Newbie here

raymond6751 · 12-05-10, 07:11 PM

Take your time and enjoy.

I wouldn't worry about staying at your assigned patrol zone, but it is worth a look anyway. The early targets are along the English Coast, East side. If you survive long enough or get a type VII then you have enough fuel to reach places like Liverpool in the Irish Sea and the Northern entrance to the Irish Sea.

The convoys in 1940-43 headed for those ports away from the Channel or the South of England. Incidentally, the South of England is a deadly place. Get past that and don't hang around.

Axeman3d · 12-05-10, 09:11 PM

Me next....

I would play with Grey Wolves Expansion (GWX) installed right from the start, if for nothing more than the improved graphics and additional ships. It's just SHIII perked up, it doesn't make massive changes to the way you play anyway. You need nothing further for now.

Manual solutions on moving ships with no assistance require a fair bit of practice, start with the weapons officer doing it all and you just picking the targets and pulling the trigger. On a single ship it is do-able, but with multiple convoy targets it gets mental.

As for attacks, yes you are best to take the time to set up with a side on attack. End on shots are possible, but makes things more difficult for yourself. Also the impact trigger on torps only works reliably almost straight on. The more angled the hit, the more likely it will bounce off harmlessly. You can use magnetic triggering by firing just under the keel of the ship, theoretically much more destructive, but early torps are rather unreliable and as likely to blow up half way there as blow the ship in half.

Sonar issues have been explained, they're mounted on the sides so can't hear well directly front or backwards, particularly with your engines whirling away. If you want to hear well, go deep and go slow & quiet. You can upgrade to better systems later in the war, but you still can't hear behind you. That wasn't fixed until much later in the late cold war with towed arrays a mile behind the sub.

When on patrol I tend to head straight for the patrol grid, but make sure to submerge a few times a day and slow to a couple of knots to see if I hear anything nearby. Once I've got my 24 hours in the patrol grid done, I tend to go wait in the western approaches for convoys. Convoys to and from America have to go around Ireland to get to the British ports, so hanging around south or north west of Ireland you will eventually find one. Lone ships are good practice, but convoys have the big targets.

When attacking convoys you can fire a couple of eels at a couple of big targets, or fire off one each at 4 targets. I favour a single torp per target, and they either sink from the lucky shot, or more often they are slowed or go dead in the water. This means I just need to hang around till the escorts move off with the rest of the convoy before surfacing to finish them off with the deck gun. Easy pickings and saves torpedoes. Later in the war they are usually armed with their own deck guns, so it's a case of setting up an easy shot on a sitting duck.

DeepFried · 12-06-10, 06:47 PM

Thanks for all the advice guys! its going well now I think, just finished my third patrol and a sunk two ships this time

, a small merchant and a C2 Cargo, one in my patrol sector and one a sector west.

I went to the patrol sector and though it, got a medium speed contact a couple of sectors away which I intercepted in the next sector;was the small merchant, 2 torpedoes and it went down pretty fast. (was planning to use just one but I forgot to open the tube first, so the first torp hit the stern rather than the engine room)

I was heading back to my patrol sector and I got an aeroplane contact, crash dived and changed course, 3 depth charges but only the first was close, no damage. Got back to the patrol sector and picked up the C2 medium speed, intercepted and gave it my 3 other torps just to be sure, all three hit just behind the engine room and it goes down in about 15 seconds.

All in all very happy, i'm ok with manual targeting now I think, its pretty simple once you work out what all the knobs do, still don't really see the point of the notepad though as it works perfectly just putting the AOB, range, and speed into the TDC directly.

Couple of questions though: Do the crew only get 1xp per patrol? surely that will take forever to promote them! Also I assume I need to leave enough fuel to get back to the starting port? I don't seem to actually need to go back to the port to finish the patrol like I did the first two times. And I assume that the radio qualification applies to the sonar post too?

ShadowOps · 12-06-10, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raymond6751

If you survive long enough or get a type VII then you have enough fuel to reach places like Liverpool in the Irish Sea and the Northern entrance to the Irish Sea.

Actually raymond, I have gotten to Iceland in unmodded SH3 in a Type II. So you dont really NEED a Type VII to reach those places. I dont mean to be rude or anything but I had to add my 2 cents.

12-06-10, 07:41 PM

If I do get a chance to play?
I keep enuff fuel to return to Base.
I don't like the teleport option.

Axeman3d · 12-06-10, 07:56 PM

I park next to the brass band and pretty nurses myself, I didn't even realise teleporting was an option. I always keep enough fuel to get home, and if a patrol is not going well I can stay out so long hunting that I need to turn for home purely for fuel reasons. Of course type VII and IX's have more than ample range for hunting in the Atlantic for weeks if you keep the speed at 10 knots or less.

frau kaleun · 12-06-10, 08:49 PM

@ ShadowOps: Be aware, though, that if you ever take the plunge and go to 100% realism you will lose the option to teleport back to base from anywhere you happen to be. At that level you'll have to sail your boat to within a certain distance (I think it's 30 km but I'm not sure) of a base in order to get a "Dock at" option when you hit the Esc key.

