Blind as a post, deaf as a bat

[Reverie]

...er, you know what i mean...

I had to end a career, beginning my second patrol in a VIIB, early 1940. Located at the Northern Passage, awaiting a convoy moving southwest towards Northern Ireland. It was dusk, partly cloudy, bow on to the convoy not yet in sight. Without warning from capable lookouts, my boat starts taking shell fire. I couldn't see the escort, only the gunflashes. Hull damage kept me from going deep, and I got pounced upon. End of career. You know, one of the strong points of the u-boats was their near invisibility to other ships. I think the detection algorithm gets somewhat askew. Comments ? Tips ?

Started a new career, new VIIB, middle of 1940, back to Northern Passage and east of Rockall Bank. Had been submerged to avoid a patrol for a spell. 25 meters. Silent procedure. I had one of the Lords in the funksraum, because the trained radio personnel was getting beauty sleep. Negative on the sound check, so up to periscope depth at slow speed. No sooner than I extended the smaller attack scope when we hear "swish swish swish". Soooo..."Alaaaarm !" Just enough time to go to flank speed, lose the attack scope, radio antenna, and the wintergarten, and to damage the sky scope. Two depth charges exploded to no affect, but the destroyer didn't pursue; just hobbled off in one direction with a damaged keel, no doubt.

I've read the forum archives and followed tips to improve the sound performance. I've tweaked the main.cfg to what is regarded as optimal levels. I've used the "Sound Recorder to increase the volume of the files" trick to some satisfaction. Some occasional aberration in the form of faint clicking if volumes are taken too high is warned, and occurred to no surprise. And I'm getting positive results through the hydrophones, and sounds internal to the operation of the boat. I'm grateful to have my ticking clocks back. And standing in zentrale, my diesels sound the way they are supposed to, like a cyclone. Lowered the gramaphone level, too. Doesn't seem to play but one set of tunes regardless of the Randomisation Option in SH3 Commander, so for now I'm glad to turn it down until it's fixed.

But I still can't hear near vessels through the pressure hull. I was backing up slow speed to avoid being run over in the middle of a convoy. A medium freighter passed close enough to my bow to scrape barnacles, but I couldn't hear the props. One doesn't hear sinking ships, either, unless through the hydrophones. Is this just one of the quirks of the program, cos I know it has a few; throttle increment descrepency, periscope configuration, those net cutters (all net cutters were removed before the war). I know it's not that ridiculous SH2 with its psychic destroyers and high speed target seeking depth charges, but at least you could hear ships through the pressure hull.

If this deafness is by design, say to encourage use of the hydrophone station, then it's about as alluring as not having independent engine throttles. Is it posssible that there is more to tweak, or perhaps a patch or Mod that will remedy the whole shebang in one go ? And be compatible with GWX ? I would be appreciative of the advice from those who are familiar with attaining the full experience.
Reverie

[VIICDriver]

I know what you mean sort of, the other day I was sitting awaiting a closing convoy much as you were except I was at periscope depth. Next thing I'm taking heavy shell fire from my 6 o'clock from ANOTHER convoy that was approaching directly at me. Sonar man never hit on the second convoy as I guess he was too busy with the first.

We escaped with our lives just barely but sucks to have 2 convoys in such close proximity and not get as much as a single tramp.

Chuck

[bigboywooly]

Try this post

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...ghlight=Rubini

Is GWX compatable

[Reverie]

VIICDriver, it goes beyond frustrating right now. I tried to continue with the challenge of major damage, found myself in a criss-crossing convoy situation with four torpedoes left. All were hits after an extensive setup in a near pitch black night. What happens ? "Your program has experienced an irrecoverable error. Send, or don't send an error report, blah blah blah." I had four big ones struck in the bow, star shells galore, diving deep under a passing freighter, and the bloody sim folds on me...

[Reverie]

Bigboywooly, thank you. I snatched that up as quick as I could get it. It promises to resolve a well worn problem that was previously unknown to me.
Now if only some erstwhile solutions to the volume quandary could attach themselves to this post, I would be ready to revamp my error stricken sim and strike out again for Rockall Bank.

[Puster Bill]

Originally Posted by VIICDriver

sucks to have 2 convoys in such close proximity and not get as much as a single tramp.

Chuck

You went to the wrong truckstop, then.

[Reverie]

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[Crosseye76]

:rotfl: :rotfl: