A few new ideas

Fidd · 09-25-23, 06:45 PM

52. Sea-gulls in coastal waters (in daylight) as an aid to detections and determining convoy heading:

In UK waters, and I'm sure in the Baltic, a great many sea-gulls will follow any boat, astern, looking for food in the wake. Periodically, they'll land and rest on any moving ship before flying again in its wake.

It occurs to me this could be used in game for a couple of subtle but useful purposes. Firstly that being around the stern of the ship, primarily, they could be used to aid determining if the convoy is heading away or towards the observer. They could also be used to draw the eye towards a periscope too long left up, or to a surfaced u-boat. Whilst no individual gull will be visible at 5km or so, a cloud of them following a ship or u-boat might well be. Finally there's the very evocative noise of their cries adding a bit of atmosphere. At night they usually return to land I believe, or if flat calm, roost on the sea. I'd recommend they be used in the three northern sea areas, but not the Biscay area?

Fidd · 09-26-23, 09:15 AM

53. "Silent running" - Using amplitude of player's voices in in-game comms to influence whether or not a detection is made via hydrophones.

Suppose you are moving at dead-slow past an escort, making no avoidable noise, and someone fails to whisper an order over in-game voice - maybe you now get detected!

Ideally this would apply to Discord as well, although I doubt this is possible? It would certainly add to the anxiety-level when operating close to escorts! Naturally, I'm not really saying that one person talking in normal conversational tones would get get the u-boat detected (unless he shouted), but rather, the general level of all voices talking, be applied, so that all non-essential speech ceases when operating close to escorts, and that whenever possible, a lower amplitude (volume) of speech be advisable....

Other noises inside the u-boat might also be triggers for detection: Prolonged blowing, or large degree of blowing, of ballast, trim, negative tanks. Contactor operation, bilge--pump, hatches and doors opening and closing, use of echolot on 1000m depth setting. (I gather it emits a louder sound on that setting, than on the 100m scale). The latter change, has a greater impact as you might at first think, as it means in depths between 100 and 185m, it might not be safe to use the echolot within 100m of the surface, or on the 1000m scale, meaning that an accurate plot of underwater location may be needed to track of position and therefore depth. as the available depth for the initial dive, with only use of the low-sound (100m scale) once at a depth of only 101m and deeper.

Fidd · 09-26-23, 11:55 AM

54. Collapsing bulkheads, boiler explosions, impacts of sinking ships with the sea-bed, steam-whistles sounded on torpedo strike, implosions due depth,"whoop whoop" sounds of attacking escorts.

There's a number of "3rd party" sound effects hearable either on hydrophones, or in the hull when submerged (subject range), or when surfaced, that could be used to complicate the sound-scape for hydrophone operators during the course of attack, and add to the atmosphere if surfaced and on the bridge when heard.

Fidd · 09-26-23, 03:21 PM

55. Observer mode on escorts or merchants.

Crew who are surplus to immediate needs on the u-boat - eg the dive officer during a convoy chase or surface attack, or most of the crew after a torpedo launch, can choose to change their point of view to that of a sailor on:

1. The nearest ship (with a key to cycle through other ships further away)
2. The nearest escort (with a key to cycle through other escorts further away)
3. The nearest Tribal (with a key to cycle through other Tribals further away)
4. The nearest Bittern (with a key to cycle through other Bitterns further away)
5. The nearest Flower-class (with a key to cycle through other Flowers further away)

If their ship is sunk, then they return to the u-boat, or otherwise can elect to do so at any point. During their absence, a bot is created in their place. A skipper can enter a command to bring all crew back to the u-boat if needed.
This would allow for players to experience the point of view within the convoy as torpedoes strike home. Or miss. This should be a lobby setting, so that the ability to 1st person view from within a convoy or escort can be suspended. (not all skippers will want crew disappearing in this fashion! If 3rd party DC explosions become a thing, then it might also allow for players to watch a DC attack on a u-boat. (but not their boat??)

Fidd · 09-27-23, 03:14 PM

56. Independently settable brightness for outside and at the eye-piece of periscope views, and another for inside. (two sliders)

I find that in order to set my brightness so that I can see masts (or even ships!) at night, I have to endure very very bright interior. It would be useful if there was a slider for the interior, and another for outside and periscope views, so that both can be optimised.

Fidd · 09-27-23, 03:15 PM

57. Gain to range placard at hydrophone station.

Requires no further explanation!

Fidd · 09-27-23, 06:32 PM

58. Other sea areas: Gibraltar strait, Atlantic in, and outside of, the "air-gap", the Med', US coastal, Scapa Flow.

These difference sea areas would allow for a whole range of different types of missions, from getting through the heavily patrolled Gib' strait, to getting into Scapa, to Atlantic warfare with, and without, aircraft (subject date). In addition to these more varied mission possibilities, there's also additional relatively shallow seas - and deep ones - further adding to the possible variety, especially on organised games such as 13th Flot, 9thFlot, Duyfken and Frost.

Developing these maps would also, potentially, be ground-work towards an eventual campaign mode which might make use of them, if designed with that in mind. Ability to rendezvous with "Milch-cows" at sea, of getting torpedoes/fuel oil and food from interned German shipping in "neutral" ports (both of these occurred for a time) would be a useful adjunct.

