Trying GWX

[Renesco]

hey all I've started playing GWX recently and tbh I've spent several hours and still havent got a kill, firstly there was the first patrol before the war, which took ages because of constant message spam, second patrol I randomly died like 3 times while going up the east coast of england and even that took ages because of constant radio message spam, coupled with extremely long load times, so as you might have guessed I'm finding grey wolves pretty frustrating and not much fun at all to play, so..

1) how can I turn off the constant radio message spam? (shc commander doesnt seem to have the option)
2) why do I keep dying randomly, I thought mines but the mine maps only show mines in harbours, I'm guessing they are everywhere or something and randomly exploding is just a part of the game (fun times)
3) is the crew management window supposed to be extremely dark to the point where I cant read anything?
4) the radio messages that I keep getting are along the lines of (sss 46;55n 36w) are those actual co-ordinates I can use or just RP fluff?

[Hook]

That's not a bug, that's a feature!

Well, sorta.

1) To avoid constant radio spam, you could try leaving the radio/sonar room unmanned (untested) or getting depth charged and having your radio antenna destroyed (tested all too well). If the first one works, you'll probably get a lot of messages at once when you finally put someone in there. The messages are a lot less annoying if you never leave 1x time compression.

2) The entire east coast of England is said to be mined, as well as a lot of other places as well. Avoid Helgoland, for example, and the entire corridor south of the Faroes. If you're in high time compression when you hit a mine, you probably won't have time to deal with the damage.

3) Since the only way to be able to see the screen at all in some parts of the game is to play at night with all lights off, the dark crew screen is to keep it from being annoyingly bright. My suggestion is to either jack up the brightness on your screen (useful for most of the game) or do a Google search for a free utility called "Gamma Panel" that allows you to change the brightness of the screen on the fly with hot keys. That way you can play during the daytime.

4) The radio messages are for immersion only.

Hook

[Sailor Steve]

Give this one a try.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...do=file&id=545

[Jimbuna]

Mines

[Bosje]

welcome to GWX

your issues are features and they are the 'Xperience' in GWX
reading the radio messages might make you feel much more involved: other ships are out there and they are talking, attacking and getting attacked.
Mines are scary, yes. You are learning to respect them.

I know how you feel: it sometimes gets annoying when you're trying to reach the middle of the Atlantic, you're kicked out of TC every minute. I recommend trying to sail out of port in real time, pretty soon you'll be happy to get a radio message to read! Get on the bridge and look around you as you get through the Kiel Kanal or as you cross the Biscay Bay. GWX is not for everyone, I guess, but it is a thing of beauty

Happy hunting

[Pisces]

Yikes, never realised there were mines in the north west area too.

[The Starfox]

To be perfectly honest, I have never seen any mines. I have raided harbors, been up and down the east coast, and raid constantly in between ireland and britan. Im up to 1943 now, and although I look out for them as much as I can, especially when raiding harbors, I only ever see the nets. I use the observation scope under water to keep a look out in front of my boat.

I guess I have just been lucky, or maybe I just figured out that if you go right up the middle when entering harbors you never run into mines or nets? Approaching from one of the sides always seems to involve hitting a net.

[Sailor Steve]

Look at the minefields shown on Jim's map. They are not near the harbors, they are a large barrier all along the British east coast, many miles out, and many miles wide. They are underwater to allow surface ships through but catch submarines that are submerged in that area.

If you're not careful you will find out exactly where they are. Sooner or later.

[Jimbuna]

Look at the majority of ports....if you were able to zoom in on the map you will find that there are also anti sub nets and smaller minefields in these ports.

[Lord_magerius]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Mines
(Image)

I wish I'd have known some of that before, looking at a few of the places on there I like to hunt. Absolutely stuffed with mines, I'm a very lucky boy methinks

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Lord_magerius

I wish I'd have known some of that before, looking at a few of the places on there I like to hunt. Absolutely stuffed with mines, I'm a very lucky boy methinks

I know, the first time I saw that I was like

Although I typically avoid the English coast/channel (learned about mines there the hard way, i.e., not by seeing the map) my usual route into the north Atlantic was right down between the Faroes and the Hebrides. Never hit anything there, but still... it was only a matter of time.

[maillemaker]

I have seen plenty of mines, especially in the days when I played with external cam and raided harbors!

I have raided the east coast of England in the area shown and never hit a mine.

But I died to a mine (while on the surface, too!) on the northern coast.

Steve

[Brag]

If you stay in deep watter you won't run into mines.

[Jimbuna]

[Wreford-Brown]

Originally Posted by Renesco

1) how can I turn off the constant radio message spam? (shc commander doesnt seem to have the option)

I've got a radio messages mod that keeps all the relevant GWX ones and takes out the immersion ones. Find it at my MediaFire site (WB's Mission Orders Lite).

Originally Posted by Renesco

2) why do I keep dying randomly, I thought mines but the mine maps only show mines in harbours, I'm guessing they are everywhere or something and randomly exploding is just a part of the game (fun times)

jimbuna's covered this one.

Originally Posted by Renesco

3) is the crew management window supposed to be extremely dark to the point where I cant read anything?

It shouldn't be that dark - you should be able to see it clearly. Are you using any mods that might effect it? Is your screen itself too dark?

Originally Posted by Renesco

4) the radio messages that I keep getting are along the lines of (sss 46;55n 36w) are those actual co-ordinates I can use or just RP fluff?

Rule of thumb - if it's lat/long then it's for immersion. If it gives an alphanumeric grid (e.g. AM52) then it's an actual coordinate where something is happening.