Tracking Active Sonar Contacts

[Destex]

Originally Posted by Shadriss

it would be far easier and safer (for the ship) to just use PBB and PNB instead.

That's for sure. In the context of Cold Waters gameplay, do you think that tracking ESM contacts should contribute to TMA solutions?

Personally, I would rather have ESM tracks to provide classification (ignoring that in real life different platforms might use the same radars for the sake of simplicity), and active intercept tracks to create targets that can be TMAed (slowly, unless tracked by a passive Sonar array).

[The Bandit]

Originally Posted by Destex

That's for sure. In the context of Cold Waters gameplay, do you think that tracking ESM contacts should contribute to TMA solutions?

Personally, I would rather have ESM tracks to provide classification (ignoring that in real life different platforms might use the same radars for the sake of simplicity), and active intercept tracks to create targets that can be TMAed (slowly, unless tracked by a passive Sonar array).

Well I'd suggest the same way it was done in SC / Dangerous Waters (don't really mean the classification part but that would be nice).

What I'm talking about is, when you get either an active intercept return or an ESM contact with a lot of uncertainty a contact is placed on the map at an arbitrary position (say 10 miles out?) with a NIL listed range (in other words when you click on it, instead of saying 5.5k yards, it has a NIL/Unknown value for range, letting you know the range is not known and its not necessarily where its marked on the map, other than along that approximate bearing, so you get some visualization as to the number of contacts you have out there).

My (admittedly limited) understanding of both ESM (with the obvious exception of its reconnaissance / information gathering value) and Active Intercept is that both of these exist as warning systems first and foremost (something is pinging / radiating somewhere off to the NE of us) than they are a means for classifying (obviously they can do this and probably pretty well) or even localizing a contact.

[Shadriss]

Originally Posted by Destex

In the context of Cold Waters gameplay, do you think that tracking ESM contacts should contribute to TMA solutions?

Yes, but in specific circumstances. It is possible in the game to have ESM contact with a SAG, but not yet have gained them passively. In such a case, having at least a bearing is useful. I wouldn't want them to contribute in the same way Sonar does, but if you are willing to keep your masts out of the water that long, I'd be ok with a very slow TMA build over time. Very slow. Think glacial drift.

Personally, I would rather have ESM tracks to provide classification (ignoring that in real life different platforms might use the same radars for the sake of simplicity), and active intercept tracks to create targets that can be TMAed (slowly, unless tracked by a passive Sonar array).

From a gameplay standpoint, agreed for the most part. For Active Intercept, the bearings are, for all intents and purposes, gold. Unlike the current system where they contribute nothing, Active Intercept needs to have the same contributions and effect as passives for TMA purposes.

Originally Posted by The Bandit

My (admittedly limited) understanding of both ESM... and Active Intercept is that both of these exist as warning systems first and foremost ... than they are a means for classifying... or even localizing a contact.

ESM is somewhat like that certainly, for the reasons that have been discussed. Active Intercept as it's currently implemented was designed for both. I can't get into the hows and whys, but suffice it to say that we rely on it pretty heavily for classification cues if there is active sonar being used.

EDIT: As a side note, I just saw that my Forum Rank is now A-Ganger. I find myself slightly insulted. Not really, but the true A-Gangers will understand that I don't want (nor deserve, at some levels) to wear their name. On the other hand, it is fairly low in the rankings, so maybe all it well in the world. Unless Sonarman isn't in the ranking somewhere higher? Where it should be?