Detection at TC

[Stingray67]

Crystal clear all the way. I understand. Thanks for enlightening me to the way this monster actually works.

BUT! There have been several instances where an escort is going away after tiring of looking for me or pounding me with ashcans. They go hellbent for leather to join their convoy or resume their original course. If I leave it at that...no problem. He goes away and I am happy.

In those instances when I have, at this moment, gone to TC16 up to 64 the escort have doubled back, started accurate searches for me and sometimes atttacked me. First time I think I was killed. :-(

All due respect to they way the coding works per your description. I don't see the explanation for what I have experienced. I guess it could be some random search pattern paying off for him, but this is way too much repetition for me to think it is serendipity.

[danlisa]

Originally Posted by Stingray67

BUT! There have been several instances where an escort is going away after tiring of looking for me or pounding me with ashcans. They go hellbent for leather to join their convoy or resume their original course. If I leave it at that...no problem. He goes away and I am happy.

In those instances when I have, at this moment, gone to TC16 up to 64 the escort have doubled back, started accurate searches for me and sometimes attacked me. First time I think I was killed. :-(

All due respect to they way the coding works per your description. I don't see the explanation for what I have experienced. I guess it could be some random search pattern paying off for him, but this is way too much repetition for me to think it is serendipity.

No problem.

I too have experienced this.

Did you remain at the same speed and silent running after you thought the DD was gone? Or did you increase speed and start reloading and then go to TC? I've done this.

Where there any crippled ships nearby? If so, their sensors are still active and WILL call the DD/Escort back. I've done this too.

Depending on which version of the game you are using, Stock or Modded, Escorts & DD's can and are scripted to conduct random sensor sweeps whilst protecting convoys. Sometimes these sweeps will almost take them out of visual range of the convoy they are protecting. Now, IIRC, in GWX these random sensor sweeps automatically put the vessel on high alert and therefore all sensors within it's arsenal are active, so it's entirely possible that a retreating DD will double back after picking up contact with you again.

I honestly think that if you recreated the exact circumstances again and provided you stayed at 1kt Silent running and tried at 1xTC, escaping without being detected, and then tried again at 64xTC the outcome would be the same.

[Stingray67]

Danlisa!

I stayed at silent running, same depth, speed and course. I did nothing that would have changed my detectability (not a word...I now :-))

In the cases I can remember it has been solitary escorts, so no herd to protect.

It is SH3 1.4b+SH3 Commander 3.13+GWX 2.1 and the only mods I have are 16 km, Lifeboats 3B, Torepdo Damage 2, GWX Open hatch, 26th April fixes and Armed Trawler fix

[danlisa]

V.Strange.

However, if this vessel was moving away and was at some distance before doubling back after loosing sensor contact with you, something triggered/caused it to reacquire you, that or due to TC it skipped its next waypoint and it's new course actually brought it back towards you & thus established a new sensor lock.

Either way, I shall look for this on my next patrol.

[Stingray67]

Could be.

Will be interesting to hear if you come up with something.

Happy sailing.

[Kielhauler1961]

@ danlisa,

Stingray's experiences mirror my own. It's got to the point where, when I need to sneak away from an escort (with or without convoy) I enable silent running, dive to 200 meters (or whatever I can get away with), point my ass at 180 degrees to his projected course and go down the pub for two hours. I can't risk using TC in proximity to the enemy anymore.

Some weeks back, driving a type II, I was heading westbound through the Orkney - Shetland gap and my sonarman picked up a contact "Warship moving fast, bearing 080, constant distance". I tracked the contact for a time and established he was heading east at a distance of about 10-12 km, at an estimated speed of 15 knots+.

Wishing to complete my transit as quickly as possible, and figuring I was safe from detection (submerged, 25m) and given his speed, distance and course, I increased TC to x64 and the next thing I know is "We're taking damage, Sir!" He somehow detected me at extreme range, but only because I put on TC. It was a V&W class destroyer, all by itself, and it took me four hours to lose him, and then I had to head back to base for repairs.

In my experience, high TC DOES make the boat more detectable. I then re-loaded the previous save: followed the same course, had the same encounter with the same V&W, at the same time, in the same place. Left it on x1 and went down the pub. When I came back he was hull-down on the horizon, bearing 190, hadn't alttered course one bit and making 12 kts. TC does make a difference, from personal experience.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about it. It is after all an artificial mechanism to get through the "boring bits", but gamers need to be aware of the "X-factor".

[danlisa]

Originally Posted by Kielhauler1961

@ danlisa,
Some weeks back, driving a type II, I was heading westbound through the Orkney - Shetland gap and my sonarman picked up a contact "Warship moving fast, bearing 080, constant distance". I tracked the contact for a time and established he was heading east at a distance of about 10-12 km, at an estimated speed of 15 knots+.

Wishing to complete my transit as quickly as possible, and figuring I was safe from detection (submerged, 25m) and given his speed, distance and course, I increased TC to x64 and the next thing I know is "We're taking damage, Sir!" He somehow detected me at extreme range, but only because I put on TC. It was a V&W class destroyer, all by itself, and it took me four hours to lose him, and then I had to head back to base for repairs.

If this situation is indicative of your current findings in TC detection I have a conceivable explanation. I don't think he detected you at all. I think his waypoint path was directly placed on your course and due to you being submerged presumably traveling at slow speeds to conserve battery life, the V&W Class actually caught up with you while you were at TC.

In the Orkney / Shetland gap there is always a scripted patrolling ship (more sometimes), which if you open the SCR layer within the Mission Ed will show as diagonally zigg-zagging this narrow waterway.

In this instance, it is plausible that you, traveling at 3-4 kts (guess), incidentally making a lot of noise at this speed, were in fact traveling slowly enough at TC for the VW Class to come back around on his designated patrol course and for him to actually detect you.

Edit - Unless you have edited your TC settings, something doesn't add up. If you had been detected, your TC would have automatically dropped to either (max) 32x but more likely 8xTC when being hunted.