100% realism - WO information - Is this cheating?

[mark2398]

I am playing SHIII with GWX 3.0 @ 100% (actually 97%, because I like to watch the event camera).

So as I am trying to do my best in being as manual as possible (targeting, range finding, manual TDC etc.), I need your advice whether the following behaviour is cheating under those settings:

Due to some limitation in SH3 engine, I sometimes have difficulties in visually spotting the Sound Contacts. I run my game typically in 1:32 time compression (max), dropping to 1:1 as soon as I receive a contact report.

Depending on the situation, let us asume it is advisable to chase the contact on the surface by using the UZO or the binoculars.

So I head into the direction of the contact, but of course within bad weather it is sometimes difficult to see the ship-pixels at long range. For example, I am currently in the English Channel at Night, it is pitch dark and Wind is @ 15 m/s. You can imagine the difficulties I have to spot anything.

Also to speed up things, I tend to go increase time compression to 1:4 or 1:8 while still watching the scene through the UZO or Binouculars.

In situations like that, I also like to click onto the WO Button every 5min to call out any visual contacts he sees, that might have slipped through my limited field of vision.

Now, calling the WO to tell me the closest Visual Contact (and if he indeed has seen something), the WO will usually come up with something like: "Nearest visual contact at bearing 354, range 2900m."

Aaarghh! I am happy to learn about the bearing, but the isn't this range finding method considered cheating?

I would rather like to find out about the distance myself. Also how, accurate is that information? I hope I cannot use it in the TDC anyway, but can somebody confirm?

Mark