A Lurker Surfaces!

Alcibiades · 04-02-10, 01:20 PM

As a forum lurker, I figured I'd finally pipe up with a post.

Captains Log

0300 - dark night, rough seas. constant pounding causes crew to lose lunch, stink is high, morale is down. all stop, submerge to 30 meters for some rest

0325 - sonar contact bearing 183, warship long range moving slow. adrenaline buzzes through the crew. everyone moves to battle stations.

0330 - sonar contact bearing 185. okay, got it. surface the boat, ahead full, new course bearing 150

0345 - task force in sight! visibilty low. one Nelson class battleship. 5 escorts. range to battleship, 5,000m, est angle on bow -115. bearing 35 (from heading) crap! they are almost broadside and slightly moving away.

0350 - battleship range 4800m. speed estimate 15 knots. increase to flank. attempt to intercept, but am already "behind" with estimated angle on bow of -120. I cross my fingers and hope that the task force will suddenly turn towards us. XO gives me a strange look.

0403 - everyone excited. tell engine crew chief to overcharge diesel engines, he refuses - low morale... @$#@%! I threaten to kick his arse good, but it doesnt help. back to the deck. battleship is moving at 16 knots (revised). no course change. bearing 20, range <3000m.

0405 - plot long range solution, select a 4 torpedo salvo spread. offset 1 degree. check map again. will be a long shot, but posssible. cannot help but to drool at the thought of sinking the Nelson class battleship. XO wisely does not mention my excessive drooling.

0415 - update solution. trying to close distance to approach a marginal firing position, though still coming in from the battleships 8 o'clock position. Not a great shot, but... I try hard to justify the shot. Range 2400. I climb to the deck again to stare at the glimpses of the battleship as she bobs up and down in my binoculars. Waves are very rough. I can almost "see" the torpedo's striking her as she sinks in a blaze... I cackle in glee

0420 - closest destroyer escort is getting too close for comfort, but my eyes are on the battleship. he won't see us anyway. Finally after an excessive wave threatens to wash me overboard, I retire to the tower below and recalculate a solution.

0422 - oh @#$%#@% a flash of light from the destroyer. a wall of water erupts just past the bow! SPOTTED!! ahhhh.... heck! what now?! push the fire button! .. what? FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE!!! DAMMMIT FIRE!! ......Firing tube 1.. Firing tube 2... Firing tube 3... Firing tube 4... okay now damn GET OFF THE DECK!! AHH HECK WITH EM, THEY DON'T LISTEN ANYWAY! CRASH DIVE!! HARD TO PORT.. NO NO, HARD TO STARBORD... THAT WILL FOOL THEM!! FLANK SPEED!!

0424 - crossing 40 meters depth, destroyers still firing deck guns.. how could they have seen me? I bitch considerably and curse them violently. but why are they still shooting? I can hear the splashes. do they still think I'd be waiting around on the surface? All ahead slow, Silent running.. I look at the stopwatch.. Torpedo impact in 1 minute

0425 - impact in 50 seconds.... 30 seconds.... 10 seconds.... 5... 2... 0... + 1.... + 5 .... +15 WTF!!! @#$%@#% #@$@#$ @#$#@$! !#@$
I berate the XO for his lousy shooting! Ahhh.. hell... how am I ever going to explain this to Donitz? wait, wait... I know I'll just tell him the torpedo's were duds... works everytime.

0428 - sonar has four warships converging at high speed - #@$@# .....sonar still has slow moving warship moving away. I tell him to shut the @#$%#@ up!! Crossing 70 meters. depth charges are in the water... we are so screwed.........

...

*log found by salvage vessel Discovery in remains of U120 deep on the Atlantic sea floor*

This game rocks!!!!!! I don't know what people are complaining about. Now on my third patrol and this was my first encounter with warships. I did miss, but I did get away also. I ravaged two unescorted convoys for +100k tonnage on my first two patrols, but am not doing so well on my third...(6 missed torpedos, 0 ships sunk, 60% fuel left and 58% hull!!?!) I had to try! But FUN!!

yeah, I play with 100% realism.

Dutch · 04-02-10, 01:28 PM

Glad you having fun. The most of us complain about the bugs, like the zero morale bug. But the main thing that we are unhappy about is that DRM is so restrictive. I do not have a steady connection therefore I am not able to play the game, thankfully I didn't buy it because I was aware of this before hand.

