How the hell........

[Hinrich Schwab]

The TMO AI is pretty brutal. From what I have read (I use RFB, BTW.) the AI is operating at relative peak despite the historically variable level of performance from the IJN. It will capitalize on the slightest mistake you make. It is one of the big selling points or chief complaints (depending on your view) of TMO is that the IJN performs as well as the Royal Navy in the game. I am not a fan of that concept because the quality of ASW varied greatly amongst the IJN. One moment, you could have IJN's equivalent of Bernard on you and the next encounter could drop Bungo Pete in your lap. The uncertainty is missing. Everything I have read about the TMO AI says that your chance of detection is very high and the punishment is coming when they do find you.

If a veteran TMO player wishes to override anything I have said, I will gladly step aside as I do not use TMO. From what I read in the manual, the AI boost was to add extra "action" to encounters.

Originally Posted by TMO Manual, Page 10

The games AI has more sensitive sensor settings then [sic] in the stock game, and has one philosophy in
mind. That being, attacking a convoy, and not getting depth charged to some degree, is anti climatic,
and boring.

I personally think this philosophy is flawed. Not getting depth charged is not necessarily a sign of a flawed AI. It may be a sign of a competent player. Granted, the stock AI is a bit on the weak side, but boosting the sensors to compensate is not my idea of balance. Quite frankly, this is what prevented me from selecting TMO as my megamod. Historically, the IJN's successes in ASW were not as remarkable as their British counterparts and I expect the emulation to be as much.

Another thing you haven't stated was how far away you were when you were spotted, your speed and, more importantly, where the sun was as it set. If the sun was behind the hunter-killers in relation to you, their visibility was excellent.