How to avoid counter-detection and know when you've been spotted?

ET2SN · 04-03-18, 11:07 PM

Some of this depends on how you like to play the game.

But first, keep in mind that those missions were "ported" over from an earlier Sonalyst game. Back in the day, the idea was to stay close (10 to 20 feet) to the bottom so you could get lost in the clutter. That tactic may or may not work in RA.

Next, figure out what is pinging away on the surface. Patrol craft have a loud active ping because they need one.

The rest of their sonar isn't all that great. Figure out what the active contact is and what it's doing. Is it reacting to you at all or is it just blasting away to be a nuisance? Are you doing anything to minimize your cross section? Sometimes, keeping a "bow on" aspect will allow you to get much closer without being detected.

Sometimes it pays off to save your mission a lot, especially if you're new to a type of mission. Save, play "chicken" for a while, check your mission status to see if you were detected, reload your saved game to change your tactics if its needed, etc.

Last, what type of bottom are you dealing with? Sea floor (bed) types come in three flavors- rock, sand, and mud. That order is important, its much easier to be detected near a rock bottom than a mud bottom. This becomes very important when you're working too shallow to rely on thermal layers.

04-03-18, 11:07 PM	#2
ET2SN Ocean Warrior Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 2,652 Downloads: 60 Uploads: 0	Some of this depends on how you like to play the game. But first, keep in mind that those missions were "ported" over from an earlier Sonalyst game. Back in the day, the idea was to stay close (10 to 20 feet) to the bottom so you could get lost in the clutter. That tactic may or may not work in RA. Next, figure out what is pinging away on the surface. Patrol craft have a loud active ping because they need one. The rest of their sonar isn't all that great. Figure out what the active contact is and what it's doing. Is it reacting to you at all or is it just blasting away to be a nuisance? Are you doing anything to minimize your cross section? Sometimes, keeping a "bow on" aspect will allow you to get much closer without being detected. Sometimes it pays off to save your mission a lot, especially if you're new to a type of mission. Save, play "chicken" for a while, check your mission status to see if you were detected, reload your saved game to change your tactics if its needed, etc. Last, what type of bottom are you dealing with? Sea floor (bed) types come in three flavors- rock, sand, and mud. That order is important, its much easier to be detected near a rock bottom than a mud bottom. This becomes very important when you're working too shallow to rely on thermal layers.