Spoiler Alert - Flying Dutchman Mystery

Sniper297 · 07-05-20, 10:59 AM

Stop here if you don't want to know. Old thread on this;

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/sho...d.php?t=125104

Lots of arguments about whether it exists or not, and here's why;

For those not familiar with the mission editor, the jap harbor traffic file defines randomly spawned ships and groups in harbors during campaigns - and adds this little easter egg. Note the circled values at the bottom left - 700 hours is about 29 days, so the Dutchman's spawn frequency is about once a month. Except that the probability of spawn is 20 percent, meaning once every 700 hours the game rolls the dice and 80% of the time comes up no Dutchman spawn. The 20% of the time it DOES spawn (an average of once every 5 months) it cruises around the islands in Luzon Straits in a random pattern. The white lines between waypoints are the main course, the green lines the alternate random courses. So it starts out heading north, and waypoint 1 is set to loop to waypoint 4 50% of the time, skipping waypoints 1 and 2. Whichever way it goes, on arrival at waypoint 4 it randomly chooses to go to waypoint 5, or it might loop to waypoint 7 instead. Lather rinse repeat.

For those who have never seen it and want to, merely edit that file in the mission editor to change the spawn frequency to something like 48-72 hours, and the spawn probability to 100%, then head for Luzon Straits.

I suck at math, but my guess is playing an Asiatic career and spending most of your patrol time in Luzon Straits, the unhacked version might give you a sighting twice throughout the war.

razark · 07-05-20, 12:17 PM

There is something that's crossed my mind. Does anyone know if it is still in TMO, or might it have been removed? I've been playing some version of that for as long as I can remember, and have never run across the alleged Dutchman.

Sniper297 · 07-05-20, 01:39 PM

Dunno, never tried TMO. Quick way to find out, fire up the mission editor, open \Data\Campaigns\Campaign\Jap_HarborTraffic.mis and see if it's in Luzon Straits. If it is, change spawn probability and frequency to make it show up, then go there in a career and look around. I haven't looked at ALL the campaign missions (stock 1.4 there are 653 of the little beasts) but consensus indicates that it only shows up in Luzon Straits, so anyone who never goes there would never see it.

razark · 07-05-20, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sniper297

...see if it's in Luzon Straits.

Yeah, it's there.

I've spent a decent amount of time in the area over the years, and still never seen it.

propbeanie · 07-05-20, 03:56 PM

It will indeed spawn there, just not very often, as Sniper297 shows, as maybe once every five months - and will you be in the area when it does spawn?...

razark · 07-05-20, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by propbeanie

...will you be in the area when it does spawn?

Of course not, since it's not even real.

07-05-20, 10:59 AM	#1
Sniper297 The Old Man Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Philadelphia Shipyard Brig Posts: 1,386 Downloads: 160 Uploads: 19	Spoiler Alert - Flying Dutchman Mystery Stop here if you don't want to know. Old thread on this; https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/sho...d.php?t=125104 Lots of arguments about whether it exists or not, and here's why; For those not familiar with the mission editor, the jap harbor traffic file defines randomly spawned ships and groups in harbors during campaigns - and adds this little easter egg. Note the circled values at the bottom left - 700 hours is about 29 days, so the Dutchman's spawn frequency is about once a month. Except that the probability of spawn is 20 percent, meaning once every 700 hours the game rolls the dice and 80% of the time comes up no Dutchman spawn. The 20% of the time it DOES spawn (an average of once every 5 months) it cruises around the islands in Luzon Straits in a random pattern. The white lines between waypoints are the main course, the green lines the alternate random courses. So it starts out heading north, and waypoint 1 is set to loop to waypoint 4 50% of the time, skipping waypoints 1 and 2. Whichever way it goes, on arrival at waypoint 4 it randomly chooses to go to waypoint 5, or it might loop to waypoint 7 instead. Lather rinse repeat. For those who have never seen it and want to, merely edit that file in the mission editor to change the spawn frequency to something like 48-72 hours, and the spawn probability to 100%, then head for Luzon Straits. I suck at math, but my guess is playing an Asiatic career and spending most of your patrol time in Luzon Straits, the unhacked version might give you a sighting twice throughout the war.

07-05-20, 12:17 PM	#2
razark Ocean Warrior Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 2,731 Downloads: 393 Uploads: 12	There is something that's crossed my mind. Does anyone know if it is still in TMO, or might it have been removed? I've been playing some version of that for as long as I can remember, and have never run across the alleged Dutchman. __________________ "Never ask a World War II history buff for a 'final solution' to your problem!"

07-05-20, 03:56 PM	#5
propbeanie CTD - it's not just a job Join Date: May 2016 Location: One hour from Music City USA! Posts: 10,098 Downloads: 451 Uploads: 2	It will indeed spawn there, just not very often, as Sniper297 shows, as maybe once every five months - and will you be in the area when it does spawn?... __________________ "...and bollocks to the naysayers" - Jimbuna

07-05-20, 01:39 PM	#3
Sniper297 The Old Man Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Philadelphia Shipyard Brig Posts: 1,386 Downloads: 160 Uploads: 19	Dunno, never tried TMO. Quick way to find out, fire up the mission editor, open \Data\Campaigns\Campaign\Jap_HarborTraffic.mis and see if it's in Luzon Straits. If it is, change spawn probability and frequency to make it show up, then go there in a career and look around. I haven't looked at ALL the campaign missions (stock 1.4 there are 653 of the little beasts) but consensus indicates that it only shows up in Luzon Straits, so anyone who never goes there would never see it.