Identifying nationality at night.

[CTaardvark]

How do you identify what nationality ships are at night? I had this problem the other night whilst following a Cargo ship. No matter how close I got I could not make out the flag colours. I thought, "I know. I wonder if it'll be easier to make out if I surface". No it wasn't and then it opened fire on me. Doh!

Any tips?

[Flopper]

Originally Posted by CTaardvark

How do you identify what nationality ships are at night? I had this problem the other night whilst following a Cargo ship. No matter how close I got I could not make out the flag colours. I thought, "I know. I wonder if it'll be easier to make out if I surface". No it wasn't and then it opened fire on me. Doh!

Any tips?

I usually cheat and run the camera up as close as it can get. Sometimes I still can't make it out. I really wish our boats carried a hand held spotlight, cause I'd like to drive right up and shine a million candlepower right at it.

[KL-alfman]

Originally Posted by Flopper

I usually cheat and run the camera up as close as it can get.

+1

[CTaardvark]

Crafty. A sort of tube launched camera drone. Definitley authentic.

[Hitman]

Real life Kaleuns had the same problems many times, so when in doubt do not shoot and simply move away or wait till dawn. If you are not interested in playing that realistically, then you can as well cheat with the external camera like already adviced

[Pisces]

It's allways a guessing game. I know the real periscope had color filters (well, Hitman does ) that could enhance some contrast in the image. Perhaps the real Kaleun could try out different colors on the periscope and see how the flag looks in it. Maybe he could detect certain colored markings better in one and less in another. Then it's a matter of 'colorfull deduction'. But we don't really have that functionality in the game. There is a mod that allows color filterst. But doesn't allow different colors in the same game session.

[melnibonian]

I say you fire the torpedo and let the red cross find out the outcome afterwards

On a serious note, you can also use the Light Flags Mod from here http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...01&postcount=1

Good Luck

[Paul Riley]

What I normally do is try and get as far ahead (also moving along his observed course direction) of the vessel as possible at high speed then swing my UBoat round 90 degrees towards its course track (facing perpendicular) and then slam the anchors on 500-300m from its course,then submerge.I have found this distance is ideal for making out most flags at night,but colour identification can sometimes be difficult,ie:yellows can be hard to make out properly (I once got confused between a Romanian and French ship because of this).If at this point the vessel is valid I will go ahead with the attack.

IMPORTANT - dont get TOO close to the target,or your torpedo/es won't arm and they will harmlessly bounce off.You need at least 300m between you and your target for the torp to arm properly.

[Pisces]

Oh yeah, another thing that might help. Make everything on the screen and around your playing environment as dark as possible. Your eyes cannot detect faint colors well enough if they are blinded out by bright objects.

[Paul Riley]

Good point.

[CTaardvark]

I learnt the 300m rule during the academy missions. It took me ages to realise why my torps were bouncing off hulls. I also had a problem with crashing into ships! I'm getting better you know.

[frau kaleun]

An unarmed torpedo tends to bounce harmlessly off the hull of a ship in the same way that your u-boat doesn't.

[Flopper]

Originally Posted by Hitman

Real life Kaleuns had the same problems many times, so when in doubt do not shoot and simply move away or wait till dawn. If you are not interested in playing that realistically, then you can as well cheat with the external camera like already adviced

I normally play at 100% minus free cam and stabilize view. I like to have that outside camera for sightseeing, as there's a tremendous amount i've never seen. But I must admit, unless it's checked to be off, it's an almost unbearable temptation to gain an advantage as the going gets tough.

I really wish there was a mode where I could leave it off but then view a replay of the whole mission with the free camera available, for screen shot oportunities, etc.

I do believe my night vision is better than the game gives me credit for... we're not spelunking, for cryin' outloud.

[Exakt]

At some point, when seeing an obscured ship, you have the right to attack it, you'll receive instructions about that in early 1940. Usually, any neutral ship, should be illuminated, therefore, can be easily identified as non-hostile. They do sometimes travel blacked out, in early war, you shouldn't attack if the nationality is unknown, but in early 1940, like I stated earlier, the ROE are changed in the coastal British and US waters. (I know I have received these orders using GWX, so I don't know if you'll received them if you are using vanilla SH3).

Also, the Prize Regulations were unofficially dropped about in November 1939, since it was very difficult for U-bootsmen to really abide by it.

[Hitman]

Also, the Prize Regulations were unofficially dropped about in November 1939, since it was very difficult for U-bootsmen to really abide by it.

IIRC the Prize regulations were never dropped, and actually followed still very late in the war in remote places where there was no air cover. What happened at the end of 1939-start of 1940 is that british merchants were armed with at least one deck gun in the stern, and that converted them into legitimate targets for surprise attack, as they were no longer a "civilian" vessel. Same can be said of unarmed merchants that travelled in a convoy escorted by warships, or at where at least one armed merchant was present.