Ahoy! and newbie question

[U76]

Hi all
Ive been playing SH3 for about a month now and stumbled across this site a couple of weeks ago, Ive read alot of posts and laughed at some of the discussions stories and threads. I'm currently playing the stock version of SH3 but intend to install GWX 3 at some point. I have a small(ish) question that i cant fathom or find on the forum which is......

How or where can I find any carriers or larger battle ships? I've looked in Loch Ewe, in Scapa and even snuck into Gib but found only destroyers , hull damage and death LoL. Im currently in mid '41 with a VIIB and am operating out of Lorient.

thanks for any help

[K-61]

There's a cheat list somewhere which lists the dates and ports for various warships. As well, there is a mod which provides intelligence guesses as to the same, but I can't recall the names of these mods offhand.

My own opinion is that Prien's attack on Scapa Flow was a one-off; indeed, he did not expect to make it out of SF so he considered his mission a one-way affair and expected either to be killed or captured in his attack. Infiltrating ports in real life was much more hazardous and difficult than depicted in the game. U-boat commanders did not want to be caught in shallow waters; ports were mined and heavily patrolled. Scapa Flow's defences were reinforced after Prien's attack as were all other British ports; they did not wish to be embarrassed in that manner again. Many U-boats were lost just trying to enter the Med through the Gibraltar area; see the Gibraltar scene in Das Boot for an accurate depiction of the difficulties involved. As such, I do not harbour raid as my style of play is to simulate realistic U-boat operations as closely as possible. But, it's your game so you get to play how you desire. Good luck and welcome aboard. If you're like most of us, this game will keep you coming back again and again. How many PC games can retain a faithful legion of followers five years on?

[ediko]

Operation flashpoint to name one. It came out in 2001 IIRC and is still played.

About the big ships. I personally haven't seen them either. Apart from one time when I saw a miracle. HMS Hood and HMS Nelson sailing without escorts.
I was lucky since they were coming right at me. And well what would a real Kaleun do? He wouldn't miss... unlike me. I thought the Hood is more important and shot a salvo of 3 torpedoes at it. The sea was calm and the weather clear but they all missed... until Nelson sailed right behind Hood and took all of them near the engine compartments! It came to a complete halt and pitched to the left side quite heavily. I tried firing my torp at hood again but it evaded Well since it was sailing at 28knots I didn't chase it and just waited for Nelson to sink... which it didn't. After wasting about 4 torpedoes as duds premature's and other failures I finally sunk it and only got 2 eels left. That was my only encounter with the big ships and I'm happy it all went as good as it did

[Convycmg]

Ahoi,

I think it's largely a question of luck. 'tis a big ocean after all. Also your luck in coming across a capital ship could be either very good or very bad; carriers have planes by definition, which love to bomb u-boats. Battleships can reduce your boat to iron filings with their main battery from ranges where you wouldn't even know they're there. But then if the luck is with you you're in store for a huge amount of renown and satisfaction.

When you do install GWX a good method may be to park yourself in the right location just ahead of time for historical events such as Operation Weserübung if you simply have to see HMS Warspite . The GWX manual has detailed sections on many such occasions that you could use as an opportunity to go captal ship spotting. I don't know how well the stock version of the game models this though.

The most systematic way of finding specific targets from what I understand is to learn how to use the Mission Editor program that ships with SH3. You can find out the locations of various ships at whatever date in the career mode campaign this way or so I hear as I haven't looked into it myself. Sort of would take the fun out of the game for me, but I'm not you of course. I am happy that I had no idea I would be able to sink HMS Rodney on Christmas Eve 1939 after having the good fortune to find her ploddng along at 6 kts in the middle of a convoy. (Just east of Rockall Bank, by the way, for when you get round to starting a new career with GWX)

Most uboat commanders never encountered an enemy capital ship in action.
If one happens upon you, consider yourself lucky.
Be careful. They can both outgun and outrun you.