09-26-23, 09:15 AM	#2
Fidd Captain Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Blighty! Posts: 542 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	53. "Silent running" - Using amplitude of player's voices in in-game comms to influence whether or not a detection is made via hydrophones. Suppose you are moving at dead-slow past an escort, making no avoidable noise, and someone fails to whisper an order over in-game voice - maybe you now get detected! Ideally this would apply to Discord as well, although I doubt this is possible? It would certainly add to the anxiety-level when operating close to escorts! Naturally, I'm not really saying that one person talking in normal conversational tones would get get the u-boat detected (unless he shouted), but rather, the general level of all voices talking, be applied, so that all non-essential speech ceases when operating close to escorts, and that whenever possible, a lower amplitude (volume) of speech be advisable.... Other noises inside the u-boat might also be triggers for detection: Prolonged blowing, or large degree of blowing, of ballast, trim, negative tanks. Contactor operation, bilge--pump, hatches and doors opening and closing, use of echolot on 1000m depth setting. (I gather it emits a louder sound on that setting, than on the 100m scale). The latter change, has a greater impact as you might at first think, as it means in depths between 100 and 185m, it might not be safe to use the echolot within 100m of the surface, or on the 1000m scale, meaning that an accurate plot of underwater location may be needed to track of position and therefore depth. as the available depth for the initial dive, with only use of the low-sound (100m scale) once at a depth of only 101m and deeper. Last edited by Fidd; 09-26-23 at 11:49 AM.

09-26-23, 11:55 AM	#3
Fidd Captain Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Blighty! Posts: 542 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	54. Collapsing bulkheads, boiler explosions, impacts of sinking ships with the sea-bed, steam-whistles sounded on torpedo strike, implosions due depth,"whoop whoop" sounds of attacking escorts. There's a number of "3rd party" sound effects hearable either on hydrophones, or in the hull when submerged (subject range), or when surfaced, that could be used to complicate the sound-scape for hydrophone operators during the course of attack, and add to the atmosphere if surfaced and on the bridge when heard. Last edited by Fidd; 10-02-23 at 11:27 AM.

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09-25-23, 06:45 PM	#1
Fidd Captain Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Blighty! Posts: 542 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	52. Sea-gulls in coastal waters (in daylight) as an aid to detections and determining convoy heading: In UK waters, and I'm sure in the Baltic, a great many sea-gulls will follow any boat, astern, looking for food in the wake. Periodically, they'll land and rest on any moving ship before flying again in its wake. It occurs to me this could be used in game for a couple of subtle but useful purposes. Firstly that being around the stern of the ship, primarily, they could be used to aid determining if the convoy is heading away or towards the observer. They could also be used to draw the eye towards a periscope too long left up, or to a surfaced u-boat. Whilst no individual gull will be visible at 5km or so, a cloud of them following a ship or u-boat might well be. Finally there's the very evocative noise of their cries adding a bit of atmosphere. At night they usually return to land I believe, or if flat calm, roost on the sea. I'd recommend they be used in the three northern sea areas, but not the Biscay area?

09-26-23, 03:21 PM	#4
Fidd Captain Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Blighty! Posts: 542 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	55. Observer mode on escorts or merchants. Crew who are surplus to immediate needs on the u-boat - eg the dive officer during a convoy chase or surface attack, or most of the crew after a torpedo launch, can choose to change their point of view to that of a sailor on: 1. The nearest ship (with a key to cycle through other ships further away) 2. The nearest escort (with a key to cycle through other escorts further away) 3. The nearest Tribal (with a key to cycle through other Tribals further away) 4. The nearest Bittern (with a key to cycle through other Bitterns further away) 5. The nearest Flower-class (with a key to cycle through other Flowers further away) If their ship is sunk, then they return to the u-boat, or otherwise can elect to do so at any point. During their absence, a bot is created in their place. A skipper can enter a command to bring all crew back to the u-boat if needed. This would allow for players to experience the point of view within the convoy as torpedoes strike home. Or miss. This should be a lobby setting, so that the ability to 1st person view from within a convoy or escort can be suspended. (not all skippers will want crew disappearing in this fashion! If 3rd party DC explosions become a thing, then it might also allow for players to watch a DC attack on a u-boat. (but not their boat??)

09-27-23, 03:14 PM	#5
Fidd Captain Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Blighty! Posts: 542 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	56. Independently settable brightness for outside and at the eye-piece of periscope views, and another for inside. (two sliders) I find that in order to set my brightness so that I can see masts (or even ships!) at night, I have to endure very very bright interior. It would be useful if there was a slider for the interior, and another for outside and periscope views, so that both can be optimised.

09-27-23, 03:15 PM	#6
Fidd Captain Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Blighty! Posts: 542 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	57. Gain to range placard at hydrophone station. Requires no further explanation!

09-27-23, 06:32 PM	#7
Fidd Captain Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Blighty! Posts: 542 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	58. Other sea areas: Gibraltar strait, Atlantic in, and outside of, the "air-gap", the Med', US coastal, Scapa Flow. These difference sea areas would allow for a whole range of different types of missions, from getting through the heavily patrolled Gib' strait, to getting into Scapa, to Atlantic warfare with, and without, aircraft (subject date). In addition to these more varied mission possibilities, there's also additional relatively shallow seas - and deep ones - further adding to the possible variety, especially on organised games such as 13th Flot, 9thFlot, Duyfken and Frost. Developing these maps would also, potentially, be ground-work towards an eventual campaign mode which might make use of them, if designed with that in mind. Ability to rendezvous with "Milch-cows" at sea, of getting torpedoes/fuel oil and food from interned German shipping in "neutral" ports (both of these occurred for a time) would be a useful adjunct.