Just loaded up TMO2.2 and RSRD v5 and cruised from Brisbane (!) to just south of Rabaul and have a few observations.
First, the game loaded a lot quicker than it did with TMO 1.7 plus four levels of 1.8 patches, plus RSRD. I'm running the latest version of RSRD now too.
The maps are all changed to a semi-topo map with a lot more place names on it and more ocean depth data than is authentic. It sure looks pretty and contains a lot more info but I have several levels more info than the real submariners had. I'll take it anyway. Looks great.
And I had a bit of a glitch when 1.5 Crew Message Box 1.1 did not position the crew message box at the bottom of the screen as I expected. In fact, it positioned the crew message box off screen and I could not retrieve it. Small problem. I unloaded the mod (only moves the crew message box so I don't have to anyway). Don't know if that worked yet, but there's no way it couldn't!
My first little bit of culture shock came when I initiated my normal anti-plane procedure. On radar contact, I plot my normal ice cream plot using the plane's initial position as the point of the cone, draw the ice cream as a 5 mile circle around my boat (that's the max plane detection disance) and two lines from the plane's initial position to both edges of the ice cream. If the plane enters the cone, I know it will get under 5 miles away. So I know I have to dive to avoid detection. Explanations and screenies upon request.
Well, I don't know if it is Ducimus up to his well-known nefarious ways, or Lurker's mischief, but these planes can visually sight me from outside of 5 miles now! I had a plane that was going to pass about 5.2 miles away sight me when he was somewhere around 5.4 miles away. He turned toward and I pulled the plug. Whew!
Setting the depth for 120' I stabbed the stopwatch as I passed periscope depth, and when it indicated 5 minutes I hit the surface button because he's got to be gone. I hit the surface and there he was! Planes no longer keep going if they have sighted you. He was less than a mile from me, so I went to periscope depth and shot up the radar antenna (that's a LOT nicer than the bad old days of going to radar depth to do that. You never know when 10' separates life from death. The plane loitered for a couple more passes and finally left.
This is a whole new behavior for anti-sub planes and really a welcome change, especially for June 1942! The planes are acting intelligently and dangerously, probably thanks to me publishing the details of my standard plane avoidance tactics....
Don't know whether Duci or Lurker is responsible for this, but good move! I sure am glad that a wet sub dives a lot more quickly than one that has been surfaced for awhile.
Enough time wasted, I'm back at it! See you!
