Photo Recon Missions - BLARG! I've had it!

[mookiemookie]

It seems like these are the friggin BANE OF MY EXISTENCE. I cannot for the life of me sneak in anywhere near the harbor. I'm using TM 1.6, and I really like the pumped up AI, but I cannot, for the life of me, sneak into a harbor. I run at PD and rigged for silent, but they seem to nail me everytime.

How do you all sneak into harbors? I try to stick to the deepest water I can, but those parts seem to be the most patrolled. Is there a trick to it that I'm just missing here?

For that matter, how accurate is being issued a mission like reconning Osaka harbor, really? I've seen the picture of Mt. Fuji taken through the scope, and I've heard the story about the boat being so close to shore that they saw the racetrack, and Fluckey's adventures in train demolition, but was this really the norm?

[NefariousKoel]

I think the hydrophones on AI DDs are too jacked up and the active sonar is a bit wimpy. Dunno.. experimenting with the settings lately myself.

One big hangup I have is that the thermocline layer is like a brick wall. The way it's set up, the value doesn't really portray it properly where distance from the noise source is the huge factor.

Of course, I probably have a different outlook on the whole sonar situation compared to others, but I still think it needs some mod work.

[tater]

When I release an updated campaign that is TM compatible, it shouldn't be a problem. I've long since eliminated the harbor missions (all of them) in my own campaign, they are silly.

[NefariousKoel]

I kinda like the challenge.

Hey Tater, you think you could have some in for maybe some minor ports or anchorages? It'd be a good balance that way and not quite so crazy. The variety is definitely good on occasion too.

[tater]

Well, my plan was to eliminate all of them in Japan (in a TM version I might have to make sure there is something near ole BP). Others might exist, but with different missions.

Perhaps mining---the reality is that US boats just didn't do it.

The missions are separate from the campaign in most ways, so a version with all new missions (and all the unrealistic ones expunged) would be my baseline, but it'd be easy enough to leave a few in as an optional install I guess.

tater

[-Pv-]

In my current campaign I'm two years into it and only one photo mission so far and two infiltrations. Indeed they are the most difficult missions, but I find myself as a result of this discussion thinking about what the designers were trying to do. One uniqueness of SH4 over 3 is the stronger emphasis on shallow water operations where bases had to be maintained on small islands so forces could have supply and repair over the vast ocean. Besides chasing small convoys around these islands, what are we do do? By and large, the nature of the enemy, small convoys poorly escorted leaves room for challenge. Obviously too many of harbor expoits makes the game seem difficult, perhaps tedious, but once in a while I find myself getting quite anxious to try and fulfill one of the shallow harbor missions. Difficult but not impossible. They also require a large dedication to a block of time. Something many do not have patience for in our FPS generation.

As Tater pointed out, you drop off/pick up an infiltration, or supplies, take pictures, or lay mines. What else is there with any historical basis? Perhaps picking up McArthur and getting him to Austrailia safe. Sink a specific docked target you might have to lie in wait for. Not much to work with in that vain.

One thing I got endless entertainment from with Silent Service was hanging out around a port and watching merchants accumulate from different directions and over time. They would gather at the port, organize, then head out under escort. Pure genious coding. I could do those expoits for years.
-Pv-

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

It seems like these are the friggin BANE OF MY EXISTENCE. I cannot for the life of me sneak in anywhere near the harbor.

Sounds just like my experiences with SH1.

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

That was one of my biggest gripes about SH3...the sameness of "patrol grid XXXX for 24 hours". I like how they addressed it, but I don't really agree with the WAY they addressed it. In other words, the idea is great, but the execution of such leaves a bit to be desired.

Originally they were going to have a completely scripted campaign, with every patrol being a mission of some sort or another. After massive community complaints they changed it to an 'AOD-type' dynamic campaign. the 'Patrol grid XXXX' was what they had left over.

Originally Posted by mrbeast

The problem with the photo recon is; whats the point of taking photos of a harbour if the boat taking the pictures could be out on patrol for another month? Any intelligence would be hopelessly out of date!

I never thought of that. Good point.

[TDK1044]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

How do you all sneak into harbors? I try to stick to the deepest water I can, but those parts seem to be the most patrolled. Is there a trick to it that I'm just missing here?

One technique I've used is to wait for a commercial ship to enter the harbor and then hide underneath it matching it's speed and direction. Any patrol boats ignore the commercial ship, and your prop noise is hidden by the ship's props. Getting out of the harbor tends to be easier because the patrol boats are looking outward not inward.

[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by TDK1044

One technique I've used is to wait for a commercial ship to enter the harbor and then hide underneath it matching it's speed and direction. Any patrol boats ignore the commercial ship, and your prop noise is hidden by the ship's props. Getting out of the harbor tends to be easier because the patrol boats are looking outward not inward.

Funny you should say that. I remember my dad telling me that's exactly how they snuck into a Russian port back in the 70's when he was riding subs. I'll give it a try.

[Snuffy]

Originally Posted by TDK1044

One technique I've used is to wait for a commercial ship to enter the harbor and then hide underneath it matching it's speed and direction. Any patrol boats ignore the commercial ship, and your prop noise is hidden by the ship's props. Getting out of the harbor tends to be easier because the patrol boats are looking outward not inward.

Well its now Monday, and my original posts were written on saturday, but ultimately what happened was during the cat and mouse game, the chasers and DD backed off for the passage of a commercial boat. I snagged the opportunity and flanked out of my hole to get behind the merchant. The task force was left to wondering where I disappeared to.

I got my pictures and by the end of sunday night (just before SNF) I was exiting Tokoyo Bay. The whole of the mission was done at 1:1 .. Zero TC.