Reality! Exactly what am I trying to accomplish?

[Wulfmann]

In spite of many well done improvements to SH3 no one, self included, has mastered the fine line between competent deadly A/S ships and a chance to escape for player.
Either there is little chance of your demise or little chance of anything but your demise!
The sensors and cfg files are like an old Mercedes suspension. Change one thing and it can affect many other things which then also have to be adjusted.
But, wandering around in hopes of on a solution has not succeeded either.
For the last month I have changed one something in the cfg or sensors and done a patrol.
But, what do I want?
What will satisfy me?
Here is a list, IMO.
Accurate convoy screens. That means in 1943 12-20 escorts with sweepers out front then 3 in front close with the flanks layered by escorts and 4 or more bringing up the rear.
All of those at 3 crew rating so that sneaking in has a maybe one in three chance if done correctly and at 1knot. If detected any further desire to attack the merchants would be 90% sunk for U-Boat. If U-Boat gets in it has one chance to fire and dive away. If it maneuvers and evades at peri depth it is unlikely to survive..
However, once the U-Boat, for any reason dives deep it should not be that the escorts will surly sink him. He must have the ability to escape. On this the fine line is most critical.
I am using 1943 because that is the critical year of U-Boat vulnerability.
My problem has been simple. I can either surely get away or I can not no matter what I do. It is a very very small thin line, apparently!!!
Many things have been edited to arrive at what appears to be a possible (note, possibility) solution
I have found that I can only change one value at a time or too many things are affected.
I have reduced the effect on both DCes and Hedge Hogs. The Hedge Hogs were actual not very effective in real life but in SH3 they almost always score a hit or two on each pass.
This reduced damage means one can survive to fight the damage but by making the escorts more effective they can hit you more often so it encourages you to do what real U-Boats did, dive and attempt escape.
That one hit and you go to crew screen and half the men are red before you get the black screen was not working for me as it was the norm. I wanted a slower death
As mine is now if I do not go silent (not just reduce speed) and then do not go to one knot, I will not survive. If I did not reduce the damage affects on the DCes and HGs I would never get to that point.
I also want this settled in a reasonable amount of time. I have had 4 hour real sessions and 20 hour TC sessions (when the DD ran out of DCes but kept me down) and while real it does not make for a desirability to play the game so a compromise of one to two hour hammering is what I desire.
I also believe 1943 plus convoys should be so hard to penetrate and track ¾ of your attacks will be long range hope for shots because the ability to drop in at the exact angle to be between the extensive screen and make inside attacks will be extremely unlikely (but still enough to want to continue to try when possible)
The present 1943 career is particularly good in advancing these desires.
2 patrols ended with no sinkings both with unsuccessful long range attacks.
One patrol was very good with another good and the rest mediocre.
Seven patrols with 107K. Better than a real1943 total score would have been but half the average before these changes.
Only 3 times was I able to get into a convoy at all. Last night I picked off the 2 sweepers (they were pinging me) and because they were so far in front I went off silent and flank speed (merchants at 310) while I reloaded. I then sank 2 more and was badly damaged. Had it not been a clear calm night I would never have been able to make good shots. Fixing the repairs I sank a fifth escort with a stern shot as I fired two spreads of pairs into the convoy one of which was a calculated aim. I sank two big ships (luckily) and dove away fast as I could.
I counted 7 warships on the hydrophone but there were likely more on the other side blocked by merchants. I was pounded for over an hour with major (Orange) flooding in half the compartments and the rest (yellow) flooded as well with all my flak guns destroyed. They were not losing track of me so I dropped form 130 to 180 and went to 1knot. In an hour they were not as close with the DCes and I had no further damage. Almost 3 hours after the dive I was clear but with 3 fish left I was in no shape to continue.
I should not have been able to sink 5 escorts in truth but even that did not leave the convoy undefended in the least so while I got 2 ships the ones that got through this November 1943 day surely spells the end of the Third Reich.

That is what I am looking for. The ability to survive and the chances for success very difficult. Not exactly realistic yet but closer than I have been.

I do not believe I am there yet but at least I am encouraged unlike the last couple moths where I questioned if the line could be found at all.

Wulfmann