Finally found a way to get ships to act somewhat more realistic in surface engagement

[Bubblehead1980]

Thought I had added the Battle of Komandorski Islands(the last day light surface engagement in history that did not involve aircraft or submarines) in my TMO Update but turns out I did not. I have recreated it. Also, after browsing SH 3 forums got an idea. In the Sim.cfg I upped the max firing range for AI guns(big guns) to 31000 meters or nearly 17 nautical miles and increased max error in the firing angle. Result, in daylight the cruisers engaged one another at about 14000 yards, which is pretty decent instead of the absurdly close range would only fire at before. The battles are more realistic as not such sniper like gunfire, forces dont wipe one another out immediately. The Battle lasted about four hours and had an outcome on pair with history...except the US side lost one DD. Was pretty cool to watch it unfold actually.

Tested Savo Island, of course night time ranges will be less typically , and that battle ships were practically at point blank range at times, so is scripted as such but believe after initial contact with southern group, when IJN ran into the Northern group , opened fired on them at longer ranges (in the sim) and they closed one another .

Have not tested battleships yet. Would be interesting if can get them to fire at the longer ranges.


Tested with player sub make sure escorts were not firing from crazy ranges and did not, after all they have see your sub fire and difficult at such range to spot a sub.

[iambecomelife]

Originally Posted by Bubblehead1980

Thought I had added the Battle of Komandorski Islands(the last day light surface engagement in history that did not involve aircraft or submarines) in my TMO Update but turns out I did not. I have recreated it. Also, after browsing SH 3 forums got an idea. In the Sim.cfg I upped the max firing range for AI guns(big guns) to 31000 meters or nearly 17 nautical miles and increased max error in the firing angle. Result, in daylight the cruisers engaged one another at about 14000 yards, which is pretty decent instead of the absurdly close range would only fire at before. The battles are more realistic as not such sniper like gunfire, forces dont wipe one another out immediately. The Battle lasted about four hours and had an outcome on pair with history...except the US side lost one DD. Was pretty cool to watch it unfold actually.

Tested Savo Island, of course night time ranges will be less typically , and that battle ships were practically at point blank range at times, so is scripted as such but believe after initial contact with southern group, when IJN ran into the Northern group , opened fired on them at longer ranges (in the sim) and they closed one another .

Have not tested battleships yet. Would be interesting if can get them to fire at the longer ranges.


Tested with player sub make sure escorts were not firing from crazy ranges and did not, after all they have see your sub fire and difficult at such range to spot a sub.

Good to know! I hate how quickly stock SH4 ships destroy each other - after all, even in the last battle of "Bismarck" (a one-sided bloodbath) the vast majority of shells from "Nelson" & KGV missed. Similarly, "Scharnhorst" & "Gneisenau" had to expend a huge amount of ammo to sink "Glorious" - which literally could not fire back at all. The close ranges are another pet peeve; in fact standard SH4 battles remind me of old-fashioned galleon duels!

[Ludwig van Hursh]

I would love to see Savo Island in the game, you would just need to add the "Admiral Lee" buff so that USS Washington can stealth around and blast anything flying the Rising Sun