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Old 04-30-20, 08:40 AM   #8
Fidd
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Blighty!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Onkel Neal View Post
Interesting. ...I'm a fan of Fidd's idea, bumping up the escort's abilities after the first hit. Once alerted, they would be a bit more "alert", more capable.
I think it'd be worthwhile differentiating between AI behaviours of the convoy being "on alert" ie course-changes, flares, searchlights etc, and the "lookout alert" - as described elsewhere, where the AI lookouts become both quicker at acquiring a U-boat or periscope thereof, and also do so at increased ranges.

I would suggest that the lookout-alert phase be much longer lasting, in the order of 3 hours, very gradually decreasing over that time to the un-engaged value, and resetting to the lookouts alerted values on each occasion a U-boat is acquired or a torpedo hits. As most torpedoes in this period were steam-driven, consideration should be given to load-outs for torpedo captains, and if steam driven torps are used, then the effect of a near-miss with a torpedo leaving a visible wake should likewise create both a lookout alert and a convoy alert. Consideration should be given to the nearest AI escort heading back up the seen torpedo track.

I think the lookout alert phase should be quite a subtle effect to start with, with the precise values and rates of change related to light-level and gameplay feedback. The main point of it is to create uncertainty in the U-boat captains mind as to whether or not he's able to be seen at a given range. Feedback from the hydrophone operator will be important here, as the sound of DC attacks, torpedo hits or rapid-pulse Asdic will all indicate a higher than normal likely lookout alert status; in much the same way as visible flares/searchlights indicate a convoy alert.
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