Rough nite...

[Rockin Robbins]

And consider this: no matter how "realistic" the game is by whatever standard you wish to use, WE are NOT realistic. With our 20/20 hindsight encyclopedic knowledge of World War II, we game the system, making perfectly realistic content into an arcade game silly season!

Knowing that our torpedoes will run 10' deep in the early war, we game the system, setting the dratted things on the surface. Knowing the magnetic sensors don't work, we shut 'em down when real captains risked their careers when they dared to do that.

Using the external camera or the event camera we watch the torpedo pass under the target and adjust. The real sub crew didn't know whether they missed ahead, behind or under, only that there was no boom. We can diagnose our shooting with great precision and apply remedies. Much of what they thought was happening just wasn't. Their adjustments made the problem worse.

We know for a fact that two properly placed torpedoes will hit almost exactly where we aim them and that they will sink our target. So we fire two per victim and move on efficiently. The real sub crews shot spreads of four so they could get a couple of hits. When they hit two shots they often had to follow up to close the deal.

Many, many targets were left damaged but not sunk. We get all pouty if we make three booms and the target stays on the surface. We even write nasty posts complaining about the damage model. Just about every target we hit goes down.

And the most ludicrous part of all: the real men in World War II hated being there. They were scared, they could die out there, there was no help if they were tagged and disabled. The happiest day of their lives was when they could leave the war. We love the game, aren't scared at all and charge around as if we could get blown to smithereens and just restart the game.......oh........actually we CAN do that, can't we?

The most unrealistic part of SH4 is US!

[G2B]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

And consider this: no matter how "realistic" the game is by whatever standard you wish to use, WE are NOT realistic. With our 20/20 hindsight encyclopedic knowledge of World War II, we game the system, making perfectly realistic content into an arcade game silly season!

Knowing that our torpedoes will run 10' deep in the early war, we game the system, setting the dratted things on the surface. Knowing the magnetic sensors don't work, we shut 'em down when real captains risked their careers when they dared to do that.

Using the external camera or the event camera we watch the torpedo pass under the target and adjust. The real sub crew didn't know whether they missed ahead, behind or under, only that there was no boom. We can diagnose our shooting with great precision and apply remedies. Much of what they thought was happening just wasn't. Their adjustments made the problem worse.

We know for a fact that two properly placed torpedoes will hit almost exactly where we aim them and that they will sink our target. So we fire two per victim and move on efficiently. The real sub crews shot spreads of four so they could get a couple of hits. When they hit two shots they often had to follow up to close the deal.

Many, many targets were left damaged but not sunk. We get all pouty if we make three booms and the target stays on the surface. We even write nasty posts complaining about the damage model. Just about every target we hit goes down.

The most unrealistic part of SH4 is US!

I would have to agree here, unless you show some real restraint in your actions to avoid all of the above mentioned advantages, I know I can't.
So having escorts with a bit more aggressiveness is not unfair. In fact trying to evade escorts makes the sim, otherwise it's just fishing in a barrel with dynamite.

Surprises like the Q-ship (have not ran into yet) or well trained escort captains keep you on your toes. I have not installed 1.8 yet, waiting for my current career to come to a tragic end, but I think I read Bungo Pete is going to be out and about a bit Now I'm not asking for anything here, just a thought, it would be interesting to have a small squadron of 2 or 3 smaller escorts roaming about some of the choke points. Nothing on the Captain Walker scale but enough to keep you thinking should I go for the single ship or that small convoy on my radar? That would make for a good surprise As a matter of fact that happened to me int the slot, 5 destroyers cruising in. Yes they were running supplies but still we had an interesting surprise when visual was made. That made for one of the most exciting attacks I had done.

[magic452]

*I think that ducimus has hit a very good balance between realism and game play and as far as forcing you to act as a real captain goes he sure accomplished his mission. I don't do things that I did in stock, you just can't get away with that kind of stuff in TMO.

Rockin Robbins hit the nail on the head. Realism is how you play the game and Ducimus has forced you to play it right. His evil airplanes are a perfect example of this.

I had attacked a fat convoy and was trying to do a run around but the planes keep forcing me down, made a difficult task of it. Between the planes and course changes it took all day. Made a night attack and started another run around, by the time I could get set up it was daylight again and I had to duck a plane and lost my good set up. Did it all over again and finally got off some good shots.

The point is the planes and course changes forced me to plot the convoy's course and try to guess when and by how much they would alter their course and then try to figure out a good intercept point. It was challenging but a whole lot o" fun.

While admiring my handy work on the cam "aircraft spotted sir". I had missed the radar call. Just about ruined a very good day.

Thanks for the evil planes, they make the game fun. The same goes for the evil DD, if you are in no danger of being sunk the game gets boring real fast.

Just as a though I think G2B has a good idea with the small hunter/killed groups. Could seriously alter the way you patrol certain areas by forcing you out of the choke points.

I think I will be playing SH4 with TMO long after SH5 is released.

Thanks again Ducimus mission accomplished.

Magic

[tomoose]

I would have to agree with RR. The game can be as realistic as YOU make it. Ducimus' TMO, for me, helps along those lines. I play at 100% realism. No external views etc. I find the game bloody frustrating at times but in a twisted way it makes it more enjoyable, LOL. Maybe it's just the masochist in me, LOL.
If I miss a target, I try to figure out what went wrong. With no external view, this is a challenge in itself. I normally fire at least 3 torps at a given target with a fourth on standby ready to adjust if I miss and am able to determine the cause from the periscope.
I find TMO to add the right amount of challenge given the way I play it.

[jazman]

As it's said about literature, you can tell more truth with fiction.