Whats up with these damn fuel gauges!

Freiwillige · 11-12-09, 07:34 PM

Okay so I take my Balao out of Midway to the north tip of Japan by the Kurils.
I head there at ahead slow and my fuel usage is 1/4 a tank by my arrival.

I patrol and rack up a killing in the north. With 35% fuel remaining and me being closer to Midway since I headed south around Tokyo I should have fuel to spare right? WRONG!

Again at ahead slow I watch my fuel gauge just sink until 700 miles from home fuel is used up. No damage and no heavy weather It seems to me that much like a car the last half a tank goes much faster than the first half!

magic452 · 11-13-09, 02:22 AM

Don't use "ahead slow". Bad fuel mileage.

Use "ahead Standard" or 10 knots. Best fuel mileage.

Magic

Freiwillige · 11-13-09, 02:49 AM

Well thats my second and last try. Same situation ahead slow 1/4 tank to get there on the dot. Patrolled my station and killed almost 25 ships although 12 were junks. Mission finally completed and turn for home with exactly 48% fuel left.

Head for home at ahead slow and run 438 miles short of midway!

In the Balao ahead standard gives you 16 knots and eats fuel like no other
ahead slow gives 11 knots and seems the best compromise.

Is it a current im fighting? Strong westernly winds? I dont get how I can put there and use little gas but putting home it burns it like a bonfire!

Rockin Robbins · 11-13-09, 04:30 AM

If you're cruising at 10 knots, then you've sustained fuel tank damage and are leaking it into the Pacific instead of burning it. Fuel tanks are easily damaged and they aren't always easy to detect. Especially if you're taking pot shots at airplanes, the most common damage from those buzzards is fuel tank damage.

That would explain why your fuel economy getting to your station is good but you don't make it back.

Radio · 11-13-09, 09:26 AM

Happened to me, too. Plane attack, slight damage, fuel empty.

trynnallen · 11-13-09, 10:40 AM

Being a cartographer...does anyone know if the map that is used in the game is balanced for equal distance or area? And if it is balanced for equal distance, why does the map look like it's for equal area.

So I mapped out your trip, using a map balanced for a sphereoid (globe). Your return leg is what is killing you. Your return distance is actually further west(Tokoyo-Midway) than your detination distance (Midway-Kuriles). So your actually further west than you wanted to be (if your sitting directly off Tokoyo) so couple that with any fuel tank damage and any in game weather effects. That is your fuel difference.

Keep in mind (and I don't know if the game acutally takes these into account, but it seems to) that you can actually use the currents and winds to help you get to your destination. Your trip actually has you fighting the winds and currents both directions. You would be better served going to Tokoyo first and then to the Kuriles following the wind and current patterns.

SteamWake · 11-13-09, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freiwillige

Head for home at ahead slow and run 438 miles short of midway!

Please.. the others are trying to tell you that ahead slow is very in-efficint. Its been mentioned twice now.

Best range will be accomplished at ahead standard at or near 10 knots.

It has nothing to do with wind, currents, and or great circle routes since none of this is modeled in SH4's flat world.

Rockin Robbins · 11-13-09, 01:21 PM

Can you say Mercator projection? As in gross distortion toward the poles? Not so bad toward the equator? In effect we have a flat earth here and a straight line is a straight line though. There is no fancy 3D projection, just cheap and dirty 2D warpage! It's good enough for a cheap game and gives room for improvement next time. That's why they probably didn't fix it.

wetwarev7 · 11-13-09, 03:59 PM

Everyone knows that you burn more fuel heading east. It's all uphill!

Freiwillige · 11-13-09, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteamWake

Please.. the others are trying to tell you that ahead slow is very in-efficint. Its been mentioned twice now.

Best range will be accomplished at ahead standard at or near 10 knots.

It has nothing to do with wind, currents, and or great circle routes since none of this is modeled in SH4's flat world.

Ahead standard is 16 knots in my Balao and very inefficient

Ahead slow is 11 knots and very efficient

So whats the problem with my thinking since the most efficient speed is 10.8 knots I read somewhere on this site.

And Robbins your probably right. Its just frustrating as all hell.

Running GFO mod and RSRD.

Ducimus · 11-13-09, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freiwillige

Ahead standard is 16 knots in my Balao and very inefficient

Ahead slow is 11 knots and very efficient

- snip-.

Running GFO mod and RSRD.

Ok, that explains it. The confusion here is mods like TMO, and i think RFB too, redid the telegraph engine percentages.

Ahead standard in TMO, is about 10 knots, but NOT in the stock game, or GFO apparently either.

9 to 10 knots is the most fuel efficient. Really its more like 9 to 9.5 with 10 being a little on the gas guzzeling side, but only by a percentage so small as to be negligible. That said 11 is outright too fast.