[Hangman]

I am curious regarding the dynamic campaign and a large boat.
If a uboat commander were to sink a great battleship before it's time to arrive historically, would it still arrive as scheduled or does the game recognize that it has been sunk and will not spawn when the time arrives ?

[U76]

ok i guess im just going to have to keep my eyes peeled and keep searching, overall im thoroughly enjoying my time, strange how a 5 year old game is holding my attention better than 95% of the console stuff i own.
Unfortunatley my foray into Gibraltar today turned into a watery grave and a lesson hard learnt. Still never mind you live and learn! thanks for the replies everyone, I will be sure to drop in again soon

[Brag]

Welcome aboard

Once you install GWX, hang out near BE39 first half of 1941. Lots of convoys with BB escort.

STAY AWAY FROM SHALLOW WATER!

[Gerald]

Brag has given you a good condition,and maybe you should go on a long trip with Balz, wonder what he thinks of it,

[K-61]

The game doesn't recognize that you killed a ship, thus it will show up later. If you sink Hood in 1939, she'll still spawn in 1941.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by K-61

The game doesn't recognize that you killed a ship, thus it will show up later. If you sink Hood in 1939, she'll still spawn in 1941.

right or wrong

[Hangman]

Originally Posted by Vendor

right or wrong

Is this a question or are you familiar with the layout ?

I was thinking (hoping) the game would have a database being a dynamic campaign, and would keep the ships in the database. If the ship was sunk, it would be registered in the database when you return to port, thus when you leave port, the game would read the database and if the ship were registered as sunk from a last patrol, it would not spawn in any future patrol.
But I guess that's just blissful dreams, huh ?!

[K-61]

I can't recall meeting the same ship again later on, as I use SH3 Commander's realistic career length option. However, I have read accounts from other players who sunk a major ship and then saw it later in the war. Call it anecdotal evidence unless we hear from an authority figure like a GWX mod designer.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Hangman

Is this a question or are you familiar with the layout ?

I was thinking (hoping) the game would have a database being a dynamic campaign, and would keep the ships in the database. If the ship was sunk, it would be registered in the database when you return to port, thus when you leave port, the game would read the database and if the ship were registered as sunk from a last patrol, it would not spawn in any future patrol.
But I guess that's just blissful dreams, huh ?!

let us say before, so you are able to do it again, to a certain limit of course,but there are other members here, who are more familiar with this issue now if this is all about layout or similar,

[Schwieger]

Originally Posted by K-61

There's a cheat list somewhere which lists the dates and ports for various warships. As well, there is a mod which provides intelligence guesses as to the same, but I can't recall the names of these mods offhand.

My own opinion is that Prien's attack on Scapa Flow was a one-off; indeed, he did not expect to make it out of SF so he considered his mission a one-way affair and expected either to be killed or captured in his attack. Infiltrating ports in real life was much more hazardous and difficult than depicted in the game. U-boat commanders did not want to be caught in shallow waters; ports were mined and heavily patrolled. Scapa Flow's defences were reinforced after Prien's attack as were all other British ports; they did not wish to be embarrassed in that manner again. Many U-boats were lost just trying to enter the Med through the Gibraltar area; see the Gibraltar scene in Das Boot for an accurate depiction of the difficulties involved. As such, I do not harbour raid as my style of play is to simulate realistic U-boat operations as closely as possible. But, it's your game so you get to play how you desire. Good luck and welcome aboard. If you're like most of us, this game will keep you coming back again and again. How many PC games can retain a faithful legion of followers five years on?

Speaking of harbour raids, I once attempted to sneak into Alexandria... didn't turn out too well; was intercepted by a destroyer squadron before I go to the port (intrestingly enough my watch did not detect them, I just happened to be scanning the horizon with my binoculars and saw them heading straight at me) was nearly destroyed but managed to escape with a large amount of hull damage and many systems destroyed, lol