Missed..again

DrBeast · 03-11-12, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julie Whitefeather

I did read through the manual targeting methods and I am afraid all it did was leave me scratching my head, not understanding at all what was going on. While I do want to try manual targeting I need something a bit simpler than the link mentioned above.

There are also two buttons on the sonar that say "send range" to TDL and another one as well. What are those for? I also don't understand what the "spread" is for. And I can't figure out why my radar doesn't work even though I have one installed on the submarine.

Sorry for all the questions. This makes Eve Online look like an easy game.

Julie

Fear not, our resident cool guy (aka RockinRobbins) has a video tutorial just for you! It's on auto-targeting, and you can watch it

The send Range/send bearing buttons are not really useful if you play auto-targeting. What they do is send the target's range and bearing (which you've acquired from your sonar) to the TDC.

"Spread" is manually altering the torpedo's track by as many degrees as you put your dial on, either to port (left) or to starboard (right). To understand what I'm saying, lock on a target and turn on the Position Keeper (red PK button on the TDC), then switch to your Attack Map. You'll see a green line extending from your sub to where the torpedo will hit (your target). Now, play with the spread dial and see how the line moves. Remember to set it back to zero when you're done.

SURFACE Radar only becomes available later on in the game, and you'll have to equip it when you're in base (and only once it becomes available) - what you have right from the get-go is AIR search radar.

Oh and if you find EVE online a breeze, you'll be playing SH4 on your fingertips really soon!

I'm goin' down · 03-11-12, 07:41 PM

Here is what to do.

Set your options for the game before you head on a patrol. You do that on the main screen, with one exception. If you start a campaign, you set the options by opening a book on the shelf to the left of the captain's desk, and once you select the options in a campaign, they are set until you start another (or, and I am not sure about this, you return to base, end the patrol, and decide to reset them.)

Since you are new, select the options you want. Do not check manual targeting. That will enable auto targeting. When the target is in your scope view, you will see a red, yellow, or green light on the torpedo firing mechanism. Green means the target yields a good shot. yellow, not as good, and red --waste of a torpedoe.

Try that first. Then come back and to discuss the O'Kane method, as it is more complex. If you need a one on one, PM me and I will give you my contact information. I Skyped with Rockin Robbins re the O'Kane method when I started, plus he taught me how to load mods, and a few other things. Learning how to hit a target is like dance class in elementary school. Your brothers and sisters did it, so did your parents. and now it is your turn. It is a right of passage. Once you hit the target, you won't look back.

Julie Whitefeather · 03-12-12, 12:56 AM

The odd thing that happened late this evening is I had a merchant ship at 10 degrees off the starboard bow. I stopped dead in the water. I was an automatic firing. Then the odd thing happened.

The triangle would only light up for the aft torpedos and not the forward torpedos that were facing the merchant ship.

And this time I knew to open all the torpedo doors.

Thanks.

Well...at least I'm not as bad as the captain of the U.S.S. William D. Perry.

TorpX · 03-12-12, 11:48 PM

I haven't used auto-targeting much in this game, but I think you can see and get a better 'feel' for what is going wrong if you enable map contacts, and just before/after you launch torpedos, go to the 'attack map'. It should show the track the torpedos are set to take, and will more or less, show you how good the firing solution is. I think you should be able to track the torps in real time, and see if they go in front or behind the target.

WernherVonTrapp · 03-13-12, 10:00 AM

Forgive me if you've posted this already elsewhere but, what version of SH4 are you running?

Julie Whitefeather · 03-14-12, 10:28 AM

I am not sure what version I am running. I purchased Silent Hunter 4 first and then the Uboat addon. The problem I had initially is when I loaded up the uboat addon the American side of the game wouldn't play. So I found advice on Google that said load up only the uboat addon and the Silent Hunter 4 game will load automatically - it worked.

At that point I went out to Ubisoft to try and patch the game but the patches didn't seem to work. Since I bought the games on Steam my guess is they are already patched.

Julie

krashkart · 03-14-12, 10:48 AM

It could be that you're using early-war torpedoes. If that's the case there's a good chance that your fish are just bouncing off the intended target as duds.

Later in the war better torpedoes become available that have a greater chance of exploding when you want them to.

And on that note, is there a mod that will make some of those dud torpedoes jump out of the water after they hit?

Bubblehead1980 · 03-22-12, 10:30 PM

Sounds like your speed calculation may be off or failing to open the tubes before hand.Also, try aiming one fish at the center, one at the forward mast, one at the aft mast.

Harmsway! · 03-22-12, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julie Whitefeather

The odd thing that happened late this evening is I had a merchant ship at 10 degrees off the starboard bow. I stopped dead in the water. I was an automatic firing. Then the odd thing happened.

The triangle would only light up for the aft torpedo and not the forward torpedo that were facing the merchant ship.

And this time I knew to open all the torpedo doors.

Thanks.

Well...at least I'm not as bad as the captain of the U.S.S. William D. Perry.

Let's talk about this for a moment and pretend that the two of you are traveling on the same course. Unless he is directly behind you he (target) would be on a parallel course. Like the rails on a train track. The target on one rail and you traveling on the other. Now let say you wait for him to catch up and lay along your left side of your position. At this point if you fire out the bow the torpedo would have to make a sharp turn, 90 degrees in fact to hit the target. That would be outside the turning range of the torpedo and the firing solution would not allow it.

