Need HELP! Cant run sub properly

[Nuker22110]

Hello,
I have just gotten Silent hunter 4. This is my first subsim. After reading the manuel, and playing the tutorial,there are still many features that i cannot grasp.(I'll forget about the TDC for awhile). So can any experienced skippers guide me along, so i can take the fight to the IJN?
Questions:
1)Time compression.Every time i start time compression, hoping to reach my patrol area quickly, or to get back to port, a contact would appear, causing the time compression to go back to x1 again. Is there any way to make to tie compression ignore the contacts and continue?
2)I have read some books on submarine warfare. It seems that a submarine could fire the torpedoes, using only the sonar returns, and not surface and shoot,which is the only way that i could get done.
3)During the supply mission, after i launched the dinghy, do i need to recover it? And how ,long must i wait before i will receive a new directive from command?
4)How do you set an intercept course for a convoy?
5)Is the savegame automatic? Or do i have to return to port to be able to save game? If not, how do i do so?
6)Back at port, what part is for what?(SD improved radar?What is it for?)
7)How do i run from a depth charge attack?

There are many other questions, but i would try to find the answer myself.
Any help would be appreciated.

[wetwarev7]

1. Take everyone off deck watch and empty the sensors room. You don't need those sissys freaking out everytime they see a potential collision hazard or enemy anyways.

2. Yes, that's correct. You need to not surface in order to launch torpedoes from a submerged position.

3. You won't be able to recover the dingy or the men. They've gone native.
3a. Command will notify you of your new orders when they are darn good and ready. You aren't the only sub in the fleet, ya know!

4. Figure out which way they are headed. Get there before they do. Wait.

5. Escape. The key, not panicking and opening the hatch while submerged in an effort to.

6. The little squre thingy is called a desk. It's for placing your medals and pictures on.

7. As fast as you can. Turning helps.

Hope this helps! (Or at least makes you smile )

[dcb]

Originally Posted by wetwarev7

Hope this helps! (Or at least makes you smile )

Not just smile. It';s been a while since I've laughed that much.
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Good thing to see people still keep their humor. Thanks for the good laugh, Wet.

[Quillan]

First, make sure you are fully patched up. This is 1.4 if you only have SH4, or if you bought the U-boat Missions expansion that'll take you to 1.5.

Time compression drops by default to different settings, depending on what was spotted and how. Enemy air contacts, either visual or radar, drop time compression to x1. Trust me, you DO NOT want to ignore these. Enemy vessels will drop the TC to x1 also if they're spotted by your watch crew, but only to x8 if they are picked up on radar or through a radio report. Friendly ships/planes will also drop TC if picked up on radar, so I make a habit of turning off the surface search radar when near a friendly port.

Forget sonar-only targeting for a while. It's possible, but only when using manual targeting.

After the inflatable boat has been launched and you've completed that objective, radio in a status report. If your fuel and torpedo reserves are high enough, you'll be assigned a new mission.

Going to skip the intercept part, because there are a couple of good tutorials around here you can find in the sticky threads. The save game has already been covered.

SD radar is air search radar. It only picks up aircraft. It is always on whenever you are surfaced. SJ radar is surface search radar. It picks up ships. In version 1.4, you have to manually turn it on every time you surface. In 1.5 it turns on automatically when you surface, but in both cases you can turn it off. The improved version of both are just that, improved. They have better range and better detection. For the guns, never switch mounts. If your boat has a fore mount, you can upgrade the caliber but do not switch to aft mount; it screws up the crew positions. You'll want the largest deck gun you can get. 5"/25 > 4"/50 > 3"/50 in gun terms. For anti aircraft guns, I'm partial to the twin 20mm. In the later towers I normally put one 40mm and one dual 20mm. Almost nothing else in the boat can be upgraded.

[-Pv-]

"... 3a. Command will notify you of your new orders when they are darn good and ready. You aren't the only sub in the fleet, ya know!..."

Not quite. Once you have completed your initial mission, use the radio and report in. HQ will give you a new mission. If you don't request a mission, you have play freelancer without a mission until you run out of fuel and torps. You will do better in the game if you don't spend all your time freelancing.
-Pv-

[Nuker22110]

Ok, then is it possible to turn off the radar? If so, how?
And sometimes HQ sends u a report about a convoy. Is it nessary to intercept? If so, do i go to the point on the navigation map, with the spot that HQ has given? If not,where do i go?
And how do u adjust torpedo speed?

[Nuker22110]

And how do you change torpedo speed?

[Sailor Steve]

And not one person has told you the most important thing you need to know:

WELCOME ABOARD, Nuker22110!

[Monica Lewinsky]

Originally Posted by Nuker22110

And how do you change torpedo speed?

As others have said before, over and over, again:

http://learnabit.homeserver.com/lab/read-the-manual.jpg

noob[s]

[Nuker22110]

I don't think the manuel helps a lot.The descriptions are very vague. So how exactly do you change the torpedo speed?And how do u turn off the sonar/radar? And is there any tutorial on how to use the sonar?
p.sThx for the welcome

[claybirdd]

Just play the game. Most things you'll figure out by just fiddling around. It is like learning to shoot a gun. The best method is to get a gun and start shooting. You can go over grips and stance and sight picture all you want, but untill your putting rounds down range it's all academic.

[Nuker22110]

Yes. But shooting a gun is just pulling a trigger. Running a sub is much more

[claybirdd]

Fireing any weapon is much more than simply pulling a trigger. As any hunter or soldier will tell you.

[tomoose]

When you state 'adjusting the torpedo speed' are you looking for a 'cheat' or simply how you do it in the game? If it's the in-game function you're looking for it's simply a switch on the PK instrument, click on the Torpedo Speed button (it has 3 settings but only 2 work, an oversight by the devs which has not been corrected).

Ref the radar; you can ONLY turn off the surface-search radar (simply deselect it on your 'menu' buttons at the bottom of your screen). You CANNOT switch off the air-search radar, it's automatic and has no display, simply a crew member telling you about air contacts.

[Rockin Robbins]

Look pal. My manual works just fine. In fact, it is one of the most useful manuals I've ever encountered. You need to quit knocking it. I put it under the short leg of my desk and it's solid as a rock!