Manual Plot

This is an outstanding idé.
As BDU says: "Keep up the good work!"

Own Course is something that should always be displayed, digitaly.
It's OK for the helmsman to wander off course a-little.
It's not OK for us to not know our actual heading.

A nice command to add would be: "Mind your helm".
That would be a big (and realistic) improvement over:
22.00 New Course 090.
22.02 New Course 090.
22.05 New Course 090.
(IF you can hit the compass perfectly. Good luck.)

[Hitman]

The idea is very good, even though in the U-Boats plotting was not usually done. Most firing solutions were worked out "by seaman's eye" by the commander or IWO, no plotting at all except when overhauling a convoy or target at surface, where a simplified plot was kept.

In any case, it is by far the most realistic and logical implementation of the concept, I agree with donkey_shot

[Ilpalazzo]

I wish the game had better plotting. It's such a huge part of the game. Kinda kills some of that whole realism thing when we have gps and the crew just sits there while the captain runs around the boat doing everything. The crew should be doing more, and I should be doing and knowing less.

hope that came out right

[Frederf]

I like the idea of a plotting tool that's its own pop up thing like the stopwatch or radio or gramophone so you can be anywhere doing anything and mouse select:

Bearing
Range
Time*
Icon shape*
Draw line between this and previous*
MARK

*Advanced options which would have sensible defaults.

[Donkey-Shot]

Originally Posted by Ilpalazzo

I wish the game had better plotting. It's such a huge part of the game. Kinda kills some of that whole realism thing when we have gps and the crew just sits there while the captain runs around the boat doing everything. The crew should be doing more, and I should be doing and knowing less.

hope that came out right

GPS ... Hmm, maybe this should be the subject of a new post.
But it would be cool to be able to use a sextant. But for those who don't wan't to get into that much micromanagement how's this: a set of standing orders, also for navigation.

It would be nice to be able to order the crew to plot your own position using the sextant at certain regular times. Or after you've been subermeged for a long time, or after a long period of cloudy weather.

Let map show a -projected- position from your last known position. And only give a, close to, real position if you or your crew uses the sextant. Now mind you, with a good nav officer with good dead reconing skills, the error in position wouldnt be huge if you're unable to use the sextant for quite some time. It certainly wouldnt be hundreds of miles. And in the middle of the ocean it wouldnt make that much a difference. but it would of course make a difference near coastal- and shallow areas.

It would also make a difference if you're on the ocean, not completely sure of your own position and got orders to intercept a contact. How accurate is your position? Will your (crews) math be correct? Will you be able to intercept or end up dozens (though again not hundreds) of miles off target?