The Cruiser

Nell Quick · 04-02-07, 06:19 PM

Well, not sure entirely how I managed to do it, but I've just sunk a cruiser in submarine school with manual targeting on!

Yeah, I know it's nothing to you experts out there, but having played only with the targeting assist, I have to say I was expecting to end up thoroughly demoralised and cheesed off. Not a bit of it.

The first hit was straightforward enough: the mission was in its starting state with the cruiser steaming left to right across my bow. The big problem here - bearing in mind the sluggish response of my struggling 3.4GHz PC with its wimpy GF6600 card - was finding the ID in the manual. Once that was done I could take the range; the speed was a pure guess; and I have no idea how to find AOB, except by making the little white ship shape point in roughly the same direction as the actual big metal ship in the scope. It's probably supposed to be more technical than that, but still.

My big mistake was in only firing once. But I didn't expect it to go anywhere near and I didn't want to waste too many fish. Amazingly, this one, loosed from about 680 range, caught the cruiser just aft of centre and blew a big hole in her starboard side. She immediately started to list, kicked up the speed (or at least tried), and began to turn away from me. The gap opened up fairly swiftly, and she was zigging, but before too long I ended up almost straight behind her. I reasoned it was now or never, so took another range (that bit I can do quite well), tweaked the AOB a little, and sent the other three torps out in a fan - since she was starting to turn right, I sent one straight at her, the next a few degrees ahead, and the third a little further. The first two missed, but the third smacked right in there, and she went down aflame.

I figure two torps wasn't bad for a cruiser - but I'm more astonished that I got that many to hit. It was a clumsy setup, more luck than judgement, and certainly no thanks to my skill on the TDC dials. Everything seems to happen incredibly fast (and no, I don't have the acceleration turned up!), and I can't imagine how quickly some of you guys must be working to keep that solution up-to-date, especially when something's maneouvring.

BlackSpot · 04-02-07, 06:24 PM

Nice one

Feels good, doesn't it

Don't look back, you'll get a lot more out of the game from now on.

Platapus · 04-02-07, 07:15 PM

Congratulations

I am one of those who is just learning how to use manual targeting and I love it!

Good for you for trying manual targeting

Good hunting

DeePsix501 · 04-02-07, 07:36 PM

It is 10000x more rewarding to nail a ship with manual targeting then just hitting L and clicking fire. There have been times where I jump out of my chair and cheer at atleast a little celebration.

Safe-Keeper · 04-02-07, 07:45 PM

I remember the first time I set up a good solution and nailed a merchant from 3000 metres with 3 hits out of 4 torpedoes. Pure pride and joy.

RickC Sniper · 04-02-07, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nell Quick

. It's probably supposed to be more technical than that, but still.

Not really. Only the real die hard purists do more than that. I do AOB just like you do.

I think thumbing through the manual is clumsy and slow too, but the real skippers needed to do that too. My one cheat during the process is to bring up the manual, hit pause, then after I find the bugger I unpause and check the box to lock it in.

Congrats, and welcome to manual TDC.

Rick

Nell Quick · 04-02-07, 08:09 PM

Thanks, all.

Lesson to be learned, though: don't get tunnel vision! I remember one of the first lessons I learned in strafing attacks on flight simulators was that it's scarily easy to get so focused on the target that you forget about other things. Like the ground. Bad times.

I've just started a career - you know, just to see how long I last - and I looked up from some delicate setting of the AOB dial to find the destroyer I'd been eyeing up bearing down on me like the wrath of God, guns hammering away... My boat survived only by the skin of its teeth, with two snapshots on what was fortunately still a valid bearing and I left the tincan bubbling away in my wake. Still, it gave me a chance to try out the evaside turn-and-dive maneouvre...

04-02-07, 06:19 PM	#1
Nell Quick Watch Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 30 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	The Cruiser Well, not sure entirely how I managed to do it, but I've just sunk a cruiser in submarine school with manual targeting on! Yeah, I know it's nothing to you experts out there, but having played only with the targeting assist, I have to say I was expecting to end up thoroughly demoralised and cheesed off. Not a bit of it. The first hit was straightforward enough: the mission was in its starting state with the cruiser steaming left to right across my bow. The big problem here - bearing in mind the sluggish response of my struggling 3.4GHz PC with its wimpy GF6600 card - was finding the ID in the manual. Once that was done I could take the range; the speed was a pure guess; and I have no idea how to find AOB, except by making the little white ship shape point in roughly the same direction as the actual big metal ship in the scope. It's probably supposed to be more technical than that, but still. My big mistake was in only firing once. But I didn't expect it to go anywhere near and I didn't want to waste too many fish. Amazingly, this one, loosed from about 680 range, caught the cruiser just aft of centre and blew a big hole in her starboard side. She immediately started to list, kicked up the speed (or at least tried), and began to turn away from me. The gap opened up fairly swiftly, and she was zigging, but before too long I ended up almost straight behind her. I reasoned it was now or never, so took another range (that bit I can do quite well), tweaked the AOB a little, and sent the other three torps out in a fan - since she was starting to turn right, I sent one straight at her, the next a few degrees ahead, and the third a little further. The first two missed, but the third smacked right in there, and she went down aflame. I figure two torps wasn't bad for a cruiser - but I'm more astonished that I got that many to hit. It was a clumsy setup, more luck than judgement, and certainly no thanks to my skill on the TDC dials. Everything seems to happen incredibly fast (and no, I don't have the acceleration turned up!), and I can't imagine how quickly some of you guys must be working to keep that solution up-to-date, especially when something's maneouvring.

04-02-07, 07:36 PM	#4
DeePsix501 Navy Dude Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: College Station, Texas Posts: 173 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	It is 10000x more rewarding to nail a ship with manual targeting then just hitting L and clicking fire. There have been times where I jump out of my chair and cheer at atleast a little celebration. __________________ In Memory of the USS Triton (SS-201) - May We Never Forget Those On Eternal Patrol

04-02-07, 07:45 PM	#5
Safe-Keeper Ocean Warrior Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Norway Posts: 3,234 Downloads: 11 Uploads: 0	I remember the first time I set up a good solution and nailed a merchant from 3000 metres with 3 hits out of 4 torpedoes. Pure pride and joy. __________________ First Strike Mod tester. Hardcore sub skipper.

04-02-07, 06:24 PM	#2
BlackSpot Lieutenant Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Shropshire UK Posts: 266 Downloads: 21 Uploads: 0	Nice one Feels good, doesn't it Don't look back, you'll get a lot more out of the game from now on.

04-02-07, 07:15 PM	#3
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,361 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	Congratulations I am one of those who is just learning how to use manual targeting and I love it! Good for you for trying manual targeting Good hunting

04-02-07, 08:09 PM	#7
Nell Quick Watch Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 30 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	Thanks, all. Lesson to be learned, though: don't get tunnel vision! I remember one of the first lessons I learned in strafing attacks on flight simulators was that it's scarily easy to get so focused on the target that you forget about other things. Like the ground. Bad times. I've just started a career - you know, just to see how long I last - and I looked up from some delicate setting of the AOB dial to find the destroyer I'd been eyeing up bearing down on me like the wrath of God, guns hammering away... My boat survived only by the skin of its teeth, with two snapshots on what was fortunately still a valid bearing and I left the tincan bubbling away in my wake. Still, it gave me a chance to try out the evaside turn-and-dive maneouvre...