Target locking cheat - how to avoid?

[minute]

Hi all

I'm currently on GWX with 80% realism - I keep automap update, auto targetting and external views.

I find that I always cheat using the lock feature to get the course of a target whenever I should not be using it. Here's the scenario - say it's night or very strong fog/storm. I am following a hydrophone contact at periscope depth. If I raise the scope and point to the bearing of the contact, if I press the 'Lock' key, after a few tries I always manage to get the ship identified and its heading and speed, even if I can't even see it in the scope or it is behind the horizon. I've even managed to get a lock from 20km in good weather and 8km in the worst of fog.

The lock doesn't hold for longer than a few seconds, but it's enough to get all the information I need. I feel I shouldn't be able to lock a target if I don't see it. The behaviour is the same whether I have the 16km mod on or not.

Is there any way to turn this locking "feature" off? I know I should'nt use it but it becomes difficult, especially when doing a lock is essential to getting the auto-targetting to work. What combination of options should I use? Or is there any mod for this?

The only thing I would like to keep would be auto targetting. I'm "not there" yet with my manual targetting, and with a campaign running in the late 1942 I have plenty of other things to worry about, if you know what I mean

[FIREWALL]

Hi minute I understand where your comeing from.

What I do is go 100% realism on single missions and war patrols for practice but, usally keep auto targeting when in career. As I got better I moved up to full realism. It gave me such a good feeling when I sunk ships on my own.

But it takes time and practice. Oh and I use the pause key alot. :p


Keep us posted how your comeing along and..... Good Hunting

[danlisa]

You can use SetKeys to comment out ';'/remove the command for 'Target Lock'.

That would mean you can't ever lock onto a target.:hmm::hmm: However, the auto TDC info would still be updated as the targeting cross hair pass over the target.

Hmm, what a good idea. Muwhahahahah
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Relax.:p

[Jimbuna]

Ignore the temptation, don't use it :p
Keep it enabled as an insurance for that inevitable 'snap shot' time.
Practice with a few options off at a time, slowly disabling more as you become more proficient.

[Iron Budokan]

I guess I don't understand why this is a problem. If you were really in the u-boat watching the merchant you would be able to track the ship using both the muscles in your arms to move the periscope and your eyes to continue visual tracking.

But I guess that's not what you guys are saying....?

[Keelbuster]

Learn manual TDC. After a while, you can take a snapshot on gut instincts - a good speed guess, a good AoB guess, a good range guess. Send out a spread - you'll get him. It's amazing how good you can get at this. I take snapshots at destroyers that are circling me - as long as they're set for keelshots, I can usually get him with one or two torps - use the hydrophone to see if the first one overshot or undershot, then correct with the next one - voila - dead-bolts eats brine.

[XLjedi]

Ya know I've been havin the same exact problem tryin to mod the refrigerator to prohbit me from eating the ice cream.

...and my wife is no help at all! She just says, "Stop eating the ice cream!"
Pfft... she's the one that put it in there. Not my fault I have to eat it.

[minute]

Originally Posted by Iron Budokan

I guess I don't understand why this is a problem. If you were really in the u-boat watching the merchant you would be able to track the ship using both the muscles in your arms to move the periscope and your eyes to continue visual tracking.

But I guess that's not what you guys are saying....?

No, my problem is that I can lock the target from a completly unrealistic distance - like 8km in heavy fog. It's not a real lock because it holds for just a few seconds... but it just spoils it for me because I gives too acurate information about the heading, distance and type of the target far too early

I think the solution to disable the lock key is quite good actually - will try tonight. Or just not doing it, yes. :hmm: But I'm weak, I give up easily

Would turning off automatic targetting but leaving "officer assisted solution" be a solution?

[KeptinCranky]

I use exactly the same settings you do, and I understand the temptation, but I resist it everytime, until I can actually see the ship myself or, when it's real dark, my crew reports it.

I do most of my intercepting and hunting by hydrophone, get a rough estimate of targets course, do a quick dash on the surface for about 10 to 15km on a rough intercept course, listen again, get a good course and speed indication, then set up an intercept, submerge fairly early and stick up the scope when the target should be visible in the prevailing weather. If I can't see it yet, lower scope immediately and get closer, also minimizes radar exposure later on

same tactic for surface intercepts or decks awash attacks on convoys

I've never used wo assist couldn't tell you if it works

[Lzs von swe]

Yes, hard not to use it when you know it´s there, but don´t
Give yourself a slap on the hand if you do

I use these settings

[Current]
LimitedBatteries=true
LimitedCompressedAir=true
LimitedO2=true
LimitedFuel=true
RealisticVulnerability=true
RealisticRepairTime=true
RealisticShipSinkingTime=true
ManualTargetingSystem=false
NoMapUpdate=false
RealisticSensors=true
DudTorpedoes=true
RealisticReload=true
NoEventCamera=true
NoExternalView=false
NoStabilizeView=true
NoNoiseMeter=true
NoWeaponOfficerAssist=true
[MiscSettings]
AlwaysAutotargeting=0,0,0,0,0;for warships, merchants, uboats, air and, respectively, land targets

I have not used WE assist for so long, I don´t even remember what diff it does:hmm:
I do it the same way as KeptinCranky.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by minute

No, my problem is that I can lock the target from a completly unrealistic distance - like 8km in heavy fog. It's not a real lock because it holds for just a few seconds... but it just spoils it for me because I gives too acurate information about the heading, distance and type of the target far too early

I think the solution to disable the lock key is quite good actually - will try tonight. Or just not doing it, yes. :hmm: But I'm weak, I give up easily

Would turning off automatic targetting but leaving "officer assisted solution" be a solution?

Possibly, but you'd still be tempted, because in the few seconds it's locked you can ask and he will give you perfect information anyway. I used to do the same thing, until I decided that if I couldn't tell at that distance, neither could he. I use his help, but never ask unless I have a good lock. Either try that, or turn him off and do it yourself.