Pre-existing damage to convoy?

[Nyarlathotep]

Radio report lead me to a large convoy off the coast of Spain. When I closed to attack, I noticed that one of the DD's and a small merchant were both already on fire. This proved very helpful, in that I set up my attack by sneaking past the damaged escort. Plus, what luck, apparently his depth charge rack was damaged because he was only able to fire the sideways-launching ones. This allowed me to run directly underneath him on an attack run, make a quick turn and go deep to break contact.

So do spawned ships have a chance of being damaged in GWX, or do I owe some luftwaffe pilot a Beck's? I figure they *might* have been in range of a base somewhere..

[U-104]

"do I owe some luftwaffe pilot a Beck's?"

or a uboat out there some where.

[Sag75]

Hi, it sometimes happens to me when i send a contact report to BdU about an incoming convoy. I saw a torpedoed still cruising merchant, too!

For example, just a week ago i sent a contact report and several hours later, during my battle in the bottom of the ocean, an U-boot came to help... she sunk with her deck gun the two DDs that were hunting for me!! (she sunk too...)

great GWX!!!

[Nyarlathotep]

What? AI u-boats can launch torps now? I thought I read that SH3 code limited them to surface attacks, and only the deck gun at that..

Come to think, the convoy did make a sudden course change while I was hunting them down. Hmm. If that's the case, that's pretty cool! Although I hate to think of what happened to the uboat if it made a surface attack, there were at least 3 escorts with that convoy.

So do friendly units generate contact reports, or is that stuff scripted?

I got a large merchant and an ore carrier loaded with 5-ton trucks out of it. A good 17,000 tons, plus only a crippled DE to evade. Thanks guy! If it was indeed another u-boat, I owe him a few rounds at least.. If he made it home.

Originally Posted by Nyarlathotep

What? AI u-boats can launch torps now? I thought I read that SH3 code limited them to surface attacks, and only the deck gun at that..

Come to think, the convoy did make a sudden course change while I was hunting them down. Hmm. If that's the case, that's pretty cool! Although I hate to think of what happened to the uboat if it made a surface attack, there were at least 3 escorts with that convoy.

So do friendly units generate contact reports, or is that stuff scripted?

I got a large merchant and an ore carrier loaded with 5-ton trucks out of it. A good 17,000 tons, plus only a crippled DE to evade. Thanks guy! If it was indeed another u-boat, I owe him a few rounds at least.. If he made it home.

No unit in GWX use any type of AI torps.
AI torps have not been done.
By Anyone.
There are 'work arounds'
But they are not in any GWX releases.

[rls669]

Not too long ago I was lurking under a disabled ship waiting for the rest of the convoy to leave and heard a commotion on the surface. Curiosity got the best of me so I used the external camera and saw one of those big FWs (Condor?) attacking the convoy. It was very cool to watch, the massed AA fire from the convoy and escorts brought my 8800GTS to its knees.

Another time I was stalking an S-class sub and a Condor sent it to the bottom before I could. So there's a possible cause of pre-existing damage.

[nirwana]

Sneaking into harbors i notice pretty often that warships are comming in being on fire for repairs. After being docked for usually 10 min. for repairs they resume their patrols or escorting or whatever their missions are. Burning merchants are stationairy. Havnt seen any comming in or going out so far.

[Nyarlathotep]

Thanks for the info.

Is there a map of Axis air cover somewhere, like the Allied one with the convoy routes that comes with the game? Hmm.. Time to look up the range of a Kondor and /2 heh.

[bigboywooly]

Not a map as such
If I was graphically minded would do one
lol

GWX German only airvover by years

[difool2]

I definitely came across a damaged merchant in a convoy which had a big hole in its side. If no AI can launch a torp then where did the hole come from? A surface raider with his 11 inch gun?

[Nyarlathotep]

Thanks, Wooly.

Got a contact report afterwards showing a sub trailing behind the convoy, so it probably was a fellow uboat. It definitely wasn't the result of aircraft, at least not according to those maps. I was thinking there might be an airbase in North Africa that could reach, but apparently not.

[bigboywooly]

Originally Posted by difool2

I definitely came across a damaged merchant in a convoy which had a big hole in its side. If no AI can launch a torp then where did the hole come from? A surface raider with his 11 inch gun?

May have come from an escort
They will open up on the AI subs or you no matter what is in the way

Could be aircraft or a sub
Depends on location

Possible was a Ge patrol boat\DD if close enough to the coast
Then again could even be a resupply ship\tanker as they pack some heavy weapons and are roaming the seas back and forth resupplying the KM surface raiders or uboats

You just never know

[Jimbuna]

Not making any suggestion re the hole in the ship, but remember, damage can also be caused by the weather because the game engine treats all damage regardless of the causation factor as the same.

[Frank0001]

Isn't it just a randomly generated feature? Perhaps a small percentage of ships within convoys have pre-generated damage, just for the immersion?

[bigboywooly]

No
I added a random chance of uboats sailing with a convoy to simulate a wolfpack

Was the only way around it
I know they sacrifice themselves but they can either help out by sinking a couple of escorts OR be a right pain as the convoy is all alert and zig zagging already