Scattering convoys?
 

I'm in grid CG88 in mid 1941. It's nighttime and I'm chasing a convoy. Fired eight torpedoes and scored seven hits, yet only three ships sunk ... but that's a separate yarn.

The convoy was heading due west until I sneaked in and starting causing havoc. After my eels started punching holes in hulls, the convoy swung right around to SSE ... and after I ducked to avoid a passing escort, I came back up to find them in total disarray.

I really can't describe it better than saying the convoy scattered. Ships were pointing in all directions, steaming all over the place. The escorts were all doing their own thing, too. I've never seen anything like it before.

Has anyone else?

That's typical when the convoy makes a turn on a waypoint. Throws all type of attack planning out the window.

I've seen a convoy turn twice while trailing it. The second time, I said "screw it" and went after a target that wouldn't lag my computer as much.

It also happens when several ships start to limp inside of it. Everybody is trying to change course to avoid the slowing ships and it can be quite a congestion. Since you did injured some of the ships, that could be a possibility too.

BUt they do weird things too when they alter the convoy course like mentionned above.

A combination of waypoint course change and the confusion you sowed by slowing down some of them.

• The AI will not let its ships collide, so they will often stop nervously until the thing gets sorted out.
• Also, the AI seems to give right of way to the escorts first.
• The AI convoy ships never seem to leave their "frame." They seem to mill around only in the confines of the original convoy.
• If you have ever seen border collies managing sheep, I can only say it is the closest thing to it.

Now, you would think this would be the perfect time to cause more disruption, by trying to torpedo the ones standing still.

Won't work if you are using any sort of automatic target solution -- the game engine knows where the ships are supposed to be, and will target that spot. Not the ship. Until it cranks through the data storm you threw at it, at which point the ships will be moving again, anyway.

Can you clarify that? 'Cause I feel like I have my Bernard cozy on. It makes no sense.

Which part?

The highlighted part I think.

I think He means that the convoy is built as a box, and the merchants try not to escape the confines of that box, even under confusion.

I have seen a tanker go rogue and start making what appeared to be DC runs at me, well outside that box, but that could be because I had hit him with a torpedo earlier. Taking damage may break that instinct to stay in the box.

I had to wonder about the skipper, still living his glory days on a destroyer?

I have also experienced scattered convoys. It can be maddening because you have to get really close to the target in order to ensure a hit since the ships will change course in a manner that is seemingly random. Also, I have had experinces where I have gotten inside a convoy and have had ships other than my target try to run me over after they seem to catch sight of my periscope. These ships are usually the smaller ships, like tramp steamers or small cargo ships; I am guessing that this is because their turning radius is less and adaptability to course change is greater. Nothing puts a damper on stalking a nice fat tanker than scoping around and finding some pissant tramp steamer is trying to trim off your turm...

Poor delusional sod...

Precious little worse than a small dog who thinks he can hunt with the big dogs. ;)

On reaching a waypoint (real world), the convoy Wheels to the new base course.

It can be a real cluster-thing in a real convoy, so I guess SH3 got it right.

A covoy will Turn to zig zag, and Wheel to change course. Two very different animals.
Both can bring about much confusion, and take quite some time to complete.

I swear I bolded the text-part I wanted clarification about. Some how it didn't come through:

EDIT: I figured it out, it seems bolding a list-item doesn't work if the [b] precedes the[*]. I fixed my earlier post.

I saw it before the edit, but it was very subtle.

Ah yes. What I meant was is that the convoys seem scripted to follow a certain path... When disrupted, the convoy members will simply come to a stop within the path, rather than scatter outside of of it.

I am pretty sure "appeared to be" was what was happening. But I could be wrong.

I have never experienced an AI merchant trying to ram me, even after I have hit him. At least, not while I am surfaced. At periscope depth, I have been collided with, but I am 99% sure it was because I lurched in front of it.