That'd be my bet too. :) But who knows.

There's lots of room for improvement in even modded SH3 but I don't consider it a "poor simulation", though without the excellent work done by the various modders it definitely is.
The escorts/aircraft are weak, etc. but whatever. The very weak damage model is what needs the most improvement to me.
Some user imposed rules if one desires can help a little; i.e. since chlorine leaks aren't modeled, if the batteries are destroyed or more than thirty (arbitrary number I picked) minutes repair time, I surface and surrender even though one wouldn't have to in the game.
The problem with user imposed rules is trying to remember them in the heat of action ! :)

I may be wrong, but IIRC, it was about evading destroyers, or/and the fact that depth charges were far less precise than in game.

I have gotten a good few more hours into the game and am enjoying myself more now. I have even managed to evade a destroyer! My main issue now is finding ships to sink. From Germany all the way down to Spain I only found four non-combat ships and didn't get a single convoy ping despite staying on convoy routes for weeks. Any tips? I'm in min 1940 if that helps.

Thanks ! :up:

Assume you're playing a career ? If playing career, just go to the assigned patrol grid and patrol.
Convoys notices will show up eventually.

The ol’ cat and mouse game with destroyers!

Here is my response. 99% of most players problems is being caught in the first place!

Here is most scenarios… you are submerged, even at night (when you should be surfaced), you fire an eel, aaaaaaannnnnnnnddddd you wait! And wait! And wait!

Instead of leaving the scene, and getting away, we sit there and watch the torp Hoping to watch fireworks in the dull hue of colors and pixels!

When you fire an eel, we should be hauling ass away from the scene. We have to tell ourselves “we have been heard, and the devil is coming!”

1) Stay on the surface if possible and attack at night.

2) Attack in bad weather if able.

3) Get out of the area as fast as you can! Don’t watch torpedoes,!don’t linger about.

4) Once out of the area, keep the convoy in sight and prepare to attack a 2nd time.

Once a destroyer picks you up, you are pretty much visible to all of them. Be prepared for several in game hours of dodging!

There is no sense going quiet when they can see you with ASDIC. You have to keep evading until they are so far away from the convoy they forget about you, or you have kept a slim underwater profile long enough they didn’t see you and presume you left the area.

Yes, very good advice: Leaving the firing position ASAP is key. And yes, once you're detected by ASDIC, staying silent doesn't help.

Showing small silhouette to the escort will help to get out of the area. My experience is, that escorts stay around the firing position for about 1h, before leaving the area again/heading back to the convoy.

Surface attacks work well up until end 1941. As of that point in time, most ASW vessels have 7000m range radar, which makes surface attacks more difficult.

Silent running may not help once they have you with asdic, but to not have it on anyway is a mistake.
I.e., if you are successful in evading them, after their depth charge run, etc. being on silent running can help prevent them from picking you up again.
It's easy to test; they can be nearby and not have you/no asdic being used with silent running on, but turn it off and immediately they have you and start pinging.
It should automatically turn off when one increases speed, etc. but it doesn't.

:sign_yeah:

Methinks his wallet knows...either in Marks, Euros or $'s which makes his 'first person-primary history source' opinion 40 years on slightly suspect when promoting a commercial endeavor such as a computer game;... but I did enjoy the interviews with Erich Topp in SH II though. :hmmm:

That is a consideration also. :yep:

Regardless, he was an interesting chap. :03:

Eetere, even the modded escorts aren't to difficult to evade especially with how silent running works in the game, plus the depth charges have been "dumbed down" in all the mods so with a little practice you'll get the hang of it.

I've honestly thought players who stick with SH3 long term (like me) must have a love of the underdog and a bit of a masochistic streak in them. :haha:

:haha::har:

Welcome to SH (be it 3,4,or 5) with mods lol. Thing is, real depth charge attacks often lasted in excess of four hours, sometimes days on end, to the point sub captains have to make the decision to surface and scuttle the boat or go out fighting. Part of the fun and challenge of the sim, is enduring the attack and just barely escaping. Should you escape and navigate the learning curve. SH 3/4/5 out of box is a light simulation, but with most mods it becomes simulation, not a shallow arcade game. Yes, a destroyer circling for hours making runs is part of the fun of the sim, the challenge. However, there are things you can do about this. Main thing, is do not give up, do not quit.

Being a simulation, you can't just go in blazing, you have to think, attack at right time and place. Shallow depths always upp the danger factor and should be avoided.

Find thermal layers, go as deep as possible, run silent, change course after each depth charge attack, never maintain same course, use bursts of speed when they are passing overhead so depth charges do not fall right on top of you. Of course have to monitor battery levels. Never attack unless have full battery charge, plenty of fresh air in boat, compressed air etc.

Navigate the learning curve and you will find you will learn the tactics used by AI. However, things, as they should, get very difficult as war goes on, thus the high uboat casualty rate. Good luck, don't give up.

1. Go deep. Very deep, more than the actual commanders did on a routine basis but in the game you must. 230 meters + deep. Don't be afraid to experiment to find out the boat's limit which is reached when you start taking minor damage from the depths; bolts popping, etc. You'll have time to recover.
2. Set speed to one knot.
3. Have silent running always on. If you use Stiebler's silent running mod (and you should) you'll very slowly (wish it as quicker) sink in this state but that's ok. If needed, raise your boat a bit and start the process over again.
4. Set course going away from the target (convoy). After a bit, this encourages the escorts to leave.

You'll escape every time then. :D I.e., I routinely escape NYGM, GWX escorts with this method including several at the same time, any stage of the war.

The true nature of lesser masochism
 

That's why I also randomize the crush speed in the *.zon file and not only the depth. Only randomizing the depth and then being able to 'safely' test the depth is a bit boring :03: With a randomized crush speed high enough to prevent a safe test, things become more exciting :D


Best, LGN1