question for GWX/OLCGUI users regarding manual targeting

[Bosje]

hello folks,

i still find myself drawn to my good old SH3 setup, mainly because the gameplay is just unsurpassed

i've played with OLC's Gui for a while now and while i'm sinking my share of ships, I have one nagging issue which keeps frustrating me. I wanted to check if I'm missing something and if anyone else has this issue:

The zoom level of the attack scope is quite limited, OLC explained that this is because most torpedoes are fired from around 1500 meters which means the zoom level is perfect to set up the shot. And he is right about that.

But I am busy gathering information on my target long before that. And things like speed, target heading, true bearing, AOB, range are all quite important to be able to draw the lines on the plot. All the wonderful tools which can be used and all the complicated but interesting things you can do with those tools serve one purpose: get into a good position and fire accurately.

OLC's tutorial vid explains how to do this, but he does it from around 1500 meters where all the tools give nice and accurate readings.

In my game, I need to use the tools at 5000 meters, when I am sneaking up on a convoy at night. Or at 8000 meters, when I try to intercept a lone merchant which I stumbled upon in broad daylight. At those ranges, none of the tools are much use to me

I try to establish range and AOB with the attack scope tool, which gives me a value of 'somewhere between 2 and 3 marks' on the horizontal scale. simply because the pixels are that big. AOB 'somewhere between 8 and 10 marks', returning an AOB of '85 degrees' which is obviously incorrect because it should be somewhere around 40. Try again, a wholly different outcome, but still clearly incorrect. putting the baseline on the target's keel, determining what's the top of the mast, determining how many marks that is... If i try it three times, i get 3 different values anywhere between 2.1 and 2.8. All I know is 'somewhere between 2 and 3' which isnt accurate enough to find AOB

As a result, the tool gives me a range and AOB which are less useful than my own estimates, i might as well have eyeballed all the data myself. By the time I am close enough for the tool to be accurate, I am already shooting from eyeballed settings. All I need is the speed. Which is the only value I'm using the tools for.

Like i said, i'm not having trouble sinking ships, I'm fairly sure I understand how the tools work, it's just that I dont find any use for them because of 'pixel limitations'
I never ever used the attack disc, I hardly ever get usable results from any of the other tools and as such, I am wondering if anyone here has a different experience. Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks

Bosje out

[tomfon]

Originally Posted by Bosje

OLC's tutorial vid explains how to do this, but he does it from around 1500 meters where all the tools give nice and accurate readings.

In my game, I need to use the tools at 5000 meters, when I am sneaking up on a convoy at night. Or at 8000 meters, when I try to intercept a lone merchant which I stumbled upon in broad daylight. At those ranges, none of the tools are much use to me.

Hello, Bosje.

I'm an ''olc gui'' user too and i confirm that in order to set up a proper attack at such distances (5 up to 8km) the wiz-wheel won't give you trustworthy data. On the other hand, you might want to try determine the convoy's course simply by shadowing it for a distance long enough to narrow the margin of error. Speed can also be derived from this process. Knowing these two key elements is perfectly enough to determine AoB.

[pickinthebanjo]

I've been using the mod for for a while now and the way I gather information from long ranges is with the attack disk (not to be confused with the range/angle disk). In the tutorial it shows how to set-up and use it.
It gives course and true course .


Once you have range and bearing mark it on the map, then wait X amount of minutes and take another reading. Use the Nomograph to give you speed. And that should give you all required information, with greater accuracy with each reading.

[Bosje]

yes but that's exactly my problem...

to plot a convoy or ship, i draw the lines on the charts using information from the weapons officer (bearing and range on nearest visual contact) or by shadowing the convoy for a while or by cheating (send a contact report and you'll read the speed and course off that)

so speed and course are determined easily enough, at which point i no longer need all the tools because i have my lines drawn. i might use the tools to confirm the values just before i shoot, that's about all.

I just finished a convoy attack and the one thing i really would like is the range and AOB of that juicy tanker in the inner lane, while i am sneaking inside the convoy escort screen (range on the tanker about 5k). and that is exactly what I can not use the tools for because it's not nearly accurate enough. so i just time how long it needs to cross my bow, eyeball the AOB and shoot. again, i never really find myself using all those other cool toys

but anyway, i'm glad i'm not the only one to have this issue

thanks

[ppk]

I've also been using the OLC gui for a while. You're right about the tools being somewhat useless at long range. I also end-up drawing my lines with the watch officer's bearing and range estimates most of the time. That's especially true in clear sky conditions when targets are spotted at very long ranges.

However the tools are useful when I need to work out a solution for a mid-ranged shot when submerged (ie, no watch officer to help with ranging). I find that the range & aob finder works well enough at ~3000m when I make numerous observations as the target closes. At that range I'm not too worried about my scope being spotted and if I repeat the process 3-4 times the solution is good enough. At closer range, I input straight-shot values in the TDC and manually lead targets. It's faster and once you get used to it, quite accurate.

I've always wondered why there is nothing to measure the range with on the bridge. Having to raise the periscope to use the tools when on the surface seems a little strange.