Target Motion Analysis Tutorial

[FPSchazly]

** I've searched through the rules but didn't find anything about this. Please let me know if this is frowned upon here! **

Howdy, all! I'm FPSchazly and I love making Dangerous Waters videos. Some of you have probably seen me around the YouTubez, others probably haven't. A grand majority of my videos are me commentating over videos as I play through the default Dangerous Waters campaign and the Red Storm Rising campaign.

Recently, I decided to start a Tutorial series because it was requested by many and because the resources that come with Dangerous Waters aren't really the best/limited. Now, I've already done six tutorials but I'm reckoning that most of you on here already know how to do that stuff (Radar, ESM, Navigation, Fire Control, etc.). Today, I'm releasing a new tutorial on how to do Target Motion Analysis. This is, by far, the topic on which most people have requested help.

Now, this tutorial doesn't get too crazy in depth. That will be for more advanced tutorials. This tutorial is focused solely on TMA and how to interpret basic waterfall trends and plot basic solutions.

So, without further ado, here it is! I hope this can help at least one person out there! Thank you.



P.S. Is there a way to do a media embed like on other forums?
P.P.S. Feel free to let me know if anything is confusing or if you find a mistake! I want these tutorials to be the best they can be, so, as they say, lay it on me.

[tirta]

Thanks FPSchazly for the tutorial.
I really appreciate it.
I am looking forward for the advanced tutorial.

[FPSchazly]

Originally Posted by tirta

Thanks FPSchazly for the tutorial.
I really appreciate it.
I am looking forward for the advanced tutorial.

Glad to hear it!

[smithcorp]

Glad you have posted about these here. I've been watching the tutorials you've produced (as well as some of your play-throughs) and found then useful. I'm most of the way through the TMA one and it's damn good!

[FPSchazly]

Originally Posted by smithcorp

Glad you have posted about these here. I've been watching the tutorials you've produced (as well as some of your play-throughs) and found then useful. I'm most of the way through the TMA one and it's damn good!

Thanks!

[Shkval]

Good one for an absolute beginner... but... you didn't show the most important stuff... the merging of bow and stern sensors/trackers data in waterfall (Master 01, Master 02 etc) and their usage in TMA. We know that crossing of bearing lines in TMA gives much more accurate picture about contact's heading, speed, distance etc.

1. First two bearings crossing gives: Exact Bearing, Approximate Distance, Unknown Speed, Unknown Course;

2. Second two bearings crossing gives: Exact Bearing, Exact Distance, Approximate Speed, Approximate Course;

3. Third two bearings crossing gives: Exact Bearing, Exact Distance, Exact Course, Very good idea of contact's speed.

It turns out that minimum time for a decent TMA solution is at least 6 minutes, the more time you have to observe contact, the better solution is! That's why the distance, i.e. first bearings crossings, is the most important part of the solution, it gives you the idea how much time you have! That is why the quietness of a sub is it's the most important feature... it comes down to "who hears who first"...

"Dangerous Waters" in difference of it's predecessor "Sub command" has one BIG flaw, the sensors (bow and towed arrays) are limited to exactly 10 NM... maybe 11 NM in clear weather, and their sensitivity is about the same... In "Sub Command" if you cannot hear a contact with bow sensors, but you can hear it with towed array you are pretty safe, and have enough time for tactical maneuvers... but that's another story...

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by FPSchazly

** I've searched through the rules but didn't find anything about this. Please let me know if this is frowned upon here! **...

Making a tutorial is against the rules??? Don't be silly. Thumbs up to you.

[scott613]

Hey - nice tutorial... ET1/SS - Battle Stations "Geo Plot" 85-91...

Regards,
Scott

[FPSchazly]

Originally Posted by banryu79

I watched the "Cumulative" ones yesterday evening: pretty high quality tutorials, you are very good at it, imo.
DW wannabes are lucky you are feeling so passionate about the game; your videos deserves better visibility, imo.

Originally Posted by Polak2

I entirely agree that those "cumulative" tutorials are done with great skill and good narrative. Thank you and keep them coming. It shows true aspect and character of submarine warfare in DW as being underwater chess game.
Perhaps for the complete beginners it maybe little overpowering, but for someone with knowledge of basics it is interesting to see what is the complex sequence of identifying, eliminating collateral traffic and tracking and killing right targets.
Looking forward to see similar tutorials for other platforms.

Originally Posted by scott613

Hey - nice tutorial... ET1/SS - Battle Stations "Geo Plot" 85-91...

Regards,
Scott

Thanks so much, everyone!

[in_vino_vomitus]

What I like about these vids is that every time I watch them, something clicks that I'd missed before. Also I like the informal commentary style. Don't take this the wrong way - You obviously know what you're doing, but sometimes you sound like an absent minded professor - e.g.

"Ok - so this contact here is an Akula and he's really moving - and then we have a cruise ship and a freighter and wow! the sea state is really ridiculous - Ok - anyway so let's look at how fast the freighter's moving - Oh my gosh it's really close - and is that another hostile submarine? - Anyway, this is how we use the DEMON....."

I have visions of a first officer in the control room trying to catch your attention - "Er.. Sir? If we could just get back to the Akula? You know, the big deadly thing that's looking for us too?..."

First rate work anyway - Thanks for taking the time

[FPSchazly]

Originally Posted by in_vino_vomitus

What I like about these vids is that every time I watch them, something clicks that I'd missed before. Also I like the informal commentary style. Don't take this the wrong way - You obviously know what you're doing, but sometimes you sound like an absent minded professor - e.g.

"Ok - so this contact here is an Akula and he's really moving - and then we have a cruise ship and a freighter and wow! the sea state is really ridiculous - Ok - anyway so let's look at how fast the freighter's moving - Oh my gosh it's really close - and is that another hostile submarine? - Anyway, this is how we use the DEMON....."

I have visions of a first officer in the control room trying to catch your attention - "Er.. Sir? If we could just get back to the Akula? You know, the big deadly thing that's looking for us too?..."

First rate work anyway - Thanks for taking the time

Haha, yeah definitely. That's something that just comes with knowing a lot, so I'll try my best to keep that from happening. I gotta remember I can edit out dead space in post so I should just take a breath at a situation like that and figure out how I want to present my thoughts.

[in_vino_vomitus]

Originally Posted by FPSchazly

Haha, yeah definitely. That's something that just comes with knowing a lot, so I'll try my best to keep that from happening. I gotta remember I can edit out dead space in post so I should just take a breath at a situation like that and figure out how I want to present my thoughts.

No - please don't. In case it didn't come across, I like the "stream of consciousness" style that you have - Especially since I tend to get target fixated and miss stuff, so it's a good reminder to stay aware of the complete picture - but mostly it's fun to listen to - I have to say though, if you feel like doing requests I'd dearly love some guidance on sorting out contact ambiguities on the FFG's Towed array....