: 0.7 km ->4.6 knots
20 - 25 mins: 1.6 km -> 10.5 knots
25 - 30 mins: 1.0 km -> 6.5 knots
30 - 35 mins: 1.2 km -> 7.8 knots
35 - 40 mins: 1.0 km -> 6.5 knots

Travelled distance for the target was about 8 km's during this.

Altho the idea of having random speeds is excellent, I was surprised to see how quickly and short intervals it (speed) actually changes. It gave me an image of drunken captain yanking the telegraph on the bridge of that cargo ship. Perhaps longer times per speed change would suit better? Hard to tell, like I said, this was my first attack against anything with this mod.

Oh, I did a port side double shot with 2 degree cover angle from 700 meters, AOB was around 75 degrees. One hit, one missed her aft (I think). This mod makes attacking more difficult for sure.

Krupp

Krupp,
Thankyou kindly for the feedback. It is most appreciated.

I reqiure more details such as
1. what type of vessel
2. where was the vessel i.e. at grig AN54 heading south, or English Channel
3. how did you calculate the distance and speed.

There could be several reasons for the wild speed variations that you saw..
1. If the ship is aware that you are there is performs a basic zig-zag course. This zig-zag course will take up to 2-3 knots off a ships base speed.

2. Are you saying that you were manually estimating the targets range from over 16 kilometres? If so, I would have to say that the speed variations are a result of errors in distance.

3. You were in a area that has many waypoints, i.e. coming into a port etc

I will start another thread wich will hopefully stay as pure feedback :rotfl: I will elaberate on what data will help make the feedback more reliable.

May I be so bold as to ask if you could use the Weapons Officer in your next report? That is, enable the WO assistance in the realism and he will give you an exact TDC data.

No problemo.


-Grosser Cargo (mentioned above)
-BF41 / BF 42 area
-asked from my watch officer the range and bearing to closest target. Then I used map tools to draw a line in correct angle to the target and marked it with X. Waited about 5 minutes and repeated. This lasted 40 minutes. It's easy to calculate target speed when you have the time and traveled distance. Edit: done it like this dozens of times with succes. That is to be able to get targets course and speed.

- No, they didn't see my boat, the range was 16000 t0 14000 meters and they can spot me from the range of 12000m at earliest. Edit: and I could see that the AOB was constant compared to my closure to her track. (with 1600x1200 resolution those masts and funnels are easier to figure out).

- drawing the distance with the ruler gives you the same error in all ranges + I zoom the map as close as possible. I was able to calculate the target track (course) pretty close, I could see that when I finished my overhaul and turned to approach.

- several hundred kliks to nearest port (see the location)

- maybe I start another test career with weapon officer help, no trouble at all.

Hope this helps and I will note all attacks from now on for feedback. It was only one attack...

Krupp