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Platapus · 05-25-09, 11:28 AM

Shadowing a ship or convoy is as tricky in the game as in real life I would suppose.

There are two general strategies that I use:

1. Constant observation - This is where I try to position my sub at the very extreme of visibility to the nearest ship. This is based on the assumption that if I can barely see the top of the boat, they boat can't see my sub.

Advantages: I can get a very good track of the course and tell when the ship/convoy changes direction. It would be easier if the game would have the ability to calculate and automatically steer a parallel course.

Disadvantages: You really can't use TC very much so this is very very very boring.

I have lost convoys at 16x TC so mostly I use a max of 8. This really only works when the ship is moving slow so I can overtake within an hour or two.

2. Sneak-a-peek - This is where I get close enough to get a good plot of the ship and then scoot back to where the ship is no longer visible to me. I make sure that I carefully mark my chart with not only the position of the ship but my position. I than race ahead on what I think is a parallel course.

After "some time" I turn in to where the ship is until I detect the ship and then plot my position and the position of the ship. Then I scoot out of range again.

Advantages: You can use TC

Disadvantages: Much harder to get a good plot and very easy to miss a course change.

Overtaking a convoy is not fun at all.

I really only do it when the convoy is moving at a slow speed. Spending six hours of RL time overtaking a fast convoy at 4x TC is not my idea of a fun evening.

Good luck with it.

05-25-09, 11:28 AM	#2
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,379 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	Shadowing a ship or convoy is as tricky in the game as in real life I would suppose. There are two general strategies that I use: 1. Constant observation - This is where I try to position my sub at the very extreme of visibility to the nearest ship. This is based on the assumption that if I can barely see the top of the boat, they boat can't see my sub. Advantages: I can get a very good track of the course and tell when the ship/convoy changes direction. It would be easier if the game would have the ability to calculate and automatically steer a parallel course. Disadvantages: You really can't use TC very much so this is very very very boring. I have lost convoys at 16x TC so mostly I use a max of 8. This really only works when the ship is moving slow so I can overtake within an hour or two. 2. Sneak-a-peek - This is where I get close enough to get a good plot of the ship and then scoot back to where the ship is no longer visible to me. I make sure that I carefully mark my chart with not only the position of the ship but my position. I than race ahead on what I think is a parallel course. After "some time" I turn in to where the ship is until I detect the ship and then plot my position and the position of the ship. Then I scoot out of range again. Advantages: You can use TC Disadvantages: Much harder to get a good plot and very easy to miss a course change. Overtaking a convoy is not fun at all. I really only do it when the convoy is moving at a slow speed. Spending six hours of RL time overtaking a fast convoy at 4x TC is not my idea of a fun evening. Good luck with it. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.