Some of what I will mention is derivative work of others long before me on this forum.
For me, (noting it is a game not the real thing
) .... a few things I do.
1. On the surface (where hopefully the target can't see me during the day at long-range and for night surface attack)... I need to determine speed of the target. On the surface, I use the, 3 minute, (or more accurately, the 3 minute 15 second) rule. How-tos mentioned in this forum by those much smarter than I. That is, if a target travels .6K (600M) in 3 minutes and 15 seconds, ...multiply .6 (the .6k) by 10. ...for...6 knots...target speed. Multiple observations at 0, 3:15, 6:30: 9:45 (minutes:seconds) along with a bearing will give you a good plot on your board for direction of travel for the target...and its speed.
2. Night surface attack, after determining the target plot. I have the watch officer call off ranges as mentioned above. Plug the target speed into the attack computer. In the TDC I make multiple observations for the angle on the bow and pump that in via the notepad. Again here, I go to the attack computer page, tell the watch officer to call off the range, put that in each time. I already have the target speed. And then take a visual observation on the TDC and punch in the AOB on the note pad.
2. I run at 97 percent realism. I only have the event camera un-checked. So, for periscope attacks there can be rock-and-roll. To do ranges with the stadimeter, while unlocked, I move the vertical hashes over the target...and think..."is that 3 ticks? ...about 3 and a third?"...."OK...three and a third...." then lock up the target and put the movable horizontal line in the stadimeter to 3 and a third while doing the range shot. This can be multiple observations and if there is time I will put an "OK" plot on the board.
3. Periscope attacks I try as hard as possible to have a setup for a shot below 1000M. Prefer about 500M-600M... this allows for any margin of error I have done with speed and range to get a hit. I can get creative but can end up paying for it. So more times than not, I take the numbers I have collected and aim for the dead center of the target so I have "fair" right and left of target margin of error.
4. I never use the magnetic pistol, as I want to reduce surprises.
5. I identify the target flag as soon as possible but if needed and I can't see the flag well, I will setup the shot and then just call it off once the flag turns into something I don't want to sink.
6. As time goes on and you get more experience, it won't be just the math, it will be your visual senses that also help you out.("Hey, this setup is bad and is just sloppy, it won't work....better think about a plan-B").
7. I expect to have setups where I think I do everything right and nothing hits....(hey...that is historical .
)
So, just a few thoughts and not *the* way to do it but a fun way for me.