But I don't really think bugs are whats killing the game after SH3 and SH4 all had there bugs, and still do. But they are loved and adored by the community. I think DRM is the real killer. If SHV didn't have DRM I would have bought it and would more than likely be in the same boat you are.

But its nice to see that people can still have fun with it. And its been a long time coming but welcome to Subsim. You one of us now.

Nordmann · 04-02-10, 01:34 PM

Welcome aboard! But whatever you do, don't try the soup!

kylania · 04-02-10, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alcibiades

0428 - sonar has four warships converging at high speed.. Oh... #@$#@% sonar still has slow moving warship moving away. I tell him to shut the @#$%#@up!! Crossing 70 meters. depth charges are in the water... we are so screwed.........

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch

If SHV didn't have DRM I would have bought it and would more than likely be in the same boat you are.

From the looks of it, you wouldn't want to be in the same boat as Alcibiades!

Welcome aboard Al!

Alcibiades · 04-02-10, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kylania

From the looks of it, you wouldn't want to be in the same boat as Alcibiades!

Quite true! but then again, I am still alive... barely

and a Ritterkruez holder after only two patrols!!

I just had to send the fish after that BB.. even if it was a bad angle and a tough shot. Plus he probably turned after the DD's opened up on me.

Even though I missed

(and got hounded with DC's for a bit

) it was still a blast!

But why do some people say the stadimeter is broken? I'm able to get ranges just fine with it. Usually with 3 to 5 readings a few minutes apart I can get a track of the ships course and speed. sure, its approximate with the bobbing scope (unless submerged

) but usually good enough for a firing solution.

thanks for the welcome. great forum. great people. and great game!

Lzs von swe · 04-02-10, 02:54 PM

Welcome to the forum Alcibiades

Nice read, keep them coming

mcarlsonus · 04-02-10, 03:08 PM

The DRM issue pales by comparison to the horrid AI! By the way, I got my first opportunity to actually use the flak guns off Gibraltar yesterday. Five Beaufighters scrambled and made threatening gestures around me. But, as usual, they didn't fire a shot. My flak gunners opened up after I pressed F6 a number of times (Dieter, as usual, was in, "not cooperative" mode), used the binocs and pressed the Space key to target. The flak gunners, by the way, are no where NEAR as competent as the deck gunners - shooting WAY low and missing everything by a mile!

BUT - the AI for the aircraft is just like the AI for shipping! While watching the B-Fighters wander back and forth, I witnessed a midair collision - with Fourth of July (US Holiday) fireworks - reminiscent of watching numerous ships collide with sea walls, exploding and bursting into flame...

