Out of munitions and haven even reached patrol !

SteamWake · 05-01-07, 10:17 AM

In my latest patrol I decided to stop and prosecute every contact I came accross.

I am now approaching my patrol area with a grand total of 4 torps 2 in the bow 2 in the stern.

Deck gun ammo is depleted both HE and AP.

Stern AA gun is empty, Bow gun has a few rounds left.

I already know whats going to happen, after I finish this patrol Ill be "assigned" to prosicute shipping at "wherever". Well cant meet that goal unless I sink 10 tons. While possible with the munitions left Ill have to be good AND lucky.

I guess what I should do is sail way over there to re-fit but the shortage of deck gun ammo is frustrating and the crew is not looking foward to the weeks at sea.

Do you guys ignore random contacts to reach your patrol areas with munitions ?

GnarPow · 05-01-07, 10:29 AM

Depends on the target.. I avoid all small taskforces (just like DDs and subchaser) and all fishing boats, junks and sampans...

For all single merchants I come across I use strictly deck gun and once that is out then I stop bothering with other contacts at least until I finish 1 or 2 mission objectives. I can take down any small merchants with an average of 3-8 deck gun shots and the mediums/larges about double that # so it usually leaves a pretty good amount of ammo for killing things. Its all in the aiming with the 4.5" i feel. As well as patience, Pop shots at a slow methodical pace and wait for the damage to take its toll... I've found that just firing shot after shot is very inefficient use of ammunition in comparison with sniping at it and seeing what part is probably best to hit next.. (ie- I put a few shots in the port side and the ship gets a good list going but isnt sinking, so I drive around to the starboard side and put a few into that side so the damage is more spread)

7Enigma · 05-01-07, 10:30 AM

Nope, I do just like you. Everytime I start a patrol I say to myself, "Now this time get to the first order area, THEN start going after ships". I just can't do it! After 10-20 patrols I always wind up expending 3/4 or more of my munitions prior to even beginning the first order....

Sailor Steve · 05-01-07, 10:33 AM

For SH3 there was a mod that decreased random single ships to 20% of stock, then reduced radio reports on them to 20% of normal as well. It made for a much more realistic experience.

Hopefully SH4 will have something similar soon. As with all previous subsims (except SH2 in which everything was scripted

), there are WAY too many random ship encounters.

AhhhFresh · 05-01-07, 10:38 AM

I do my best to complete missions, but I don't really care about them so much... when I run out of torpedoes I go home to end patrol, whether I have completed the objectives or not.

This is mainly because I have been trying to play "ironman" since 1.2, and endless refitting it too time consuming (and dangerous in terms of losing lots of playtime).

Bane · 05-01-07, 10:42 AM

I avoid small task forces and fishing boats, but engage all other targets of opportunity as they present themselves. If I don't make it to the patrol zone, but still sink my fair share of tonnage I consider that job well done.

SteamWake · 05-01-07, 11:35 AM

Ive read here that not completing missions can lead to carrier path issues.

Bilge_Rat · 05-01-07, 01:59 PM

The contact factor may depend on the difficulty. I started a new campaign from Pearl on "very hard" and did not see a ship or map contact close enough to intercept until I got to my patrol area next to Honshu.

Hartmann · 05-01-07, 03:28 PM

I think that could be interesting a campaign mod like others in sh3 with more realism in contacts and targets abundance.

AVGWarhawk · 05-01-07, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteamWake

Ive read here that not completing missions can lead to carrier path issues.

Yes and no. I have not completed missions, went after convoys and got new missions. What it might do is cut your career short as you are not fulfilling the missions assigned. Probably the biggest career path issue is not completing assigned missions, possible you get slammed dunked even though you have 100,000 tons. Just a guess here on that. I recommend every effort to complete a mission, even if you have to refit and go finish it.

At any rate, I go after anything that floats. If I run out of torps and return to base for a refit, you get the same area to patrol again. I went to Celebes Sea three times and the same spot also. Third time, I sunk plenty of warships and in the meantime a message came across that Fremantle was my new port of call. I motored on down for a reload and was offered up a new sub. Now I'm in PH starting my fourth patrol in the USS Drum.

SteamWake · 05-02-07, 09:26 AM

A brief follow up on this "tour"....

After reaching my assigned patrol area and spending the required amount of time there, submerging at dawn surfacing at dusk (rumors were spreading that the captain was becoming a vampire but thats another story). We came accross a grand total of nothing. We then got the mission complete.

I was supprised when we recieved no further orders so we headed back to Brisbane which is where we launched from. We ran surfaced alot in order to make good time but were constantly harrased by air patrols. We did stumble into one of the biggest convoys I have seen.

