Return to base option

[TDK1044]

I'm running GWX3 and SH3 Commander. I've just started my career, and after I've completed each mission, I use tc to return to base. I notice that there is a 'return to base' option in the menu. Is there a penalty for using that option rather than sailing back to base?

[Sailor Steve]

No. They programmed in extra renown for making the trip home, but according to reliable sources it has never worked. On the other hand the teleport takes you home instantly with no time passing at all, or so I understand. The only time I ever use it is if my rudder is damaged. Since you can't maneuver with the engines it seems fair to get home any way you can.

[TDK1044]

Cool. Thanks Steve.

[Raptor]

It's also helpful when the LI makes a math error and your boat runs out of diesel fuel and battery power a few hundred miles off Scapa Flow.

[zygoma]

Originally Posted by Raptor

It's also helpful when the LI makes a math error and your boat runs out of diesel fuel and battery power a few hundred miles off Scapa Flow.

Forgive the potential thread hijack, but maybe it's not.
That just brought a related question to mind: is it possible in SH3 to run on batteries at the surface? F'r instance, if you've got too much damage to dive safely, or you want to repair the guns, or just to try to improve the CO2 levels in the boat or get out of harm's way after running out of fuel....
I know I can assign crew to the "wrong" engine room, but will it run?
Seems like it would be better to make half-speed on the surface than no-speed
Thanks,
-- Zygoma --
-.- .-.. --... .... -. -.--

[Laufen zum Ziel]

I do ot use tc or the menu to return to base. I have found that there is a good chance of ships spawning on my way back. For the same reason I do not often exceed 128X as I may miss an opportunity to add tons.

Originally Posted by Laufen zum Ziel

I do ot use tc or the menu to return to base. I have found that there is a good chance of ships spawning on my way back. For the same reason I do not often exceed 128X as I may miss an opportunity to add tons.

Could you pls explain how the usage of TC affects ship spawn around your boat ?

[Captain Nemo]

Originally Posted by PapaKilo

Could you pls explain how the usage of TC affects ship spawn around your boat ?

This was explained in a post by Letum back in 2006, it applies to both aircraft and ships, he wrote:

"Aircraft spawn at high TC, the problem is that they miss the player. Here's the maths:

Units (Planes, ships, etc.) in the 3d world around the players boat have their positions calculated in real time. This does not change with TC settings.

Units Outside of the 3d world (about 32km away from your boat) units do not have their positions calculated in real time to save on CPU. It would be impossible to calculate the position of every single convoy, destroyer and plane constantly.

Insted the game works from the 2d map that mod makers will be familiar with. The game only updates a units position every "time step". If the unit's position falls within the 3d world round the u-boat the game will begin to calculate it in real time.

If it was possible to see a unit outside the 3d world you would see it move in jumps every time step. When you speed up TC these time steps do not speed up. This mean that the jumps these units make gets bigger.

If the time step happens every second, a aeroplane is moving at 1m per second will jump 1m every time step at 1xTC. At 2xTC it will jump 2m per time step. At x1024 TC it will jump 1024m. (numbers not accurate - I don't know how oftern the time steps are!)

The faster the unit's speed: The bigger the jumps are.
The higher the TC: the bigger the jumps are.

For a fast unit like a aeroplane the jumps get very big at high TC and the aeroplane can jump right past the 32km radius round the player's boat. Alto the planes path went right past the U-Boat, the computer never calculated it's position to be near the u-boat so the plane never got placed in the 3d world.

The computer and the player have no idea that a plane just passed them".

Nemo

I know myself that the higher TC the greater risk to spot the aircraft over your head. But Laufen was pointing out this to SHIPS which travel speed is much much more slower, so TC has little impact on ships. They spawn around your boat say 32 km radius without direct impact of TC, use it or not you'll get the same ship spawn results.

I've set max tc on sh3cmd to be x256 and I never have problems my crew to fail to spot a ship.

The spotting a ship issue is not TC related, unless TC is extreemly high, over x1024

Another questions is:
The crew spotting.
These results never was satisfactorial enough for me, cuz sometime they can't spot a ship on the horizon untill it gets closer to certain distance during daytime and sometimes my watch crew can spot a ship in a pitch black night (vampire vision), when I find difficult to see my boat's bow.