V&W Destroyer class...endless depthcharge supply?

[Paajtor]

I'm in the middle of my 2nd patrol, Oct.'39...we got assigned to grid BE61, so I decided to take the short but dangerous route through the English Channel (my 1st patrol was uneventfull, and I wanted some adventure).
Using IUB1.02, btw.

We passed Calais during the night, diving to periscope depth whenever we spotted a vessel.

Somewhere north of LeHavre, we got in trouble...a V&W class destroyer had seen us.
I've spend over 2hrs playing cat & mouse...the ocean-floor is at about 50m, so there's hardly an escape possible using the vertical.

Dodging his depth-charges is pretty easy: I sit at the hydrophone, and listen to his engines...whenever they rev-up, I hit full-ahead and apply full rudder to L or R.
After 10secs or so, I set rudder to midships, and continue on full speed untill the explosions of the depth-charges stop.
Then I stop the engines, and change depth again, running silent.

This goes on and on, and I was waiting for the moment he would run out of charges.

Will he ever?

every dc rack has 40 dc´s...

[reggie_mcfly]

I am no expert (been playing for a week now), but I was in the exact same situation last night.

Without being able to dive really deep, his ASDIC will keep finding you again and again. You can't escape the pings.

Somewhere I remembered reading that ASDIC is much less efficient if:

a) you are near the surface (the waves break up your echo)
b) you keep a small profile (keep bow or stern on)

So when he had made a pass and I was in his blind spot, I made a dash up to periscope depth and turned so my stern was pointing at him. My stealth meter turned green (he couldn't see me) and I slipped away at periscope depth running on silent.

Hope this helps.

[Paajtor]

good tip....gonna try that.

Ok, I figure that I will dry my batteries sooner than he will run out of depthcharges.


So far, the short route was certainly worth while....my men got some decent experience, dealing with recon-planes and PTboats.
We sunk 1 V&W earlier today...guess this guy is really pissed about that. ...we got his sister-ship in an ambush - completely by surprise - with 1 electric torp underneath his keel.

[Zachstar]

Nice. Always fun taking out the pesky destroyers

[Wulfmann]

I have been DCed by 2 escorts for 2 1/2 hours and they dropped over 300 DCs in doing so. 2 escorts never had 300 DCs so I would guess they are unlimited. 125 was what DDs converted to convoy escorts carried so this is more than what they had.
Life is not always fair. If it was these escorts would have a limit and SH3 would not have Starforce!!! :rotfl:

Wulfmann

[Marhkimov]

every DC rack has 40 DC's...

but you forget to take into account the k-guns, which also have 40 DC's a-piece.

So an average mid-war destroyer with 2 DC racks and 4 k-guns would have a grand total of 240 DC's.


These are the plain facts from SH3. I looked in the files myself. But by no means am I stating that these are realistic values. And at the very least, you guys should realize that these values CAN be changed... :hmm:

[Crash Dive]

Could you tell me where the files with this info is located? :hmm:
Thank you in advance.

[Marhkimov]

Download TT's mini tweek program and install the rules. Then you can edit the DC reserves.

Get it here: http://www.delraydepot.com/tt/sh3sdk.htm

[Crash Dive]

Thanks

[Paajtor]

Yes, thank you gj.

I just realized that it ain't that unrealistic, to lower some of the DC-reserves.
After all, why does every warship you encounter in SH3 have a max. ammo-supply?
Sure, our sub is the only active sub in the (offline) campaign, but we can at least try to pretend that there's a large-scale war going on at sea....and so there's a good chance that your enemy has faced other Axis forces earlier on, and therefore could be carrying less ammo as a result.

One can use different values for different classes of warships, to keep the experience interesting.
US units may carry less, UK or French more, depending on if they are escorting a convoy (US), patrolling close to shore (French), or hunting (UK), for example.

One note about multiplayer, though.
As it is right now, I should be able (haven't tried yet) to go mp with others who also have IUB1.02.
What if I edit these ammo-value's? Is it still mp-compatible?
I have my doubts about my installation anyway...I have the clear-water mod, and BadWeatherGuns installed. :hmm:

[Kalach]

Interesting, the longest I'm normally being DC'd for is only an hour or so before I make my escape (or die ). Though somethimes it seems as though they have been DCing everywhere very intensly and should of runout by that time.
I'll have to get a standard issue KM chalkboard and try to keep track of them from now on

When they do run out though (say it's just 1 DD after you), will it go back to doing whatever it was doing (convoy escort/sea patrol) or will it keep following you and waiting for help?

[Marhkimov]

Most likely the DD will follow you, even if the DC stores are empty (unless you altered their reserves, good luck! )

[Paajtor]

I think I found the answer to my question about multiplayer compatibility...in Timetravellers's own words:

This is basically a game hacker's program, and you must assume all responsibility for what you change or by running it.

So if you're going to use this, take note of the changes you do, and revert those when you want to go mp...unless IUB1.03 (in my case) will have these kinds of changes? (so you can go mp with other IUB-players).

[Hartmann]

Perhaps the DD scorts of the convoys can ressuply depth charges from a ship in the convoy ????

I don´t know if it was done in the british navy but whit ressuply of charges can give to the DD a lot of endurance.