New to DW!
 

Hello all,

I consider myself to be an old naval simmer since the days of the Jane's 688(i) (I know some of you out there are 'older').
I played 688(I), Sub Command, now I'm getting a shot at DW.
It's an wonderful game and I'm in love with it.
However, as relantionships go, there are somethings that need to be set before continuing.
So, here comes my questions. Please bear with me because I'm new to this game:

1) Sonar Contacts. I'm on the second mission on the campaign and just can't get a reading of marked contacts on the DEMON display. Why is that? Do I have to mark the contact on the Broadband display, like the Kilo? I'm playing Seawolf. I got contacts through the Narrowband display.

2) Sonar Autocrew: Because this mission has so many contacts, I got confused and decided to turn the auto crew on. It started to mark a lot of other contacts. Turned this off and on, and many times later it seemed to me that he marks the ambiguous contacts as well. Is that true? Should I trust the AutoCrew?

3) What it takes to finish this mission? I saw all surface contacts on port and the shipyard, even so I got a Mission Failed at end.

4) Launching the Helo. How long it takes? An hour? Can I launch it at mission start, like 5 minutes?

That's it. As far as the rest I'm good, the notable exception being the FFg, wich has a lot of stations and need to have a throughout read on the manual. Twice. Maybe even a third time. It's complex.

And, to finish, I got tell this: never, never ever play this game tired on in a rush. Otherwise you will a not so nice encounter with a torpedo...

here some answers.

1. You must have a broadband tracker assigned to use DEMON. Most often the auto-crew will mark using narrowband, although it shows source as PBB. usually you have to manually tag a tracker on the contact in BB display to use DEMON.

2. Your auto-crew will mark all contacts, even 'double' towed array contacts. make a turn of 10-30 degrees, wait for the towed array to catch up: your sonar guys should resolve the ambiguity.

3. you need to do 3 things to finish the mission. you must RECON THE SHIPYARD (the docks themselves), then RECON THE SURFACE THREATS and lastly EXIT THE AREA.

4. no idea. I never use the FFG.

The time it takes to launch the helo depends on the alert status the helo is set to. The scenario designer can set the helo to start the scenario at alert 30, 15, or 5 (or none at all--60 minutes to launch). You can also set the alert status during the mission, but of course you don't get ahead of the curve by doing so.

PS. I think it's actually the TMA autocrew that eliminates the TA mirror.

It takes one hour to get one of the helicopters out of the hanger and to launch so plan ahead. At the start of each mission, set your helos both to at least Alert Status 30. That means that the helo will take 30 minutes to roll out of the hanger and get it ready for launch. Alert 15 puts the helo out on the deck without it's rotors spinning and it will take it 15 minutes to get airborn. Alert 5 means that it's on the deck with the rotors spinning and it's good for liftoff in 5 minutes.

I always set my helos to status 30 at mission start because I don't like them sitting on the deck just in case something happens right off the bat in the mission that could kill it. Those things are pretty essential to the defense of the FFG.

In options you can set them to start up immediately, if ya like. :smug:

Black Dingo,

Thanks for the info. I had no idea that sonarmen would resolve contacts automatically. I should read the manual again...And thanks fot the tips on the DEMON.
It seems that subs here work differently from Sub Command.
But anyway, Ibought this game for the air operations...hehehe...

Molon Labe, Blacklight,
Thanks for the helo info. I would like to have it launched early on, but it will take one hour to get it flying, if no alert status was set.
You see, there is this mission when you have to escort a convoy on the North Atlantic, and there is a Kilo and a Victor III lying around, so the Helo would be invaluable on engaging them. Seem to me a job for the ownship's Sonar station.
Not to mention those pesky ASM Kitchens launched from that peskier Tu-22 Backfire...

Imamar,
Hehehe..I could do that, but it would lose lot of the game realism. That's the point of this game, right?