my two cents worth
 

Since I have not been able to play because my gaming computer died [permanently], I have been scouring the forums. Here are my two cents on manual targeting.

Hitman's tutorial on Manual Targeting at 100 percent Realism is a great way to be introduced to manual targeting. It teaches the concept of aspect ratio which is REALLY important. It forces you to do the math, so the concept sinks in.

Also, gutted's [what a handle!] Solution Solver program, along with his tutorials, will aid in understanding as to how aspect ratio and Aob change as your boat and the target change position. Finally, the easy Aob mod is indispensible, as it enables accuracy at long range. All of these will make understanding lead angles, etc. and the O'Kane Method much easier in the log run. (I wouldn't listen to anything Rockin Robbins says... he taught me everything I know and introduced me to manual targeting.)

Learn to read the dials on the PK and the Attack Dials. Use them to verify your set up and use the Attack Screen to ensure your torpedo angle will get you close. Remember, early war torpedoes often run deep and that ducimus' destoryers in TMO are programmed to keep you very, very honest (Is it an accident that my motherboard died at the exact moment my boat was sunk by a TMO destroyer depth charge? I don't think so?)

the tutorial "simplified manual targeting 100% realism" on this site somewhere i been using has been working 100% of the time so far, even when i feel such a noob since i only start playing a week ago i always fire and am quite sure it will miss, i hear "torpedo impact"

yay.

the guide requires hitting pause to set up AOB/do some math, but i live with it if i keep getting hits like this, even with TMOs duds i still have a very high success rate.

mobucks
 

Mobucks--you are on the same path that I followed re manual targeting. Once you learn how to plot the target's true course (it is easy), I recommend downloading the Easy Aob mod. The mod will enable you to pull off attacks at various angles without doing the math required in Hitman's tutorial. It was runner up to mod of the year, and is state of the art subsim technology.

And if you want to blow your mind, download gutted's Solution Solver program and watch his tutorials. It took me a while to figure out, but it was worth it.

Torpedo Impact!
 

The tutorials of RRobbins OKane follies and Werners TDC tutorial finally lit my light bulb. It boils it down to a level of simplicity even my feeble brain can grasp.

If you watch Werner walk you thru a setup with just a fictional target, you can see how the upper dial shows target heading. Lower dial, your heading.

And calculating AOB becomes a no brainer. Obviously, if the target is at 90' relative, the AOB is 90' too. It's very proportional in that if the ship is at say 075' relative, then the AOB is 15' less than 90'

I always try to do a solution at 45' relative and a couple final ones around 15' relative. Be ready to shoot at 10' if the target is less than 15kts. Most ships are slow. Warships move out, though.

Always lock your scope when able and enter range and bearing last.

This works out to be the quickest and simplest way to set up OKane or Cromwells method. I have bagged some tonnage doing that and now am ready to learn to do a sonar/hydrophone only blind shot.

utube vids on manual attacking?

lol, none of them have worked for me so far. Two patrols and 48 torps and what sounded like one hit. Setting sail from Pearl to try again.

CH3NO2 Next time you contact a target save the game and reshoot the same situation over again and you will no doubt find what you may be doing wrong.

Use the external cam to see where your torpedoes go and that might shed some light on any problems with your firing solution. Some of your misses might be just torpedoes running to deep, if you have duds on.

Are you playing with map contacts on or off?

Magic