We attempted to set up an intercept course to make good use of our few remaining torpedoes and sure enough got picked up by one of DD's. Must have been one of those "eliete" fellows. To make a long story short we evaded worked around (for some reason the convoy stopped) got off our 4 shots and sank two merchants, and slipped away. Later surfaced and phoned it in.

Later on our trip "home" we ran accross another large convoy but being un armed we worked into a position away from the dd's surfaced and called it in. "Good find come on home" Pac wrote us back (while we were at 150 feet :hmm: ).

So we continued back to Brisbane with A few close calls from air attacks but we eventually stopped at a tender for fuel. We left the tender and sailed to Brisbane. Upon arriving at Brisbane we were supprised to find out we were denied docking privilages and could only refit.

Well... I delved into the "guts" of the savegame files to find out just where my home port is

and headed back to pearl. We planned to stop at Midway for fuel should be a quick trip at full ahead ! Nothing better to do so I checked my orders page.

What ! new orders ! "These bloody orders are 6 hours old !" (sorry I couldent resist). Orders read "Attack enemy shipping in the Marshall Islands"

Doh ! we just left there ! Were almost to Midway anyhow lets refit and sail back to the Marshells...

Okay out of charecter now... from what I gather the simulation "knew" I was out of ordinance and did not issue new orders untill I had some firepower back on board.

We had probably received the new orders after the first refit however it went un noticed amongst all the contact spam.

We will see if our luck continues..

7Enigma · 05-02-07, 09:38 AM

I've found the same thing happen. In my latest patrol I forced myself to ignore 2 convoys that practically intersected my planned path. I got into my area and proceeded to have my most successful run so far (107k tons!), due to several 2 ship unguarded convoys, and 2 planned attacks on guarded convoys where I solo-targeted the heaviest of the groups (both blew up on single torpedo's even though I launched 3 at each, I need to find out whether these are glitched as they were from the merchant mod pack, can't remember the name but they looked like cruise ships and weighed in at slightly over 10k tons?)

Anyways, after that crazy action I had to wait another day, was given mission completed, and then radio'd home but got no new orders (I still had 2 torps and a handful of deck gun rounds). I guess that was too little for additional orders, so next time I'm playing I have to make the long trek home. I might detour east to midway for a refit and see if I get additional orders.....

Soundman · 05-02-07, 07:47 PM

I find it interesting to be rewarded for sending a contact report. I always figured it was probably not modeled, but merely something inserted for immersion.

Slight change of subject...I have been doing a lot of experimentation, and as a result have been saving quite a bit. One thing I have read, and can now confirm, is that convoys (could be more than just convoys ) seem to be looped. As an example, I was on a patrol intercepting a convoy and took out the leading escort first, before attacking the merchants. Well. . . After sinking, and not being satisfied with my performance sinking merchants, I tried again, and following another sinking of the lead escort, saved the game. Upon reloading, the convoy is nowhere in sight, but shows up again in about 10 minutes. As a note, I have map updates on, and upon loading I saw there are now two convoys displayed on the navigation screen and the old convoy was a still on the map, but when I looked through the scope, there were no contacts visible, and the convoy shown on the map shortly thereafter faded from view. I have seen this repeatedly. There seems to be a looping process going on like shooting ducks in a gallery at your local fair, that simply go in a circle. Another note of interest. . . Upon reloading one of these saves, whereby the convoy disappeared and I waited for the second one to come around, there was another lead escort. . . I again sunk him but noticed there was no credit for the second sinking. It's as if came back to life in the second loop. Hmmmmm?

BTW, I tend to reserve my ammo until completion of the major goal. I figure there is always plenty of action left for the way home.

SteamWake · 05-03-07, 08:53 PM

Well after cruising around the pacific on a crazy tour we finally docked in western Austrialla and got retired.

Curiously enough I got repremanded for a lackluster carrier yet they erected a statue in my honer

Evidently my alter ego went on to become a successful capitilist !

Oh well gives me time to apply new mods and start another carrer. I picked up where Captian Halsey left off in 1944 in Brisbane.

All the sillyness aside. I had a ton of fun finishing that tour and its a great game !

Ducimus · 05-03-07, 09:00 PM

Stock game, the single merchants have a 70% chance to spawn every 2 to 3 days. Given how fast a day can zip by with high time compression, thats alot of ships.

In my FTT mod, next version ive reduced that to a 30 to 35% chance to spawn every 2 to 3 days. (troop convoys and task forces 30-35% chance every 2 weeks) My worry is that maybe that is too much of a reduction, although i based that figure on script work ive done in SH3, and it seemed to be appropriate. Havent had a chance to test it yet though.

