GWX2 convoy course changes!

[MarkShot]

Well, I have been tracking the same slow moving convoy for a couple of days now during the Winter.

I think I have actually seen some zig-zags as opposed to simple base course changes. After periods of about 8 hours or so I have seen course changes of 20-30 degrees.

Very nice! I hope this is not just wishful thinking on my part.

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Kpt. Lehmann,

Care to elaborate on this?

Do all convoys make non-base course changes? At random times? Random number of degrees? Random speed changes?

I do have a comment about the frequency. To frustrate sub attacks the zig-zags should happen on the average with a period of less than the necessary submerge attack lead distance.

For example, if a submerged attack requires a lead distance of 30km in order for the sub to submerge unseen and awaiting the convoy. And if the convoy is making 5 knots. Then if the frequency of zig-zags on the average happens less than every three hours. The convoy will be extremely hard to hit.

If the frequency is beyond three hours, then the convoy becomes more challenging to track and intercept. The sub cannot afford to lead the convoy by too much and not maintain some form of regular contact with the convoy. Otherwise, the sub risks losing the convoy. However, the attack once set up has a low probability of being frustrated. More frequent zigs would greatly frustrated the sub in trying to set up the attack.

Thanks.

[Sailor Steve]

Oh, yeah. Where the stock convoys were fairly predictable, the GWX convoys zig-zag all over the place.

Open up the RND layer in the mission editor, zoom in on Halifax, click on any convoy and zoom back out. Watch the waypoints, especially when they get close to Britain.

Don't worry, you won't gather any intelligence - there are hundreds of the things!

It's an awesome accomplishment.

[MarkShot]

Definitely a big improvement, but I am going to use the verboten three letters: AOD.

Zig-zags took place at least every three hours and sometimes in just 30 minutes if the Sun happened to set right after a zig. There is nothing more frustrating, then to spend five hours to overhaul a convoy and then another two hours positioning as a convoy approaches; when your targets are still 10km away, they all start to zig and begin to move away from your prepared ambush. It really can be very frustrating.

Of course, the problem with AOD's implementation is that the base course quickly becomes obvious and the zig-zags are symmetric of about 30-45 degrees. So, you learn in overhauling to anticipating the zig. Thus, you position yourself on the surface in anticipation of the zig. When it does happen, the convoy zigs right into you. This gives adequate time to hit the convoy despite its evasive maneuvers.

[Sailor Steve]

Nothing verboten about AOD; a lot of us still consider it the best submarine attack simulator ever.

My problem is I'm more sailor than attacker - I like looking at the scenery.

[harzfeld]

Image how much fuel & time convoy consumed when they kept changing courses, including zigzags. Also how much fuel consumed when so many destroyers always patrolled just at ports or in every grid nearby lands? I stopped engine and watched them, asking myself question, "What are they doing? do they have ants in their pants?" like they were acting neurotic or high strung, always keep moving back forth. Sometimes I just fire torpedoes at them to end their misery and insanity in order to keep myself sane to continue my missions.

[3Jane]

I was overtaking a convoy a while ago, when it changed course it turned straight at me. All I had to do was dive and wait.

[ToySoldier]

Hello Out there!

I just made yesterday the experience that the drive a big zig zag .....
August 1940 10th day on sea with my new carier on a VII C in BF 36 around the middel of the plotted "tanker alley" I command a listen dive.
As Hinrich announces more and mor contacts!
It´s chrismas time!
Go as close as posible to 90° to the contacts and listen!
After 10 minutes listening I think their course is around 270° with around 7 - 8 knts!
Ok Surface! Interception course full ahead!
We schould get the prey in an hour!
U-95 lay down and wait!
Schleichtfahrt as the DD cames in reach and the convoy is a big one!
I count throu the peri 2-3 big tankers, 2 whalships, the rodney and a lot of medium merchants! 6500 meters away, 7knts fast!
To shorten this ... in the moment I try to came closer to the prey and aim at them the change heading from 90° to 170° realtiv to me .... fu**!!
Ok we wait til the change back!
But it didn´t!!!
It still let me lay on the position and disapered!!
Holy shi*!

In diesem Sinne
Gott mit Uns
Frank B. aus K.

[T.Von Hogan]

They can run, and zig zag all they want... they still can't hide

[Canovaro]

"Move Zig for great justice"


Zigzags are very frustrating!

[Kpt. Lehmann]

@Markshot. Sailor steve pretty much hit the nail on the head. GWX 2.0 marks a MASSIVE shift of campaign events/matters to the random files... pulling as much as we could away from the scripted campaign files. (Historical events and harbor traffic should be roughly all that remains in the scripted files.) Thanks in no small part to BBW and Rubini before him. The ungodly amount of work they've done on the campaign files is mind-bending. To give you an idea... for the release of GWX 1.0... there were more than half a million campaign code line additions made to the campaign files alone... doubling the size of the SH3 campaign files... and another year's worth of work has been added to that since.

To all. Sorry I haven't been able to do much in the way of detailed responses. Some design concept related queries are likely to go unanswered by me. Real life is catching up with me whether I like it or not. Time to start paying the piper.

[MarkShot]

Kpt. Lehmann,

I very much appreciate the volume and quality of work of you and the Team. So, I hope no one will be offended by my comments.

As you know, it is my nature to discuss game design and am in Systems, beta test, and a partner in game development studio.

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to write!

[Hanomag]

Did not the Capt of the Japanese sub that sank the Indianapolis say in an interview that even if she was zig zagging it wouldnt have made a difference?

If so...

I put it to you GWX Dev Team... give up the hopeless zig zagging put the ducks in a row....

I promise it will be over very quickly!

[Sailor Steve]

Sure it would've. If Indianapolis had turned 20 miles away the Japanese captain never even would have know she was there. Wartime submarine reports cite many cases of convoys and warships escaping without ever knowing it, as well as the ones that turned "right into our laps."

[Jimbuna]

As Sailor Steve rightly says, the Jap commander was extremely lucky, not just for the successful sinking but also because a course change of only 10 or so degrees would have taken her well out of harms way.
Needless to say, bloody unlucky for the boat and her crew.

[Hanomag]

Meh...