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Gray Lensman · 10-23-20, 09:07 AM

First question. Are you running the game "stock", (with no mods)? The stock game has several design flaws that exacerbates several issues. One being how it detects you, and in combination with shallow water, it ruins the immersion, because no matter how stealthy you are, the AI manages to find you anyway.

Basically, in stock game, and even most modded games, the escorts and subchasers operate with their active sonar on continuously, as if they are already alerted to your presence even though you don't hear it. i.e. their active sonar detection range is at its Max constantly.

In reality, they didn't really operate like that. Normally, something would have alerted them first, THEN they would have started searching with their active sonar. Maybe, possibly escorting a high value convoy, they might have been actively searching. In the stock game, you have an almost impossible chance of penetrating the escort screen to get to the middle of a convoy like you read about in some of the good sub books.

Since there is no way for a mod to "turn off" the AI active sonar, there is a mod that addresses this "constant" sonar issue by "dynamically" setting the active sonar range to just 1 (one) yard until your sub is detected by other means, (explosion of a ship, visual sighting of your sub or wake, high noise output, etc.), then the mod "dynamically" resets the AI active sonar range back to its full potential. At that point, hang on to your hat, the ride gets rough and fun again, but you have earned it. LOL. That mod along with a mod adjusting the night time visability of your sub allows you to perform convoy and other penetrations much like historical accounts.

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/dow...o=file&id=5674

There are actually 2 listings for this mod that Nicolas did, but this is the latest version (even though the date stamp of the other one is newer and misleading). This one has the visual toggle to let you know it's set to your preference. This mod DOES NOT work like other mods where you place them in a MOD folder. Since it has to modify the AI sonar behavior dynamically, it is designed as an executable launcher for SH4. You use it to start the game. Once in the game, BEFORE loading any saves. you toggle it on. (I prefer to Window out to the desktop before toggling just to confirm the red text change that confirms the settings are what I want.) Back in the game, now, everything is as before, including any other mods that you might be running. Be advised, you might get an anti-virus warning or Windows 10 Defender blockage which you will have to work around. I could find no actual virus problem with the file and have been using it for a week or so. It's just the fact that it's an unsanctioned .exe that is triggering the over sensitive virus response.

Since this is a mod that can be "toggled" so to speak. Use your own judgement as to when you think the situation requires it. I generally run with it toggled on, but figure to toggle it off if I encounter a high value warship convoy, forcing me to make long shots without penetrating the screen.

Regarding aircraft, you should be operating with the SJ Radar scanning in order to detect the aircraft at a good distance. (13 miles is it's max range at start of game). Aircraft won't notice you until they are within 5 miles of you giving you plenty of time to submerge before they enter 5 miles. Use your compass, to define a 5 mile zone around your sub to check aircraft threat range. That said though, if you submerge and have stuff poking up looking around, (periscope, raised SJ antenna), make sure you slow down to 3 kts or less. The aircraft will spot the wakes from these items if close enough.

edit>When I play the sim, it's not about making things easy or hard. It's about making the game perform as close to historical accounts as I can get it, including torpedo duds in the early war years. It's actually fun to me to make a perfect penetration and literally fire off a boat load of torpedoes and have half or more of them be duds. This happened historically and increases the immersion and suspense, thus the enjoyment. Regards.

10-23-20, 09:07 AM	#2
Gray Lensman Frogman Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: USA Posts: 308 Downloads: 104 Uploads: 0	First question. Are you running the game "stock", (with no mods)? The stock game has several design flaws that exacerbates several issues. One being how it detects you, and in combination with shallow water, it ruins the immersion, because no matter how stealthy you are, the AI manages to find you anyway. Basically, in stock game, and even most modded games, the escorts and subchasers operate with their active sonar on continuously, as if they are already alerted to your presence even though you don't hear it. i.e. their active sonar detection range is at its Max constantly. In reality, they didn't really operate like that. Normally, something would have alerted them first, THEN they would have started searching with their active sonar. Maybe, possibly escorting a high value convoy, they might have been actively searching. In the stock game, you have an almost impossible chance of penetrating the escort screen to get to the middle of a convoy like you read about in some of the good sub books. Since there is no way for a mod to "turn off" the AI active sonar, there is a mod that addresses this "constant" sonar issue by "dynamically" setting the active sonar range to just 1 (one) yard until your sub is detected by other means, (explosion of a ship, visual sighting of your sub or wake, high noise output, etc.), then the mod "dynamically" resets the AI active sonar range back to its full potential. At that point, hang on to your hat, the ride gets rough and fun again, but you have earned it. LOL. That mod along with a mod adjusting the night time visability of your sub allows you to perform convoy and other penetrations much like historical accounts. https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/dow...o=file&id=5674 There are actually 2 listings for this mod that Nicolas did, but this is the latest version (even though the date stamp of the other one is newer and misleading). This one has the visual toggle to let you know it's set to your preference. This mod DOES NOT work like other mods where you place them in a MOD folder. Since it has to modify the AI sonar behavior dynamically, it is designed as an executable launcher for SH4. You use it to start the game. Once in the game, BEFORE loading any saves. you toggle it on. (I prefer to Window out to the desktop before toggling just to confirm the red text change that confirms the settings are what I want.) Back in the game, now, everything is as before, including any other mods that you might be running. Be advised, you might get an anti-virus warning or Windows 10 Defender blockage which you will have to work around. I could find no actual virus problem with the file and have been using it for a week or so. It's just the fact that it's an unsanctioned .exe that is triggering the over sensitive virus response. Since this is a mod that can be "toggled" so to speak. Use your own judgement as to when you think the situation requires it. I generally run with it toggled on, but figure to toggle it off if I encounter a high value warship convoy, forcing me to make long shots without penetrating the screen. Regarding aircraft, you should be operating with the SJ Radar scanning in order to detect the aircraft at a good distance. (13 miles is it's max range at start of game). Aircraft won't notice you until they are within 5 miles of you giving you plenty of time to submerge before they enter 5 miles. Use your compass, to define a 5 mile zone around your sub to check aircraft threat range. That said though, if you submerge and have stuff poking up looking around, (periscope, raised SJ antenna), make sure you slow down to 3 kts or less. The aircraft will spot the wakes from these items if close enough. edit>When I play the sim, it's not about making things easy or hard. It's about making the game perform as close to historical accounts as I can get it, including torpedo duds in the early war years. It's actually fun to me to make a perfect penetration and literally fire off a boat load of torpedoes and have half or more of them be duds. This happened historically and increases the immersion and suspense, thus the enjoyment. Regards. __________________ . Member since February 2007 Wargaming since 1971 (1st game Avalon Hill's Stalingrad) Hobby/Gaming Computng since 1977 (TRS-80) (adhoc programming & game modding ever since) Last edited by Gray Lensman; 10-23-20 at 09:20 AM.