05-01-07, 10:17 AM	#1
SteamWake Rear Admiral Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,224 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Out of munitions and haven even reached patrol ! In my latest patrol I decided to stop and prosecute every contact I came accross. I am now approaching my patrol area with a grand total of 4 torps 2 in the bow 2 in the stern. Deck gun ammo is depleted both HE and AP. Stern AA gun is empty, Bow gun has a few rounds left. I already know whats going to happen, after I finish this patrol Ill be "assigned" to prosicute shipping at "wherever". Well cant meet that goal unless I sink 10 tons. While possible with the munitions left Ill have to be good AND lucky. I guess what I should do is sail way over there to re-fit but the shortage of deck gun ammo is frustrating and the crew is not looking foward to the weeks at sea. Do you guys ignore random contacts to reach your patrol areas with munitions ?

05-01-07, 10:33 AM	#4
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	For SH3 there was a mod that decreased random single ships to 20% of stock, then reduced radio reports on them to 20% of normal as well. It made for a much more realistic experience. Hopefully SH4 will have something similar soon. As with all previous subsims (except SH2 in which everything was scripted ), there are WAY too many random ship encounters. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

05-01-07, 03:28 PM	#9
Hartmann Sea Lord Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Grid CH 26, Spain ,Barcelona Posts: 1,857 Downloads: 204 Uploads: 0	I think that could be interesting a campaign mod like others in sh3 with more realism in contacts and targets abundance. __________________ But this ship can't sink!... She is made of iron, sir. I assure you, she can. and she will. It is a mathematical certainty. Strength and honor

05-02-07, 07:47 PM	#13
Soundman Commodore Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Orlando, Fl Posts: 617 Downloads: 60 Uploads: 0	I find it interesting to be rewarded for sending a contact report. I always figured it was probably not modeled, but merely something inserted for immersion. Slight change of subject...I have been doing a lot of experimentation, and as a result have been saving quite a bit. One thing I have read, and can now confirm, is that convoys (could be more than just convoys ) seem to be looped. As an example, I was on a patrol intercepting a convoy and took out the leading escort first, before attacking the merchants. Well. . . After sinking, and not being satisfied with my performance sinking merchants, I tried again, and following another sinking of the lead escort, saved the game. Upon reloading, the convoy is nowhere in sight, but shows up again in about 10 minutes. As a note, I have map updates on, and upon loading I saw there are now two convoys displayed on the navigation screen and the old convoy was a still on the map, but when I looked through the scope, there were no contacts visible, and the convoy shown on the map shortly thereafter faded from view. I have seen this repeatedly. There seems to be a looping process going on like shooting ducks in a gallery at your local fair, that simply go in a circle. Another note of interest. . . Upon reloading one of these saves, whereby the convoy disappeared and I waited for the second one to come around, there was another lead escort. . . I again sunk him but noticed there was no credit for the second sinking. It's as if came back to life in the second loop. Hmmmmm? BTW, I tend to reserve my ammo until completion of the major goal. I figure there is always plenty of action left for the way home. Last edited by Soundman; 05-02-07 at 07:59 PM.

05-03-07, 08:53 PM	#14
SteamWake Rear Admiral Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,224 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Closure Well after cruising around the pacific on a crazy tour we finally docked in western Austrialla and got retired. Curiously enough I got repremanded for a lackluster carrier yet they erected a statue in my honer Evidently my alter ego went on to become a successful capitilist ! Oh well gives me time to apply new mods and start another carrer. I picked up where Captian Halsey left off in 1944 in Brisbane. All the sillyness aside. I had a ton of fun finishing that tour and its a great game !

05-01-07, 10:29 AM	#2
GnarPow Gunner Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 96 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Depends on the target.. I avoid all small taskforces (just like DDs and subchaser) and all fishing boats, junks and sampans... For all single merchants I come across I use strictly deck gun and once that is out then I stop bothering with other contacts at least until I finish 1 or 2 mission objectives. I can take down any small merchants with an average of 3-8 deck gun shots and the mediums/larges about double that # so it usually leaves a pretty good amount of ammo for killing things. Its all in the aiming with the 4.5" i feel. As well as patience, Pop shots at a slow methodical pace and wait for the damage to take its toll... I've found that just firing shot after shot is very inefficient use of ammunition in comparison with sniping at it and seeing what part is probably best to hit next.. (ie- I put a few shots in the port side and the ship gets a good list going but isnt sinking, so I drive around to the starboard side and put a few into that side so the damage is more spread)

05-01-07, 10:30 AM	#3
7Enigma Helmsman Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 103 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Nope, I do just like you. Everytime I start a patrol I say to myself, "Now this time get to the first order area, THEN start going after ships". I just can't do it! After 10-20 patrols I always wind up expending 3/4 or more of my munitions prior to even beginning the first order....

