Another noob question

[Dogfish40]

Originally Posted by jgbishop

Torpedoes have a "reach" of about 300 yards, if I remember correctly. Until they reach that point, they are not armed. When you get a report of "torpedo in the water," it means the torpedo is at the end of the reach and is now armed.

This is interesting, and the first time I've heard this; When I get a report of "Torp in the water", That is the point where it's armed?? So it's already 500 yrds out when I get that SO message?!
I thought my fish were firing slow. I can hear the compressed air shoot when I fire (I already have the door open) and it's several seconds before I hear "Torpedo in the water" and this has always bugged me. As was mentioned by TorpX, I would much rather hear "torpedo running hot, straight and normal" as they all seem to do in the game anyway, Duds or not. Since the game never spits out a torpedo that is erratic we could really use a mod that changes the SO's call out. That would be really great!!
Peabody, Welcome aboard!! Good Hunting!
D40

[fred8615]

Originally Posted by Dogfish40

Since the game never spits out a torpedo that is erratic we could really use a mod that changes the SO's call out.

Just FYI, yes the game does have erratic torpedoes. If you enabled duds in the options menu, you will get the occasional erratic, especially when you use the Mark 18. I've been hit by a circle runner before, and just yesterday I had one go God knows where.

[Armistead]

The arming distance in previous versions of TMO was 411 meters or 449.475 yards. Not sure if he's changed that since I last
check, but I doubt it.

I haven't looked at his values for failures, but they exist for circle runners, deep runners, duds, angle of impact, water conditions, etc...

I hate when M18's circle run.....I had some mild damage, but just as I sunk a JP carrier in the bungo, a circle runner finished me off....

[Overkill]

The Mk18 circle runners can really ruin your day. Fortunately I've only had 2 of 'em in the last 4 years of playing SH4. Didn't get hit by either but they came really close.

[Dogfish40]

Originally Posted by fred8615

Just FYI, yes the game does have erratic torpedoes. If you enabled duds in the options menu, you will get the occasional erratic, especially when you use the Mark 18. I've been hit by a circle runner before, and just yesterday I had one go God knows where.

Whoops, MyBad. I didn't realize they went erratic as well...
D40

[TorpX]

I should have added this before, in case everyone doesn't already know this. The torpedos DO make sound and CAN be heard with your hydrophones (if you have time to listen). So, in theory, you could track them and be warned of erratic/ circle runners.

[torpedobait]

Originally Posted by Dogfish40

This is interesting, and the first time I've heard this; When I get a report of "Torp in the water", That is the point where it's armed?? So it's already 500 yrds out when I get that SO message?!
I thought my fish were firing slow. I can hear the compressed air shoot when I fire (I already have the door open) and it's several seconds before I hear "Torpedo in the water" and this has always bugged me. As was mentioned by TorpX, I would much rather hear "torpedo running hot, straight and normal" as they all seem to do in the game anyway, Duds or not. Since the game never spits out a torpedo that is erratic we could really use a mod that changes the SO's call out. That would be really great!!
Peabody, Welcome aboard!! Good Hunting!
D40

Dogfish, the torp is about 300 yards out when you get the message "Torp in the water", not 500. Also, as someone may have pointed out already, you don't get that message if you have a circle runner. I almost lost my boat last night from the latter, but fortunately I had come to a dead stop before firing to avoid closing the range to tight. The circle runner passed about 25 yards of my bow!

[Platapus]

Perhaps the "torpedo in the water" is meant to be a warning.

If you have not launched a torpedo, but your sound man reports Torpedo in the water, you might have a "situation"

Do Japanese Submarines sink American Subs in SH4?

[TorpX]

Originally Posted by torpedobait

Also, as someone may have pointed out already, you don't get that message if you have a circle runner.

Are you sure about this?

If this is true, it is very unrealistic. How could anyone know if the torpedo is circling when it has only started its turn?

Do Japanese Submarines sink American Subs in SH4?

I was wondering about this myself.

[Armistead]

Originally Posted by TorpX

Are you sure about this?

If this is true, it is very unrealistic. How could anyone know if the torpedo is circling when it has only started its turn?





I was wondering about this myself.

Well, realistically sonar may have picked up a circle runner, but often they did not. In several books I've read the circle runners were seen, not tracked. In game they can hit you at scope depth, even set shallow. Follow the turn, if it keeps turning back towards you, go deeper.

They will only hit you in game if you're moving forward, stopped they should pass in front. I always like to keep a lil speed, so if I'm concerned I take a look at the attack map. Most of us find out the hard way about circle runners. When I play with cams off I usually get hit once a career. I'll be thinking to myself where that last torp went, bout that time..BAM...

JP and German subs attack with deckguns only in any mod I've seen.

[TorpX]

Originally Posted by Armistead

Well, realistically sonar may have picked up a circle runner, but often they did not. In several books I've read the circle runners were seen, not tracked. In game they can hit you at scope depth, even set shallow. Follow the turn, if it keeps turning back towards you, go deeper.

They will only hit you in game if you're moving forward, stopped they should pass in front. I always like to keep a lil speed, so if I'm concerned I take a look at the attack map. Most of us find out the hard way about circle runners. When I play with cams off I usually get hit once a career. I'll be thinking to myself where that last torp went, bout that time..BAM...

This is not good for me, as I will be at the periscope and moving forward. I can see maybe trying to track them on sound, if the run is long enough, but not at the expense of confirming the hits. I guess being on a submarine in a war zone is a risky business.

[Daniel Prates]

I remember the old "aces of the deep", which had some enterviews with some U-boat top aces, and one of them said in an enterview that the sonar operator would listen carefully to the torpedo going away, and that we could tell if the torp was running straight or if it was not moving away as it should - a sign that it might be circling. So in theory it is possible to know if you have a circler or not.

My impression was that you hear "torpedo in the water" as soon as it is expelled from the tube and is perceived to be running. Is it not so?

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Armistead

Most of us find out the hard way about circle runners. When I play with cams off I usually get hit once a career. I'll be thinking to myself where that last torp went, bout that time..BAM...

In all the careers I have played in SH4, I have never had a circular running torpedo. Now I wonder if I ever had one but just did not know it.

[TorpX]

I have never had a circular running torpedo. Now I wonder if I ever had one but just did not know it.

I was more or less thinking this.

Do they travel in a perfect circle, or do they just loop around generally? If they travel in a precise circle and are "preordained" to hit you, that is bad news.

Likewise, it is not helpful that one cannot detail the sound operator to track the torps as they are fired. Diving deep whenever one makes an attack, just to avoid a rare circle-runner, seems too extreme.

[Hylander_1314]

Originally Posted by TorpX

I was more or less thinking this.

Do they travel in a perfect circle, or do they just loop around generally? If they travel in a precise circle and are "preordained" to hit you, that is bad news.

Likewise, it is not helpful that one cannot detail the sound operator to track the torps as they are fired. Diving deep whenever one makes an attack, just to avoid a rare circle-runner, seems too extreme.

Which is why I set my fish for shallow depths, and after firing the tubes I intend to fire, I go down to at leat 150ft. Give a few while I move forward, and that usually saves us the trouble of being sunk by my own torps.