Using Real Navigation - Where am I?

MiniSmith · 10-21-11, 02:39 PM

In Real Navigation, so far as I can understand, the only way to know where you are is to let your navigator calculate it through celestial (if your above water, and have 30 minutes to spare) or have him do it by reckoning, if your underwater. My problem is that when I spot a ship, I seldom do have 30 minutes to spare before diving, and once under water, the dead-reckoning positions seems very uncertain, and at times, way off.

My question is if there is any other way to know your position, or if I just have to trust my navigators reckoning skills? :p

TheDarkWraith · 10-21-11, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MiniSmith

In Real Navigation, so far as I can understand, the only way to know where you are is to let your navigator calculate it through celestial (if your above water, and have 30 minutes to spare) or have him do it by reckoning, if your underwater. My problem is that when I spot a ship, I seldom do have 30 minutes to spare before diving, and once under water, the dead-reckoning positions seems very uncertain, and at times, way off.

My question is if there is any other way to know your position, or if I just have to trust my navigators reckoning skills? :p

You should know your position at all times, you are Captain aren't you? If you keep track of time travelled since last celestial fix and haven't had any heading changes then you can easily calculate the distance you have travelled. Add this distance to the last celestial fix (on your current heading) and you can plot where you are. If you make heading changes then it gets a little more complicated as you need to record what time you made each heading change and the new heading and previous heading so you can go back and figure out where you are.

belzebubek · 10-21-11, 03:25 PM

Hi,

as of my understanding the most important is your relative position to the enemy, it's not so important to know your 100% exact position on the map.

if you have dead reckon position you have everything you need to hunt :-D

1) you have your position
2) you have your bearing *to the target*
3) math do rest

Trevally. · 10-21-11, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by belzebubek

Hi,

as of my understanding the most important is your relative position to the enemy, it's not so important to know your 100% exact position on the map.

if you have dead reckon position you have everything you need to hunt :-D

1) you have your position
2) you have your bearing *to the target*
3) math do rest

Just use marker on the map and plot from there.
It doesn't matter where on the map you place your marker - as above, all bearings are relative

MiniSmith · 10-21-11, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

You should know your position at all times, you are Captain aren't you?

Actually I'm just a cadet who stole a sub. But yes, I guess with real navigation, I just have to use real navigations. Then my next question is, are the celestial fixes 100% correct?

Thanks for quick reply, all of you!

belzebubek · 10-21-11, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MiniSmith

Then my next question is, are the celestial fixes 100% correct?

What are you asking about?

When you are at open sea, it doesn't matter so much.

On other hand, when you are in tight harbours you still have to use your visuals while moving.

Forget about GPS accuracy - it's not needed ;-)

kylania · 10-21-11, 05:07 PM

You can go into the Options editor and change the Real Navigation settings to how you want them. Instead of 30 minutes to get a celestial fix that might be 5km off you can set it to be an instant fix directly on your actual position.

Sure it might be cheating, but going full Real Nav andm as Mini found out, never ever knowing exactly where you are, can be over challenging. So adjust the options to how you want it and you'll enjoy the game a lot more I bet.

If I could ever get the standimeter to work I might use less precise plots, but till that day I'm happy with my current settings.

TheDarkWraith · 10-21-11, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kylania

If I could ever get the standimeter to work I might use less precise plots, but till that day I'm happy with my current settings.

What's wrong with the stadimeter? It works perfect for me

kylania · 10-21-11, 05:25 PM

yeah, it functions, I just can't use it well at all! I think I have the top of the mast and my value is 10,000 meters off from the watch crew's estimate. I just never get it right.

What we need is the old SH3 rec manual where it had a little colored line showing you where to place the standimeter to measure so you didn't have to guess was it at the top of the mast or the top of the flag or the top of the funnel.

I'm just really bad at using it is all.

Sailor Steve · 10-21-11, 05:28 PM

Real-life celestial navigation is only accurate to within a few kilometres and can't be used for harbor navigation (which requires the time-tested eyeball method) or attacking enemy ships. Dead-reckoning is also a navigation tool, not an attack tool. If you're worried about navigation while attacking a ship, you're worrying about the wrong thing.

TheDarkWraith · 10-21-11, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Real-life celestial navigation is only accurate to within a few kilometres and can't be used for harbor navigation (which requires the time-tested eyeball method) or attacking enemy ships. Dead-reckoning is also a navigation tool, not an attack tool. If you're worried about navigation while attacking a ship, you're worrying about the wrong thing.

well said. I tried to model it as accurately as possible

Via the options you can make it as gamey as you want or as real-life as you want

MiniSmith · 10-21-11, 07:10 PM

I guess I just didn't get the "bearing is relative" part. It seems all much clearer now, after thinking through it and reading your posts. Thanks alot.

