Exploiting the predictability of 'serpentining'

[desirableroasted]

Originally Posted by 9emini

I feel a bit less-than-chuffed when I torpedo merchants that are constantly changing direction having spotted me. This is of course possible because of the regularity/predictability of their motion. In real life, I imagine ships would follow a far more random course. What say ye all?

Even allowing for "it's just a sim." I also find this behavior puzzling and disappointing. While ships in convoys were, I believe, expected to keep station with discipline, leaving ASW to the escorts, I cannot believe a lone vessel would plod resolutely on in predictable swings.

Especially at 5 knots when the ship might be rated for 15-18.

I'm guessing it wasn't a Ubisoft priority. Since escorts are coded to react offensively to your every defensive maneuver, it stands to reason that targets could have been coded to react defensively to your offensive maneuvers.