Taking the next step

dfscott · 04-19-10, 03:46 PM

After finding things too easy with all the automatic targeting, I decided to give it a go without all the help. I turned off automatic targeting and the WO, but left map targets on. I then picked up Wazoo's Manual Charting and Targeting Manual and heading out for a patrol with the settings on "hard" (except for the event camera -- it's just too much fun not to watch).

After patrolling my area for almost 36 hours and finding nothing but enemy aircraft and neutral merchants, I'm heading back to port and manage to stumble on an enemy cargo ship coming straight at me at about 9 knots. However, I discovered that by the time he was close enough to ID, I hardly had any time left to calculate his speed before he was on me. Luckily, I saved as soon as I got the contact (just trying to learn here -- not normally a restore-retry type of guy) So, a quick restore and I try again. This time, I set up for a broadside shot first and come to a dead stop about 500m off his course. Next, I calculate the speed using the hydrophone instead of waiting until he hit visual range. Finally, when he's close, I quickly ID him (yeah, I knew what he was from last time, but I'm trying to learn how to do it right), grab his range (really tough since it's storming and he's rolling all over the place), and take the shot right as he crosses my bow.. Two solid hits, one under the stack and the other close to the bow, but he refuses to go down. I spin and take an aft shot, which amazingly also hits since I just eyeballed the AOB and bearing, but he still won't sink! Now he's zig-zagging all over and I'm having to improvise. Every time I think I have a solution, he zigs and I have to start over. I eventually try to guess his zigs and zags, but it's not very effective.

6(!) more torpedoes later, including 3 misses behind the target, 1 early explosion and 2 duds that hit solidly, but just sunk (hmm.. maybe I forgot to change the trigger to impact?), I'm starting to get a little frustrated. And just to add insult to injury, it was storming outside so I couldn't even put use the deck gun to finish her off!

So, here's my questions:

1) After I ID my ship, set the range, and click the checkbox on the note pad (that supposedly sends the info to the TDC), the notepad itself blanks out. Is that correct? Is that simulating tearing off the piece of paper and handing it over to the TDC station? I was trying to get range and AOB into the notepad and then just dial in the speed from the TDC console -- does that work?

2) Do I need to make two passes -- one to ID the ship and another to set up my run? Or is this something you just get better (faster) at over time so that you can do it all at once? I ask because it says to use the 3-minute rule, and take at least 3 points. Seeing as how I'm supposed to be at full stop (if I understand Wazoo's instructions correctly), keeping a 9 kt merchant in visual range for that long seems challenging.

3) Wazoo's instructions talk about turning manual targeting on and off. But whenever I turn it off to dial in the speed, AOB, or range, as soon as I turn it back on again, the dials seem to jump back to whatever they want -- it's like it's picking up info from the attack scope or something. I guess I just don't have a good grasp yet of what I need to do and in which order.

4) Finally, is Wazoo's still the best way for a newbie to transition to manual targeting in stock SH3? I noticed a lot of the links are broken, so I'm wondering if it's still the best method, whether the mods he mentions are available or not (I was able to dig up most of them with a little detective work, actually)?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

04-19-10, 03:46 PM	#1
dfscott Bosun Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Atlanta GA USA Posts: 68 Downloads: 49 Uploads: 0	Taking the next step After finding things too easy with all the automatic targeting, I decided to give it a go without all the help. I turned off automatic targeting and the WO, but left map targets on. I then picked up Wazoo's Manual Charting and Targeting Manual and heading out for a patrol with the settings on "hard" (except for the event camera -- it's just too much fun not to watch). After patrolling my area for almost 36 hours and finding nothing but enemy aircraft and neutral merchants, I'm heading back to port and manage to stumble on an enemy cargo ship coming straight at me at about 9 knots. However, I discovered that by the time he was close enough to ID, I hardly had any time left to calculate his speed before he was on me. Luckily, I saved as soon as I got the contact (just trying to learn here -- not normally a restore-retry type of guy) So, a quick restore and I try again. This time, I set up for a broadside shot first and come to a dead stop about 500m off his course. Next, I calculate the speed using the hydrophone instead of waiting until he hit visual range. Finally, when he's close, I quickly ID him (yeah, I knew what he was from last time, but I'm trying to learn how to do it right), grab his range (really tough since it's storming and he's rolling all over the place), and take the shot right as he crosses my bow.. Two solid hits, one under the stack and the other close to the bow, but he refuses to go down. I spin and take an aft shot, which amazingly also hits since I just eyeballed the AOB and bearing, but he still won't sink! Now he's zig-zagging all over and I'm having to improvise. Every time I think I have a solution, he zigs and I have to start over. I eventually try to guess his zigs and zags, but it's not very effective. 6(!) more torpedoes later, including 3 misses behind the target, 1 early explosion and 2 duds that hit solidly, but just sunk (hmm.. maybe I forgot to change the trigger to impact?), I'm starting to get a little frustrated. And just to add insult to injury, it was storming outside so I couldn't even put use the deck gun to finish her off! So, here's my questions: 1) After I ID my ship, set the range, and click the checkbox on the note pad (that supposedly sends the info to the TDC), the notepad itself blanks out. Is that correct? Is that simulating tearing off the piece of paper and handing it over to the TDC station? I was trying to get range and AOB into the notepad and then just dial in the speed from the TDC console -- does that work? 2) Do I need to make two passes -- one to ID the ship and another to set up my run? Or is this something you just get better (faster) at over time so that you can do it all at once? I ask because it says to use the 3-minute rule, and take at least 3 points. Seeing as how I'm supposed to be at full stop (if I understand Wazoo's instructions correctly), keeping a 9 kt merchant in visual range for that long seems challenging. 3) Wazoo's instructions talk about turning manual targeting on and off. But whenever I turn it off to dial in the speed, AOB, or range, as soon as I turn it back on again, the dials seem to jump back to whatever they want -- it's like it's picking up info from the attack scope or something. I guess I just don't have a good grasp yet of what I need to do and in which order. 4) Finally, is Wazoo's still the best way for a newbie to transition to manual targeting in stock SH3? I noticed a lot of the links are broken, so I'm wondering if it's still the best method, whether the mods he mentions are available or not (I was able to dig up most of them with a little detective work, actually)? Thanks in advance for any advice.