RUb1.43 to RUb1.44: map contacts
 

I first played RUb 1.43 + Commander on 100%, and I now play RUb1.44 + Commander on 100%. Interception of convoys, and especially shadowing a convoy and determining its exact heading was quite a challenge, but with 1.44 it seems that single ship contacts are back and individual ships are now displayed on the map. The reason for this ofcourse that the automatic map updat is on, as suggested in the RUb readme.

This has made the game rediculously easy. I have a interception succes rate of about 75% on single ship contacts, and they always sink once intercepted. Convoys are tougher, but once inside the destroyer screen it is rediculously easy to determine heading, because all you need to do is mark each ship that is sailing in a row, connect the markers with a line and presto there is you heading.

Using the stadimeter is no longer neccesary, and it was the stadimeter that created the measurement error to create the occasional miss. It also made rough weather attacks almost impossible from ranges longer then 800 meters.

So why the change?

What would I lose if I turned automatic map update off? The sonar bearing markers, right? That would be annoying since they are very handy in convoy attacks.

The readme details the files changed I believe. There's only two of them. You can copy back the 1.43 versions if they bother you.

The change was made because with version 1.43 you couldn't get any single ship contacts at all. This was skewing the results of patrols and making convoy interceptions virtually the only way to get tonnage.

I'll have a look at it.

I see. Still, I sink about two to four single contacts per patrol; they make up the larger part of the kills. That's excessive. Are the single contacts still work in progress?

And my bigger question was why the individual ships pop up as icons in the main map? To have perfectly accurate information of the position of every ship in a convoy, I just enter the convoy submurged, or preferably let the covoy sail over me, then pop up my scope, and every single ship is then represented on the main map as either a square (cargo) or a diamond (warship). There is no longer any use for manual measurement. :-?

I like this system, it simulates that your nav officer is drawing out the enemy positions while you are gathering date tru the scope.

A Kaleun can't do everything himself.

Here is your Fix...
 

Scared Bunny I got your fix right here...

Open up the file named Contacts.cfg (../data/cfg/) and edit the following line in the file as shown.

FROM:
Decay Time For Precise Sensor Contacts=60 ;[>0] seconds

TO:
Decay Time For Precise Sensor Contacts=0 ;[>0] seconds


This will prevent the ship identifier from showing on the map view when the contact is within visible range, and should give you a reason to use manual plotting again. (however, this fix can cause problems in rough seas with your stadimeter, and it may not work since you will loose your contact whenever waves / water cover your scope... there is more on this topic in the forum)

Re: Here is your Fix...
 

Doesn't it also remove the distant (so-called 'opportunity') radio contacts?

For my part, I am now 'ignoring' any single ship radio contacts displayed on the map. Incidentally, this is the policy of 21st Flotilla, which I have just joined. I will only pursue single ship contacts if I detect them on the hydrophone or visually. It's a much better challenge imho. This hasn't stopped me from sinking lots of single merchants in my current patrol (Dec '39).

So you don't simulate any radio contacts? Does 21st Flotilla have any evidence that shows that U-boat interception of enemy merchant traffic broadcasts was not a factor in finding targets?

Re: Here is your Fix...
 

I'm still receiving distant contact reports of ships, so I would assume the radio contacts functionality is still working.

I can't speak for the Flotilla ..after all, I'm just a new recruit and haven't even started my first patrol yet...lol. But from my understanding, their position is that most radio intercepts were in relation to convoys and not single merchants. Thus, convoy radio intercepts showing on the nav map are fine. I don't have the knowledge to debate this either way. My own decision to ignore single merchant radio contacts is more game-based... it's too easy to just head for the contact and kill the merchant...especially when you're given the course heading, estimaed speed of target, etc. I prefer to do that manually for the challenge. This ain't a criticism of RuB, which I couldn't be more enthusiastic about. Just my own style of play.

I'd love to get some kind of source for this. The radio contact part of the game has always been a bit of a mystery for me. I've never seen any reference to picking up radio broadcasts. If I could get some sort of info on it I'd be better able to tweak RUb to be more realistic. If any of the folks at 21st Flotilla (or anyone else) can weigh in on this, that would be great.

I will mention the topic to them over there and perhaps Eric or somebody else at the helm will post on it here. Alternatively, in case you want to cut to the chase yourself, the website is: http://www.sturmgruppewulf.co.uk/sh3did/ Hope this helps.

Beery, here's the relevant thread (dates back to April I think) over at 21st Flotilla forums... sounds like you should discuss with Siggi over there... hope this helps.

http://www.sturmgruppewulf.co.uk/php...opic.php?t=196

Re: Here is your Fix...
 

Thanks! :D Now how do I cook it and put it in a needle... :P