Can you beat the '68 Campaign in anything but a Skipjack?

Shadow · 07-08-17, 07:16 AM

If you stick to the mission targets, you should be fine. When there's more than one, you don't always need to sink them all to accomplish your mission. For example, you only need to sink 50% of the transports when tackling an invasion force.

A tangential problem I see is that medals seem much harder to earn in the 1968 campaign, if they're tied to tonnage sunk in a single patrol. Your effective destructive power is nowhere near what you have aboard a Los Angeles in 1984. To illustrate my case, in about 7 successful missions in '84 driving an LA I was able to earn the Bronze Star, Silver Star and Navy Cross. In '68 driving a Skipjack, I earned nothing in 5 successful missions (and then I was sunk

).

Some tweaking might be in order. Here's the contents of awards.txt:

While attainable in 1984, the patrol awards in particular seem outlandish in 1968. Perhaps campaigns should have some sort of multiplier value to adjust the requirements to the scenario.

MBot · 07-08-17, 08:18 AM

I just completed the 1968 campaign in a Permit without using saves (except to leave the game). Unfortunately I could not find the Yankee in the last mission, so the Soviet Union continues to exist.

ChaosphereIX · 07-08-17, 09:35 AM

I have finished a '68 campaign on Elite with the following subs:

Skipjack [hardest]
Charlie I
Victor I
Yankee

Edit: Just finished in the Yankee Sidecar with 750k+ tons sunk. That thing destroys fleets.

It certainly is the harder of the two campaigns, but the lack of CWIS and better sensors you can use to your advantage. ie. missile strikes actually work well against fleets in a Charlie. Whole fleets have gone down in one salvo...with no return fire. Not like in '84 that is for sure!

ollie1983 · 07-08-17, 09:46 AM

You don't need to win every mission to complete the campaign. I had at least 2 cock ups.

caine007 · 07-08-17, 09:15 PM

Hmm I think I just got really unlucky my first couple of tries. Kept running into large convoys and modern 30kt Soviet boats.

Playing a Permit now and so far only failed one mission because I had to repair. Mk 37's still suck but they kill diesels and LCT's ok. Even got a few Mk 16 hits.

caine007 · 07-10-17, 05:25 PM

Finally finished it in the Permit. That's a nice boat. Completed every mission I actually made it to in time except the last one. (that Yankee is impossible to find)

I do think doing it in a Narwhal or Sturgeon would be seriously difficult. You can't catch Novembers or Sverdlovs and the extra stealth doesn't seem that useful without the insane sonar and towed array of the 688.

Shadow · 07-10-17, 06:29 PM

Hmm. It seems torpedo wrangling isn't all that effective against newer Soviet subs.

In my current '68 campaign, it had worked against older diesels but my last mission was against an SSG wolfpack. Turned out to be a Juliet and, much to my surprise, a Victor I instead of the expected diesel escort. Very silent, and I couldn't detect it so I kept baiting it with active sonar to betray its general location.

Three torpedoes were sent my way, in total. The first one far enough it could be easily dodged. As soon as it was fired, I turned to face its general direction (only had the transient to work with) and my Skipjack steamed ahead at 20 knots. A second torpedo came in, and it was hot on my tail by the time the Victor emerged into view (couldn't fathom playing without reduced underwater visibility). I swirled around it, trying to return the warhead to the owner, but with the Soviet being dead in the water and my boat on flank, the torp just wouldn't pick it up.

The third torp came out, and things started getting hectic. I was an idiot for not being more traditional, try to get a window and fire off a torpedo of my own, but I was rather befuddled the enemy fishes remained zealously loyal to the Soviet Union. In the end one bit into my rudder and that was that. Luckily I was within escape depth, but in retrospective I could've handled it better.

