How to intercept?

Captain25 · 07-12-14, 04:26 AM

Hello,

I am a newbie to SHIII, i want to intercept ships.
How do i do it? I did already watch the guide on this forum but can still not manage to incercept ships.

thanks in advance

Zosimus · 07-12-14, 06:38 AM

First of all, some transmissions in the game are transmissions that were made historically. There is no guarantee that there will be ships of the type transmitted. You should look for small boxes that show ships around you. Clicking on these boxes will show the approximate course, speed, and time that the sighting was made.

Second, your job is to find and sink merchant ships not two destroyers. Avoid destroyers.

Third, the destroyers in question are several days from your position. Look for something a little closer.

Finally, assuming that you find a merchant ship in an adjacent zone and want to calculate an intercept course use the procedure at http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=88961

Captain25 · 07-12-14, 06:58 AM

Hello, thanks i finally managed to find a convoy.

But now i am following this tutorial to calculate a interception course.

At step 5 at the moment but i am stuck at this point. Can someone please help me out.

Andrewsdad · 07-12-14, 08:44 AM

This thread has all the info you need to plot an intercept. Good Hunting !!!
Salute !!
AD

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=198953

maillemaker · 07-12-14, 09:40 AM

Hi Captain25!

It's really easy. Your picture makes it easy to describe.

As you can see, you have a contact, and you know it's approximate course and exact speed. With radio contacts for convoys they give you the exact speed. Of course they can change speed, but go with what you know.

As you have done, you have set a waypoint out in front of the convoy.

See the time stamp next to the waypoint? That is how long it will take you to get there. In your cast, 6 hours 30 minutes. Make sure you go to flank speed and make sure your speed and heading have stabilized to get an accurate time.

Now look over to the right-hand side of the map. See those vertical scales? That is a nomometer. It makes it easy to see how far the convoy will go in a fixed amount of time at a certain speed.

If you know the convoy is going, say, 8 knots, then use the line tool to draw a line from the left-most scale at the 8 mark, down to the time in minutes to your waypoint on the right-most scale. Your time in minutes is 390 minutes.

But the scale only goes to 200 minutes you say?

OK, let's call your current intercept 400 minutes. Cut that in half, use 200 minutes. So draw a line from 8 knots on the left scale to 200 on the right scale. Where the line crosses the middle scale will give you the number of km the convoy will move. Let's say it's 60 km. Since you halved the time to fit the scale, you will need to double the distance, so the convoy will move 120 km.

Now draw a circle around the convoy that is 120 km in radius. This will give you an estimate of how far the convoy can move.

Now adjust your waypoint to be along the target heading, about 10-15 km beyond the circle. The idea is to intercept before they get there so that you can submerge and sneak into an ideal attack position. Unless you are choosing a surface attack, but you still want to get there ahead of time to get ready.

That's it. You can adjust your waypoint position and the circle diameter as needed.

Steve

UKönig · 07-12-14, 10:34 AM

It's helpful (well, for me) to remember that 8 knots is about the same land speed as 15 km/hr. I just measure off the 15 km marks and I get a good idea of where they should end up, and where I should get to, if I want to cause problems.
When I first started playing, I was not used to distances and speeds like the ones used in the game, and invariably, I would always plot a course to the spot indicated, only to find empty ocean. Or, at best, the trailing end of the convoy as their masts moved out of sight below the horizon.
After enough time, I have a pretty good idea of how the AI works and the historical perspectives behind the genre that once I make contact, I rarely lose it. And I almost always can plot a course that leads to a favorable firing solution. This game is more fun than it should be.

Nukesub · 07-12-14, 02:09 PM

Ahoy shipmate,

I use the following video by Tailmange as a guide to interception.

Skip to about 12:00 and watch for a few minutes. I've used the same method he did to great success many times

Sink'em!

