AI Stop-and-Go + TDC Lag
 

New career, first patrol, August 23 1939, VIIB, GWX 3.0

On my way out of W'haven, I noticed a large merchant on a collision course with me. Knowing that the AI would never let the ship hit me, I kept my course and speed. Sure enough, at about 100 meters, the AI ship instantly went to back-full and -- this was interesting -- paralleled my course (me going forward at 8knts, it going backwards at 8knts, side by side.

For fun, I did a target solution on it. Whoa... the solution was way off. In fact, the solution was for where the ship would have been if it had never done the AI Stop-and-Go.

After about a minute, she bore off (in reverse still), and then the TDC came to its senses and found a correct solution.

Since this was safely prewar, I tried this on about a dozen ships on the way down the channel. I got 7 to do the "Stop-and-Go Dance" and in every case the TDC lagged from seconds to up to full game minute in presenting the right data and a solution.

I think this explains why, when I disrupt a convoy by slowing or stopping ships, I can never come close to hitting a target doing the Stop-and-Go: TDC is giving me a solution for where the ship should be, not where it is, at least until some sort of lag catches up.

Obviously I have not done a controlled test of this. Have the rest of you encountered this?

Bumping
 

No one replied when I posted this originally....

Is there a TDC lag when the AI ships do the "stop-and-go" dance?

It happens
 

It happens with me, if im on his course, he will change course or hard reverves to avoid collision, and give me "right away"..

With all mission i never had collided with a german Destroyers... or even a battle ship..

Yes, I know, but if you try to set up a target solution on her, does the TDC read accurately where the ship IS or where it would BE if it had not had to do the "dance?"

Too close
 

Perhaps there is a limit or minimum range for the TDC to be accurate?

Torpedoes do have a minimum range, so may be related.

No experience with this.

The Target Two-Step

Your quite correct about the time lag....I believe this is because the game engine is not expecting/programmed to deal with such an intense and rapid change of direction and because as we know said game engine is constantly processing all the other dynamics in the entire SH3 world, takes a little time to adjust itself to this phenonema.