Gargamel · 12-07-10, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

@ ShadowOps: Be aware, though, that if you ever take the plunge and go to 100% realism you will lose the option to teleport back to base from anywhere you happen to be. At that level you'll have to sail your boat to within a certain distance (I think it's 30 km but I'm not sure) of a base in order to get a "Dock at" option when you hit the Esc key.

Ahhhhaaaaaa... Is that why I just lost that option? I thought it was some latent mod finally kicking in. Hmmm... I may have to re-edit my realism down to 99%. After going from 100% HI to 81% after trying to navigate the Bergen Fjords on my return trip, I was really wanting that teleport. Had to sit out in t he bay for a day until the weather calmed.

While I will eventually get into manual targeting, I find that not having external cams to be quite boring. I do however, make visual contact for identification. Everything else is checked. I actually found the game to be more fun with limited fuel than with unlimited.

Axeman3d · 12-07-10, 07:30 PM

I turned on the external view for the same reason, it can get a bit boring without it. Rather than look at the back of the helmsmens head I enjoy watching the escorts going through their drills and ships going up spectacularly. It's also nice to see you boat cutting through the sea sometimes, particularly with all the lovely mods added.

Missing Name · 12-07-10, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gargamel

I actually found the game to be more fun with limited fuel than with unlimited.

Same. I am trying to see if I can get my IXB (IXC when available) to Batavia and back without stopping at a supply ship. Distractions aplenty, though.

Still only playing at 69% realisim. I teleport if I have given hope in trying to find a worthy contact, or if I have something else to do.

ShadowOps · 12-20-10, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

@ ShadowOps: Be aware, though, that if you ever take the plunge and go to 100% realism you will lose the option to teleport back to base from anywhere you happen to be. At that level you'll have to sail your boat to within a certain distance (I think it's 30 km but I'm not sure) of a base in order to get a "Dock at" option when you hit the Esc key.

Well frau, when I do go to 100% realism (I tried it a few times, didnt do so well

) I will be sure to keep that in mind.

Gerald · 12-20-10, 06:18 PM

ShadowOps · 12-21-10, 02:26 AM

I have a nub question: Do the torpedo speeds have any affect on anything other than the speed of the torpedo? Are there any differences with damage or anything?

Gargamel · 12-21-10, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShadowOps

I have a nub question: Do the torpedo speeds have any affect on anything other than the speed of the torpedo? Are there any differences with damage or anything?

They won't run as far, as their fuel will run out sooner at faster settings. Higher speeds are good for close attacks, where the ToT (Time On Target, or run time till impact) needs to be as quick as possible. Good against zigzagging ships or ships like destroyers that can change course very quickly when the eels are discovered.

But torpedos are not kinetic weapons. They cause damage via the high explosive that is detonated. So speed of the weapon shouldn't have any effect on damage. It could though, affect how far under a ship the eel gets before the magnetic pistol detonates it. This will affect the damage, as a perfect keel shot may break a ship's spine, while a more oblique explosion may not do as much damage.

Jimbuna · 12-07-10, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Axeman3d

I park next to the brass band and pretty nurses myself, I didn't even realise teleporting was an option. I always keep enough fuel to get home, and if a patrol is not going well I can stay out so long hunting that I need to turn for home purely for fuel reasons. Of course type VII and IX's have more than ample range for hunting in the Atlantic for weeks if you keep the speed at 10 knots or less.

Teleporting back is for woosies....not toughened steel-like Kaleuns

I teleport back regularly when working/testing mods

12-05-10, 07:11 PM	#1
raymond6751 Admirable Mike Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 1,338 Downloads: 421 Uploads: 0	The patient hunter Take your time and enjoy. I wouldn't worry about staying at your assigned patrol zone, but it is worth a look anyway. The early targets are along the English Coast, East side. If you survive long enough or get a type VII then you have enough fuel to reach places like Liverpool in the Irish Sea and the Northern entrance to the Irish Sea. The convoys in 1940-43 headed for those ports away from the Channel or the South of England. Incidentally, the South of England is a deadly place. Get past that and don't hang around. __________________ Game Designer: Close The Atlantic - World War Three https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/...orld-war-three

12-20-10, 06:18 PM	#12
Gerald SUBSIM Newsman Join Date: May 2008 Location: Close to sea Posts: 24,254 Downloads: 553 Uploads: 0	Welcome Aboard! __________________ Nothing in life is to be feard,it is only to be understood. Marie Curie

