Plotting Exploit or Not?

[ryanwigginton]

I'm playing with GWX and OLC (not sure if this makes a difference to my question) and notice plotting on the surface is very simple. I ask the office on deck to give nearest visual target. He gives bearing AND range. If I do this again ten minutes later, I can now plot heading, and calculate speed.

When I'm submerged, I have more or less the same view through the scope. Yet there's no way to get range information, as on the surface.

2 Questions...

a) Is there an error margin built into the officer on decks range estimation?

b) Should it be possible to get range information from an officer when looking through the scope or should we disable his ability to range when surfaced?

[sergei]

There is no error in his estimate. It is absolutely spot on.
There is a way of disabling his range estimate so that he only calls out the bearing to the nearest contact. A lot of the GUI mods do this.
It involves editing a line in Data/Menu/en_menu.txt, but I can't find the entry to be edited at the moment.
I'll keep looking.
Hopefully someone will be along in a minute to enlighten us

[sergei]

Found it!
Entry 4616

Change from:
4616=Nearest visual contact at bearing %03.0f, range %.0f meters!

To:
4616=Nearest visual contact at bearing %03.0f!

That way your WO will only give you the bearing.

[ryanwigginton]

You're a gentleman. Thank you.

[Pisces]

The only 'error' in his reporting is that it is rounded to 100 meters. But other than that it's spot on. Too spot on to be realistic. Exploit? Perhaps, depends on personal limmitations.

But why is it 'wrong' for him to give range when on the surface?

[ryanwigginton]

Originally Posted by Pisces

But why is it 'wrong' for him to give range when on the surface?

There's nothing 'wrong' with it. Apart from, you get the information too quickly and too accurately.