Help with manual targeting

[Gray Lensman]

Originally Posted by FrisianCommander

Thank you very much, Gray Lensman. I think you exactly tried to do what I asked: fill in the gaps that WernerSobe left out because I couldn't understand where he got his conclusions/information from.

However, it is still a little bit difficult to understand without seeing it happening in front of me. I have been thinking about this and perhaps you or someone else is willing to help me in the folllowing way: we go to Discord and I go to Twitch (or YouTube) and I stream my game. Then you can tell me how it should be done. Could that be an idea?

I look forward hearing from you.

I haven't done this manual targeting much myself and after viewing Werner's old video, I'm just now trying to implement some of the things I caught when I revisited it. I seem to have a little difficulty making the stadimeter measurement work right. The mouse moves the "image" when I try to click the TDC stadimeter button, giving me an incorrect reading. Gotta sort that. I'm not set up for discord or twitch either.

[FrisianCommander]

To Gray Lensman: I can help with Discord and on Twitch you only have to watch me play. Then through Discord you can tell me what to do.

If you got sorted out how Werner did it (I think you could call this the way the developers intended to have this game played), let me know. However, if you don't want to help through Discord and Twitch (for instance), then let me know about it, too. Perhaps with some direct questions I can still figure it out.


To the others who replied: I'm sorry that I'have singled out Gray Lensman's reply from all of the others. I think that your methods are of course good, but I would first like to try the way the game is set up to be played. I will look into the others ways when it is necessary for me to be able to enjoy the game.

[propbeanie]

The actual "SilentHunter4 Manual.pdf" file found in the Support folder of the game has an OK series of instructions for targeting, as the game does it, and isn't a bad place to start reading. If you really want to do some in-depth reading (I know, I know, bad pun), then check-out the real SUBMARINE TORPEDO FIRE CONTROL MANUAL on the https://maritime.org/uss-pampanito/ site, one of several good sources of old information.

[Gray Lensman]

Originally Posted by FrisianCommander

To Gray Lensman: I can help with Discord and on Twitch you only have to watch me play. Then through Discord you can tell me what to do.

If you got sorted out how Werner did it (I think you could call this the way the developers intended to have this game played), let me know. However, if you don't want to help through Discord and Twitch (for instance), then let me know about it, too. Perhaps with some direct questions I can still figure it out.

To the others who replied: I'm sorry that I'have singled out Gray Lensman's reply from all of the others. I think that your methods are of course good, but I would first like to try the way the game is set up to be played. I will look into the others ways when it is necessary for me to be able to enjoy the game.

Just because I was able to point out what I thnk Werner was doing and not mentioning doesn't mean I'm proficient at his method just yet. LOL. I've played SH4 on/off for several years now and spent all that time lining up Dick O'Kane fast 90s (close in 500-700 yards), mixed in with the occasional Cromwell 45 AOB attack on convoys and now toying with the Vector Analysis Attack Rules, none of which required the use of the Stadimeter which Werner uses. Hard to break from these techniques and they were also historically valid, though maybe the vector analysis method not so much. So far, the few times I've attempted to use the Stadimeter (after reviewing his video above) for range finding, my results are way off and trying to click on the TDC button when the second image of the ship is placed just right has been frustrating since it wants to move on me when I go to click the TDC stadimeter range input button.

Any clues as to how to lock the image in place while moving the mouse to the TDC input button would be helpful. When I click the mouse button as you would to remove the mouse focus from the scope view the second image disappears before I can click the input button on the TDC. Probably doing something incredibly simple wrong. LOL

Basically, until I get proficient at Werner's method, I'm just not your guy yet, sorry.

I'll be glad to help once I am proficient, but at the moment, I've had to reinstall/restart the sim several times this week due to saved game contamination and therefore little time for experimenting with Werner's method other than my failed attempts to make the stadimeter reading read anywhere near the same as the on-map measurements.

Regards

[Joe S]

Hello Frisian Commander!
May I offer a few suggestions?

I play with only a few mods, mainly sound and some graphics. I play map contacts on, because in a real submarine the Captain has a tracking party that maintains a manual plot, so the map contacts "ON" feature simulates the work of the tracking party. If you play with map contacts off its a little more work for you but it can be done.
With map contacts on, speed is the ONLY critical data you have to collect. Angle on bow is not that important if you get into a proper firing position to begin with, with your own course perpendicular to the target's track or course and between 500-1,500 yards from the target's track.

If you have the speed accurately estimated and in proper firing position range is completely irrelevant.

I suggest you print a copy of the target book to make it easier to find what you want. I then put together a sheet with the profile of each type of target and the AVERAGE mast height for each. For example, the average mast height for a Japanese destroyer is 69'. If there are notable exceptions I make a note of it. For example, the average mastheight for a Japanese Battleship is 164' but the Kongo and Yamato have mastheight of 140. That way, if I know the target is a destroyer I use the average mastheight and do not have to worry about finding the exact class of destroyer. For a Large Tanker, the average mastheight is 98'. Medium freighter 78' and so on.
Using the map, draw a line representing the target's track (course). Maneuver your boat to a position ahead of the target and about 500-1,500 yards from the target's track. Mark an X on the current location of the target( at the tip of the bow)
Lower the scope. Wait at least three minutes. Raise the scope while looking at the map. as soon as the target's icon shows up on the map mark another x where it is and lower the scope. Measure the distance travelled and calculate the speed, then enter the speed in the TDC. I have a chart prepared for this purpose. for example, a target that travels 236 yards in one minute is moving at 7 knots. Enter the target speed in the TDC. Since you are already at approx a 90 angle to the target's track, set the angle on bow as best you can and enter the data. If you are off by a little bit it wont matter.
Depending on how much time you have, check the target speed a few times and make sure it has not changed course, keeping the scope up only long enough to allow the must current target position to show up on the map When the bearing on the target gets close to 0 degrees, (almost right in front of you) say at 340 degrees moving from left to right, or at 20 deg moving from right to left, make a final check with the scope. Mark the bearing with the TDC, set and enter the range, then down scope. Go to the TDC view and check to see of the tdc is correctly tracking the proper target, then fire your torpedoes.
A trick that you can use is to calculate how much lead you need to hit a target with the torpedo speed you are using. Once you figure that out, you can use the same amount of lead, in degrees, no matter what the range, as long as you are 90- degrees to the target's course. I have not used that method in a long time and I cant find the chart right now but it works. Not as much fun as doing it the long way.
I hope this helps!
Good Luck,
Joe S