Questions, questions & more questions..

[RickR]

I'm a noob. But, I've had the courage to load up and now playing GWX 3.0. FAN-FRIGGIN-TAS-TIC! However, lots of questions...about GWX and SH3 in general...

1. Do "Qualifications ratings' effect capability or just improve their fatigue?

2. What is the distance (in meters) for Type I & Type II Torpedoes? (I see something in SH3 manual but it doesn’t make sense).

3. SSS? What’s ‘SSS’? I know what SOS is but SSS? Getting it on the radio…perhaps that's just static?

4. Are there really Allied (enemy) subs modeled in the GWX? Has anyone seen or sunk one? (Got a radio message about one…)

5. I recently ran aground in trying to sneak in a port. Scared the heck out of me! The ping from ‘Depth under keel’ command is about the only way to truly determine depth but I’m afraid to use it as broadcasts my location. What does one do? Always stay in deep water?

6. Reference #5, in a crash dive (70 meters at Flank) won’t I smash into sea floor if and possible end my career if water is too shallow? Back to pinging again? I found the depth related coloring of map not very accurate in places.

7. I think I got a distress call (SSS?) but gave location (Lat/Long) in degrees and minutes…how do I convert that to something I can find on my map?

8. I sank a neutral by mistake…sure wish we had those star shells of old SH3… then almost sank myself trying to confirm a contact ‘neutral or enemy’ in bad seas ~100 meters away… Is there any sure way to determine enemy or neutral from a distance? I’m afraid they will court martial me next time!

Rick

[RickR]

Ahhhh... I found this which is good common sense for my question #8 to determine if it's 'Friend or Foe'

1. If the ship is sailing by itself and its blacked out - shoot it
2. If the ship is sailing by itself and it's not blacked out - don't shoot it.
3. If the ship is in convoy, it's probably fair game - check to be sure

Rick

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by RickR

3. SSS? What’s ‘SSS’? I know what SOS is but SSS? Getting it on the radio…perhaps that's just static?

Those messages are for immersion only, but they are actual messages sent by stricken ships during the war. 'SSS' means "I have been attacked by a submarine"

During the Second World War, additional codes were employed to include immediate details about attacks by enemy vessels, especially in the Battle of the Atlantic. The signal SSS signalled attacked by submarines, whilst RRR warned of an attack by a surface raider, QQQ warned of an unknown raider (usually an auxiliary cruiser), and AAA indicated an attack by aircraft. They were usually sent in conjunction with the SOS distress code. All of these codes later switched from three repeats of the letter to four repeats ("RRRR", etc.).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOS

Are there really Allied (enemy) subs modeled in the GWX? Has anyone seen or sunk one? (Got a radio message about one…)

I haven't, but several folks have posted pictures of British 'S' class submarines.

I recently ran aground in trying to sneak in a port. Scared the heck out of me! The ping from ‘Depth under keel’ command is about the only way to truly determine depth but I’m afraid to use it as broadcasts my location. What does one do? Always stay in deep water?

In the real war there were only two harbor raids by u-boats. Some players do them for fun. I pretend my life is really on the line, and I stay away from things like harbors, English Channels, and other places where there's nowhere to hide

Reference #5, in a crash dive (70 meters at Flank) won’t I smash into sea floor if and possible end my career if water is too shallow? Back to pinging again? I found the depth related coloring of map not very accurate in places.

Go to flank speed. Order 20 meters. It's the next best thing, and pretty fast in a pinch.

I think I got a distress call (SSS?) but gave location (Lat/Long) in degrees and minutes…how do I convert that to something I can find on my map?

As said, those are real calls included for immersion only. There's nothing there anyway. SH4 has latitude and longitude lines, plus KM grids if you're playing the u-boat version. SH3 doesn't.

I sank a neutral by mistake…sure wish we had those star shells of old SH3… then almost sank myself trying to confirm a contact ‘neutral or enemy’ in bad seas ~100 meters away… Is there any sure way to determine enemy or neutral from a distance? I’m afraid they will court martial me next time!

No court martial, in the game or in real life. In real life neutrals were off limits, but if they were in a convoy they were fair game. A couple of German captains accidentally sank their own ships. A subsequent court martial showed that in every case the German merchant was outside of its designated area, and disguised as an Allied ship to boot.

In the game, you lose the same amount of renown for sinking one that you would gain if it was an enemy, and ten times that if you sink a friendly. I went into Data/Cfg/Basic and edited mine so if I sink a neutral it gives me zero renown, and if I sink an enemy it gives me -1 rather than -10. This way I don't get hurt by sinking a neutral, but I don't get credit for it either.

