Target detection (pre-radar)

[BGrey]

I've just started using RFB and RSRD and am trying to transition from the target rich environment that stock provided. With so many radio reports I had to worry little about finding targets. Now I barely see a thing (but it feels good). I cruised around for awhile wondering why sonar wasn't picking up a thing and later noticed that it only works when decks awash or submerged unlike in stock.

Many threads cover how to approach contacts but none seem to discuss finding them so I ask how do you find your marks? Do you cruise around waiting on visual contacts or run decks awash at a slower speed and what kind of pattern do you find best for sweeping an area?

[Armistead]

I'm not sure how RFB works, but most subs the sonar works on the surface, except for early war boats, like the S class.

Your visuals work about as good as sonar early war, but regardless you need sonar.

If you will notice right before you get a contact your PC slows down as it works the data. Depending on your rig, it may slow way down or just a little, but it's enough that you'll notice it. Usually the target is about 20NMs from you.

The problem is you may still miss the target. When your PC slows down, it's time to do a sonar check. Your sonarman won't hear these ships, but you can, so get a bearing and head in that direction, adjust, and eventually your crew will give you a contact.

There are a lot of reasons why you can see or hear things that your crew can't. Most of it has to do with an experience zone. As the war progresses and you get better equipment, your crew will pick targets up as quickly as you can. The game is basically programmed to read targets in the zone of your best equipment or best officers, thus your PC slows down when you reach this zone.

Eventually you'll get radar with sonar and targets will make contact quickly and you may not get the slow down.

Stay on the surface. You're not gonna find anything doing random sonar sweeps unless you get the PC slow down.

You'll love RSRD when you learn it. It's target rich. I just finished one patrol and fought 4 convoys, all had more than 40 ships. Study where the invasions take place. Like Java Feb and March, they're 4 large convoys you can battle with 40 ships or more, some even get close to each other. If you need some hints, I can post a few SS's.

[Rockin Robbins]

Even without radar I'm on the surface almost all the time. However I will submerge once every 30 miles or so when I think I'm in a target rich environment, somewhat less frequently when I'm not. I take it to periscope depth, do a single 360º sweep and hit the "s" button to get back to the surface before any bad guys can appear up there. I'll be traveling at best fuel economy speed on the surface and don't change the speed when submerged.

[HMCS]

It's a cheat, but I cruise the known high-density shipping lanes and wait for lags in the time compression. Then I dive to 'scope depth and manually conduct a sonar sweep.

I also conduct sonar sweeps at 'scope depth on a regular basis on enemy shipping lanes i.e. Tokyo Wan, Bungo Suido, etc. say, every six hours whether or not the TC lags or slows. I have found quite a few targets that way.

With RSRDC it can vary as to what phase of the war you are in. During the Guadalcanal campaign Truk, The Bismark Sea and the Slot are most definitely target-rich. Budget some time during your patrol for "choke points" like the Straits Of Formosa, etc.

You won't pick up anything at the surface with RFB.

[vanjast]

Originally Posted by HMCS

It's a cheat, but I cruise the known high-density shipping lanes and wait for lags in the time compression. Then I dive to 'scope depth and manually conduct a sonar sweep.

Not really, cos in reality you'd probably submerge at intervals, or be submerged already, and your sonar man would pick them up. The only difference with the lag is that you know exactly when they're in your area - even then you're not guaranteed to get them.


edt:Spell check

[WitoldGritz]

I try to pic route near enemie ports, somwhere between them, near shiping lanes etc.
if you cruise on Fuel saving mod (about 9Kt), what i do, go submerged every 1 hour interwal and do manual Sonar Sweap, if no contact then Surface and qontinue to reute
anyway medium speed of ships is ~9 Kt/h so it lowers possibility to miss one within Sonar range no matter if his speed is even 18Kt or 5Kt

P.S.
Never ever trust your Sonar man if he has low experience and even if he has, you better check your self "Sound Contacts"!!!

