Targets on the map.

Col7777 · 06-06-20, 03:12 AM

I was in a conflict where both side were in a battle, after the battle I stayed with my side and sailed along with it just out of curiosity to see where we were going.
Then after a while the ships vanished and I was left alone on the sea, then this made me think of when you see a convoy popup miles away and you try to make for it, by the time you get there it has gone even if you make a guess where it might be and go that area.
So I'm thinking when you see a target popup on the map and after a while it fades away has it vanished like the convoy I was sailing with, so are the best targets the ones that are close by and reachable in time and not the ones far off?

Col.

Mad Mardigan · 06-06-20, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Col7777

I was in a conflict where both side were in a battle, after the battle I stayed with my side and sailed along with it just out of curiosity to see where we were going.
Then after a while the ships vanished and I was left alone on the sea, then this made me think of when you see a convoy popup miles away and you try to make for it, by the time you get there it has gone even if you make a guess where it might be and go that area.
So I'm thinking when you see a target popup on the map and after a while it fades away has it vanished like the convoy I was sailing with, so are the best targets the ones that are close by and reachable in time and not the ones far off?

Col.

Know that with SH3 for Me, modded with LSH3-2015, I've gone for convoys that popped up on the Nav map, that were a bit of time travel & they were there when I got there, as well as had some drop off the map, too.

As for if this is the case yet or NOT with SH4.. am NOT entirely sure yet, most I've seen show up on the mapping, often times, have NOT been in a position to investigate, as just when I go to do so invariably just as I start to do so have had other convoys or even in some cases, had single solo ships crop up... short circuiting My investigating if it were possible for them to be there or NOT, just like with SH3.

From what I do recall, with some time of plying SH4 in its 'nilla stage state, this was the case, just as with SH3... so... it just may be possible that the mega makers, didn't do much to upset the convoy apple cart, as it were... other than adding in or tweaking the campaign files that were in stock SH4.

So, in conclusion.. I'd say the odds of a successful convoy intercept for 1's some ways off on the mapping & still being there or being seen after getting to them.. would rank in a 40-50 percentile range of a successful intercept/engagement... for convoys that require little to NO travel time to engage or intercept, I'd say would probably range in the 85-95 percentile range, with a +/- percentage of 5-15 percentage of missing them due to unknown factors & would be your better bet for targets to go for.

This is of course, just speculation on My part & may... or may not be entirely without merit.

Mad Mardigan

Col7777 · 06-06-20, 05:11 AM

I touched on a bit of what you were saying in another thread. I have made my way to a distant convoy only to have a target popup very close to where I was at first, then do I go back or carry on?

I also think your speculation isn't far off being correct too.

Col.

XenonSurf · 06-06-20, 06:55 AM

My guess is this:
Technically speaking every unit in the game campaign has waypoints to follow, spawn zones depending on the player entry point, spawn times for excluding units to appear in some date intervalls and: despawn time when reaching the last waypoint. This is important for game performance and stability, the less units the game must calculate the better the game performance. In the mission files it's defined as:

DeleteOnLastWaypoint=true

which means after reaching last waypoint the unit is removed from the game, although it's extremely unlikely you will see that because units appear in a spawing range when YOU pass a specific zone; from there it's assumed x time where you stay in contact with the unit, and x is generally high enough to avoid the player seeing units disappearing. If you stay very long in contact with units you will eventually see them disappear, but a special dynamic mission like being asked to wait for sea support or alike will reset the timer because a new dynamic mission will trigger.
Some units like those added for port protection have loop waypoints, meaning the above trigger is 'false' and they will patrol forever until destroyed. Convoys and task forces have very long waypoints but will despawn at the last one, generally just before entering a port, although I have once spotted a very large friendly merchand convoy with 4 destroyers entrering Surabaya base when I was leaving from there. I moved away, but had I stayed there I would have seen them - poof - gone in thin air

For the stock game, the game designers did everything to avoid a player seeing that, that's also why there is little or no traffic in a port except stationary units.