Also the stock game has no lighted ships. Many are included in GWX, but by no means all. Just because it's not lit up doesn't mean it's an enemy. Always check the flag if you can.

[Wreford-Brown]

Originally Posted by RickR

1. Do "Qualifications ratings' effect capability or just improve their fatigue?

4. Are there really Allied (enemy) subs modeled in the GWX? Has anyone seen or sunk one? (Got a radio message about one…)

5. I recently ran aground in trying to sneak in a port. Scared the heck out of me! The ping from ‘Depth under keel’ command is about the only way to truly determine depth but I’m afraid to use it as broadcasts my location. What does one do? Always stay in deep water?

Further to Steve's answers:
1. Fatigue is linked to a compartments efficiency and therefore capability. Qualifications therefore effect capability.

4. Yes, there are British S and T class subs, two American subs (Gato and another) and some others (e.g. Italian). Check out the museum to see all the ships you'll find in game.

5. The 'Depth under keel' ping won't be heard by enemy ships.

[Rangoon]

Originally Posted by Wreford-Brown

5. The 'Depth under keel' ping won't be heard by enemy ships.

This is good to know. I have always been very careful about using it since I read it broadcasts your position. Nice to know it's safe to use. I assume this applies even to ships actively hunting you?

[Dissaray]

As far as I konw the ping sound is just for the player's gratification. I belive it even playes the sound if you don't have an active sonar installed on your boat.

[Rangoon]

It plays on the Type IIa for sure. If that thing has an active sonar, I have yet to find it.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Rangoon

This is good to know. I have always been very careful about using it since I read it broadcasts your position. Nice to know it's safe to use. I assume this applies even to ships actively hunting you?

That's true, but in real life it did, so I always play as if they could hear me.

Originally Posted by Dissaray

As far as I konw the ping sound is just for the player's gratification. I belive it even playes the sound if you don't have an active sonar installed on your boat.

Originally Posted by Rangoon

It plays on the Type IIa for sure. If that thing has an active sonar, I have yet to find it.

All true, but active sonar couldn't be used for bottom-sounding anyway, as on surface ships it only aims down about 45 degrees and on submarines not at all. Why aim down when all the targets are above you?

What they all did have is a device called the Atlas-Echelot. This was a specific sonar machine pointed straight down and was only for bottom-sounding.

Next time you're in the SH3 control room right-click on the Navigator and you'll see it above the Nav Chart table. You can even push the button and read it yourself.

[Rangoon]

Thanks for the info Sailor Steve.

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

you'll see it above the Nav Chart table. You can even push the button and read it yourself.

Yes I've seen it there and made the connection. I also noticed that it only updates when you tell it to do so, then holds that number on the dial until you next update with a ping. These little touches go a long way.

[SilentEnemy]

[Noob question detected] Hi, I'm new here and I want to know how to use the guns in storm if I have an unpatched version of SH3 "StormConditions" line has no effect

[KL-alfman]

welcome aboard, silentenemy!
I've read about a mod allowing to use deck-guns even in heavy sea. pls look for it in the download-section (in the menu-bar above, then: sh3, gameplay-mods. there are some pages .....).
maybe someone will give you a direct link, but I never used the mod due to getting more and more realism.

[Wreford-Brown]

The mod you're looking for is one of jimbuna's mods.
He'll be along on a second to give us the link...

jim, where are you???

[Vipper]

Originally Posted by RickR

Ahhhh... I found this which is good common sense for my question #8 to determine if it's 'Friend or Foe'

1. If the ship is sailing by itself and its blacked out - shoot it


Rick

I did sink neutrals several times on early war that way, they will sail blackened. You can discover is ship friend or woe making yourself visible (by gunshot or sailing VERY close when weather is bad) - if they evade and zig zag they are enemy. Or you just risk, blackened neutrals are rare.

[Sailor Steve]

WELCOME ABOARD!

Originally Posted by SilentEnemy

[Noob question detected] Hi, I'm new here and I want to know how to use the guns in storm if I have an unpatched version of SH3 "StormConditions" line has no effect

How new is your version of the game? Newer purchases come already patched. On the original there was no option to change the 'StormConditions'. If you can see it at all you should be able to change it. Are you in the middle of a patrol? It might not take effect until your patrol is done.

[SilentEnemy]

Thank you all for helping a noob

Can I still play on my savegames after the installation of this mod, or I'll have to start a new mission/career ?

Sailor Steve, I heard that the version of the game must be somewhere shown on main menu but I've been looking in every corner of the screen and no version displayed. When I first opened the submarine's cfg there was no "StormConditions" line and I added it thinking that will work

Sorry for my english