[Laconic]

Originally Posted by HMCS

It's a cheat, but I cruise the known high-density shipping lanes and wait for lags in the time compression. Then I dive to 'scope depth and manually conduct a sonar sweep.

I call it "Captain's Intuition."

[Armistead]

Originally Posted by HMCS

It's a cheat, but I cruise the known high-density shipping lanes and wait for lags in the time compression. Then I dive to 'scope depth and manually conduct a sonar sweep.

I also conduct sonar sweeps at 'scope depth on a regular basis on enemy shipping lanes i.e. Tokyo Wan, Bungo Suido, etc. say, every six hours whether or not the TC lags or slows. I have found quite a few targets that way.

With RSRDC it can vary as to what phase of the war you are in. During the Guadalcanal campaign Truk, The Bismark Sea and the Slot are most definitely target-rich. Budget some time during your patrol for "choke points" like the Straits Of Formosa, etc.

You won't pick up anything at the surface with RFB.

I agree, it's a waste of time just to submerge for sonar scans, you're not going to hear anything. The PC lag tells you a target is near before you find it. Unless you get the PC lag, you're not gonna find a target. When you get the lag, time to do a sonar check yourself and get a bearing. When I first played I didn't realize how many targets I missed. The PC would lag, but I didn't know to check sonar myself and continued in the same direction. If a PC lags, anyone can find the target.

The range for the PC lag reaches out throughout the entire game to the highest level of crew experience and equipment, that's why you can hear targets long before your crew doe's early war. As the war goe's on and you get better stuff and crew, you'll get less lag time, but the lag will be there. Maybe late war some sonar sweeps would be in order, because your crew can pickup targets at the highest or furthest level and you get little lag time with the SV radar, so you're right on the edge, but overall, no PC lag, no targets. The only time I don't trust PC lag is when I'm near land or a port or a narrow straight. You also have to be more careful early war with 1.9 as it seems Duc did something to give the enemy better vision or sensors.

I

[BGrey]

At first using the lag to find targets seemed quite wrong to me but as I think about it there isn't any way to avoid it and still find anything .

[Apocal]

You could simply drop down TC at certain intervals and do a manual sonar sweep. The downside is that it would greatly extend the amount of real time you put into each patrol and most of that wouldn't be the 'fun' parts, unless you are very heavy into getting the experience of a sub skipper in WW2 and want a taste of the mental and emotional exhaustion they experienced as the days on patrol added up.

[Rockin Robbins]

That's what I do. I just go to periscope depth once every three hours in a dense shipping area and once every six hours if I don't think I'm likely to find anything. It takes what? a minute to get to periscope depth, 30 seconds to do a complete sweep and another minute to surface, hit time compression for another three hours of game time. That's not too bad and you'll find a lot that way.

[Apocal]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

That's what I do. I just go to periscope depth once every three hours in a dense shipping area and once every six hours if I don't think I'm likely to find anything. It takes what? a minute to get to periscope depth, 30 seconds to do a complete sweep and another minute to surface, hit time compression for another three hours of game time. That's not too bad and you'll find a lot that way.

I try to finish patrols in under four or five hours, unless I decide to double-barrel. I'm still playing stock 1.4, so there are plenty of contacts around. That'll probably change once I get the 1.4 compatible version of RSRD installed.

[BGrey]

Originally Posted by Apocal

I try to finish patrols in under four or five hours, unless I decide to double-barrel. I'm still playing stock 1.4, so there are plenty of contacts around. That'll probably change once I get the 1.4 compatible version of RSRD installed.

That it will . Im doing alright finding things though one of my great finds was four destroyers that sat on me for an hour. I got everything patched up but someone neglected to fix the broken pipe above my head and it has been hissing at me for the last 3 days in game .

[vanjast]

I have a max TC=256x on my game.. The way I play I wouldn't consider the lag cheating, cos with TC=1x, I would have probably detected them earlier. So yup, it's all POV.