07-08-17, 07:16 AM	#1
Shadow Torpedoman Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Buenos Aires Posts: 112 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 2	If you stick to the mission targets, you should be fine. When there's more than one, you don't always need to sink them all to accomplish your mission. For example, you only need to sink 50% of the transports when tackling an invasion force. A tangential problem I see is that medals seem much harder to earn in the 1968 campaign, if they're tied to tonnage sunk in a single patrol. Your effective destructive power is nowhere near what you have aboard a Los Angeles in 1984. To illustrate my case, in about 7 successful missions in '84 driving an LA I was able to earn the Bronze Star, Silver Star and Navy Cross. In '68 driving a Skipjack, I earned nothing in 5 successful missions (and then I was sunk ). Some tweaking might be in order. Here's the contents of awards.txt: Code: [Medals and Awards] Navy=United States PatrolAwards=event_award_bronze_star,event_award_silver_star,event_award_navy_cross,event_award_medal_of_honor PatrolTonnage=25000,50000,100000,200000 CumulativeAwards=event_award_navy_com,event_award_navy_dsm,event_award_legion_of_merit CumulativeTonnage=50000,100000,250000 MissionsPassed=3,6,10 WoundedAwards=event_award_purple_heart ProbabilityWounded=0.15,0.001 While attainable in 1984, the patrol awards in particular seem outlandish in 1968. Perhaps campaigns should have some sort of multiplier value to adjust the requirements to the scenario. __________________ Shadow's Cold Waters mods (JSGME-friendly) = Longer Campaigns: Marathon Edition = 500-yard MAD range Last edited by Shadow; 07-08-17 at 07:28 AM.

07-08-17, 09:35 AM	#3
ChaosphereIX Mate Join Date: Jun 2017 Posts: 57 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	I have finished a '68 campaign on Elite with the following subs: Skipjack [hardest] Charlie I Victor I Yankee Edit: Just finished in the Yankee Sidecar with 750k+ tons sunk. That thing destroys fleets. It certainly is the harder of the two campaigns, but the lack of CWIS and better sensors you can use to your advantage. ie. missile strikes actually work well against fleets in a Charlie. Whole fleets have gone down in one salvo...with no return fire. Not like in '84 that is for sure! Last edited by ChaosphereIX; 07-09-17 at 05:28 AM.

07-10-17, 06:29 PM	#7
Shadow Torpedoman Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Buenos Aires Posts: 112 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 2	Hmm. It seems torpedo wrangling isn't all that effective against newer Soviet subs. In my current '68 campaign, it had worked against older diesels but my last mission was against an SSG wolfpack. Turned out to be a Juliet and, much to my surprise, a Victor I instead of the expected diesel escort. Very silent, and I couldn't detect it so I kept baiting it with active sonar to betray its general location. Three torpedoes were sent my way, in total. The first one far enough it could be easily dodged. As soon as it was fired, I turned to face its general direction (only had the transient to work with) and my Skipjack steamed ahead at 20 knots. A second torpedo came in, and it was hot on my tail by the time the Victor emerged into view (couldn't fathom playing without reduced underwater visibility). I swirled around it, trying to return the warhead to the owner, but with the Soviet being dead in the water and my boat on flank, the torp just wouldn't pick it up. The third torp came out, and things started getting hectic. I was an idiot for not being more traditional, try to get a window and fire off a torpedo of my own, but I was rather befuddled the enemy fishes remained zealously loyal to the Soviet Union. In the end one bit into my rudder and that was that. Luckily I was within escape depth, but in retrospective I could've handled it better. __________________ Shadow's Cold Waters mods (JSGME-friendly) = Longer Campaigns: Marathon Edition = 500-yard MAD range

07-08-17, 08:18 AM	#2
MBot Loader Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Switzerland Posts: 90 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	I just completed the 1968 campaign in a Permit without using saves (except to leave the game). Unfortunately I could not find the Yankee in the last mission, so the Soviet Union continues to exist.

07-08-17, 09:46 AM	#4
ollie1983 Sailor man Join Date: Jun 2017 Posts: 45 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	You don't need to win every mission to complete the campaign. I had at least 2 cock ups.

07-08-17, 09:15 PM	#5
caine007 A-ganger Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 72 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	Hmm I think I just got really unlucky my first couple of tries. Kept running into large convoys and modern 30kt Soviet boats. Playing a Permit now and so far only failed one mission because I had to repair. Mk 37's still suck but they kill diesels and LCT's ok. Even got a few Mk 16 hits.

07-10-17, 05:25 PM	#6
caine007 A-ganger Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 72 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	Finally finished it in the Permit. That's a nice boat. Completed every mission I actually made it to in time except the last one. (that Yankee is impossible to find) I do think doing it in a Narwhal or Sturgeon would be seriously difficult. You can't catch Novembers or Sverdlovs and the extra stealth doesn't seem that useful without the insane sonar and towed array of the 688.