Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Bellman
 SQ That wont do - you choose mischeivously to run with a convenient ''bad firing solution'' interpretation
of what was in fact a strong(ish) criticism of your suggested scatter-gun tactics.
It isnt possible on all occasions when one is fired upon to have a good TMA solution.  |
That's true. After thinking it through and experimenting some, I've come to the conclusion that salvoing torpedoes in the absense of a good firing solution (i.e. counterfire) is wasteful. Counterfire is best with single shots or maybe two.
If you shoot more than that, you do increase the likelihood of killing your bad guy somewhat, but the lack of an accurate range makes it impossible to determine how many torpedoes to salvo most effectively. In light of that, the logical choice is that you have to salvo all of them.
If you salvo all of your torpedoes, the first problem is that the small-angle approximations used in the calculations I made become sufficiently inaccurate that gaps appear in the area searched by the torpedoes beyond anything but the shortest ranges. The other problem is that with the torpedoes activating early as is the case in counterfire, their speed is significantly reduced because they're snaking. So, their time-late increases and the arc of uncertainty surrounding the target increases. So the optimum firing range for the tactic is decreased well inside of where you probably OUGHT to have detected and developed a solution on the guy in the first place, unless the acoustics are truely awful. In that case, you have a close-in situation where the search width of a single torpedo is sufficient to insure a reasonable likelihood of getting the guy.
You do a little bit better, but not much. You also consume torpedoes astoundingly fast. I think the tactic works best on shooting fast targets at medium range, where you have a good firing solution, but you worry he might slip away from you.
Quote:
The deal then is clear the datum, if necessary, collate information
work up the TMA adjust the run/s by wire. Exactly my point 
|
For counterfire, yes.
After working out the numbers, and experimenting in the sim, I no longer advocate firing spreads of torpedoes over an arc as counterfire. It doesn't buy you enough to worry about in a realistic scenario. Although in some of the MP free-for-alls (the scenarios that make me cringe) where everyone is piled on top of each other, it might still. The tactic in that case is pure munchkinism, but I don't care because those kinds of scenarios are cheesey anyhow. They're all about firepower, so if you've got firepower, USE IT.
Quote:
Post edited and pruned extensively in an effort to maintain good Anglo-American relations ! 
|
You'll never get my spreadsheet now.