To leave or stay?

[sharkbit]

I play good soldier and follow orders-go to my patrol grid and patrol for 24 hours. On the way to my area, I'll go after reported convoys/contacts if I can easily intercept.

After my 24 hours is up I'll freelance a little bit and within reason-I'm not going to sail to the other side of the Atlantic to a favorite hunting ground.

If I'm close to an area where some historical event is going to take place(Invasion of Norway, D-day, etc.) I may position myself to take advantage of it on the assumption Bdu ordered me there.

I'm going to try out Sailor Steve's idea of rolling a die to introduce some randomness on whether I stay in an area or not. I don't need or necessarily want 60000 ton patrols every time by going to a favorite hunting ground every patrol. Plus, I'm in late 1943 with a couple of careers and I'm pretty happy with a few ships sunk and getting home with my hide intact.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Originally Posted by sharkbit

I don't need or necessarily want 60000 ton patrols every time

I do, but it never happens

I'm damned if I can hit the tugs that sit motionless next to the light-ships!

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

I do, but it never happens

I'm damned if I can hit the tugs that sit motionless next to the light-ships!

The tugs were placed there so you'd notice the lightships. I know, it's ironical. The light-ships are part of the land-layer of the campaign and the crew ignores it. But they do notice the tugs that are part of some other layer.

As most other do, I go for the 24 hour period and then wander of to chokepoints in the vicinity. Responding to map contacts if I can reach them in time.

[frau kaleun]

I go to my assigned grid and at the very least complete the 24 hour patrol there. I added the renown for doing that back into my game, in large part because it rewards me for resisting the temptation to ignore my "orders" and just go where I think the hunting will be good.

After I've completed the patrol assignment, it's kind of a toss-up as to what I'll do next. Generally I will stay in that area, but expand my patrol area into adjacent grids, unless I get reports of enemy activity that I have some chance of intercepting in which case I'll go where the expected action is.

If I don't get any reports that direct me towards potential action, I'll try to work my way through the grids adjacent to my original assigned area in such a way that I'm moving towards a known shipping lane if at all possible.

IIRC once I've had some success and sent in a patrol report, the reply I get says something about continuing to patrol "at [my] discretion" as long as the fuel and weapons hold out. So I tend to take that as the freedom to go where I please, within reason - if I was sent to patrol the upper Western Approaches, for instance, I'll probably continue patrolling the known shipping lanes west of Ireland rather than setting course for Gibraltar.

[STEED]

I go where there are ships to hunt, no time for farting around.

[FIREWALL]

I found a solution that works for me after I do my 24 hr grid patrol.

[Gerald]

so after my 24 hours I'll take me for what is offered..