I've had enough merchant hunting for today now, after another one of the inevitable crashing into a ships side whilst in fast travel. This time, however, they noticed me of sighting the ship at least. Okay, it was after I had hit it, half my crew had perished, and my sub had become undone, but at least the watch crew spotted it then :p

Good night, and thanks for the help.

THE_MASK · 10-21-11, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MiniSmith

I guess I just didn't get the "bearing is relative" part. It seems all much clearer now, after thinking through it and reading your posts. Thanks alot.

I've had enough merchant hunting for today now, after another one of the inevitable crashing into a ships side whilst in fast travel. This time, however, they noticed me of sighting the ship at least. Okay, it was after I had hit it, half my crew had perished, and my sub had become undone, but at least the watch crew spotted it then :p

Good night, and thanks for the help.

Clkick on my sig and read the bottom album .

kylania · 10-21-11, 10:52 PM

Yup, keeping your TC around 256 will save you from those crashing into ships episodes.

Oh! The manual I was thinking about exists!

See here!

Anyone know which one that is?

10-21-11, 02:39 PM	#1
MiniSmith Watch Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 20 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	Using Real Navigation - Where am I? In Real Navigation, so far as I can understand, the only way to know where you are is to let your navigator calculate it through celestial (if your above water, and have 30 minutes to spare) or have him do it by reckoning, if your underwater. My problem is that when I spot a ship, I seldom do have 30 minutes to spare before diving, and once under water, the dead-reckoning positions seems very uncertain, and at times, way off. My question is if there is any other way to know your position, or if I just have to trust my navigators reckoning skills? :p Last edited by MiniSmith; 10-21-11 at 03:16 PM.

10-21-11, 05:07 PM	#7
kylania Silent Hunter Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 3,528 Downloads: 118 Uploads: 0	You can go into the Options editor and change the Real Navigation settings to how you want them. Instead of 30 minutes to get a celestial fix that might be 5km off you can set it to be an instant fix directly on your actual position. Sure it might be cheating, but going full Real Nav andm as Mini found out, never ever knowing exactly where you are, can be over challenging. So adjust the options to how you want it and you'll enjoy the game a lot more I bet. If I could ever get the standimeter to work I might use less precise plots, but till that day I'm happy with my current settings. __________________

10-21-11, 05:25 PM	#9
kylania Silent Hunter Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 3,528 Downloads: 118 Uploads: 0	yeah, it functions, I just can't use it well at all! I think I have the top of the mast and my value is 10,000 meters off from the watch crew's estimate. I just never get it right. What we need is the old SH3 rec manual where it had a little colored line showing you where to place the standimeter to measure so you didn't have to guess was it at the top of the mast or the top of the flag or the top of the funnel. I'm just really bad at using it is all. __________________

10-21-11, 05:28 PM	#10
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Real-life celestial navigation is only accurate to within a few kilometres and can't be used for harbor navigation (which requires the time-tested eyeball method) or attacking enemy ships. Dead-reckoning is also a navigation tool, not an attack tool. If you're worried about navigation while attacking a ship, you're worrying about the wrong thing. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

10-21-11, 10:52 PM	#14
kylania Silent Hunter Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 3,528 Downloads: 118 Uploads: 0	Yup, keeping your TC around 256 will save you from those crashing into ships episodes. Oh! The manual I was thinking about exists! See here! Anyone know which one that is? __________________ Last edited by kylania; 10-22-11 at 01:45 AM.

10-21-11, 03:25 PM	#3
belzebubek Swabbie Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 12 Downloads: 220 Uploads: 0	Hi, as of my understanding the most important is your relative position to the enemy, it's not so important to know your 100% exact position on the map. if you have dead reckon position you have everything you need to hunt :-D 1) you have your position 2) you have your bearing to the target 3) math do rest

10-21-11, 07:10 PM	#12
MiniSmith Watch Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 20 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	I guess I just didn't get the "bearing is relative" part. It seems all much clearer now, after thinking through it and reading your posts. Thanks alot. I've had enough merchant hunting for today now, after another one of the inevitable crashing into a ships side whilst in fast travel. This time, however, they noticed me of sighting the ship at least. Okay, it was after I had hit it, half my crew had perished, and my sub had become undone, but at least the watch crew spotted it then :p Good night, and thanks for the help.