[joegrundman]

Of the low-realism options, I only ever use external view, and then only on every other patrol in order to deter bad habits. But i like the pretty pictures. My average tonnage score isn't affected - i think.

I do not use map contact updates, ever. I only used it when learning how to do manual targetting. That sort of situational awareness was impossible without modern computers, but i do kind of agree that the current following options provided by the sonarman are inadequate. You ought to be able to specify follow nearest merchant contact, because if you are tracking an approaching convoy, the nearest contact is often the lead escort performing a search pattern, which is much harder to track than the convoy, so i have to spend time in the hydrophone station myself.

I also think that it would be better if the sonarman could track more than one object at a time for you. Perhaps the number of trackable opjects would be proportional to the experience/skill of the operator, but this is obviously out of the question until the next gen SH game is released.

Stabilise view was the last thing for me to graduate out of. As for its historical veracity, well the u-boat may be moderately stable, but the scope is on the end of a long arm sticking out from the sub. Even tiny rotations in the sub will translate as severe movements in the scope head, especially if the view is then magnified.

In any but very calm weather, accurate range readings are therefore impossible and determining course by plotting is not recommended. They found it too difficult and unreliable in real life and didn't do it then either. But AOB is still easy enough to determine visually in rough weather, and that coupled with a poor range reading is far more accurate than plotting using two inaccurate range readings.

All this is made easier using a SACF or kriegsmarine equivalent whiz wheel. In my sig there's a link to my hunting method which never requires multiple plotting to determine target track, and therefore works well in bad weather.

As for IDing targets, practice!! Also, experience can often tell you in advance the kind of target to expect in any given area and time and you can have the recognition manual prepared and at the most likely page before you get close enough to make a positive ID. it is also the case however that for range reading purposes, you don't have to have gotten it completely correct. Most destroyers have a similar mast height. Small and coast merchants have a simillar mast height. C2 and c3 tankers, likewise - but in this case the truth should become apparent eventually and you can make the necessary corrections. It's enough to be getting along with.

My suggestion for improvement to the game in this regard is that when in the museum, it should show you the present AOB from every position so that players can familiarise themselves with how the targets look from different AOBs