No contact update
 

I am trying the game at 75% realism.

Turned on no contact update on a single mission for fun.
Fun? What fun? it's damn hard!:damn:
Distance is never accurate, angle on bow is wrong, and speed is borked.
:88)

Herr Donitz, do you have any clerk position available in Lorient?
:oops:

My suggestion:

Turn back on map contacts. Then at the same time practice doing manual plotting and notice the differences between your observations and GPS/god mode. Realize that there is a reason your Deck Watch Officer's nickname is "squinty". He is really only good for bearings.

Then when you got plotting down so that you can do it quickly (since you can't plot while paused), give no contacts another try.

It is tough to go from contacts to no contacts cold turkey. (Cold Turkey is too distracting anyway due to their little beaks chattering all the time.)

The objective is to make "no contacts" challenging but not frustrating.

Hmmm.
You've already taken the hardest step by turning them off.
Why retreat now?

If you do decide to go back, I'll almost guarentee that you'll miss the added stimulation.

Besides, without knowing it, you probably got hooked on the challenge.

"Here kid, just try it". . . .Pow! . . . Hooked.

That is true, it is really hard to switch off the map update. I remember that for the long time I play only with mup update on. But after that I get rid of that and now I can not imagine to play on lower realistic mode. For me it is the main source of fun, if I hit a target based only on my calculation.

well, i thought so to, but i found out that i'm more frustrated when that one in a million target missed because of my calculation....

(read Vittoro Veneto and Roma)

Maybe I hold better strings over at BdU Personal Ambt but I nickname my Watchofficer "Hawkeye". He has very sharp eyesight. Too sharp even for realism. He may be a bit slow though to report though. I can usually notice them earlier. It's the optics of your periscope that leaves something to be desired in use for long range measurements. And mostly that is also due to your own ability to correctly place the waterlevel line and determine the right height reference location. (masttops getting clipped because they are thinner than a pixel's width)

@ Dekessey: Maybe you should try to use mods based on the OLC Gui (link) or the U-jagd tools. It not only is more historically realistic compared to the notepad thingy. It also does the targeting procedure in a way that doesn't build up measurement inaccuracies, i.e. a speed measurement totally independant from range. Speed is most important to get a torpedo to hit steel. (but to be honest, the latter can be done with any periscope, just as long as it has a vertical line)

Hey guys thanks for the replies, and the encouragements!

If Donitz is not fed up with me wasting precious eels, I'll give it another try with your suggestions.

I realize map updates are making the game soooo easy. After all SH3 is more a sim than a game, especially with GWX.

That is the main problem, will try that mod. OTOH, I am just beginning with that new setting, I definitely need more practice.

Forgot a question: Is it possible that some sinkings aren't marked with no map updates?