04-02-10, 01:20 PM	#1
Alcibiades Watch Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 27 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	A Lurker Surfaces! As a forum lurker, I figured I'd finally pipe up with a post. Captains Log 0300 - dark night, rough seas. constant pounding causes crew to lose lunch, stink is high, morale is down. all stop, submerge to 30 meters for some rest 0325 - sonar contact bearing 183, warship long range moving slow. adrenaline buzzes through the crew. everyone moves to battle stations. 0330 - sonar contact bearing 185. okay, got it. surface the boat, ahead full, new course bearing 150 0345 - task force in sight! visibilty low. one Nelson class battleship. 5 escorts. range to battleship, 5,000m, est angle on bow -115. bearing 35 (from heading) crap! they are almost broadside and slightly moving away. 0350 - battleship range 4800m. speed estimate 15 knots. increase to flank. attempt to intercept, but am already "behind" with estimated angle on bow of -120. I cross my fingers and hope that the task force will suddenly turn towards us. XO gives me a strange look. 0403 - everyone excited. tell engine crew chief to overcharge diesel engines, he refuses - low morale... @$#@%! I threaten to kick his arse good, but it doesnt help. back to the deck. battleship is moving at 16 knots (revised). no course change. bearing 20, range <3000m. 0405 - plot long range solution, select a 4 torpedo salvo spread. offset 1 degree. check map again. will be a long shot, but posssible. cannot help but to drool at the thought of sinking the Nelson class battleship. XO wisely does not mention my excessive drooling. 0415 - update solution. trying to close distance to approach a marginal firing position, though still coming in from the battleships 8 o'clock position. Not a great shot, but... I try hard to justify the shot. Range 2400. I climb to the deck again to stare at the glimpses of the battleship as she bobs up and down in my binoculars. Waves are very rough. I can almost "see" the torpedo's striking her as she sinks in a blaze... I cackle in glee 0420 - closest destroyer escort is getting too close for comfort, but my eyes are on the battleship. he won't see us anyway. Finally after an excessive wave threatens to wash me overboard, I retire to the tower below and recalculate a solution. 0422 - oh @#$%#@% a flash of light from the destroyer. a wall of water erupts just past the bow! SPOTTED!! ahhhh.... heck! what now?! push the fire button! .. what? FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE!!! DAMMMIT FIRE!! ......Firing tube 1.. Firing tube 2... Firing tube 3... Firing tube 4... okay now damn GET OFF THE DECK!! AHH HECK WITH EM, THEY DON'T LISTEN ANYWAY! CRASH DIVE!! HARD TO PORT.. NO NO, HARD TO STARBORD... THAT WILL FOOL THEM!! FLANK SPEED!! 0424 - crossing 40 meters depth, destroyers still firing deck guns.. how could they have seen me? I bitch considerably and curse them violently. but why are they still shooting? I can hear the splashes. do they still think I'd be waiting around on the surface? All ahead slow, Silent running.. I look at the stopwatch.. Torpedo impact in 1 minute 0425 - impact in 50 seconds.... 30 seconds.... 10 seconds.... 5... 2... 0... + 1.... + 5 .... +15 WTF!!! @#$%@#% #@$@#$ @#$#@$! !#@$ I berate the XO for his lousy shooting! Ahhh.. hell... how am I ever going to explain this to Donitz? wait, wait... I know I'll just tell him the torpedo's were duds... works everytime. 0428 - sonar has four warships converging at high speed - #@$@# .....sonar still has slow moving warship moving away. I tell him to shut the @#$%#@ up!! Crossing 70 meters. depth charges are in the water... we are so screwed......... ... log found by salvage vessel Discovery in remains of U120 deep on the Atlantic sea floor This game rocks!!!!!! I don't know what people are complaining about. Now on my third patrol and this was my first encounter with warships. I did miss, but I did get away also. I ravaged two unescorted convoys for +100k tonnage on my first two patrols, but am not doing so well on my third...(6 missed torpedos, 0 ships sunk, 60% fuel left and 58% hull!!?!) I had to try! But FUN!! yeah, I play with 100% realism. Last edited by Alcibiades; 04-02-10 at 04:36 PM.

04-02-10, 01:28 PM	#2
Dutch Sonar Guy Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: United States Posts: 376 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	Glad you having fun. The most of us complain about the bugs, like the zero morale bug. But the main thing that we are unhappy about is that DRM is so restrictive. I do not have a steady connection therefore I am not able to play the game, thankfully I didn't buy it because I was aware of this before hand. But I don't really think bugs are whats killing the game after SH3 and SH4 all had there bugs, and still do. But they are loved and adored by the community. I think DRM is the real killer. If SHV didn't have DRM I would have bought it and would more than likely be in the same boat you are. But its nice to see that people can still have fun with it. And its been a long time coming but welcome to Subsim. You one of us now. __________________ \"Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You, Ask What You Can Do For Your Country.\" President John F. Kennedy

04-02-10, 01:34 PM	#3
Nordmann Commodore Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: England Posts: 628 Downloads: 62 Uploads: 0	Welcome aboard! But whatever you do, don't try the soup! __________________ "I must confess that my imagination refuses to see any sort of submarine doing anything but suffocating its crew and floundering at sea." - H. G. Wells

04-02-10, 02:54 PM	#6
Lzs von swe Ace of the Deep Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Norrkoping, Sweden Posts: 1,074 Downloads: 66 Uploads: 0	Welcome to the forum Alcibiades Nice read, keep them coming __________________

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04-02-10, 03:08 PM	#7
mcarlsonus Weps Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 362 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	The DRM issue pales by comparison to the horrid AI! By the way, I got my first opportunity to actually use the flak guns off Gibraltar yesterday. Five Beaufighters scrambled and made threatening gestures around me. But, as usual, they didn't fire a shot. My flak gunners opened up after I pressed F6 a number of times (Dieter, as usual, was in, "not cooperative" mode), used the binocs and pressed the Space key to target. The flak gunners, by the way, are no where NEAR as competent as the deck gunners - shooting WAY low and missing everything by a mile! BUT - the AI for the aircraft is just like the AI for shipping! While watching the B-Fighters wander back and forth, I witnessed a midair collision - with Fourth of July (US Holiday) fireworks - reminiscent of watching numerous ships collide with sea walls, exploding and bursting into flame...