Star Shells?

Madgamer78 · 02-13-12, 07:04 PM

Please forgive my ignorance, I am new to this game and still trying to figure everything out.

I am wondering what Star Shells are used for. I know they appear to be some kind of flare, but do they also damage ships? In what case would I want to use them?

I thought maybe they are used to illuminate targets at night for the Deck Gun but can they be used offensively as well?

Any help welcome, thanks!

PS I tried running a search but couldn't really find any useful info on this, sorry if the answer is to be found here somewhere.

Raptor · 02-13-12, 07:47 PM

Star shells are for illumination only. In reality, they could cause a fire on board ship if hit in the right spot, but I don't know if SH3 models that or not; probably not. Escorts and merchants will use them to see you at night, or at least to force you to dive. After a ship is hit, they already know you're out there. The only question is "where?".

Before you light up that convoy, remember, if you can see the enemy, they can see you too.

With SH3 + GWX, your deck gun has only HE rounds available; the useless starshells and armor piercing rounds are deleted.

Madgamer78 · 02-13-12, 08:25 PM

Thanks for the reply, Raptor. I wasn't sure what they were, so that clears things up. I surfaced to engage a Coastal Merchant today and ran out of AP and HE shells, so switched to Star. A fire did indeed break out on board from using them, but I was aiming at the waterline mostly and she wouldn't sink, though I spent all 40 rounds hitting it.

Harald_Lange · 02-14-12, 04:48 AM

Quote:

I surfaced to engage a Coastal Merchant today and ran out of AP and HE shells, so switched to Star.

You need to get close enough so you can see the whites of their eyes, you'll use a lot less ammo that way.

Also make sure your deck gun guy is a qualified gunner. Helps with accuracy a lot I find.

u35_captain · 02-29-12, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raptor

Star shells are for illumination only. In reality, they could cause a fire on board ship if hit in the right spot, but I don't know if SH3 models that or not; probably not. Escorts and merchants will use them to see you at night, or at least to force you to dive. After a ship is hit, they already know you're out there. The only question is "where?".

Before you light up that convoy, remember, if you can see the enemy, they can see you too.

With SH3 + GWX, your deck gun has only HE rounds available; the useless starshells and armor piercing rounds are deleted.

Just to add: you can hit ships with them and start a fire, I've done it at least once. Problem is if you miss even slightly, the ship is now very well hidden. And they don't do much damage anyways. (It's called 'trying to sink a ship with the last few shells')

zygoma · 03-05-12, 02:59 AM

Now that I'm driving (however badly) a Type IXb boat with the 105mm gun, I've got a *lot less* cannon shells to use. Is there a way in SH3 to change my gun ammo loadout before leaving harbor, just like I do with my torps? Since there isn't nearly as much room for gun ammo as on the Type VII boats, I'd rather allocate my resources the way I'd like. I'm finding that, even with near-perfect aim, I can sink more than about 2 merchants without running out of HE & AP front gun ammo.

Alpha Von Burg · 03-05-12, 04:55 AM

In the the stock version, I'm sure that you don't have that choice, you get a ration of star shells, AP and HE.

As for the the stock + GWX, both the star shells and AP shell (if I remember this correctly) are left out completely leaving a full inventory for HE shells.

Raptor · 03-05-12, 11:15 AM

Edit your stock SH3 file accordingly (GWX does this for you by default).

There are TWO sets of values you must change in /SilentHunterIII/data/Cfg/Basic.cfg/
Make these values anything you want; 250 and 3000 are the GWX defaults

Located after [Torpedo_Type10] and before [Color_0]

[SUBMARINE_AMMOLIMITS1] ;105mm
MaxAmmoPerSlot=250

[SUBMARINE_AMMOLIMITS2] ;88mm
MaxAmmoPerSlot=250

[SUBMARINE_AMMOLIMITS3] ;37mm
MaxAmmoPerSlot=3000

[SUBMARINE_AMMOLIMITS4] ;20mm
;MaxAmmoPerSlot=3000
MaxAmmoPerSlot=3000

Located further down, after [Conning_Type12] almost at the end of the file

[AMMO_TYPE0];10.5cm SK C/32
Idx=0
Year=1939
Month=1
;AP=40 <= these are the stock SH3 default values
;HE=160

;SS=20
AP=0 <= these are the default values in GWX
HE=250
SS=0
Renown=0

[AMMO_TYPE1];8.8cm SK C/35
Idx=1
Year=1939
Month=1
;AP=40 <= these are the stock SH3 default values
;HE=160
;SS=40
AP=0 <= these are the default values in GWX
HE=250
SS=0
Renown=0

[AMMO_TYPE2] thru [AMMO_TYPE10] are for the AA guns. Change values if you wish. GWX default is 3000.

