GW 1.1a View Range
 

Just a quick question.

How close can you get to the average merchant before the spot you and start zagging? Day and night?

Depends on weather conditions. Surfaced on a clear calm day, say ~3000 m. On a dark night, medium weather 1000-1500m, on a foggy night less than 400m.

Submerged, you can be quite invisible to merchants, unless your periscope is sticking up more than 1m from the surface, or if your conning tower gets exposed from big waves. A ballpark figure would be less than 500m.

visual range
 

It also makes a big difference as to what AOB you present to them. It is hard to believe that this is coded into the game, but apparently it is.
irish1958

Thanks, seems I have been a little hasty in going to periscope depth.
Does the 8km or 16km view range mod have any difference or is this eye candy for the player only?

range
 

I'm not sure, but I think it doesn't make any difference.
irish1958

Well I have noticed that if I double my range of vision - from 8 to 16 km it seems to double the AI too
I get spotted a lot further away than I did before
Maybe tis just I