This is an interesting idea I've been thinking about for
Silent Hunter IV. Basically, in short terms:
- Add options for "Manual charting" and "Navigation Officer Assistance".
- You know how you've got that tiny little submarine icon on the F5 and F6 charts? When you activate the "Manual Charting" option, it's gone.
- You can use stars, sextants (they used those in World War II, right?), the sun, your compass, visible land, etc. to pinpoint your location, and the manual comes with detailed information on how to do so. The Naval Academy also gives you detailed information in the form of a tutorial and video.
- If "Navigation Officer Assistance" is enabled, you can order your Navigation Officer to estimate your position on the map.
- Drifting is enabled, meaning that in storms you'll get thrown off course (as in Das Boot).
Thoughts? I think it'd be downright awesome if it could be made relatively easy (the same way the information gathering for torpedo runs is pretty realistic, but still simplified). Learning how to use a sextant in a computer game would be one thing a lot of people would love.
Also see:
http://www.mat.uc.pt/~helios/Mestre/...0/H61iflan.htm