Targeting realism
 

Helo, im playing the game at 71% realism ( event cam and free cam on) So i want to know what is different about turning off wep officer assist and the other targeting things and how to target and fight with them off.

If you turn off weapons officer assistance, you have to do all of the targeting yourself. That means you have to calculate range, find the AOB, and target speed all by your lonesome.

I'm now playing at 84% (no external or free cam, manual targeting but with WO assist). I keep WO assist because in real life, on the surface, the captain didn't collect the data for firing, the 1st Watch Officer did. The captain only did it in submerged attacks. So that is how I play.

As for how to do manual targeting, check the sticky threads at the top of this board.

If you'd like to try manuall targeting, you must definitely read smashing Wazoo's manual.

Is there anything more to say? I don;t suppose so. :)

As to your questions about switching options on/off - don't know the answer. Never used them.

The problem I have with Weapon Officer Assist is that in any conditions he is able to give in 1 second the perfect firing solution. It would be nice if it was a real "assist" like an approximate range/speed and some delay to figure it out.
I used it as a confirmation feature though when I was starting using manual targeting just to see if my calculations were OK. After a while I stopped using it completely.

Ditto ;).

If you want to learn manual targeting follow the tutorial in SH3. Thats what I did...took a while to learn it but in the end I got it...fairly simple...just calculate range, AOB, speed and then check the square box in the target notepad (All is done in the periscope or UZO view).

I remember when I hadn't found out that you have to check the square box...and I went to put all the values manually into the TDC!...those shots shore got ****ed up. :88)

I think the ingame tutorial is the best, all I could find on the net was just super long bibles.:dead:

I also use the WO when surfaced. I know he computes the solutions very quickly, but from my reading I get the impression that the WO would be taking constant readings, bearings, etc, so I just imagine that he is doing this and is simply telling me what the current data is when I ask him.

Wazoo's method is much better and much more accurate in my opinion. And it looks hard only at the first glance. The manual is long - that's true - but it's that's long not without a purpose. Wazoo wanted to make it as simple and easy to understand, as possible. And he managed to do it. :)

There's lots of images that help too. :yep: When I read the 'fast 90' tutorial and employed the technique in game, my tonnage immediately went up.

I play at 100% and though i read the wazoo manual, i found it to be to
complicated for quick action and i now use my own method.
I manvoeuver my sub to go ahead of the boat, then lay perpendicular.
Depending on wether the boat passes from left ot right or vice versa, the aob
is 90° or 270°. Works like a charm.
For the speed, i simply guess and that's when i sometimes miss or get a less than perfect hit (like in real life)

I think more real life uboat captains used this method rather than calculating
everything. Experience made them better at guessing speed, distance and aob.
At least, that's what i think.

Yes, I almost never do all the plotting now, I estimate the course and speed 'with my eyes' and just shoot. But I wouldn't ever be able to do that with quite large percentage of success, if not the Wazoo's manual and all the knowledge I got from:
- reading it very carefully,
- several long patrols when I used his method with every little detail (now I could do the plotting with my eyes closed when sleeping).
Once you get the skill of plotting and intercepting, your only remaining problem is to stay alive.

Manual targeting
 

Target speed is the most important item in manual targeting. That said,

Plot target's initial position and note the time.
Plot subsequent target positions and plot target course.
Assuming you are on an intercept course, determine the AOB at your intercept point. With your periscope/uzo (bearing) at zero, enter this AOB into the target data computer. Also remember that the AOB most accurately reflect "starboard" or "port" which tells the TDC if the target is travelling left or right across your bow. As long as the target remains on this course, you can rotate the periscope/uzo and the TDC will always have the correct AOB.

Now, determine target speed. Note the most recent position of your target and the time. Measure from your first target position to your latest position. Determine the time interval between the two plots and use this formula: kmeters x 32.5 divided by minutes = estimated knots.
Enter this estimated speed directly into the TDC. If you make several measurements from the targets initial position as you move towards the intercept point, you'll have a good estimate of target speed before you're ready to launch.

AOB will not change as long as target course remains the same, just update target speed if it changes. In this method, you do not even need to concider range, it is not a factor. Accurate range will only affect the stop watch for the estimated impact time of torpedo.

I've have hit targets in excess of 6 kmeters with this method. Longer shots like these require a slow torpedo speed to cover the greater distance. Set the slow speed on the torpedo and the TDC will calculate the accurate offset angle for torpedo launch.

I hope this is helpful.

I keep Weapons Officer assistance on....mainly as a precautionary measure if things 'hot up' :arrgh!:

:rock: Excellent description ! Range is indeed not needed and you can even hit targets that you don't see, due to fog or because it is in your interest to stay submerged.

Are there any Youtube tutorial vids for manual targeting out there akin to Dantenoc's fantastic manual navigation tutorial?

Cheers,
AndyW