[Seminole]

Manual targeting is a piece of cake...like most things...once you get the hang of it..and trust me, it isn't hard to learn...not at all... or I would still be auto targeting..

To me the sonar attacks are even easier than visual attacks....just uses more torpedos per ship 'cause for insurance ,you'll probably want to "shotgun" the target. (I think the game gives you a break in difficulty when you attempt sonar attacks..but that is only my unconfirmed suspicion)

The way I learned manual targeting was to go to sub school and the artillery tutorial. I practiced there after watching the video tutorials and reading the threads about manual targeting. Submerge and do torpedo attacks on the target ship. This is a good way to see and learn how all the different data plots and TDC data entries interact with each other to cause the torpedo to hit the target.

After I could hit the target ship at any angle I choose, I moved on to the Junks and Sampans that move all around in the tutorial. Once I could hit them I figured I was ready to move to in-career manual targeting. I was right.


One thing I firmly believe is that manual targeting in version 1.5 was made easier somehow, over previous versions. Through version 1.4 I did my fair share of missing n' cussing. Seems like in 1.5 now I can't miss. I don't know exactly what they did or if this is only a figment of my imagination but with 1.5 I confidently fire off only one or two torpedos per target. Whereas before I fired 4-6 routinely...often without effect.

So if you want more involvement in the sim don't hesitate to go to manual targeting. If you want to stay with auto targeting I would think that sonar attacks would be possible while on auto targeting too...but I never tried that so I'm just guessing.


EDIT TO ADD:

Sonar attcks on single ships is one thing...multiple ships in convoys are something else. It is possible to sonar attack a convoy but keeping the ship you target separate from the others in convoy can be quite a chore. The "follow contact" button is always for the closest contact..it would help a lot if there were a way to have the sonar guy follow the contact you choose instead. Another thing... in convoys... is all that pinging for ranges and bearings will probably draw you some highly undesirable attention from escorts..and at 100 feet or less you will be a sititng duck..