Help A Newbie

[kylesplanet]

Download this video and watch it. It really helped me get started:http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=111445

There are many more training guides and videos in this thread:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=108931

Hope this helps out and good hunting!

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

Ah. another Bilge Rat! Welcome! But you did not cough up the $100 entrance fee (payable to me IN CASH, of course!) So, that means you'll be thrown overboard unceremoniously.

[howler93]

Welcome, Neon!

Congrats on your SH4 purchase- you're going to love it! Before SH4 I had no knowledge at all about submarine ops. in the Pacific. It inspired me to read several very good books on the subject (Silent Victory, Thunder Below, Wahoo...) and you'll find, as I did, that submarine warfare in the Pacific was every bit as fascinating as the U-boats in the Atlantic.

Regarding tips for noobs, just dive in and get your feet wet. Once you've played some, you'll have some more specific questions and the folks at this forum will jump at the chance to help you out...most of 'em anyway :rotfl:

If you'd like some very general advice I'll offer my .02 and say: Dive when you detect aircraft, don't waste torps on destroyers, listen to good WWII era music during patrols, and keep a fine bottle of scotch handy to celebrate any significant sinkings (or a good ginger ale if scotch isn't your thing). Most of all, have fun and enjoy!

Good hunting,
Howler

[neon_black88]

Originally Posted by kylesplanet

Download this video and watch it. It really helped me get started:http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=111445

There are many more training guides and videos in this thread:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=108931

Hope this helps out and good hunting!

Thanks alot! Just sank my first two ships thanks to that video. It took me long enough, I was spoted by planes a couple of times and even bombed(?) once.

I have a question though, the triangle never went green in the periscope despite the ships being on a perfect 90 degree angle, and both ships took TWO torpeedos each with seemingly no or little damage. They were frieghters of some kind, I surfaced and took both of them out with the deck gun, but neither ship had any kind of flame damage or any visual damage after the two torp hits (it was night though) and kept moving forward (how long does it take for a ship to stop after engine failure?), what could have happened?

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by neon_black88

I have a question though, the triangle never went green in the periscope despite the ships being on a perfect 90 degree angle, and both ships took TWO torpeedos each with seemingly no or little damage. They were frieghters of some kind, I surfaced and took both of them out with the deck gun, but neither ship had any kind of flame damage or any visual damage after the two torp hits (it was night though) and kept moving forward (how long does it take for a ship to stop after engine failure?), what could have happened?

Sounds like you had the same affliction which vexed so many actual US sub skippers. Duds. Or partial duds. The MK 14 torpedo was a very buggy weapon for the first two years of the war.

[neon_black88]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

Sounds like you had the same affliction which vexed so many actual US sub skippers. Duds. Or partial duds. The MK 14 torpedo was a very buggy weapon for the first two years of the war.

Wow 4 dud torpedo's? Thats quite and achievement (!?). Looks like the first tweak ill be playing with is Dud torpedos off :p.

Also my second question of the day, just had another little quick session. Moved towards tokyo for patrol, the first thing that happened was the first mission objective wouldnt complete (patrol hanu island or whatever its called), I went past the mission marker and patrolled around alot but it never completed, got attacked by alot of planes though, which brings me to my second question, holy crap there is alot of planes!? I probably spotted planes about 12 times but never spotted a ship. Whats the procedure after spotting a plane? Usually there close enough to see us, so I just dive... come up again later, then the inevitable other plane comes and spots me. I ended up getting frustrated and just shooting a couple of them down. Then nudging the poor pilot in the water (no prisoners of war eh?)

[Torplexed]

Yeah, this sim tends to credit the Emperor with a few more planes than he probably had available for Home Island defense. Most Sentais & Chutais based in Japan early in the war were busy training not patrolling. Your best bet is to never let them see you. Radar is your ally. Submerge well before they come into visual contact range. If you stubbornly stay on the surface to fight it out, the Japanese AI will just vector more planes your way.

[neon_black88]

How do I get access to the radar? It wont turn on even when surfaced (or is that the Sonar?), I think I equipped an Air radar or something at the begging but never figured out how to use it, and none of the planes were spotted any way other than Visually I think, by that time they were very close.

[Torplexed]

The air search radar is kinda quirky compared to the more straight-forward PPI surface search radar. It just gives the range, not the bearing. I believe it also has to be switched on everytime you surface.

BTW are you in a S-class sub or a fleet boat? The S-Class just has a generic air detection system.