Night Too Dark

Hi I appreciate realism but I cannot discern any shapes at all at night. Takes some of the fun out of it. I searched on this forum but couldn't find anything useful so far.

It does mention not selecting 16KM for one item(sorry I can't remember the title for this option) but I don't seem to have that option. I am using GWX3 GOLD and SH3 Commander.

I might as well ask one more question while I'm at it... is it possible to change the realism settings during a career? I can't locate the realism section again. I'm at 78% and I have a feeling the escorts are going to massacre me.

As I recall they are very adept at finding subs. or is there a setting that makes the U-Boat a little more difficult to find? LIke maybe an .INI file?

Thanks

[barker262]

G'day Mate,

Here is a link to a thread of mine, got some good answers about night fighting,
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=211681

I've only just finished a night convoy action in the rain, stressful, but worth it. Four ships down, including a tanker and large merchant. I found a trick where if the visibility is really bad, place your bridge view at so that the horison (which is just a tiny bit brighter than the rest of the screen) is at the bottom edge of your monitor. Watch that slightly lighter strip, continually ask your watch officer for a visual. If he gives a direction (don't worry about range it is always around 600m) use your binos to get your vision on that heading then go to normal bridge view, I could never see a thing in the magnified view. After a while I was able to make out a silouette before the watch did. As for the torpedo launch, I set the target speed to 0, AOB to 90 just to make sure the torpedo goes straight. Get your heading to just ahead of the target. That should give you time to get to the uzo to launch your torpedo. Make sure the doors are open before you get there because you wont be able to see the target to know if it's still dead ahead. Fire and turn 90' to the target in it's direction of travel. Should hit it dead center (I was). I found that turning in the direction of the target rather then behind them, gave me a chance to line up on the next ship in the row, as I cut across the convoy, now that I had their track. 1..2..3..4 even took a stern shot on the other side. What I need to find out is how to fire a tube without going to the uzo or anything else. Once the TDC is set for each tube in the same way, fast, impact,range 500,AOB 90, bearing 0, target speed 0, it's actually a hinderance to go to any scope because you can't see to fire. You wouldn't happen to know would you?

[Sailor Steve]

Hmm...I remember seeing something about that, many moons ago. Let me look in the magic bag...<rumble>...<shuffle>...<dig>...OUCH! Where's that flashlight? <bumble>...<stumble>...OOF! <grumble>...Wait! Here it is!
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...ght=dark+night

Here is the 'Ocean Madness' mod Marhkimov refers to in his first post.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=4366

And the thread explaining it.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=87287

I found some other old threads on the subject, but the general conclusion in all of them was "adjust the gamma settings on your monitor" or "use this mod", and Marhkimov's seems to be the best of them.

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by MemoryLeaK

...
I might as well ask one more question while I'm at it... is it possible to change the realism settings during a career? I can't locate the realism section again. I'm at 78% and I have a feeling the escorts are going to massacre me.

As I recall they are very adept at finding subs. or is there a setting that makes the U-Boat a little more difficult to find? LIke maybe an .INI file?

Thanks

None of those realism settings change anything in the enemy's behaviour or capabilities. It only makes it easier/harder for you to operate your Uboat.

As for making it harder for destroyers to detect you:

Attack at night, or in bad weather!!!!!!

keep distance, ...
and/or stay partially submerged when on the surface. You can go down to 7 meters (flips at 8 I believe before you are considered submerged) It takes small reduction in speed, but always better than being submerged because you keep the diesels and manoeuvrability.

Set silent running mode when they are near. This does prevent repairs, loading tubes and pumps, but does make it harder for them to detect you. Not impossible though.

Do not leave your periscope up for long, or go fast with it. Only make short checks. Assuming you do manual targeting,as long as you need to measure distance/AOB/target recognition.

Go deep if you can. The 'deaf-zone' is much wider there (early war at least). And depth-charges take a while to get there.

Set the speed indicator to less than 2 knots. But first get deep fast, not before. You don't want to stay in one spot if they come looking for you. If this makes the 3D RPM indicator show 50 RPM (shaft revolutions per minute) or less than you are practically undetectable by passive sound.

Keep your bow away, or towards, any warship that is pinging you. You'll show less reflecting area to it than side-on.

Even though you hear pinging, it doesn't mean that it has you pinpointed. (reflected pings sound different) Just that they are looking for you. Now, go the other way! If you don't hear anything, it could mean that they don't know about you, or that they are listening with passive gear. The latter implying that you should set your submerged speed low.

If you are having any other difficulties in operating your uboat, then feel free to ask.

You can also access those settings through the single mission selecting page. But I'm not entirely sure if those changes are carried over to your current running patrols.

hI,

I tried the cgf file to light the background but it didn't work. I tried the gamma settings and one of them finally worked but it jacked up the display and the map section looked like a top-down view of a football field, narrow and long and when I put the mouse cursor to the left side of monitor screen the slide out options (bridge, TDC, ETC) never slide out. So the hell with it. I will just have to live with a pitch black screen at night. I can't even see the people on my own bridge.

Pixces, thanks for the info on evading detection. You mentioned one item I haven't observed yet -- 3D RPM indicator show 50 RPM -- Where is that instrument or gauge located?

Thanks,

Larry

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by MemoryLeaK

...

Pixces, thanks for the info on evading detection. You mentioned one item I haven't observed yet -- 3D RPM indicator show 50 RPM -- Where is that instrument or gauge located?

In the 3d control room. Top 2 dials (red and green) above the left helmsman.

The dial shows 10 for 100 RPM, but I think someone forgot to put an extra 0 in there.