How to tweak torp behavior?

[FPSchazly]

Originally Posted by DeimosFormido

I don't usually stalk my torpedoes in 3D view so I've never seen them do this, but doesn't that seem weird?? Torpedo sensor "cones" are wide and flat, how on earth would a Mk48 at ~180 ft detect an Oscar at 700 ft??

You're assuming that the torpedo turns on its seeker head literally on top of the enemy target. Angles are what matter here, not really the depth difference. The seeker head usually turns on further away such that the depth of the target doesn't really matter, it's always in the cone (500 ft depth difference vs. activating the seeker from 6000 ft away). And the seeker cone is more of an actual cone, not a fan.

[DeimosFormido]

Originally Posted by FPSchazly

You're assuming that the torpedo turns on its seeker head literally on top of the enemy target. Angles are what matter here, not really the depth difference. The seeker head usually turns on further away such that the depth of the target doesn't really matter, it's always in the cone (500 ft depth difference vs. activating the seeker from 6000 ft away). And the seeker cone is more of an actual cone, not a fan.

I confess I never actually did the math.
Vertical angle on torpedo sensor is 15°. Range of sensor is 3000 yd. Therefore with a bit of trigonometry, maximum depth the cone reaches below torpedo running depth is: 2400 ft


I honestly never thought this would be the case due to my ability to evade Russian torps by vertical evasion


In the "in-game manual" the tactics section on torpedo evasion mentions vertical evasion as being a viable approach. And it mentions the vertical detection range... for the Mk37. That's where I got the "400 ft vertical" notion. I guess I memorized that number but never where I got it from exactly.
So I guess a Mk48 can literally scan the whole range of depth where submarines can go, even Alfas, and it does indeed just come down to "over the layer vs. under it"...



Jesus, Mk48s really do make enemy torpedoes look like trash in '84, huh?

[M134]

Mk48 is a goddam OP swimming nightmare... not to mention ADCAP version)
Since I'm playing only Russian campaings of the Epic Mod, I only see them against me...
When mk48 is looking for you - you start to produce bricks at amazing rate))

[FPSchazly]

Originally Posted by DeimosFormido

I confess I never actually did the math.
Vertical angle on torpedo sensor is 15°. Range of sensor is 3000 yd. Therefore with a bit of trigonometry, maximum depth the cone reaches below torpedo running depth is: 2400 ft


I honestly never thought this would be the case due to my ability to evade Russian torps by vertical evasion


In the "in-game manual" the tactics section on torpedo evasion mentions vertical evasion as being a viable approach. And it mentions the vertical detection range... for the Mk37. That's where I got the "400 ft vertical" notion. I guess I memorized that number but never where I got it from exactly.
So I guess a Mk48 can literally scan the whole range of depth where submarines can go, even Alfas, and it does indeed just come down to "over the layer vs. under it"...



Jesus, Mk48s really do make enemy torpedoes look like trash in '84, huh?

Well if you are right on top of the torpedo and the torpedo is far enough above or below you, yeah you won't be in the seeker cone for the exact reasons you mentioned. I've been in such a situation a few times with a circle-search and it's a tricky one. You gotta kinda stay with the torpedo because if you start moving away it will just see you again

[Bilge_Rat]

In terms of detection, sounds travel as well vertically as horizontally underwater. A 1500 feet/500 yds separation in depth is really pointblank range.

that said, no one knows what a MK48 can really do. The data is classified and they were never used in a war. They may be the uberweapons the USN claims or may turn out to be another MK14.

I would think the easiest way to tweak torp behaviour would be to play around with the sensitivity and range of the sensors.