Potentially devistating attack failed! Help!

[GoldenRivet]

Sorry this might be long but there IS a point!!!

I located a convoy and shadowed them throughout the day awaiting sunset while sending hourly contact reports.

Once the sun settled below the horizon i moved in for the kill. I flanked on the surface to the convoy's starboard side moving at one point to within about 2000 meters of a Black Swan. Once this black swan broke off from the convoy i proceeded slowly to periscope depth and began my approach.

I opted for a submerged attack as the convoy was heavily guarded.

I located the thickest juciest target i could find... a large tanker worth just over 13,000 tons.

I plotted my solution using OLCs GUI (a brilliant mod if i didnt mention it)... entered the data into the TDC, and fired. the torpedoes found their mark and caused the tanker to rip in two!

The escorts were quick to respond as starshells filled the air and searchlights scanned the horizon, i went deep and escaped without damage.

DAY 2

I stalked the convoy for another day - unsatisfied with my single kill... i had my eye on an ammunition carrier i really wanted to take her out!

same situation, i snuck into the convoy and located the target using the observation scope. once i located it i switched to the attack scope and raised it while lowering the obs scope and I began to gather target data to input into the TDC.

suddenly to my muted horror . . .

NONE OF THE TDC DIALS WOULD TURN!!!! they were stuck on 5 knots.... 300 meters range and the only way to change AOB or bearing was to move the periscope!!!!



so in a last desparate attempt to sink anything i aimed the scope into the center of the convoy and "shotgunned" a 10 degree spread of 4 fish into the convoy.... no results.

I evaded attack and was unable to resolve my TDC issues and therefore abandoned the patrol and returned to base.

now for the questions (did i mention this is with OLC's GUI)

1. Why did all of my TDC dials stick? Was it something i did or just a glitch? i mean they worked fine on the first attack and then on the night of the second attack they simply WOULD NOT respond to any click and rotate commands period!

2. How can i prevent this problem from happening again?

- thanks

GR

[Canovaro]

Well you didn't press the tdc lock button did you?

[Reece]

Come on, don't be embarrased GoldenRivet!

[GoldenRivet]

Uhhhh TDC lock button?

what in the blazes are you talking about?

i aspire to learn new things about SH3 every time i visit this forum, and i have been playing SH3 since release... but TDC lock button is a new one on me!

a good Kaleun is always learning

[Jimbuna]

Torpedo Data Computer......the black button on the right hand side

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

Uhhhh TDC lock button?

what in the blazes are you talking about?

Just wait until the Fuhrer hears about this!

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Torpedo Data Computer......the black button on the right hand side

screenshot?? ... this feature does not appear to be included in OLCs GUI mod.

I have searched the TDC for this little black button without success.

[panzer 49th]

Ok you know the button you click to bring up the compass,depth gauges,speed gauges right. Well on the other side of the screen directly across from the button that brigns up the above dials the is a button that looks like a bolt click that to bring up the TDC dials.

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by panzer 49th

Ok you know the button you click to bring up the compass,depth gauges,speed gauges right. Well on the other side of the screen directly across from the button that brigns up the above dials the is a button that looks like a bolt click that to bring up the TDC dials.

yes it brings up the TDC dials ... i know that...

but what button are these guys talking about to "LOCK" the TDC from making any changes??? i have never heard of any such device.

my problem is that mid attack my TDC would no longer respond to any inputs as if that part of the game was frozen... i could click the little bolt looking button to bring up the TDC just fine but none of the TDC dials would move or rotate at all.

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

yes it brings up the TDC dials ... i know that...

but what button are these guys talking about to "LOCK" the TDC from making any changes??? i have never heard of any such device.

my problem is that mid attack my TDC would no longer respond to any inputs as if that part of the game was frozen... i could click the little bolt looking button to bring up the TDC just fine but none of the TDC dials would move or rotate at all.

This button you've just been pointed to is the very "TDC lock" button. You have it also in the stock SH# version, as well as in any GWX modded version, but it is there placed somewhere else - on the TDC screen just right of the torpedo depth setting gauge. Without OLC GUI this button is used only to lock/unlock the TDC. In the OLC GUI it has a new, ADDITIONAL function of showing/hiding the TDC in attack periscope/UZO view (but it still locks/unlocks them too).

In OLC GUI, if you see the TDC dials, they are unlocked. If you don't see them, they are locked. I don't suppose there is any third state they could be in.

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by Abd_von_Mumit

In OLC GUI, if you see the TDC dials, they are unlocked. If you don't see them, they are locked. I don't suppose there is any third state they could be in.

correct... i didnt think there was a third state they could be in either.

so your saying if i can see them they should be able to move. it was probably just a glitch then because i had the TDC visible, yet none of the dials would respond.

ever since i downloaded this mod it has worked great and produced good results, but on this last mission, one day in the mission they worked fine, the next day they wouldnt do anything.

reloaded the game, problem gone, TDC works

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

correct... i didnt think there was a third state they could be in either.

so your saying if i can see them they should be able to move. it was probably just a glitch then because i had the TDC visible, yet none of the dials would respond.

ever since i downloaded this mod it has worked great and produced good results, but on this last mission, one day in the mission they worked fine, the next day they wouldnt do anything.

reloaded the game, problem gone, TDC works

I had a similar problem on a clean GWX 2.0 install, when my order icons stopped responding to clicks. You could just click and nothing happened. I reported it on Forums and was told that the problem is almost for sure related to low spec of my PC. As I found this explanation very reasonable, I didn't do any further research. But another user reported, that it happens to him too - always some time after manning personally one of the officers' stations. So it could be a bug as well. Probably never related to OLC GUI.

[GoldenRivet]

Well it seems to be working now... im trying to retrace my steps to understand what happened.

But, for now i guess i will have to place yet another letter of reprimand into Bernard's service file.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

Well it seems to be working now... im trying to retrace my steps to understand what happened.

But, for now i guess i will have to place yet another letter of reprimand into Bernard's service file.

Just so long as your sorted

[Abd_von_Mumit]

GoldenRivet: Unfortunately exactly the same thing happened to me just minutes before. Suddenly without any particular reason I'd know about my TDC dials started their own lives, not reacting to my clicks. I've got latest OLC GUI with GWX 2.0 and that's my first patrol with OLC. That was going to be the first encounter. I played with the Range & AOB wheel as well as with TDC dials to get used to it and they worked very well. But when I made my approach to the prey... disaster. The dials, when visible, were still reacting as locked - they changed as I moved the scope. All the rest worked (music, icons, views, key shortcuts and so on) but the TDC and WizWheel (Is-Was). I tried to bring it back by repeating what I'd done before, but nothing helped.

You're not alone, Herr Kaleun.