Guns 'n' Roses (or Lilies, or something)
 

OK, I need some guidance.

Against strong advice from some, I have been using the deck gun in engagements with solo merchants.

I'm using SH IV 1.5 with TMO, RSRD and Travellor. It's 1942 in career mode with a stern-mounted 50 cal (4). There are some issues that I wonder if anyone has addressed with Mods (or are there settings that I am not aware of?) I have looked through the mods lists and some comments and I am aware there are some mods, but they seem to up the fire-rate or damage or so on, and that's not what I am after.

- as the AI is far less accurate at medium distance than I am on the gun (and only 'better' at distance because the inadequate zoom on the gun-sight means the target just gets too small to see what's happening), I have occasion to be concerned about the sanity of some of my deck crew. When slewing the gun far port or starboard to fire back over my shoulder, as it were, there is a crewman standing watch on either side and forward of the conning tower. It means two things: first, they block the view through the sight, and second, they are standing in front of the barrel. Now, I know they are all macho and fans of 'Kelly's Heroes', but, really?! Mod adjust anyone?

- Why, as I have 'No stabilise view' selected, is the gun so rock-steady regardless of sea-state? Is this native to SH IV? (Disappointing as the bouncing gun barrel in previous versions of SH was an appreciated 'realism' feature - it's been done - perhaps the code is somehow useable as a template? (Waiting for the barrel to steady and timing swells became one of my better skills....)) Is there a Mod out there that amends this anomaly?

If any guru genius modder actually wants to improve game play significantly for Gunnys, here's a couple of suggestions (if they haven't already been spotted and modded? If so, where, where!?):

- When gun is zoomed in, slew-rate on left-right arrows should be radically adjusted down to allow micro-adjustments. As it is, the arrows are useless - it wildly overshoots left or right at the briefest touch, so you have to use the mouse and that's a Royal Pain.

- Have some kind of Range read-out slaved from the bridge TBT or, even better, have range called out from the bridge (the same way sonar contacts are called), say, with every 100m change. (Its a real pain once you lose track at distance because the zoom is inadequate to see if you are under or over-shooting and have to leave the gun; run up to the bridge and take a range reading; then run back down to the gun AND BEGIN ELEVATION ALL OVER AGAIN FROM 500! That's a total waste - at the very least, couldn't the gun stay in the elevation last set, so long as 'Man Deck Gun' is selected. Re-elevating is a painfully slow waste of time! :/\\!! (I can see on the zoomed gun-sight view that if the mouse pointer hovers over the right or left sides of the screen, the word 'Range' pops up, but no amount of left or right clicking achieves anything- even though the manual mentions 'right click range', but then doesn't explain). Or is all this just a glitch and something that should be there and isn't? :hmmm:

Sorry to ramble, but for us patient Gunnys who want to contribute (semi-realistically), taking down a merchant at 6 km is very satisfying. Just give us the tools!:arrgh!:

Thanks

No idea about the rest of your questions, but about this, hit CTRL or ALT (I can't remember right now which one) while moving the gun left or right.

If you lock onto a target you can get the range two ways one is by clicking the "nearest visual contact" icon in that case though the range will be in feet.The other way is to have the soundman report the range of the contact his answer will be in yards.This is not unrealistic as some claim it to be the WCA, JP and JT sound sets worked while on the surface (which is why you see the little sound heads on the heel).

I also tend only use the gun from within 4,000 yds so I can better see if my shots are off.

I think Travelers disables the sound sets on the surface and I dislike this as it is historically incorrect.

The gun can be made unsteady because if you play Real Fleet Boat it is very unsteady you would have to tweak values some place which ones and where I do not know.

Source for information on the sound sets: "U.S. Submarines Through 1945" and "The Fleet Submarine in the U.S. Navy".

Thanks. Wilco.

Gryff

That's good intel. Thanks. Yes, the problem with absolutely no sonar or even hydrophones on the surface was something I had noticed and was not thrilled by (I know some sound info should be available as most (?) boats had 'chin' sensors. Ah, well, the battle for balance continues.

I just encountered a solo Maru transiting Makassar at 9 knots in heavy rain and light chop. I lined up twice for submerged shots at 500 and then 300, with no target visibility, relying on sonar input to the TDC to shoot. Two duds. I was so ticked off, I did something no self-respecting skipper would do - I surfaced to go at him with gun. I finally run him down to visible range at 135 - scared the life out of me as I was on the bridge TBT and all I could see was hull! Backed-off to parallel at 150 where he was fading in and out of vis, but enough for the gun crew to do their thing (most of the time).

REMARKABLY, I took him out with not a shot fired in retaliation! THAT'S never happened to me before. What were the chances that I surfaced within 150 m of the only merchant in the Japanese fleet without even a popgun in the bridge safe! Talk about a let-off!:arrgh!:

Anyway, I will keep chasing some kind of realism mod to de-stabilise the gun. Just for fun.

Tight Hatches

Gryff

Ah. Well. Sorry about this, but I have had a look at various suggestions on this thread, and they actually don't work or solve the problems.

You get some improvement of traverse speed with 'Ctrl', but its still no-where near fine enough at distance (for example, I was trying to finish off a carrier at over 6,000, and trying to get on target was so hard, I gave up and came in closer - not recommended). {And yes, I put it on the bottom (along with another carrier and a Heavy Cruiser with my little Porpoise. What a crew!!}

There IS no 'Nearest Visual Target' Icon on the Gun Station - that's the problem. My sound guy doesn't give info while surfaced, so, neither of these methods are available. Looks like a Mod is required (if someone hasn't already done it). It would be worth it for this early war stuff, as I regularly take out significant tonnage with gun.

Cheers, mates.

Gryff

Exactly, Mein Herr!

While on the general subject of guns, I'll just repeat in this thread the general moan I have had elsewhere about the inaccuracy of the AI in gun operation REGARDLESS of any upgrades to gun specification or crew specialisation. If spending big buckets of Renown on new and better guns and specialist crew, should we not see an improvement in hit statistics? I don't mind firing away myself, but I HAVE to because my stats are embarrassingly better than the best crew on the best gun available on a Balao.

End of whinge. Regards

Gryff