Let's play a real patrol with many players !

[Fahnenbohn]

Well, the Atlantic is a vast territory ...



But now, you will no more be the only submarine to patrol !

Several real players (10, 20, 30 ... who knows ? ...) will play the same scripted mission, searching for convoys and reporting by radio those that they find. Thanks to these reports, several U-Boots may be able to plot an interception course to attack.

You can play this mission at home when you want and as you want, with your own presonal mod list, and whatever supermod. The radio reports will be sent on a thread here on subsim.

So, what do you think guys ? Please give me your opinion by voting at the top of this thread.

Time to have a real war !

A SINGLE-MULTI PLAYER PATROL

* What's that ?

This is a test-mission to see if a mission can be played as a patrol and by several human players at the same time.

You have to sail during one month in the Atlantik ocean. Other U-Boots (commanded by human players) are patrolling in other areas near yours. So, stay in alert and get ready to move into action. If you find a convoy, report its position by radio without delay ! I will be the chief of operations (BdU) during this mission, and I will coordinate the attacks. Depending on each U-Boot's position, a wolfpack may be constituted to intercept a convoy !


* OK, but how is it going to work ?

1) A simple campaign for one month

I'm going to write a SCR (scripted) campaign file from scratch, for 4 weeks in the game (March 1941). In this campaign, there will be only scripted convoys, that is to say spawned only one time, with a fixed entry date and location, and one single fixed route. Thus, all the players will encounter the same ships at the same time and location during their patrol.


2) A different single mission file for each player

For each player, a different single mission file will be written, including only their own U-Boot somewhere in the vast ocean... All missions will start at the beginning of March 1941.


3) Several waves to increase the number of reports

- The test will run in, let's say, 3 waves, or more. Each wave begins when the previous has ended.
- For each wave, different mission files (compared to the previous wave(s)) will have to be employed.
- Same players can play in different waves if they want.
- Of course, reports of previous waves will remain visible for the actual wave, since it's the same campaign with the same convoys...
- So, in the third wave, players will find maybe more contact reports and have more chances to intercept the ennemy !


4) A dynamic campaign

- The ships sunk will be removed from the campaign file.

- The players' radio reports will be translated by me in the radio file used by SH3 to send you radio reports in game. Thus, you will receive them directly during your patrol, at the proper time !

--> So, before starting SH3, you will first need to download the last updated SCR campaign and radio messages file. The exact procedure will be explained in a Readme file. I plan to create a Mediafire account to facilitate the updates and downloads.

The only minor problem is this one : if one player attacks a convoy at X (RL day) during G (game day), then the player attacking the same convoy at X+1 but during G-1 will find a convoy with units already sunk by a submarine which should attack ... tomorrow in the game time ! So, don't be too slow when playing this mission ! :-))


5) What do you need ?

- I will provide a special mod that may be installed with JSGME. This mod contains : a set of units (ships and planes selected from different supermods (including GWX 3.0, LSH v.5 and GWM v.37), and reworked by me for more realism), and my GridXXXX mod (which allows you to give your grid-position with 4 digits after the two letters).

- The second part to install is my SCR campaign (with the scripted convoys and other ennemy or friendly groups), a special LND campaign and a blank RND campaign. Also, the special radio file. This second part will be updated twice in each RL day, depending on the sinkings, change of convoy's routes, hunter killer groups, airplanes protection, etc.

- The third part to download will be your own personal mission (specific for each player) containing your U-Boot at a specific location in the Atlantic.


6) How to communicate with the radio ?

This mission is also designed to see if two specific tools are worth to be used : S3O and S3R. For an easier test, we won't use them. The purpose of this test is only to see how all this is going to work (well or bad) ! So, I will rather create 2 new threads :

- one for only ennemy contacts reports, where players can easily find useful data : it simulates S3O.
- and one for all the radio traffic between U-Boots and BdU : it simulates S3R.


7) How the mission is going to be played ?

