Why brag about manual targetting?

I allow intant targeting in heavy situations - like big storms with rain and fog - but I still do it myself often simply because the computer version always aims for the center of a ship. You really can't get creative with your torpedo shots unless you do the calcs yourself. I do wish there was a way to get rid of the instant calcs in the ingame aiming - such as a delay of 6 seconds and a 5% margin of error.

[BulSoldier]

Everyone decides how to play and witch one gives him most fun.I prefer playing at 100% and using OLC GUI (1.1.4) mod witch give really interesting way and more realistic(?) to gather solutions.It takes time to get used to it but in the end i find it much more fun.It takes a lot of time to plot a solution but if everything works fine the happienes of a sinking ship is unmatched

[Penelope_Grey]

I am an auto targeting player. Could I learn to manual target, yes, probably. But I won't because when I did I found it fiddly and frankly a bit of an immersion killer as its too much to do I feel especially given the constrictions of the game. I control an entire submarine using one hand and a mouse. True... I got my crew they only do so much though... not to mention I have to keep tabs on the enemy not only that... after all my hard work... I still like to win when I play.

What does irk me are those who brag about tonnage using auto targeting options. It's a bit like bragging about doing stunts on your BMX bike as a kid to your buddies but you conveniently leave out the part about the attached training wheels.

IMO we have a right to brag if we so choose. Sure the PC did the donkey work in working out the solution, but we still had to find the target, get to firing position, decide where best to shoot surive the attack etc etc... whats the point in having a dog if you bark yourself?

Conversely the flip side is, I hate how manual targeters have this "Big I am" attitude sometimes it feels like we are being looked down on for our not using auto targeting. Am I wrong? possible... However that is what it feels like sometimes. Though I do accept the fact I could have a chip on me shoulder for people doing something I won't do.

true you may have had some close calls and done a great job in the stealth department, but the PC did all the real work... but if you accomplish the same feat with manual targeting... you worked for and earned every ton.

But when I read comments like that GoldenRivet... I wonder... maybe I am right about feeling like a second class citizen round here....

I may not use manual targetig or play at the coveted and sacred "100%" but I still have a right to come on here and share my successess if I like. Irks you? It shouldn't. Its called community and that door swings both ways... if we can't speak about our experiences in confidence... what can we do? I take the time to play the game and hunt the targets... therefore I still earned every ton. Immaterial to what guys like yourselves and others in the Manual targeting camp think.

I hate how auto targeting is so readily dismissed as the "easy option" the "Training wheels" the "casual players method" its not fair and its elitist. IMO if a guy plays on 0% realism and he sinks 60,000 tons... thats great regardless, he is doing the best he can within his capacity to play.

At the end of the day we are all there to sink ships... how we do it is our personal business.

[johan_d]

Penelope is right, whats the use of having a crew when you do it all for yourself?
Let Bernard do his job!

I don't feel any of us should put anyone else down for how they play.
Me?
I'm so BAD that if I attempt to go above 28% realizume?
All the crew jump over board!!!

And that's stock SH3!!!

With auto targeting?
I MISS!!!

I tried a Homing torp once.
It sunk me.

And I have found the bottom so often,
(with deadly results)
That I modded my sub so it only goes so deep
when I hit C.

Play how you want I say!!

But don't ask me how to Baby down GWX!!!

If ya can't run with the Wolves?
Stay on the porch!!
:rotfl:

A good understanding of manual targeting comes in handy when your target is zig-zaging. For example, you've hit your target with a torpedo or two but it does not sink, thus it begins to zig-zag as its speed begins to reduce.

Auto mode may give you a target speed but it will be incorrect. What you really need is its relative speed from point A to point B which will be less than its actual speed due to the zig-zags. Plus, the target speed will slowly reduce due to the slow rate of sinking that is going on.

Also, the auto mode will not give you the correct AOB due to the zig-zags. You need to use the tagret's original base course to calculate the AOB.

Distance to target (distance of torpedo run) is not critical as long as the torpedo offset angle is less than 15-degrees (you're shooting straight ahead). The greater the torpedo has to turn, the more significant the target distance will be.

Hope this is helpful.

Now my head hurts!!!

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by Penelope_Grey

I may not use manual targetig or play at the coveted and sacred "100%" but I still have a right to come on here and share my successess if I like.

absolutely - you should be able to come on and share your successes. i agree completely.

sharing your success by telling the story if how you stalked up on a convoy and sank a tanker and a battleship is wonderful and makes for a good and often educational read. part of the difficulty and fun in SH3 is setting up the attack and then surviving the enemy response.

it doesnt irk me one bit to see those stories every day.

What IS annoying are the rare... and i do mean RARE... reports of a "God's gift to the world type sub skipper" who beats his chest as he recounts the story of how he completeley decimated an entire convoy for 100K tons in a matter of about 5 and a half minutes. with lines like "Escorts? no problem! just wait until they are headed right for you and have the weapons officer plot a quick solution and when they are within 500 meters just shove a torpedo down their throats!" - do this on 100% realism or with manual targeting and you will be sleeping with the fishes - eternally!

just take notice that there is a vast difference between "sharing yoru success" and out right bragging about sinking half the worlds merchant population on GWX2 and touting about how GWX was supposed to be hard (not that penny ever did that... just an example)

GWX 2.0 is easy!
IF!! And I do mean IF!!!
You have my weapons!!!
:rotfl:
Hords of Horton Bombers escorted by ME-262's!!!

Not to mention the Modified V1's!


But, it's my game install and I don't post brags about
takeing out entire convoys with one shot.

I also don't release most of what i do because they are
test things that help me define limitations.

[XLjedi]

For me, the game would be a little dull (or too easy) without the TDC interaction. That's actually the part that I find most satisfying. I just don't get that excited over the auto-targetted hits. But that's just me... and how I like to play the game.

You should play it with whatever settings makes it the most enjoyable for you.

Err... was someone actually bragging about that?

[_Seth_]

Originally Posted by aaronblood

You should play it with whatever settings makes it the most enjoyable for you.

Hear hear!!

[Riggsie15]

Look play how you want. I partially cheat, I do do manual targeting but once the info is put into the TDC I go to the attack map and look at th erun lines of the torps. If I don't like it I ether go back to the scope and get more accurate info or tweak the solution on the attack map. AS for AOB calculation I sometimes not all the time go to the nav map and use the protractor.

Even when the ship is zig-zagging, manual targeting isn't that hard; you just aim up for a 90 degree shot and and when the timing is right quickly redo the calculations and fire away.

I'm fine with this method be cause it still dosen't give a perfect down the center shot and in real life the WO madethe calculations but I also know in some US boats it was also the WO who looked down the scope and gathered the info.