To say I've had mixed success in '68 campaigns would be putting things mildly.
Like managing a week of the war is an accomplishment. Lot of dumb errors that are easily cleaned up, but I'd be curious to hear some thoughts and opinions from other people here, on any topic you have strong opinions or observations on.
Boat
When I get home today I'll have to make a table of performance stats of the Skip, Permit, and Sturgeon for comparison's sake.
Typically I've gone with the Sturgeon, wanting to be as quiet as possible with a good sonar package. Speed is definitely lacking... wondering now if having a quieter boat is mitigated by having to run full or flank to chase ahead of target groups. Maybe I should give the Skipjack a go? That or maybe I need to allocate some more time to these engagements and play a really long slow game.
Load Out
Seems I've been leaning toward fewer Mk16's and more Mk37's as a starting load out. For as pathetically slow as the Mk37 is, at least I can fire it from depth and guide it for some higher hit percentage. Really haven't used Mk16's much at all to be honest. Similar feelings?
Engagement Ranges
What's a reasonable or preferred engagement range for either a surface target with a Mk16, or a submerged target with a Mk37? I've been given more sub targets than surface groups and my MO has been to get within ~1500 yards dead astern before letting a Mk37 out. Has cost me... in missing and a torpedo re-acquiring on
me, but I feel like if I don't shoot point blank there's a high likelihood of a wire breaking or a target getting a sniff of it and outrunning it. Maybe more specifically, I wait until the last moment to go active even when in passive mode.
Thoughts on preferred distance for a Mk16...?
Diesel Targets
Trying to find and engage some submerged diesel boats, they can be a challenge to pick up. Even at 10 knots starting speed it seems more often than not I start with "contact has faded." Not sure whether I'm best off staying with ultra quiet 1/3 speed and passive sonar going off in their reported direction, or being aggressive with active search.
Breaking Contact w/ Torpedoes
I can dance and evade torpedo strikes with some amount of proficiency, but I find it damn hard to actually break contact to where I won't get reacquired - short of getting lucky and it acquiring a close enemy. Any tips here, or are you pretty much stuck bobbing and weaving until if/when it runs out of steam?
Seems the SET-65's stop pinging if I make a successful evasion. Does that imply they switch into passive search mode? I.e. is there a chance of successfully breaking contact if I rig ultra quiet or all stop when it goes past and starts its search arc again?
Torpedo Active/Passive Search & Noisemakers
Should a noisemaker do anything to a torpedo in active search mode, pinging away? It seems to... but I'm not following how or why that would be. You'd think a boat would be a vastly larger return on a ping, than a tiny little noise maker.
Surface Capitol Ship Groups
I get that not all missions / engagements may be winnable, but jeez. A missile frigate, with a pair of DD escorts, and a Victor I lurking around, seems like an awfully tall order for one attack boat! Have to run at full just to keep up with their speed, flank to have a chance of catching or getting in position - at which point it's awfully hard not to get detected. Maybe I need to be more patient and try to get ahead on position from way further out. Not sure the best approach for this type of engagement to have any chance of success.
Enemy Nuclear Subs Surfacing?
Anyone else notice that Novembers will at times go up and run on the surface to try and get away? In one of the '84 single missions I believe an Oscar tried this as well. Does that make any sense? Not sure what they'd be trying to achieve there, I'd think surface speed is less than submerged, no?