12-05-10, 09:11 PM	#2
Axeman3d Machinist's Mate Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Central Scotland Posts: 127 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	Me next.... I would play with Grey Wolves Expansion (GWX) installed right from the start, if for nothing more than the improved graphics and additional ships. It's just SHIII perked up, it doesn't make massive changes to the way you play anyway. You need nothing further for now. Manual solutions on moving ships with no assistance require a fair bit of practice, start with the weapons officer doing it all and you just picking the targets and pulling the trigger. On a single ship it is do-able, but with multiple convoy targets it gets mental. As for attacks, yes you are best to take the time to set up with a side on attack. End on shots are possible, but makes things more difficult for yourself. Also the impact trigger on torps only works reliably almost straight on. The more angled the hit, the more likely it will bounce off harmlessly. You can use magnetic triggering by firing just under the keel of the ship, theoretically much more destructive, but early torps are rather unreliable and as likely to blow up half way there as blow the ship in half. Sonar issues have been explained, they're mounted on the sides so can't hear well directly front or backwards, particularly with your engines whirling away. If you want to hear well, go deep and go slow & quiet. You can upgrade to better systems later in the war, but you still can't hear behind you. That wasn't fixed until much later in the late cold war with towed arrays a mile behind the sub. When on patrol I tend to head straight for the patrol grid, but make sure to submerge a few times a day and slow to a couple of knots to see if I hear anything nearby. Once I've got my 24 hours in the patrol grid done, I tend to go wait in the western approaches for convoys. Convoys to and from America have to go around Ireland to get to the British ports, so hanging around south or north west of Ireland you will eventually find one. Lone ships are good practice, but convoys have the big targets. When attacking convoys you can fire a couple of eels at a couple of big targets, or fire off one each at 4 targets. I favour a single torp per target, and they either sink from the lucky shot, or more often they are slowed or go dead in the water. This means I just need to hang around till the escorts move off with the rest of the convoy before surfacing to finish them off with the deck gun. Easy pickings and saves torpedoes. Later in the war they are usually armed with their own deck guns, so it's a case of setting up an easy shot on a sitting duck.

12-06-10, 06:47 PM	#3
DeepFried Swabbie Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 12 Downloads: 7 Uploads: 0	Thanks for all the advice guys! its going well now I think, just finished my third patrol and a sunk two ships this time , a small merchant and a C2 Cargo, one in my patrol sector and one a sector west. I went to the patrol sector and though it, got a medium speed contact a couple of sectors away which I intercepted in the next sector;was the small merchant, 2 torpedoes and it went down pretty fast. (was planning to use just one but I forgot to open the tube first, so the first torp hit the stern rather than the engine room) I was heading back to my patrol sector and I got an aeroplane contact, crash dived and changed course, 3 depth charges but only the first was close, no damage. Got back to the patrol sector and picked up the C2 medium speed, intercepted and gave it my 3 other torps just to be sure, all three hit just behind the engine room and it goes down in about 15 seconds. All in all very happy, i'm ok with manual targeting now I think, its pretty simple once you work out what all the knobs do, still don't really see the point of the notepad though as it works perfectly just putting the AOB, range, and speed into the TDC directly. Couple of questions though: Do the crew only get 1xp per patrol? surely that will take forever to promote them! Also I assume I need to leave enough fuel to get back to the starting port? I don't seem to actually need to go back to the port to finish the patrol like I did the first two times. And I assume that the radio qualification applies to the sonar post too?

12-06-10, 07:41 PM	#5
Madox58 Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	If I do get a chance to play? I keep enuff fuel to return to Base. I don't like the teleport option.

12-06-10, 07:56 PM	#6
Axeman3d Machinist's Mate Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Central Scotland Posts: 127 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	I park next to the brass band and pretty nurses myself, I didn't even realise teleporting was an option. I always keep enough fuel to get home, and if a patrol is not going well I can stay out so long hunting that I need to turn for home purely for fuel reasons. Of course type VII and IX's have more than ample range for hunting in the Atlantic for weeks if you keep the speed at 10 knots or less.

12-06-10, 08:49 PM	#7
frau kaleun Rear Admiral Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Skyri--oh who are we kidding, I'm probably at Lowe's. Again. Posts: 12,706 Downloads: 168 Uploads: 0	@ ShadowOps: Be aware, though, that if you ever take the plunge and go to 100% realism you will lose the option to teleport back to base from anywhere you happen to be. At that level you'll have to sail your boat to within a certain distance (I think it's 30 km but I'm not sure) of a base in order to get a "Dock at" option when you hit the Esc key.

12-07-10, 07:30 PM	#9
Axeman3d Machinist's Mate Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Central Scotland Posts: 127 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	I turned on the external view for the same reason, it can get a bit boring without it. Rather than look at the back of the helmsmens head I enjoy watching the escorts going through their drills and ships going up spectacularly. It's also nice to see you boat cutting through the sea sometimes, particularly with all the lovely mods added.

12-21-10, 02:26 AM	#13
ShadowOps Mate Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Freezing in my Type VII off of Norway Posts: 52 Downloads: 73 Uploads: 0	I have a nub question: Do the torpedo speeds have any affect on anything other than the speed of the torpedo? Are there any differences with damage or anything?