why should i bother to play after 1943

[Tachyon]

Originally Posted by _Seth_

I agree with you, mate! Its boring when you just can outsmart those DD's, based on their stupid AI. I believe that GWX will make the simple task of sinking a merchant into some seriouse planning, just as it was in real life..

DD AI is stupid????

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Suddenly, i'm not sure who's more dumb , me or the AI..

[irish1958]

Stabiz is right. It is a challenge to evade the DD's in GWX Beta. You better not get caught in shallow water. As the years go by, it becomes more difficult. Isn't that what happened?
If you look at the map of sunken U-Boats, it looks like the Atlantic was paved by them.
By 1943 the Battle of the Atlantic was really over.
Didn't Prien get his goodies in the far East?

[FlyinS]

Originally Posted by Tachyon

DD AI is stupid????

Suddenly, i'm not sure who's more dumb , me or the AI..

Glad I'm not the only one that feels this way.

1 Is pretty easy to evade.
2 Is a big challenge.
3 I might as well surface and hit All Stop.

[stabiz]

When the bolds get available it is a favourable change. Bolds are very effective if used right.

[Tijn]

The normal version of the game has some good AI Destroyers but they don't appear until later in the war. I think you can't deny that the escort are pretty stupid until "42. So for me 43/44 are with GW the best year. Yes i die most of the time in the end of 43 of somewhere in 44 but i like it. This game must be hard because that's the way it really was.

That's way i can't wait for GWX to be released. To give me some thrills even in the beginning of the war.



OW and other reason to play further in 43..... My VIIC looks damn sexy with the third coning tower and quad AA!!!!

[The Munster]

Originally Posted by stabiz

When the bolds get available it is a favourable change. Bolds are very effective if used right.

With the Bolds, it's all about getting the timing [to release them] right.
It's a relief to hear the pinging fade off in one direction while we're off in the other

[stabiz]

Its also alot of fun to listen to the Brits pound a tin can to pieces with 50+ depth charges!

[Safe-Keeper]

• Challenge.
• Variation. After having started 10 000 careers in 1939, I long for something different.
• New radio messages, ships, planes, etc. coming into play.

Think that covers it.

[Incubus]

After 1943, sinking merchants actually feels like more of an accomplishment. The challenge allows you to be a lot more careful- there will be contacts that look like a sure thing, but using experience you'll know it may not be worth the risk to your boat. Often in many patrols I have to turn back after sinking only a few ships to ensure I make it back alive, since enemy surface/air presence gets larger and with radar and ASDIC there are very, very few places to hide.

[P_Funk]

I think that the reason so many people get googly eyed when we talk about the "stupid DD AI" is that there really isn't a widely available DD Evasion guide out there. There are mountains of guides on how to actually make a torpedo hit something. But after that info gets quite thin. Learning to evade DDs is mostly a self taught thing. I think that what we need to do with GWX is release something like a strategy guide.

What I can give you guys in the interim is a little synthesis of commonly accepted wisdom amongst more experienced folk.

Deeper is better (especially in the new GWX). DD ASDIC sensors have a cone and that cone gets narrower as you get closer and deeper. If you can get under him he won't be able to see you and he is blind in his baffles (his arse).

Keep your speed low when deep and accelerate in bursts when you won't be heard or when he is running over you in a Depth Charge attack when he has lost contact with you temporarily.

Use the Bold decoy the moment it is available. Effectively deployed it is excellent at throwing off a DD.

In the game you profile to the DD is important. Facing your bow or stern to him reduces your visibility.

That's my rudimentary set of tips. Maybe someone whos a bit better than me can add some detail (like how to use Bolds properly).

Cheers

[FlyinS]

I was just going to ask that. I've heard several people state that Bolds work well when "deployed effectively", how exactly is that done?

[mookiemookie]

The only thing I'd add is to not be afraid to outrun them on the surface if you know you can. Flower corvettes have a max speed of 16 knots, and if you're out of range of their guns (or at least far enough away and presenting a small target) then you can hightail it outta there.

Remember, when you're submerged you're blind and very slow. If you can avoid putting yourself in that position, by all means do so.

[oscar19681]

Man i,m always complaining the destroyers are way to easy for me man .

[Sailor Steve]

In reply to raduz's original question, "why should I bother to play after 1943"? It really depends on what you're looking for in the game. If you just want to sink ships and have fun, play on the lower (easier) settings and go for it. Without any of the mods it's probably still fairly easy to sink the enemy and survive. You can safely add things like the Harbour Traffic mod and graphics mods yourself, and not change anything.

When you feel more comfortable at harder levels, or are crazy like some of us and want to pretend we're really U-boat Aces (yeah, right!) then you have to accept that the odds are you're going to die sooner than later. That's one of the beauties of this particular game-you can be as realistic, or have as much fun (or both) as you want. It all depends on your taste.

The supermods are tailored more toward the "realism" side of things. There is no rule that you have to use them. I personally use a hodge-podge mess taken from several different sources, though that may change with GWX.

We'll see.

[Subwolf]

If you have survived into -45, and see the message "Germany has capitulated, lay down your arms and return to base", then the game is won and you can call yourself a true U-boat kaleun