high realism options

[Flippo84]

Hi,

perhaps some of you can give me a hint or two about the high realism options. Until now, I played with contact's visible on the map and targeting god's eye. I already read the recommend guides for manual targeting. But... I failed - very bad.

First of all, I don't understand the difference between the manual targeting mode and the WO assist. When I turn my WO off, target speed and range still are given by the notepad. When I switch off the targeting assist, the situation is clear: there is no other way than put in the data yourself. But what exactly does the WO do, when his assistance is on?

Second point are the updated contact data on the map. I hope I will be able to handle this one day. Because it's a big step to a much better "I'am on an submarine" feeling
Standing on the bridge stareing at the horizon to spot the ships, instead of getting all information from the card is very cool. It provides very much realism too, although it doesn't bring a single "%-point". If you fail to spot an escort, it suddenly opens fire when you don't expect it at all. So it happend to me, and I liked it. What I didn't like, was to be completly unable to get in a fireing position at all.
I've done quite well to plot the enemys course and get the speed data by using the 3m 15s method and got near a convoy. Then i did as always, waited for sunset and began to plan my attack. Now the problems began. Most GWX-nights in the north atlantic are a darkroom. I just saw nothing. Of course I was still able to track single ships by using the UZO lock function, but when lowered my distance to the convoy in the darkness, I wasn't able to get an idea of the formation and escort behaviour. The biggest problem was range. I've read that I can get the range from using perioscope or UZO, put the "horizon line" on the target's waterline. Now take a look where the mast ends and estimate the range. But this does not work good when the light is switched off
So I decided to flank out the convoy and try my best from that position. Obviously the escort's watch officer was an owl. I didn't recognize the destroyer due to complete darkness and followed my course to the convoy's flank, when the tommy suddenly opend his fire at me from 2,5km range. I collected a bad hit on the conning tower and went down. Then i wasn't able to differ the engaging escort from the rest of the warships in the convoy until Mr. 6th sense was very close and threw his dc's.

--> So how do you (hardcore simer's) handle a night surface attack while seeing nothing in GWX?

If sombody has got some good advice, I will greatful try to implement this in my gameplay, because I'd like to lower unrealistic tonnage scores and have some more thrill while encountering convoys.

Thanks.

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.

[Pohl]

Well first if you are going for a 100% realism I recommend doing the Convoy attack in Tutorial, until you can master attacks at close range, also I suggest getting mods that enhance manual targetting such as:

hsGUI v3.1
NeuUzo&PeriV.2
Thomsens Ships V4.1
h.sie's LLRT+SRT+LWS-Combimod V 1.1

those are the ones im using and in my 2nd patrol I sank 1 Ceramic Ocean Type liner, 1 Southampton class & 1 Troop Transport in the same convoy.


Now for night attacks try to use your Observation Persicope "O" since for some reason it has more light than the attack one or if you don't want to risk yourself, use your Hydrophones, as the war advances your hydrophone can send "pings" to other ships to estimate their range, also I'll suggest to always attack in waters with at least 150 meters depth, so you can easily evade the DC from Destroyers, take in mind that realistic reload torpedos take at least 7-11 minutes to load 1 tube.

The more common destroyers escorting convoys have 3~5 meters hull deep, Battleships have 11~14 meters the same goes for high tonnage troop transports, so no need to break your head trying to compare the ship with the recon manual:

Some easy steps

1.- Focus on 2-3 ships in a convoy, then with the mods I mentioned above you can ask one of your officers to manually ID the ship for you

2.- Put the main info in a notebook, like hull deep, speed and range.

3.- Open all your torpedo tubes (Q) and start working on setting your torpedos in the computer (F6).

4.- Rise periscope again and check the heading of the ship

5.- Fix little details and fire all the torpedos to the ships you have already in mind

6.- Proceed to dive, enable silent run and set speed to 1 knot, you can hear everything with your hydrophones so you'll be using them a lot, you can hear the "splash" of the DC's and the sound from your torpedos, the current heading of the destroyers and if their engines are at full-ahead.

Another suggestion is to attempt the single player mission "Troopships", you'll be facing 2 Ocean Liners cruising @ 24 knots perfect for practicing against high speed moving targets.

If you have more questions just ask

[Sailor Steve]

How about 110% realism? Disable auto torpedo reloads and never reload them while under attack; the reason being that they weigh about a ton and are impossible to handle when the boat is rising or descending. Also never reload them while surfaced unless in a dead calm, since the boat pitching up and down causes the same problems.

Originally Posted by Pohl

Now for night attacks try to use your Observation Persicope "O" since for some reason it has more light than the attack one

"For some reason"? That would be because the real ones were the same way.

[BulSoldier]

Or download OLCGUI mod from the mods worshop subforum , watch his tutorial targeting and intercepting videos and SINK em all.

[Pisces]

The reason it is difficult to see at night can also be due to the fact that your eyes are not accustomed to that light level. If you are playing in daylight, or have a bright table lamp next to your screen it is diffucult to see the dark silhouettes of the ships. So reduce the light levels around you to just enough to see what keys you press on the keyboard if you can. I have also used a red led-light to help me see what I'm doing, as they did in real life to help their eyes accoustom.

Also it depends alot if you use a crt monitor or LCD monitor. LCD makes that dark night look more like early dawn or late dusk. So you may want to change your brightness, contrast and gamma settings of your monitor or graphicscard.

[kiwi_2005]

Originally Posted by Flippo84

Hi,

--> So how do you (hardcore simer's) handle a night surface attack while seeing nothing in GWX?

I don't i run away Pfft convoys in the dark is for sissy's Seriously i just dont bother if its pitch dark i will wait it out for daylight just shadow the convoy up time compress just a few notches - i have set to 64 when hunting. Soon as morning comes i prepare for attack. I hate pitch black night attacks. Full moon attacks i dont mind.

For me though when hunting ships is full on fog during the day with rough seas to go with it This i find the best gameplay for me nothing gets the heart pumping when a escort comes out from the fog 400mtr's away.

[Flippo84]

Originally Posted by kiwi_2005

This i find the best gameplay for me nothing gets the heart pumping when a escort comes out from the fog 400mtr's away.

Indeed. That's what I'am talking about.

@ Pohl Thanks for the tips. I'll try to get the mods tonight and test them.

[Jimbuna]

Welcome to GWX Kaleun....manual tergetting is a kind of art form in itself. Nothing beats the thrill of a sinking when you know you have carried out the operation totally unnaided.

There are some good tips above and I would simply add one more....patience and persistence.

SINK EM ALL!!