A simple question

arbitterm · 02-08-09, 02:37 AM

Or at least i thought it was, yet I can't find an answer. My question is, what determines when an enemy ship's icon appears on the navigation map (instead of the colored line indicating the general direction)? Also, is there any way to increase this range as I fell like sometimes I have to be on top of a ship before I can see it in the nav map. Thanks guys.

Also if you know of any links to help get a very green captain going in this game I'd appreciate it. I have the U-Boat expansion if it makes any difference.

FIREWALL · 02-08-09, 03:27 AM

Welcome Aboard

There's tons of stuff in the SH4 section on this website.

tonschk · 02-08-09, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arbitterm

Or at least i thought it was, yet I can't find an answer. My question is, what determines when an enemy ship's icon appears on the navigation map (instead of the colored line indicating the general direction)? Also, is there any way to increase this range as I fell like sometimes I have to be on top of a ship before I can see it in the nav map. Thanks guys.

Also if you know of any links to help get a very green captain going in this game I'd appreciate it. I have the U-Boat expansion if it makes any difference.

I was not yet able to get a answer to this question , I preffer of course to get a small icon on the map instead of just a direction without any distance , I hope someone can answer this important question , thank you very much

AngronIsAngry · 02-08-09, 11:24 AM

The sonar bearing lines are quite the handy tool for planing approaches, especially if you don't have radar yet installed. So don't discard them in the first place.

The "ship" icons in the stock versions appear when there is a visual contact. I am left to a guess at the exact values of visual ranges, but surfaced you have the highest visual range (my guess about 5 nm in top weather conditions) and submerged at periscope depth with your periscopes sticking out the water it is somewhat smaller (maybe 2 or 3 nm, again just a guess).
Visual range is heavily affected by weather conditions and day & night times probably factor in just as much. If you are cruising around in a pitchblack night in a storm with dense rain, you might not be able to visually identify anything more than 5 yards ahead of your bow.

I'm sure that the crews proficiency factors in (Deck Watch & Watchmen skill levels), but I personally noticed little difference between an experienced deck watch and freshmen at career start. (with empahsis on "noticed").
I'm also sure that there is a modifier and/or multipler somewhere in the code which could be altered/modded. If you do so, be careful as it might be the same modifier your targets use. Being visually spotted at 200nm by everything within that range, could ruin your day.

DarkFish · 02-08-09, 12:45 PM

The colored line is for hydrophone contacts only, radar and visual contacts use the ships icon. To change your visual range look in Data\Library\sensorvisualsub.sim. AI ships use another file, so you don't have to worry about being spotted at 200 nm.

There should be a SensorData controller inside the .sim file, having entries like MaxRange=15000. Change this if you want another maximum visual range.
To open .sim files you can use Silent 3ditor.

As AgronIsAngry says your visual range is influenced by a number of factors like weather. To change how these factors affect your visual range look in the Data\Cfg\Sensors.cfg file.

tonschk · 02-08-09, 01:38 PM

Thank you very very much for the answer , now I can understand better the situation, thank you again

arbitterm · 02-08-09, 01:55 PM

Thank you both for the tips. I was getting annoyed at seeing ships in the periscope but the map not recognizing them. Perhaps just a small increase

02-08-09, 02:37 AM	#1
arbitterm Nub Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Nevada (No Ocean :-( Posts: 2 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	A simple question Or at least i thought it was, yet I can't find an answer. My question is, what determines when an enemy ship's icon appears on the navigation map (instead of the colored line indicating the general direction)? Also, is there any way to increase this range as I fell like sometimes I have to be on top of a ship before I can see it in the nav map. Thanks guys. Also if you know of any links to help get a very green captain going in this game I'd appreciate it. I have the U-Boat expansion if it makes any difference.

02-08-09, 03:27 AM	#2
FIREWALL Eternal Patrol Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CATALINA IS. SO . CAL USA Posts: 10,108 Downloads: 511 Uploads: 0	Welcome Aboard There's tons of stuff in the SH4 section on this website. __________________ RIP FIREWALL I Play GWX. Silent Hunter Who ???

02-08-09, 11:24 AM	#4
AngronIsAngry Mate Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 53 Downloads: 42 Uploads: 0	The sonar bearing lines are quite the handy tool for planing approaches, especially if you don't have radar yet installed. So don't discard them in the first place. The "ship" icons in the stock versions appear when there is a visual contact. I am left to a guess at the exact values of visual ranges, but surfaced you have the highest visual range (my guess about 5 nm in top weather conditions) and submerged at periscope depth with your periscopes sticking out the water it is somewhat smaller (maybe 2 or 3 nm, again just a guess). Visual range is heavily affected by weather conditions and day & night times probably factor in just as much. If you are cruising around in a pitchblack night in a storm with dense rain, you might not be able to visually identify anything more than 5 yards ahead of your bow. I'm sure that the crews proficiency factors in (Deck Watch & Watchmen skill levels), but I personally noticed little difference between an experienced deck watch and freshmen at career start. (with empahsis on "noticed"). I'm also sure that there is a modifier and/or multipler somewhere in the code which could be altered/modded. If you do so, be careful as it might be the same modifier your targets use. Being visually spotted at 200nm by everything within that range, could ruin your day. __________________ "No Boom?" "No Boom, today. Maybe Boom tomorrow. Things always go Boom!"

02-08-09, 01:38 PM	#6
tonschk Admiral Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2,200 Downloads: 172 Uploads: 0	Thank you very very much for the answer , now I can understand better the situation, thank you again __________________ What we do in life echoes in Eternity

02-08-09, 01:55 PM	#7
arbitterm Nub Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Nevada (No Ocean :-( Posts: 2 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Thank you both for the tips. I was getting annoyed at seeing ships in the periscope but the map not recognizing them. Perhaps just a small increase __________________ And yet tonight, a hundred leagues away, These waters blush a strange and awful red. Before the moon, a cloud obscenely grey Rises from decks that crash with flying lead. And these stars smile their immemorial way On waves that shroud a thousand newly dead!

02-08-09, 12:45 PM	#5
DarkFish Sea Lord Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Stinking drunk in Eindhoven, the Netherlands Posts: 1,844 Downloads: 28 Uploads: 0	The colored line is for hydrophone contacts only, radar and visual contacts use the ships icon. To change your visual range look in Data\Library\sensorvisualsub.sim. AI ships use another file, so you don't have to worry about being spotted at 200 nm. There should be a SensorData controller inside the .sim file, having entries like MaxRange=15000. Change this if you want another maximum visual range. To open .sim files you can use Silent 3ditor. As AgronIsAngry says your visual range is influenced by a number of factors like weather. To change how these factors affect your visual range look in the Data\Cfg\Sensors.cfg file.