they did it again

Chock · 05-01-07, 11:49 PM

If the depth charges can damage you out to 40 metres, then that really does need fixing as it's way too big a radius, and too simplistic a formula too by the sound of things. A depth charge at 250 feet would have to be a hell of a lot closer to your sub than one at 100 feet down to do the same damage, as there is more pressure for the blast wave to overcome the deeper it goes.

Having said that, for anyone falling victim to destroyers, there are a few things to note about avoiding detection which can help:

The thermal layer is useful, but in both real life and in SH, it is not a magic ceiling through which detection is impossible. All a thermal layer really does is distort and bounce sounds around in a manner similar to light bending when it goes through a prism, and as with a prism, you can still see the light that goes through it, it's just not exactly where it would have been if travelling in a straight line. So while the thermal layer will reduce accuracy and range for a destroyer's detection capabilities, it will still be possible for it to detect you some of the time.

In reality, sitting on the bottom would probably be a good defence against pinging, but I don't think the real life advantage it confers (i.e.your sub blending into the sea bed and not giving a discernable return) is modeled in SH. This is not the only thing SH doesn't model which (other than for a bit of roleplaying realism) many people trust in! Then again, sitting on the bottom in real life would be likely to knacker your hydrophones too, so it's probably not a great idea anyway. In addition to which, choosing to attack a target in an area that is shallow enough to actually allow you to sit on the bottom is probably not a great tactical choice either.

As far as I'm aware, SH doesn't mask the sound of your sub from destroyers if there is a lot of racket going on. i.e. a depth charge pattern going off will not cover the sound of your engines as it would in reality, where sounds tend to bounce around a lot and take a long time to die away. Similarly, all the banging and clanging you hear when a ship is going down doesn't mask you, as it might possibly do in real life.

The sea state does mask you however, so the next time you curse that crappy weather you are in, remember that it might just save your ass too.

Target aspect for pinging, is modeled in SH, so keeping yourself pointed toward, or away from the destroyers is a big help as well. Also bear in mind that destroyers do not work in isolation, they trade information both in real life and in SH, so going to full throttle while in the baffles of a destroyer could make you detectable by another bad guy sitting some way off, who will then let the one which just passed over you know exactly where you are. And he can probably turn tighter than you can.

Although greatly simplified in comparison to the real thing, destroyer sonar and it's narrowing detection cone as it closes on your position is modeled in SH, which means that the further away you are, the deeper you have to be in order to be outside the detection cone.

05-01-07, 11:49 PM	#22
Chock Sea Lord Join Date: May 2005 Location: Under a thermal layer in chilly Olde England Posts: 1,842 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	If the depth charges can damage you out to 40 metres, then that really does need fixing as it's way too big a radius, and too simplistic a formula too by the sound of things. A depth charge at 250 feet would have to be a hell of a lot closer to your sub than one at 100 feet down to do the same damage, as there is more pressure for the blast wave to overcome the deeper it goes. Having said that, for anyone falling victim to destroyers, there are a few things to note about avoiding detection which can help: The thermal layer is useful, but in both real life and in SH, it is not a magic ceiling through which detection is impossible. All a thermal layer really does is distort and bounce sounds around in a manner similar to light bending when it goes through a prism, and as with a prism, you can still see the light that goes through it, it's just not exactly where it would have been if travelling in a straight line. So while the thermal layer will reduce accuracy and range for a destroyer's detection capabilities, it will still be possible for it to detect you some of the time. In reality, sitting on the bottom would probably be a good defence against pinging, but I don't think the real life advantage it confers (i.e.your sub blending into the sea bed and not giving a discernable return) is modeled in SH. This is not the only thing SH doesn't model which (other than for a bit of roleplaying realism) many people trust in! Then again, sitting on the bottom in real life would be likely to knacker your hydrophones too, so it's probably not a great idea anyway. In addition to which, choosing to attack a target in an area that is shallow enough to actually allow you to sit on the bottom is probably not a great tactical choice either. As far as I'm aware, SH doesn't mask the sound of your sub from destroyers if there is a lot of racket going on. i.e. a depth charge pattern going off will not cover the sound of your engines as it would in reality, where sounds tend to bounce around a lot and take a long time to die away. Similarly, all the banging and clanging you hear when a ship is going down doesn't mask you, as it might possibly do in real life. The sea state does mask you however, so the next time you curse that crappy weather you are in, remember that it might just save your ass too. Target aspect for pinging, is modeled in SH, so keeping yourself pointed toward, or away from the destroyers is a big help as well. Also bear in mind that destroyers do not work in isolation, they trade information both in real life and in SH, so going to full throttle while in the baffles of a destroyer could make you detectable by another bad guy sitting some way off, who will then let the one which just passed over you know exactly where you are. And he can probably turn tighter than you can. Although greatly simplified in comparison to the real thing, destroyer sonar and it's narrowing detection cone as it closes on your position is modeled in SH, which means that the further away you are, the deeper you have to be in order to be outside the detection cone.