Some questions from a returning skipper

ILikeDuds · 08-22-14, 03:15 PM

Haven't played SH4 in a while, but with the anniversary of WWI, I've been watching some documentaries on old naval battles and I figure I'd give SH4 another shot.

However, I have some basic questions about some strange things I've noticed as I've been playing.

In stock 1.5, I was playing the quick mission Battle of Balikpapan in an S-Boat. My sonarman reported a destroyer coming from 270 and I dove to periscope depth, rigged for silent running, and went to 1/3rd speed. He did not detect me, but three additional destroyers approached me from 90. I stopped my engines and went to the external view to see what was going on. They did not appear to detect me, as all four were moving behind me. I took my sub to 270ft but one destroyer began moving towards me and depth charged my boat, even though my engines were stopped and I was below the thermal layer. I was also not "pinged" prior to stopping my engines. So here's my question: Can destroyers detect you when you are changing depth, even if your engines are stopped? Also, are you easier to detect if you are moving but with engines stopped, i.e. coasting underwater.

Another question I have is about the simulation of convoys/task forces. I installed TMO2.5 w/ RSRDC and played another single mission where you are tasked with destroying a carrier escorted by 3 destroyers. I missed my attack but I took took a course parallel to the task force at flank speed and tracked them on radar. I was moving at 20kts and barely moving ahead of them. They were 35,000 yards away but they simply disappeared after a while. I went to radar depth right in front of their projected course and did not detect them. Did they simply turn or were they deleted when they reached their final waypoint? Does this type of behavior happen in campaign? I'd open the mission editor and find out for myself but the mission I played doesn't seem to appear in either the default SingleMissions folder or the one in TMO/RSRD mod folders.

Thanks in advance.

08-22-14, 03:15 PM	#1
ILikeDuds Nub Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 3 Downloads: 36 Uploads: 0	Some questions from a returning skipper Haven't played SH4 in a while, but with the anniversary of WWI, I've been watching some documentaries on old naval battles and I figure I'd give SH4 another shot. However, I have some basic questions about some strange things I've noticed as I've been playing. In stock 1.5, I was playing the quick mission Battle of Balikpapan in an S-Boat. My sonarman reported a destroyer coming from 270 and I dove to periscope depth, rigged for silent running, and went to 1/3rd speed. He did not detect me, but three additional destroyers approached me from 90. I stopped my engines and went to the external view to see what was going on. They did not appear to detect me, as all four were moving behind me. I took my sub to 270ft but one destroyer began moving towards me and depth charged my boat, even though my engines were stopped and I was below the thermal layer. I was also not "pinged" prior to stopping my engines. So here's my question: Can destroyers detect you when you are changing depth, even if your engines are stopped? Also, are you easier to detect if you are moving but with engines stopped, i.e. coasting underwater. Another question I have is about the simulation of convoys/task forces. I installed TMO2.5 w/ RSRDC and played another single mission where you are tasked with destroying a carrier escorted by 3 destroyers. I missed my attack but I took took a course parallel to the task force at flank speed and tracked them on radar. I was moving at 20kts and barely moving ahead of them. They were 35,000 yards away but they simply disappeared after a while. I went to radar depth right in front of their projected course and did not detect them. Did they simply turn or were they deleted when they reached their final waypoint? Does this type of behavior happen in campaign? I'd open the mission editor and find out for myself but the mission I played doesn't seem to appear in either the default SingleMissions folder or the one in TMO/RSRD mod folders. Thanks in advance.