XS

KaleunMarco · 06-06-20, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Col7777

I was in a conflict where both side were in a battle, after the battle I stayed with my side and sailed along with it just out of curiosity to see where we were going.
Then after a while the ships vanished and I was left alone on the sea, then this made me think of when you see a convoy popup miles away and you try to make for it, by the time you get there it has gone even if you make a guess where it might be and go that area.
So I'm thinking when you see a target popup on the map and after a while it fades away has it vanished like the convoy I was sailing with, so are the best targets the ones that are close by and reachable in time and not the ones far off?

Col.

what XS describes is true. ships, convoys, task forces typically start and end in some port. the only ones which don't are those that are defined in the actual MIS for the mission you are playing, and there are not that many of those.
https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpos...26&postcount=4

now, having said that, i can say that in Stock, i have seen what you have seen: a ship or a convoy disappears while i am tracking it.

i have chalked up those experiences as poor coding and near-CTD's.

my advice: carry on with the task at hand.

good luck and good hunting.

Col7777 · 06-06-20, 08:33 AM

This is as I thought but wanted expert opinions, you have also explained I hope to some newbies where those convoys go they were chasing from miles away.

Col.

06-06-20, 03:12 AM	#1
Col7777 Grey Wolf Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 944 Downloads: 260 Uploads: 0	Targets on the map. I was in a conflict where both side were in a battle, after the battle I stayed with my side and sailed along with it just out of curiosity to see where we were going. Then after a while the ships vanished and I was left alone on the sea, then this made me think of when you see a convoy popup miles away and you try to make for it, by the time you get there it has gone even if you make a guess where it might be and go that area. So I'm thinking when you see a target popup on the map and after a while it fades away has it vanished like the convoy I was sailing with, so are the best targets the ones that are close by and reachable in time and not the ones far off? Col. __________________ Silent and Violent

06-06-20, 05:11 AM	#3
Col7777 Grey Wolf Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 944 Downloads: 260 Uploads: 0	I touched on a bit of what you were saying in another thread. I have made my way to a distant convoy only to have a target popup very close to where I was at first, then do I go back or carry on? I also think your speculation isn't far off being correct too. Col. __________________ Silent and Violent

06-06-20, 06:55 AM	#4
XenonSurf Sea Lord Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Germany, Italy Posts: 1,703 Downloads: 107 Uploads: 4	My guess is this: Technically speaking every unit in the game campaign has waypoints to follow, spawn zones depending on the player entry point, spawn times for excluding units to appear in some date intervalls and: despawn time when reaching the last waypoint. This is important for game performance and stability, the less units the game must calculate the better the game performance. In the mission files it's defined as: DeleteOnLastWaypoint=true which means after reaching last waypoint the unit is removed from the game, although it's extremely unlikely you will see that because units appear in a spawing range when YOU pass a specific zone; from there it's assumed x time where you stay in contact with the unit, and x is generally high enough to avoid the player seeing units disappearing. If you stay very long in contact with units you will eventually see them disappear, but a special dynamic mission like being asked to wait for sea support or alike will reset the timer because a new dynamic mission will trigger. Some units like those added for port protection have loop waypoints, meaning the above trigger is 'false' and they will patrol forever until destroyed. Convoys and task forces have very long waypoints but will despawn at the last one, generally just before entering a port, although I have once spotted a very large friendly merchand convoy with 4 destroyers entrering Surabaya base when I was leaving from there. I moved away, but had I stayed there I would have seen them - poof - gone in thin air For the stock game, the game designers did everything to avoid a player seeing that, that's also why there is little or no traffic in a port except stationary units. XS Last edited by XenonSurf; 06-06-20 at 07:09 AM.

06-06-20, 08:33 AM	#6
Col7777 Grey Wolf Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 944 Downloads: 260 Uploads: 0	This is as I thought but wanted expert opinions, you have also explained I hope to some newbies where those convoys go they were chasing from miles away. Col. __________________ Silent and Violent