Pisces · 07-12-14, 02:57 PM

You multiplied your speed and his speed by 10. So the circle is now 170 km for your 17knots intercept speed. This won't work because you are too close. You have to extend the line between you and the target to beyond your position behind you to make it work at these proportions. The circle will intersect the line on the extension behind you. But instead it is easier and more foolproof to make your drawing on a 1 km to 1 knot basis.

P_Funk · 07-13-14, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pisces

You multiplied your speed and his speed by 10. So the circle is now 170 km for your 17knots intercept speed. This won't work because you are too close. You have to extend the line between you and the target to beyond your position behind you to make it work at these proportions. The circle will intersect the line on the extension behind you. But instead it is easier and more foolproof to make your drawing on a 1 km to 1 knot basis.

Exactly this. I always used to have this problem in the past. I'd keep getting bad solutions and wondering if there was just an arrangement of ship to contact that made it not work properly, then I realized the stupid meat bag behind the keyboard was the problem.

Pistoliero · 07-13-14, 10:05 AM

Are there any benefits to using so complex intercept algorithm?
Ruler and knots to km/h transfer sheet (seite 1) work just fine for me.
All you need in this case is to draw target course vector and find (on this vector) a point, to which your u-boat will arrive before the target will.

maillemaker · 07-13-14, 10:42 AM

Quote:

]Are there any benefits to using so complex intercept algorithm?

I just use the nomometer on the right-hand side of the screen.

Steve

Pisces · 07-13-14, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pistoliero

Are there any benefits to using so complex intercept algorithm?
Ruler and knots to km/h transfer sheet (seite 1) work just fine for me.
All you need in this case is to draw target course vector and find (on this vector) a point, to which your u-boat will arrive before the target will.

The algorithm is a geometric method. You'll get the (precise) answer in a fixed number of steps. Some prefer that because they can handle graphical representations better then numbercrunching.

Yours is a bit more trial and error in predicting where the target will be in x hours and minutes, then calculate yourself or use the waypoint marker to find out where you will be. And hopefully they match to a point. Depending on how good you are in it, you can get this in one or too steps. But to each their own preffered method.

vanjast · 07-14-14, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pistoliero

Are there any benefits to using so complex intercept algorithm?
Ruler and knots to km/h transfer sheet (seite 1) work just fine for me.
All you need in this case is to draw target course vector and find (on this vector) a point, to which your u-boat will arrive before the target will.

Eggsactly.. then you turn down the course to the expected convoy, putting you in perfect 'convoy infiltration' position, if you're lucky just within the outer column/row.

This you do submerged at depth depending on convoy speed, tracking the 'convoy spread' on hydrophone, to assess your position. Once the lead escort passes over you, you start surfacing - should bring you up approximately in the first row or just after.

The juicy targets are mid-convoy.
Los

07-12-14, 04:26 AM	#1
Captain25 Swabbie Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 11 Downloads: 18 Uploads: 0	How to intercept? Hello, I am a newbie to SHIII, i want to intercept ships. How do i do it? I did already watch the guide on this forum but can still not manage to incercept ships. thanks in advance

07-12-14, 10:34 AM	#6
UKönig Captain Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Posts: 495 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	It's helpful (well, for me) to remember that 8 knots is about the same land speed as 15 km/hr. I just measure off the 15 km marks and I get a good idea of where they should end up, and where I should get to, if I want to cause problems. When I first started playing, I was not used to distances and speeds like the ones used in the game, and invariably, I would always plot a course to the spot indicated, only to find empty ocean. Or, at best, the trailing end of the convoy as their masts moved out of sight below the horizon. After enough time, I have a pretty good idea of how the AI works and the historical perspectives behind the genre that once I make contact, I rarely lose it. And I almost always can plot a course that leads to a favorable firing solution. This game is more fun than it should be. __________________ Because I'm the captain, that's why!