- The mission is played as a patrol, from the end of February 1941 to the end of March 1941.
- If a player finds a convoy thanks to an automatic radio contact on the navigation map, he has to send a PM to me (BdU). This contact simulates an information known only by BdU. It will allow me to re-organize the U-Boots groups in order to be sure to intercept the convoy.
- When a player makes contact (hydrophone or visual) with a convoy, he has to report it as soon as possible by radio : estimated size, position, course and speed, the escorts number and type (destroyers, corvettes, aircraft carrier ...). Then, he has to follow (shadow) the convoy, remain undetected, and wait for an answer from BDU. If the convoy changes its route, the player has to precise it by making a new contact report.
- So, during the patrol, players will receive ennemy contact reports from other U-Boots and from the BdU : if a player is able to plot an interception course, then he must immediately start to sail, and announce his intentions by radio.
- When BdU allows to start the attack, the player(s) attacks at will. At the end of the attack, he (they) has to send a radio message to precise his (their) results, and if he (they) plans to attack again later this convoy (the next attacks won't need BdU's permission).

----

So, what do you think guys ? Would you be ready to participate in this adventure ?

*

[CTU_Clay]

I can not really vote with options you put up as they do not apply to my situation, but I can add this little bit:

The Steel Sharks have been using this type of format in their campaign with exception their scripted files extend out farther than 30 days as you are proposing. They do theirs with periodic updates. The last I knew BlackSwan40 was their script writer and does a super job.

This style of play is fun and enjoyable to most. Especially those that have a MP connection. Unfortunately, I had to discontinue my play with the Steel Sharks because of my loss of adequate internet connection when I moved from Houston, TX USA and had to have satellite internet installed with Hughes Net. Then I found out that satellite internet will not work with internet on-line first shooter games, that require "instant keystroke". Actually I could not even get Tunngle to work with it.

To the members who are leery of this type of play: You should give it a try. It is a great "role play" adventure and feeling.

Good wishes,
-clay

[fastfed]

YES YES AND YES!!

I want this badly, I think if multiplayer really works with this game we should all as a community jump to this opportunity, why this wasn't done ages ago and a huge event is beyond me!

Just glad its finally happening

[CTU_Clay]

The Steel Sharks have been using this campaign style of play for years with great success. They are behind closed doors, as we at Lone Wolf Flotilla.

The Steel Sharks have been using this type of format in their campaign with exception their scripted files extend out farther than 30 days as you are proposing. They do theirs with periodic updates. The last I knew BlackSwan40 was their script writer and does a super job.

[Fahnenbohn]

Contacts on the BdU map may look like that :

[bstanko6]

Man that looks great!

[Canovaro]

Impressive,
does this mean that the routes of the u-boats are also visible?

[Fahnenbohn]

Originally Posted by Canovaro

Impressive,
does this mean that the routes of the u-boats are also visible?

That's a good question. The main problem for this experience is to keep a public map up to date, with the last status reports and ennemy contacts. But each player will play the patrol at his own rythm ... So, how are they going to find useful data on a map full of contacts sent at different days and hours ?

I think rather than all players' reports will be transformed into radio messages which will be read in SH3 during the patrol. So, before opening SH3 and continue to play the patrol, the players will have to download the new "radio script" (built with all player's reports) and add it in their game. So, the radio reports are going to be sent in "real in-game time" !

Only the BdU map will be updated with new contacts and positions, and the U-Boots' routes will draw from themselves, by connecting the dots.

[Fahnenbohn]

OK, 25 historical convoys (SC, HX and OB) to script in the SCR campaign only for March 1941. Then, i will have to add several things : air escorts, and hunter killer groups !

[Fahnenbohn]

I have created 3 convoys with 4 escort groups for now, based on historical data. It takes me one hour to create such a convoy departing from Halifax and add the escort departing from Britain and reaching the convoy at the historical date. Also, the departing and arrival dates are historical. Only the itinaries are not historical (because i don't have any infos about them).

[Jimbuna]

http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/index.html

[Fahnenbohn]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/index.html

Thank you Sir, this is precisely the website I'm using to re-create historical convoys. But I didn't find the exact route for each one ...

[Jimbuna]

A couple more links which you may or may not have seen:

http://warsailors.com/convoys/index.html

In the link below, the home page has a search function at centre left. Type in the convoy name eg. PQ 17 and click on search, a number of links will appear and a great deal of information can be found which usually includes a map showing the track/route taken by the convoy.

http://www.naval-history.net/index.htm

Here is the info given in one link on PQ 17

http://www.naval-history.net/Cr03-53-00PQ17.htm

[Jimbuna]

I would now ask you 'formally' not to post on behalf of other members, current or otherwise.

[junkman]

Very interested and please provide me a PM
Junkman