Why bother with convoys?

[Phaedrus]

First off, I have enjoyed reading the forum... a wealth of information.

But most, if not all, seems to be geared towards GWX.

Having just got the game a week ago, I am playing stock 1.4.
Does anyone still play the stock game?
I am currently downloading GWX 2 from the torrent, after having seen one post about a reported slow down in performance after install I am not so sure about making the change.
I am running a P4 2.4 Ghz with 1028 RAM, nVidia GeForce 7300 GT.
Its not a 512 card, but will it be sufficient?

But, on to the real topic.
An awful lot of you seem to be focusing on convoy attacks.
I've attempted one, with only 3 ships sunk with 8 torpedoes expended, ended up running and receiving damage from escorts.
It doesn't seem worth it to me.
I will soon be embarking on my 6th patrol, June 1941, and I spend most of my time deck gunning single merchants when weather permits.
I'm taking about 25 000 - 35 000 per patrol this way in or around BE and BF, usually heading home when my torpedoes are expended after the weather turns and I can use surface attacks anymore. I've topped out at 56 000 on my last patrol.

I seem to be doing my part in the tonnage war without heading way out of my way to target the convoys.
Are there less single merchants in GWX? Or are the convoy attacks more for the thrill?


Thanks!

[AVGWarhawk]

Your computer is just fine for running GWX installed. Once installed you will understand why no one runs stock anymore.



Convoys are easy pickings most times. If I sink 2-3 vessels on one attack before retiring to the depths I consider it a good attack. I do however prefer the loan merchant that is super easy pickings!

[Slateford-5]

For me, it's the thrill really. I agree that if your sole concern is tonnage gathering in (relative) security, the lone merchant approach makes sense: Until you have slipped through a destroyer screen and had a full 15 ship convoy in front of you, like a wee boy being locked overnight in a sweetie shop, hit some of the biggies, had 2 hours of depth charging and STILL managed to slip away, you haven't lived.

I am not entirely sure about this, but I get the feeling too that while you can pick off small merchants, coastal freighters etc relatively easily, esp 39-41, if you want the 10 and 20k targets, they are almost invariably in the centre of convoys.

It's whatever sinks your boat, really...

[mr chris]

Welcome to Subsim Phaedrus

I play GWX and in my current career iam in august of 1940 and i have sunk nearly 150,000t of shipping. I have only attack one convoy the rest have been lone merchants. If you wish to hunt lone merchants the early years are the best and the are certain areas that are good points to hunt in. My favorite is in and around AM52 also the area around western approaches is also a good hunting ground.

Hope this helps

Sink them all

[Brag]

Welcome aboard Phaedrus!
I play GWX. I like convoys because I can keep on attacking once, sometimes, twice a day. Once my torpedoes are finished ,I go home.

[_Seth_]

Welcome mate!
Everybody has their own way of playing SH3, and that's the way it should be!
Personally i enjoy the hunt for the convoys. Shadowing, reporting, planning & attacking..And in the next moment, DD's are pouring ashcans all over my submerged @ss... Then the psychological battle begins....The cat & mouse game..who gets out of it alive..? Finally, when there is almost no breathable air left in the sub, and the batteries are so empty that they couldnt power a flashlight...Checking the hydrophones...Periscope depth...surface... *I just love it!!*

[TS13]

I just performed my first convoy attack recently and I am hooked ever since. It's certainly thrilling, but also, you can keep shadowing a convoy for days and sink all the juicy targets. Although more torpedoes may go lost, this seems to be the best way to gather a lot of tonnage in very little game time (instead of waiting for days and days for a lone large tanker to appear!).

[thrasher]

Welcome aboard. I play 2 versions of SH3 the stock game and GWX. GWX is a way better game but I didn't want to give up on my first career. As said before it depends on your taste. I like the challange of getting to the big prizes in a convoy, but the single merchants are easy pickin's.

[bigboywooly]

Single ship contacts drop as the war goes on so tis convoys or bust

[Umfuld]

Originally Posted by TS13

you can keep shadowing a convoy for days

That's it.


And a single convoy may have two LARGE tankers. A battleship (in GWX at least you'll often find BBs and Cruisers in convoys). And several other 10,000+ ton targets.



And I think a lot of people do it for the realism. That's what the Uboats were ordered to do.
Of course single player SHIII lacks the Wolf Pack element, but that just means you have entire convoys to yourself.

And you may eventually lose interest in deck gunning small merchants after awhile. I did it for a long time myself. Then stopped in favor of more realistic play. (and it really becomes less fun when they start firing back)



Welcome, by the way.

[danurve]

With a type VII mid-war in GWX I pull 40 tons or better out of a good convoy attack. Getting right into the columns, where the big steel is. Convoy attack tactics are not something a new player might be able to just jump into. So maybe once you get into a French port, try patroling BE, more specificly the upper right quarter of BE. You'll find Tanker alley and a few doubles now and then. Convoys pass thorugh there too sure. It's a great spin up for mid-to later war.

Btw your machine sounds ok, maybe double up on your ram.

[Phaedrus]

Thanks for the input. I assumed it was a "attack how you wish" style, but I just wanted to make sure GWX didn't disable all the single ships or something like that.



Now that we've got that squared away, and I've installed GWX...


... who wants to help me get it running?

The game loads, but when I try to enter a mission in career mode the game stops loading at about 90% of the way there. I have to Ctrl-Alt-Del to close out SH3 and start again.


Any ideas?

[FIREWALL]

Welcome Aboard

I think they just about covered it.

[mr chris]

Do you get the black screen of death?
Followed by the SH3 has encountered a problem and needs to close?

If this is not the case just keep the game loading it will take a lot longer than stock to load. Just stick with it and you should be fine

Hope this helps, if not im sure we will get you up and running.

[CptGrayWolf]

I still play the stock game! *raises hand
But I do use some mods. Mostly eye candy and some sounds. I guess the only game changing mod I use is 'Improved Convoys'.
I know I really should try GWX, but the perfectionist in me likes to play a game in its 'pure' original form, dunno, call me wierd.
Welcome aboard the friendliest game forum around!