07-12-14, 06:38 AM	#2
Zosimus XO Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Chorrillos, Lima, Peru Posts: 401 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	First of all, some transmissions in the game are transmissions that were made historically. There is no guarantee that there will be ships of the type transmitted. You should look for small boxes that show ships around you. Clicking on these boxes will show the approximate course, speed, and time that the sighting was made. Second, your job is to find and sink merchant ships not two destroyers. Avoid destroyers. Third, the destroyers in question are several days from your position. Look for something a little closer. Finally, assuming that you find a merchant ship in an adjacent zone and want to calculate an intercept course use the procedure at http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=88961

07-12-14, 06:58 AM	#3
Captain25 Swabbie Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 11 Downloads: 18 Uploads: 0	Hello, thanks i finally managed to find a convoy. But now i am following this tutorial to calculate a interception course. At step 5 at the moment but i am stuck at this point. Can someone please help me out.

07-12-14, 08:44 AM	#4
Andrewsdad Machinist's Mate Join Date: May 2001 Posts: 130 Downloads: 81 Uploads: 0	This thread has all the info you need to plot an intercept. Good Hunting !!! Salute !! AD http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=198953

07-12-14, 09:40 AM	#5
maillemaker Sea Lord Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,639 Downloads: 75 Uploads: 0	Hi Captain25! It's really easy. Your picture makes it easy to describe. As you can see, you have a contact, and you know it's approximate course and exact speed. With radio contacts for convoys they give you the exact speed. Of course they can change speed, but go with what you know. As you have done, you have set a waypoint out in front of the convoy. See the time stamp next to the waypoint? That is how long it will take you to get there. In your cast, 6 hours 30 minutes. Make sure you go to flank speed and make sure your speed and heading have stabilized to get an accurate time. Now look over to the right-hand side of the map. See those vertical scales? That is a nomometer. It makes it easy to see how far the convoy will go in a fixed amount of time at a certain speed. If you know the convoy is going, say, 8 knots, then use the line tool to draw a line from the left-most scale at the 8 mark, down to the time in minutes to your waypoint on the right-most scale. Your time in minutes is 390 minutes. But the scale only goes to 200 minutes you say? OK, let's call your current intercept 400 minutes. Cut that in half, use 200 minutes. So draw a line from 8 knots on the left scale to 200 on the right scale. Where the line crosses the middle scale will give you the number of km the convoy will move. Let's say it's 60 km. Since you halved the time to fit the scale, you will need to double the distance, so the convoy will move 120 km. Now draw a circle around the convoy that is 120 km in radius. This will give you an estimate of how far the convoy can move. Now adjust your waypoint to be along the target heading, about 10-15 km beyond the circle. The idea is to intercept before they get there so that you can submerge and sneak into an ideal attack position. Unless you are choosing a surface attack, but you still want to get there ahead of time to get ready. That's it. You can adjust your waypoint position and the circle diameter as needed. Steve

07-12-14, 02:09 PM	#7
Nukesub Torpedoman Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 116 Downloads: 56 Uploads: 0	Ahoy shipmate, I use the following video by Tailmange as a guide to interception. Skip to about 12:00 and watch for a few minutes. I've used the same method he did to great success many times Sink'em!

07-12-14, 02:57 PM	#8
Pisces Silent Hunter Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: AN9771 Posts: 4,904 Downloads: 304 Uploads: 0	You multiplied your speed and his speed by 10. So the circle is now 170 km for your 17knots intercept speed. This won't work because you are too close. You have to extend the line between you and the target to beyond your position behind you to make it work at these proportions. The circle will intersect the line on the extension behind you. But instead it is easier and more foolproof to make your drawing on a 1 km to 1 knot basis.

07-13-14, 10:05 AM	#10
Pistoliero Seaman Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 31 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Are there any benefits to using so complex intercept algorithm? Ruler and knots to km/h transfer sheet (seite 1) work just fine for me. All you need in this case is to draw target course vector and find (on this vector) a point, to which your u-boat will arrive before the target will.