What's Changed?

[Tessa]

For those that remember me, sorry about suddenly dissapearing. My ISP got disconnected then got seriously sick for a few month. I'd been working with Jasun on SH3Commander working to add the additional ranks, correct insignia and trying to correct a few other things; sorry Jasun for suddenly going MIA.

As I've been gone for over a year, there's 2 main questions I've got before I start back up. First, is GWX 3 a quantum leap above 2.1? While the graphics aspect of it sound amazing, the content/realizm has been more of a selling point for me (though sinking the Hood 4 times in one patrol was quite the accomplishment, though not very real). And most important, was GWX 3 (and for that matter if they didn't, have any subsequent versions been able to fix it) able to fix destoyers endleslly depth charging you once you've successfully bottomed the boat (even as deep as 200-250m). It always infuriated me that there was no question my boat was on the bottom (external camera showed it as clear as day) yet DD's still dropped charges with pinpoint accuracy.

No Captain irl would have wasted ordinance like that; they might have dropped one or two more as a coup de grax but never a dozen or more like that game does/did. Is this still the case? Sonar of the day could have never pinpointed a submarine on the bottom, that technology was still years to come. While it's feasable that one could hear noise on the hydrophone if the crew was making noise, otherwise a sub on the bottom should be invisible to any craft of the day.

[timmy41]

welcome back!

sooo....does this mean one day well be able to hide on the bottom?

[Tessa]

Bottoming the boat was one way Kaleun's used to evade the enemy. If they could effectively get the keel on the bottom it made it indistinguishable from the surrounding terrain (excluding shallow water). The only clue the DD above would have is if their hydrophone operator picked up the sounds of the keel touching the bottom.

Imagine filling an empty jacuzzi with ice (enough at least to cover the seats and sides). Obviously any boat moving around inside the area is gonna stick out; now imagine if that same boat plants itself of the side where the surface is irregular shaped. Sonar of the day would have been unable to distinguish between the ordinary ice cube or a 30" cylindrical one sitting on the ground. Even in Das Boot when the ship bottoms out the DD make no attempt to further depth charge it. Sonar couldn't distinguish between whether an object on the bottom was a rock or ship unless it moved.

What had initially infuriated me was that I managed to bottom my VIIC in Gibraltor (southern side) at 250m+ (guestimatted at around 300m). Using the external cam I watched a pair of DD's depth charge me with pinpoint precision at 1/4 of a mile depth, simply ridiculous. For that matter, weaponry that precise didn't come into service till decades after WWII had ended.

It's a problem with SH3's detection routine.
Not the fault of any Mod.

The AI Ships can see you through a land mass also.
And ground themselves going after you if it's in the way!

[Tessa]

Originally Posted by privateer

It's a problem with SH3's detection routine.
Not the fault of any Mod.

The AI Ships can see you through a land mass also.
And ground themselves going after you if it's in the way!

I remember that it was the game engine itself that was the source of this problem, all the mods have done is of a positive nature. I'd hoped that someone had figured out how to circumvent this flaw and make it more realistic, and also if they continue to do the same thing in SH IV and V?

GWX was able to fix a lot of shortcomings/bugs with the stock game, since v3 came out during my hiatus I'd hoped that someone on the team had mananged to work this bug out; it can really ruin the game at times.

It's the same in Sh4 and (I believe) SH5.
Except in SH5 you take damage some meters ABOVE the bottom.
(An attempted fix?)
So don't try bottoming in SH5!