05-01-07, 10:38 AM	#5
AhhhFresh Mate Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 52 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I do my best to complete missions, but I don't really care about them so much... when I run out of torpedoes I go home to end patrol, whether I have completed the objectives or not. This is mainly because I have been trying to play "ironman" since 1.2, and endless refitting it too time consuming (and dangerous in terms of losing lots of playtime).

05-01-07, 10:42 AM	#6
Bane Torpedoman Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 119 Downloads: 33 Uploads: 0	I avoid small task forces and fishing boats, but engage all other targets of opportunity as they present themselves. If I don't make it to the patrol zone, but still sink my fair share of tonnage I consider that job well done.

05-01-07, 11:35 AM	#7
SteamWake Rear Admiral Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,224 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Ive read here that not completing missions can lead to carrier path issues.

05-01-07, 01:59 PM	#8
Bilge_Rat Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: standing watch... Posts: 3,793 Downloads: 344 Uploads: 0	The contact factor may depend on the difficulty. I started a new campaign from Pearl on "very hard" and did not see a ship or map contact close enough to intercept until I got to my patrol area next to Honshu.

05-02-07, 09:26 AM	#11
SteamWake Rear Admiral Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,224 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	A brief follow up on this "tour".... After reaching my assigned patrol area and spending the required amount of time there, submerging at dawn surfacing at dusk (rumors were spreading that the captain was becoming a vampire but thats another story). We came accross a grand total of nothing. We then got the mission complete. I was supprised when we recieved no further orders so we headed back to Brisbane which is where we launched from. We ran surfaced alot in order to make good time but were constantly harrased by air patrols. We did stumble into one of the biggest convoys I have seen. We attempted to set up an intercept course to make good use of our few remaining torpedoes and sure enough got picked up by one of DD's. Must have been one of those "eliete" fellows. To make a long story short we evaded worked around (for some reason the convoy stopped) got off our 4 shots and sank two merchants, and slipped away. Later surfaced and phoned it in. Later on our trip "home" we ran accross another large convoy but being un armed we worked into a position away from the dd's surfaced and called it in. "Good find come on home" Pac wrote us back (while we were at 150 feet :hmm: ). So we continued back to Brisbane with A few close calls from air attacks but we eventually stopped at a tender for fuel. We left the tender and sailed to Brisbane. Upon arriving at Brisbane we were supprised to find out we were denied docking privilages and could only refit. Well... I delved into the "guts" of the savegame files to find out just where my home port is and headed back to pearl. We planned to stop at Midway for fuel should be a quick trip at full ahead ! Nothing better to do so I checked my orders page. What ! new orders ! "These bloody orders are 6 hours old !" (sorry I couldent resist). Orders read "Attack enemy shipping in the Marshall Islands" Doh ! we just left there ! Were almost to Midway anyhow lets refit and sail back to the Marshells... Okay out of charecter now... from what I gather the simulation "knew" I was out of ordinance and did not issue new orders untill I had some firepower back on board. We had probably received the new orders after the first refit however it went un noticed amongst all the contact spam. We will see if our luck continues..

05-02-07, 09:38 AM	#12
7Enigma Helmsman Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 103 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I've found the same thing happen. In my latest patrol I forced myself to ignore 2 convoys that practically intersected my planned path. I got into my area and proceeded to have my most successful run so far (107k tons!), due to several 2 ship unguarded convoys, and 2 planned attacks on guarded convoys where I solo-targeted the heaviest of the groups (both blew up on single torpedo's even though I launched 3 at each, I need to find out whether these are glitched as they were from the merchant mod pack, can't remember the name but they looked like cruise ships and weighed in at slightly over 10k tons?) Anyways, after that crazy action I had to wait another day, was given mission completed, and then radio'd home but got no new orders (I still had 2 torps and a handful of deck gun rounds). I guess that was too little for additional orders, so next time I'm playing I have to make the long trek home. I might detour east to midway for a refit and see if I get additional orders.....

05-03-07, 09:00 PM	#15
Ducimus Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 12,987 Downloads: 67 Uploads: 2	Stock game, the single merchants have a 70% chance to spawn every 2 to 3 days. Given how fast a day can zip by with high time compression, thats alot of ships. In my FTT mod, next version ive reduced that to a 30 to 35% chance to spawn every 2 to 3 days. (troop convoys and task forces 30-35% chance every 2 weeks) My worry is that maybe that is too much of a reduction, although i based that figure on script work ive done in SH3, and it seemed to be appropriate. Havent had a chance to test it yet though.