How Many XBTs?

[SeaQueen]

The scenarios I design for myself are frequently quite long. During the course of them, I've noticed acoustic conditions can change quite radically. In light of that, I wondered is there was a best way to employ bathythermographs? How often do you guys release them? I'm curious what other people's thoughts are.

[Sea Demon]

Yep. I've noticed the same. Ocean conditions do change throughout longer scenarios. Since we have an infinite amount of XBT's, I put one out every hour as conditions permit.

[Ori_b]

Sorry for being greedy here,
SeaQueen can you share your scenarios with us? They sound interesting.

[SeaQueen]

Originally Posted by Ori_b

Sorry for being greedy here,
SeaQueen can you share your scenarios with us? They sound interesting.

That's quite alright.

Try on SubGuru Kara Sea Strategic ASW. It's just an area search problem. I recently sent Bill an updated version, I don't know if he posted the latest one or not. I tend to noodle with things, fussing over details until I'm happy with them. In some ways, I find DW very limiting.

On average that scenario should take about 12-18 hours. It's not too hard, although I once nearly collided with my target once in it. Gotta watch those low bearing rate targets. :-)

I tend to be careful about letting my scenarios out, because I'm a naval analyst, and sometimes I get ideas from stuff at work. Even though I "break" the scenario when I make scenarios for commercially available wargames, I'm still very very cautious about these things. I figure it's better to be safe than sorry. I'm working on a second scenario for public consumption, though. It still needs some stuff done. I think it'll be a lot harder too.

[Ori_b]

Thanks,
I got the Kara scenario already, I intend to deal with it after i gain more experience, or at least divide it to a number of dives.

looking forward for more

[SeaQueen]

Originally Posted by Ori_b

Thanks,
I got the Kara scenario already, I intend to deal with it after i gain more experience, or at least divide it to a number of dives.

looking forward for more

Yeah... I don't play it in one sitting. I have a life. In fact, it helps to go get a book and just check in on the sonar shack every once in a while. It's a good scenario for a lazy Sunday morning... and afternoon... and evening... Once you make the initial detection, the pace picks up, but search is time consuming. One of the improvements I made in the most recent version is that the enemy subs' operating depths are chosen at random. Do you know which version you got off SubGuru? The latest one is v.3 The brief cover should have a screenshot.

I'm trying to create a similar multiplayer scenario where in order to efficiently search the area, the players have to divide it up, so it's an opened question about how exactly to do that. There might be more than one "best" answer depending on things. The problem is that MP scenarios need to play a little faster because you can't save them and pick 'em up later. That means the distance scale must be shortened, which means the search problem is simplified, which sometimes makes things too easy in my opinion. It makes no sense to search an area when in essence the target is already localized sufficiently well to kill it immediately.

I wouldn't put it past people to spend 8 hours in MP. I've talked to more than one person who's done that. I just have to be shrewd about chosing the search areas.

[Ori_b]

Ill check the version tonight, at work right now (shhh dont tell my boss ).
Very good background presentation BTW.

[Ori_b]

The current version at Bill's site is 2.

[SeaQueen]

Originally Posted by Ori_b

The current version at Bill's site is 2.

Send me a private message with your e-mail in it and I'll send you v. 3. It's a little bit better.

[SeaQueen]

Originally Posted by Sea Demon

Yep. I've noticed the same. Ocean conditions do change throughout longer scenarios. Since we have an infinite amount of XBT's, I put one out every hour as conditions permit.

It's a shame the launchers don't emit some sort of transient. Funny little elevations in one's own source level could make the game more interesting.

[LuftWolf]

I wouldn't put it past people to spend 8 hours in MP. I've talked to more than one person who's done that. I just have to be shrewd about chosing the search areas.

I had a multistation session with three people that lasted about nine hours or so.

[Nexus7]

Originally Posted by SeaQueen

The scenarios I design for myself are frequently quite long. During the course of them, I've noticed acoustic conditions can change quite radically. In light of that, I wondered is there was a best way to employ bathythermographs? How often do you guys release them? I'm curious what other people's thoughts are.

Normally I don't drop any, except if there's a noticeable increase in sea bottom depth and a layer is not yet showing. My games usually last less than 2 h.

[SeaQueen]

Originally Posted by Nexus7

Normally I don't drop any, except if there's a noticeable increase in sea bottom depth and a layer is not yet showing. My games usually last less than 2 h.

Then there's no need to. For me, a typical game is more like 12-24hours of play time (not necessarily in one sitting).

[SeaQueen]

Originally Posted by LuftWolf

I had a multistation session with three people that lasted about nine hours or so.

Yeah... I think that's 8 hours is probably a good median play time for an MP game. I think if I just scale everything so that it ought to take about that much time, then I ought to be fine. Single player games you can go longer... but I think the right people would be willing to play an 8hour MP game.