You could of course angle the bow of your boat facing him enough to allow for a firing solution. This causes the torp to head straight out a little then make a sharp turn to hit the target. Even when these solutions are possible they greatly diminish the possibility of a hit. Straight on shots (your course 90 degrees to his course) to small angle shots have the best chance of success.

In your case the firing solution aft was possible. It may need to take a sharp turn but it was possible. Also if you select an aft tube to be ready it will try to set up a solution for it.

Therefore I set up a course 90 degrees to target course while I'm waiting. I then fire when his bearing is a few degrees before zero, at zero (dead ahead) and a few degrees past zero. This is a broadside hit. Of course with auto targeting the green triangle indicator will be ready long before this. Just because the shot is possible doesn't mean it is the best shot. Wait for it. Even with the target locked, wait for the broadside shot.

One last thing. The targeting computer will take into account not only the target speed but your sub speed and come up with a solution. However if your sub is still moving it complicates the solution enough to lesson your chance of a hit. So your best chance is to lie in wait with little to no speed of your own. Another reason why setting up is so important. You want to be there long before he is.

TorpX · 03-22-12, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harmsway!

In your case the firing solution aft was possible. It may need to take a sharp turn but it was possible. Also if you select an aft tube to be ready it will try to set up a solution for it.

This is what I was thinking.

It is possible to have a target 10 deg. off the bow and have a solution for the stern tubes, if the target is close and moving rapidly past you. But, as you said, the TDC will compute a solution for the tubes selected, without regard as to the quality/efficacy of the solution.

VonGlaus · 03-22-12, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I'm goin' down

Learning how to hit a target is like dance class in elementary school. Your brothers and sisters did it, so did your parents. and now it is your turn. It is a right of passage. Once you hit the target, you won't look back.

Now that is worthy of a sig line...

03-11-12, 07:41 PM	#2
I'm goin' down Ocean Warrior Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Notify command we have entered the Grass Sea Posts: 2,822 Downloads: 813 Uploads: 0	Here is what to do. Set your options for the game before you head on a patrol. You do that on the main screen, with one exception. If you start a campaign, you set the options by opening a book on the shelf to the left of the captain's desk, and once you select the options in a campaign, they are set until you start another (or, and I am not sure about this, you return to base, end the patrol, and decide to reset them.) Since you are new, select the options you want. Do not check manual targeting. That will enable auto targeting. When the target is in your scope view, you will see a red, yellow, or green light on the torpedo firing mechanism. Green means the target yields a good shot. yellow, not as good, and red --waste of a torpedoe. Try that first. Then come back and to discuss the O'Kane method, as it is more complex. If you need a one on one, PM me and I will give you my contact information. I Skyped with Rockin Robbins re the O'Kane method when I started, plus he taught me how to load mods, and a few other things. Learning how to hit a target is like dance class in elementary school. Your brothers and sisters did it, so did your parents. and now it is your turn. It is a right of passage. Once you hit the target, you won't look back. Last edited by I'm goin' down; 03-12-12 at 12:40 AM.

03-13-12, 10:00 AM	#5
WernherVonTrapp Admiral Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Now, alot farther from NYC. Posts: 2,228 Downloads: 105 Uploads: 0	Forgive me if you've posted this already elsewhere but, what version of SH4 are you running? __________________ "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." -Miyamoto Musashi ------------------------------------------------------- "What is truth?" -Pontius Pilate

03-12-12, 12:56 AM	#3
Julie Whitefeather Voyager Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 47 Downloads: 28 Uploads: 0	The odd thing that happened late this evening is I had a merchant ship at 10 degrees off the starboard bow. I stopped dead in the water. I was an automatic firing. Then the odd thing happened. The triangle would only light up for the aft torpedos and not the forward torpedos that were facing the merchant ship. And this time I knew to open all the torpedo doors. Thanks. Well...at least I'm not as bad as the captain of the U.S.S. William D. Perry.

03-12-12, 11:48 PM	#4
TorpX Silent Hunter Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 3,975 Downloads: 153 Uploads: 11	I haven't used auto-targeting much in this game, but I think you can see and get a better 'feel' for what is going wrong if you enable map contacts, and just before/after you launch torpedos, go to the 'attack map'. It should show the track the torpedos are set to take, and will more or less, show you how good the firing solution is. I think you should be able to track the torps in real time, and see if they go in front or behind the target.

03-14-12, 10:28 AM	#6
Julie Whitefeather Voyager Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 47 Downloads: 28 Uploads: 0	I am not sure what version I am running. I purchased Silent Hunter 4 first and then the Uboat addon. The problem I had initially is when I loaded up the uboat addon the American side of the game wouldn't play. So I found advice on Google that said load up only the uboat addon and the Silent Hunter 4 game will load automatically - it worked. At that point I went out to Ubisoft to try and patch the game but the patches didn't seem to work. Since I bought the games on Steam my guess is they are already patched. Julie

03-14-12, 10:48 AM	#7
krashkart Navy Seal Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 5,292 Downloads: 100 Uploads: 0	It could be that you're using early-war torpedoes. If that's the case there's a good chance that your fish are just bouncing off the intended target as duds. Later in the war better torpedoes become available that have a greater chance of exploding when you want them to. And on that note, is there a mod that will make some of those dud torpedoes jump out of the water after they hit?

03-22-12, 10:30 PM	#8
Bubblehead1980 Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Florida USA Posts: 7,121 Downloads: 605 Uploads: 44	Sounds like your speed calculation may be off or failing to open the tubes before hand.Also, try aiming one fish at the center, one at the forward mast, one at the aft mast.