Also of note there is a bug i think still exists where damage to your battery, will cause your engines to not exit recharging the battery mode. Check to make sure your engines are running normally and your not charging a battery.

Remember back in SH3 where you only had two engines and when recharging your batteries, you had one engine running at flank speed for however long it takes to top off the batteries? Same thing applies here, and it eats a ton of fuel.

edit:
On that note, DO NOT try that old trick in SH3 (that i used to do all the time) where you tried to run on your batts as much as possible to conserve fuel. That does NOT work in SH4.

11-12-09, 07:34 PM	#1
Freiwillige The Old Man Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Phx. Az Posts: 1,458 Downloads: 24 Uploads: 0	Whats up with these damn fuel gauges! Okay so I take my Balao out of Midway to the north tip of Japan by the Kurils. I head there at ahead slow and my fuel usage is 1/4 a tank by my arrival. I patrol and rack up a killing in the north. With 35% fuel remaining and me being closer to Midway since I headed south around Tokyo I should have fuel to spare right? WRONG! Again at ahead slow I watch my fuel gauge just sink until 700 miles from home fuel is used up. No damage and no heavy weather It seems to me that much like a car the last half a tank goes much faster than the first half!

11-13-09, 02:22 AM	#2
magic452 Sea Lord Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Reno Nevada USA Posts: 1,860 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Don't use "ahead slow". Bad fuel mileage. Use "ahead Standard" or 10 knots. Best fuel mileage. Magic __________________ Reported lost 11 Feb. 1942 Signature by depthtok33l

11-13-09, 04:30 AM	#4
Rockin Robbins Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: DeLand, FL Posts: 8,900 Downloads: 135 Uploads: 52	If you're cruising at 10 knots, then you've sustained fuel tank damage and are leaking it into the Pacific instead of burning it. Fuel tanks are easily damaged and they aren't always easy to detect. Especially if you're taking pot shots at airplanes, the most common damage from those buzzards is fuel tank damage. That would explain why your fuel economy getting to your station is good but you don't make it back. __________________ Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks, Slightly Subnuclear Mk 14 & Cutie, Slightly Subnuclear Deck Gun, EZPlot 2.0, TMOPlot, TMOKeys, SH4CMS

11-13-09, 09:26 AM	#5
Radio Planesman Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 194 Downloads: 339 Uploads: 0	Happened to me, too. Plane attack, slight damage, fuel empty. __________________

11-13-09, 01:21 PM	#8
Rockin Robbins Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: DeLand, FL Posts: 8,900 Downloads: 135 Uploads: 52	Can you say Mercator projection? As in gross distortion toward the poles? Not so bad toward the equator? In effect we have a flat earth here and a straight line is a straight line though. There is no fancy 3D projection, just cheap and dirty 2D warpage! It's good enough for a cheap game and gives room for improvement next time. That's why they probably didn't fix it. __________________ Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks, Slightly Subnuclear Mk 14 & Cutie, Slightly Subnuclear Deck Gun, EZPlot 2.0, TMOPlot, TMOKeys, SH4CMS

11-13-09, 02:49 AM	#3
Freiwillige The Old Man Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Phx. Az Posts: 1,458 Downloads: 24 Uploads: 0	Well thats my second and last try. Same situation ahead slow 1/4 tank to get there on the dot. Patrolled my station and killed almost 25 ships although 12 were junks. Mission finally completed and turn for home with exactly 48% fuel left. Head for home at ahead slow and run 438 miles short of midway! In the Balao ahead standard gives you 16 knots and eats fuel like no other ahead slow gives 11 knots and seems the best compromise. Is it a current im fighting? Strong westernly winds? I dont get how I can put there and use little gas but putting home it burns it like a bonfire!

11-13-09, 10:40 AM	#6
trynnallen Watch Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Madison WI Posts: 18 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	Being a cartographer...does anyone know if the map that is used in the game is balanced for equal distance or area? And if it is balanced for equal distance, why does the map look like it's for equal area. So I mapped out your trip, using a map balanced for a sphereoid (globe). Your return leg is what is killing you. Your return distance is actually further west(Tokoyo-Midway) than your detination distance (Midway-Kuriles). So your actually further west than you wanted to be (if your sitting directly off Tokoyo) so couple that with any fuel tank damage and any in game weather effects. That is your fuel difference. Keep in mind (and I don't know if the game acutally takes these into account, but it seems to) that you can actually use the currents and winds to help you get to your destination. Your trip actually has you fighting the winds and currents both directions. You would be better served going to Tokoyo first and then to the Kuriles following the wind and current patterns.

11-13-09, 03:59 PM	#9
wetwarev7 Grey Wolf Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Deep Waters Posts: 871 Downloads: 31 Uploads: 0	Everyone knows that you burn more fuel heading east. It's all uphill! __________________ Guess I should change my sig since SH5 has an offline mode now