Manual Targeting in TMO different from stock game?

[Gray Lensman]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

That's because it just isn't possible. Our radar screens on real subs gave ship positions to within 15 yards, regardless of range, as accurate as our map updates. But our game radars are nowhere near adequate to giving us the same accuracy as the real submarines had. Our nav map suffers from error due to binning, so it is not perfectly accurate either.

Therefore map contacts off becomes like crossing eight lanes of traffic on I-75 in the middle of Atlanta with a blindfold on. It is possible, especially if you are blind and have developed the necessary abilities. But is it in any way realistic? No, like map contacts off, it is difficult and I suppose some points must be offered for the sheer difficulty of it, but it is not historical, accurate or any reflection of the actual situation of a radar equipped submarine in the war.

It is a major travesty that the settings are called "realism" settings. They are difficulty settings and nothing more.

As long as you are using TMO or TMOPlot, map contacts on is much more historically accurate than map contacts off. I've read most of the war reports of American submarines and not one brags about the Commander conning the boat with a paper bag over his head. So far.

Well, I actually succeeded in a rough approximation of a distant target's course and speed using the radar screen spokes and very rough approx. radar distance rings. When the target got close enough for the sonar man to call out sound bearings, it helped even more, but even the sonar man is off a couple of degrees usually and at a good distance that can mean a lot of error.

Definitely it was a very rough approximation, but enough to start an end around once close enough to visually feel your way around the outer visibility limit. Two readings were required with several minutes between the readings to get the rough course approximation (forget target speed calculations though). It is doable, but I'm not sure if it's something I'm going to enjoy game play wise.

I did it using the X marker tool, marking the sub position and then the line tool drawing out the same bearing angle 10 miles or so then the compass circle at approx. the same distance, where they intersect, place an X and wait a while, rinse, repeat... It's too sloppy to use for 3 minute speed determination usage however.

I think you might be exaggerating a little bit likening it to conning the boat with a paper bag over his head. Really I don't think they had a map with a little dot moving neatly around on it either. The simulation does suffer from accuracy with the radar screen, but the technique they used had to be something similar to above.

Right now I'm hampered by not being very good with the Position Keeper when they are close enough since I've really just used the Constant Bearing for all my previous gameplay due to its ease of use especially with the moving dot using on-map updates.