Raticon · 03-05-12, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zygoma

Now that I'm driving (however badly) a Type IXb boat with the 105mm gun, I've got a *lot less* cannon shells to use..[...]

The 105mm rounds packs more punch and you will have to use less rounds to sink ships then you have to with the 88mm, therefore while at sea, you won't experience it as a shortage of ammo in the long run as you will use fewer rounds per ship you sink

.

What i would like to see?

The German 150mm "Kanone 18" mounted on the sub... Just imagine firing that beast broadside, with every shot you take the sub is turned upside down by the recoil and then floats back up on it's keel again to take another shot after the crew's panic and disarray has lost it's grip

RootBeer · 04-03-12, 05:15 AM

Is it possible to have more then 250 rounds of ammo in GWX 3.0? I find that 250 just isn't enough.

Missing Name · 04-03-12, 09:48 AM

Yes, it's possible. You can load just about as much as you want.

In real life, no. 110 rounds was pushing it for the 10.5cm. I have 200 rounds and justify it by saying there is less hypothetical storage for food, meaning shorter patrols. The rate I go through munitions restricts patrol lengths anyway. Also, Bernard's bunk is full of shells too.

Raptor · 04-03-12, 10:25 AM

Achtung Rootbeer:

See my 2nd post (above) regarding editing loadout. Change 250 to whatever you want.

A u-boat made a lousy gun platform, even in calm seas. Once the merchants are armed, it can be suicide to try to gun them down. Most boats never fired their cannon except for training.

Sailor Steve · 04-03-12, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raticon

What i would like to see?

The German 150mm "Kanone 18" mounted on the sub... Just imagine firing that beast broadside, with every shot you take the sub is turned upside down by the recoil and then floats back up on it's keel again to take another shot after the crew's panic and disarray has lost it's grip

That's only a 6" gun. Three of the US 'V' boats (Narwhal, Nautilus and Argonaut) carried two of them.
http://www.valoratsea.com/narwhal.htm

Luno · 04-03-12, 11:40 AM

Were the 20mm AA rounds really only AP? That seems highly inefficient...why not HE?

Missing Name · 04-03-12, 12:40 PM

They DID have HE rounds for the 2cm. In fact, the loadout was typically 3 HE per AP round.

Why this isn't modeled, I have no idea.

02-13-12, 07:04 PM	#1
Madgamer78 Swabbie Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 5 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	Star Shells? Please forgive my ignorance, I am new to this game and still trying to figure everything out. I am wondering what Star Shells are used for. I know they appear to be some kind of flare, but do they also damage ships? In what case would I want to use them? I thought maybe they are used to illuminate targets at night for the Deck Gun but can they be used offensively as well? Any help welcome, thanks! PS I tried running a search but couldn't really find any useful info on this, sorry if the answer is to be found here somewhere.

02-13-12, 07:47 PM	#2
Raptor Weps Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Pacific NW, USA Posts: 350 Downloads: 54 Uploads: 0	Star shells are for illumination only. In reality, they could cause a fire on board ship if hit in the right spot, but I don't know if SH3 models that or not; probably not. Escorts and merchants will use them to see you at night, or at least to force you to dive. After a ship is hit, they already know you're out there. The only question is "where?". Before you light up that convoy, remember, if you can see the enemy, they can see you too. With SH3 + GWX, your deck gun has only HE rounds available; the useless starshells and armor piercing rounds are deleted. __________________ Raptor

03-05-12, 02:59 AM	#6
zygoma Loader Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 84 Downloads: 66 Uploads: 0	can Star Shellls be left out of loadout in port? Now that I'm driving (however badly) a Type IXb boat with the 105mm gun, I've got a lot less cannon shells to use. Is there a way in SH3 to change my gun ammo loadout before leaving harbor, just like I do with my torps? Since there isn't nearly as much room for gun ammo as on the Type VII boats, I'd rather allocate my resources the way I'd like. I'm finding that, even with near-perfect aim, I can sink more than about 2 merchants without running out of HE & AP front gun ammo.

