I've played SH3 GWX for many months and had gotten used to the predictable zig zagging of the convoys after an initial attack. Actually the convoy itself didn't zig, every ship did it by itself resulting in very unrealistic behavior. Every attack became more of a chore so in the end I even started using Automatic Targeting to pass the time quicker between 1939-1942. But since playing OM (I was never good at convoys in TMO or RFB) I had to relearn tricks from scratch. It's very realistic and I believe that only once I was able to do an easy attack on a convoy like before.
- convoy formations are irregular
- convoys change course quite often
- zig zagging is made at convoy-level and is much more severe
- ships have different speeds in the same convoy, changing places constantly
- after an attack behavior is more dynamic. Convoys with many escorts will usually continue on their way with only small changes. Convoys less well protected will scatter in all directions.
On my last convoy attack I couldn't believe my eyes. In my initial attack, the convoy changed course twice by almost 30 degrees, a few minutes apart. Ships were shifting positions. A destroyer came in my direction after a radio report (I wanted that extra renown). Slipped by and got myself the biggest cargo and missed a tanker (but hit something else behind it by mistake and sunk a 5k tonner). After a bit of escort dodging I made my way back again and even after 12 hours, the convoy came exactly where I thought. Easy zig-zag I thought.
WRONG. They came from the wrong bearing. I found myself desperately trying to dodge the front escort as the entire convoy was heading at me. I was lucky they changed course again and found myself in the middle of this huge convoy with ships stretched out for miles, with absolutely no discernable form. I expected my tankers to be in the middle, as they were before. They weren't. They had slipped back to the tail and were going slower than the rest of the merchants. But the 5 escorts had also changed tactic and were now viciously guarding the 3 tanker group. I found myself shooting at -310 and +60 degree gyros from up close as I couldn't use my scope for a long time for fear of spotting. I was lucky to get away.
Overall it was amazing. As I said before, besides having a "real" crew, having a "real" enemy can be even more entertaining. Newbies might have a hard time adjusting to dynamic AI, but it's worth every second. I don't know how AI in SH4 works, or if it behaved the same in Vanilla. I don't know if there's AI involved there or just a realistic looking throw of the dice in a simplistic system. But it works
