Something not quite clicking...help please?

[grislyatoms]

Vanilla SH4, manual targeting. I can set up manual attacks in SH3 all day long, but something is escaping me in SH4.

Example: Setting up for a an attack. 90 degrees port aob, 1000 yards, fast fish, target speed 6 knots, torpedo depth 6 feet, contact pistol, submarine stopped. A textbook shot.

I have this scenario saved, and have tried it a handful of times.

The torpedoes run straight, then angle off after a couple of hundred feet 30-40 degrees to starboard!

I have watched the Dick O'Kane and Werner Sobe (thanks folks) tutorials and just can't figure out what I am doing wrong. Help please?

[Rockin Robbins]

Let me understand this. According to your info, the target is traveling from right to left, showing its port side (hence the port AoB). You set up and shoot, the torpedoes turn the wrong way to go way behind your target?

OK, the torpedoes are running normally. They always go straight ahead for the reach and then turn toward the target.

You're definitely hitting the send button because otherwise the torpedoes would go straight ahead.

OK, here's the test. Exit the game. Restart. Load this scenario. Shoot and report what the torpedo is doing now.

My reasoning is that an inappropriately greater angle than appropriate is probably data left over from an earlier solution. When you first start the game the solution points to a zero gyro angle. If you're not sending one of the parameters to the TDC with the send button, trying what I tell you will just send the torpedo up the zero bearing line.

[grislyatoms]

Let me understand this. According to your info, the target is traveling from right to left, showing its port side (hence the port AoB). You set up and shoot, the torpedoes turn the wrong way to go way behind your target?

Exactly.

Okay, thanks, I will give that a try.

[tonyw]

Hit the send to TDC button twice for setting the AoB

[SteveW1]

I've foud it helps to hit the send to TDC button 3 times on each of the different settings (range, AOB, speed). After doing it this way I have had no issues other than duds with manual targeting.

Steve

[Rockin Robbins]

The only things that will make the torpedoes turn the wrong way is if you are entering starboard AoB for port or port for starboard, or if you are not pressing the send button when you send the AoB.

You can't put in negative speed, so the speed input can't make the torpedo turn the wrong way. The range only affects how sharp the turn is, not the direction.

So your problem is in the AoB input. Either you're reversing port and starboard or you aren't pressing the send button and have residual data from your last attack.

Play around with the thing using your attack screen to check out your setup fefore you shoot. If it doesn't show the torpedo going out ahead of the target, play with the settings until it looks right there. Then you'll know exactly what's wrong.

Some screenshots of your attack screen showing the problem would be helpful too.

OK, looking at your original question, you say the torpedoes turn 30-40º starboard. If the target is moving 6 knots at a 90º AoB, your lead angle is less than 10º. It would not be possible with 6 knots in the TDC for the torpedo to turn 30º in either direction.

[Rockin Robbins]

All Filefront links are now working normally. You may visit the Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks thread and check out the sonar targeting video.

Also you can check out the other targeting videos, which show all input steps to review your procedure.

[grislyatoms]

After 15 or so reload/try/fail cycles, I have it worked out.

I was wondering why when I would send AoB to the TDC the relative ship orientation looked really screwy, but I just categorized it under "quirk" and kept plugging away.

Bad idea. Sending range/bearing data twice or three times, as a couple of you mentioned, was the key. A quick look on the attack map would have shown me this much earlier, but I can be a bit wooden-headed at times. Both things I overlooked in the tutorials.

Still, it was quite gratifying to see all 4 torpedoes hit the target in rapid succession, finally.

Thanks for all the support, folks, and yes, I will be checking out the Skipper's bag o' tricks.

P.S. Throughout the 15 or so retries, I had torpedoes going every which a way. It was kinda humorous, as I was thinking "Okay let's see what happens now... sheesh, if I wanted to shoot the torpedoes behind me I would have used the stern tubes..."

[Akula4745]

Originally Posted by grislyatoms

P.S. Throughout the 15 or so retries, I had torpedoes going every which a way. It was kinda humorous, as I was thinking "Okay let's see what happens now... sheesh, if I wanted to shoot the torpedoes behind me I would have used the stern tubes..."

LOL grisly!! I have had that same feeling...