03-05-12, 04:55 AM	#7
Alpha Von Burg Engineer Join Date: May 2010 Location: Unknown Posts: 202 Downloads: 87 Uploads: 0	can Star Shellls be left out of loadout in port? In the the stock version, I'm sure that you don't have that choice, you get a ration of star shells, AP and HE. As for the the stock + GWX, both the star shells and AP shell (if I remember this correctly) are left out completely leaving a full inventory for HE shells. __________________ -Kapitänleutnant Richard L. Römer

03-05-12, 11:15 AM	#8
Raptor Weps Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Pacific NW, USA Posts: 350 Downloads: 54 Uploads: 0	Can Star Shells be left out of the loadout? Edit your stock SH3 file accordingly (GWX does this for you by default). There are *TWO* sets of values you must change in /SilentHunterIII/data/Cfg/Basic.cfg/ Make these values anything you want; 250 and 3000 are the GWX defaults *Located after [Torpedo_Type10] and before [Color_0]* [SUBMARINE_AMMOLIMITS1] ;105mm MaxAmmoPerSlot=250 [SUBMARINE_AMMOLIMITS2] ;88mm MaxAmmoPerSlot=250 [SUBMARINE_AMMOLIMITS3] ;37mm MaxAmmoPerSlot=3000 [SUBMARINE_AMMOLIMITS4] ;20mm ;MaxAmmoPerSlot=3000 MaxAmmoPerSlot=3000 *Located further down, after [Conning_Type12] almost at the end of the file* [AMMO_TYPE0];10.5cm SK C/32 Idx=0 Year=1939 Month=1 ;AP=40 <= these are the stock SH3 default values ;HE=160 ;SS=20 AP=0 <= these are the default values in GWX HE=250 SS=0 Renown=0 [AMMO_TYPE1];8.8cm SK C/35 Idx=1 Year=1939 Month=1 ;AP=40 <= these are the stock SH3 default values ;HE=160 ;SS=40 AP=0 <= these are the default values in GWX HE=250 SS=0 Renown=0 [AMMO_TYPE2] thru [AMMO_TYPE10] are for the AA guns. Change values if you wish. GWX default is 3000. __________________ Raptor

02-13-12, 08:25 PM	#3
Madgamer78 Swabbie Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 5 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	Thanks for the reply, Raptor. I wasn't sure what they were, so that clears things up. I surfaced to engage a Coastal Merchant today and ran out of AP and HE shells, so switched to Star. A fire did indeed break out on board from using them, but I was aiming at the waterline mostly and she wouldn't sink, though I spent all 40 rounds hitting it.

04-03-12, 05:15 AM	#10
RootBeer A-ganger Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Surrey, British Columbia, Canada Posts: 77 Downloads: 122 Uploads: 0	Is it possible to have more then 250 rounds of ammo in GWX 3.0? I find that 250 just isn't enough.

04-03-12, 09:48 AM	#11
Missing Name Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Westun New Yahk Posts: 748 Downloads: 131 Uploads: 0	Yes, it's possible. You can load just about as much as you want. In real life, no. 110 rounds was pushing it for the 10.5cm. I have 200 rounds and justify it by saying there is less hypothetical storage for food, meaning shorter patrols. The rate I go through munitions restricts patrol lengths anyway. Also, Bernard's bunk is full of shells too. __________________ Largest target sunk with deck gun: Japanese auxiliary cruiser, 15000 tons Largest engaged: HMS Nelson. Results inconclusive. Read Brag's stuff

04-03-12, 10:25 AM	#12
Raptor Weps Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Pacific NW, USA Posts: 350 Downloads: 54 Uploads: 0	Achtung Rootbeer: See my 2nd post (above) regarding editing loadout. Change 250 to whatever you want. A u-boat made a lousy gun platform, even in calm seas. Once the merchants are armed, it can be suicide to try to gun them down. Most boats never fired their cannon except for training. __________________ Raptor

04-03-12, 11:40 AM	#14
Luno Ensign Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 234 Downloads: 123 Uploads: 0	Were the 20mm AA rounds really only AP? That seems highly inefficient...why not HE? __________________ Career: Feb. 13, 1942 "Cpt. Johny Goodwood" Porpoise class: USS Shark, SS-174 Patrols: 2 Victories: 1 Merchants (4519 GRT), 0 Warships (0 GRT), 0 Aircraft Sunk with all hands lost.

04-03-12, 12:40 PM	#15
Missing Name Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Westun New Yahk Posts: 748 Downloads: 131 Uploads: 0	They DID have HE rounds for the 2cm. In fact, the loadout was typically 3 HE per AP round. Why this isn't modeled, I have no idea. __________________ Largest target sunk with deck gun: Japanese auxiliary cruiser, 15000 tons Largest engaged: HMS Nelson. Results inconclusive. Read Brag's stuff