I'm concerned about game ballance on the American side of things.

[danoh]

If the torpedoes are true to life, then we can also use knowledge we have to compensate for the bad torpedoes.

American torpedoes at the start of the war had two problems: they ran deeper than set and the exploder was faulty when using impact rather than magnetic detonation. Samuel Elliot Morrison summarizes these faults on p. 495 of "The Two Ocean War."

"The first defect caused the torpedo to run ten feet deeper than set, usually so far und a ship's hull that the magnetic feature was not activated."

and "[the second defect, the impact firing pin] proved too fragile to stand up under a good, square, 90-degree hit; normally it would set off the charge only if the warhead hit a ship at an acute angle."

and finally, on page 496: "It was not until September 1943 that United States Submarines had dependable torpedoes."

If all this is accurately recreated in the game, then you should be able to compensate for problem 1 by shooting your magnetic torps on the surface, which would make them run 10 feet deeper, but still shallow enough to be triggered by the ship's magnetic field. The second problem can be overcome by shooting at acute angles.

[hyperion2206]

Originally Posted by danoh

If the torpedoes are true to life, then we can also use knowledge we have to compensate for the bad torpedoes.

American torpedoes at the start of the war had two problems: they ran deeper than set and the exploder was faulty when using impact rather than magnetic detonation. Samuel Elliot Morrison summarizes these faults on p. 495 of "The Two Ocean War."

"The first defect caused the torpedo to run ten feet deeper than set, usually so far und a ship's hull that the magnetic feature was not activated."

and "[the second defect, the impact firing pin] proved too fragile to stand up under a good, square, 90-degree hit; normally it would set off the charge only if the warhead hit a ship at an acute angle."

and finally, on page 496: "It was not until September 1943 that United States Submarines had dependable torpedoes."

If all this is accurately recreated in the game, then you should be able to compensate for problem 1 by shooting your magnetic torps on the surface, which would make them run 10 feet deeper, but still shallow enough to be triggered by the ship's magnetic field. The second problem can be overcome by shooting at acute angles.

Or you jsut take the trustworthy Mark IX on board.

[danoh]

Originally Posted by danoh

American torpedoes at the start of the war had two problems: they ran deeper than set and the exploder was faulty when using impact rather than magnetic detonation.

Reading up on the issue over the weekend, I found this paragraph (perhaps not the most authorative source) Time-Life's "War Under The Pacific" volume in their WWII series. P. 46 reads, in part

"What was not understood was that the magnetic field encasing a ship varied in shape depending on the circumstances. Near the Equator this magnetic envelope flattened out until it resemebled a thisk disc more than a hemisphere. Thus a torpedo would enter the magnetic field some distance from the side of the ship - where it would explode harmlessly."

So a third, widely reported problem - premature explosion of torpedoes - also existed.

I'm curious if the game will recreate this level of detail, or if the early-war Mark XIV torpedoes are simply very likely to be duds that bounce off the sides of ships.

[VipertheSniper]

I only hope it's not as frustrating, albeit realistic, as with SH1, where dud's and premature detonations were very much the rule with the dud torpedo setting on.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by VipertheSniper

I only hope it's not as frustrating, albeit realistic, as with SH1, where dud's and premature detonations were very much the rule with the dud torpedo setting on.

I hope it is that realistic and frustrating, but only at the highest levels. Of course it should be an option.

[Camaero]

I would love it (although in a very frustrating way) if I could come back from patrols with 0 ships sunk due to faulty torps.

[difool2]

Originally Posted by Camaero

I would love it (although in a very frustrating way) if I could come back from patrols with 0 ships sunk due to faulty torps.

...only to get a warning from ComSubPac that you aren't sinking enough ships. Got
that once in SH1 after plugging 10 torps (about half duds) into the side of a Yamato
class BB and not sinking her. Hmm enemy's biggest boat laid up in drydock for 6+
months, and that's a bad thing?

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by difool2

...only to get a warning from ComSubPac that you aren't sinking enough ships. Got
that once in SH1 after plugging 10 torps (about half duds) into the side of a Yamato
class BB and not sinking her. Hmm enemy's biggest boat laid up in drydock for 6+
months, and that's a bad thing?

1) Our intelligence from Japan is very poor; we have no proof of what you claim.

2) Be more agressive!
:rotfl:

[joea]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I hope it is that realistic and frustrating, but only at the highest levels. Of course it should be an option.

Exactly, it MUST be an option, and thus no need to "dumb" it down if the option is on.

[VipertheSniper]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I hope it is that realistic and frustrating, but only at the highest levels. Of course it should be an option.

That would only be the case if we didn't know how to counter the problems with the torpedoes in early war.

I've once played the whole campaign in SH1 with everything on full realism, but it's just not the same having all the knowledge the skippers didn't have as to why their torps didn't hit, failed to explode or exploded prematurely. Sure one can pretend to not have the knowledge, but I'm sure it'll only take 1 mission to make you use your knowledge tho.

[Sailor Steve]

Not me...I'm good at pretending.:p :rotfl:

No offence or argument intended; I really do like having those options, and I'm frustrated that SHIII made it too easy in the early war.

[Morts]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I'm good at pretending.:p :rotfl:

hahahaha:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[hyperion2206]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I hope it is that realistic and frustrating, but only at the highest levels. Of course it should be an option.

I don't think that they will include such an option, I wouldn't. I think that even the people who like to play with 100% realism would get quite annoyed if 90% of their torpedoes would be duds. I know that some of us would like to have that, but they're too few. Just my 2 cents.