What kills you?

[RottweilExpress]

So...I run this game my own little frustrating way. I never did like the save-load routine when playing. Good results never does feel very rewarding when you "cheat" your way to them. So naturally I only have one life per career, then it's back to a new one if killed.

Just to get a hang of the game, I've been Starting over at '41 and asiatic base since Pearl Harbour is a full damn tank of diesel away from anything at all.

I run TMO on top of that. So what kills me? Not the escorts per se, but all the little mistakes I make during long patrols:

1. Plotting a long course, then hunt down a merchant and then press the "back on course" button and not think about that I now have a different angle towards my goal and then run aground at a small island or so, at timecompression of 4000 http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif

2. Not zooming in enough, making madly frustrating mistakes like plotting a course straight over the actual docks and then timecompress my way into them. Can't bloody see them unless zoomed in REAL good.

3. Trying to avoid escorts or planes while still having the periscope up from the previous battle and not realising it until they bomb the crap out of me http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/51.gif

4. Getting blazé with aircrafts. I love the different ways they are downed, and I still haven't met Ducimus "evil planes" yet. They still go down quick and hardly ever hit me so I get too tempted trying my luck...But I guess it gets worse later in the war (which I can't seem to reach, haha).

So, what's your mistakes?

[Subject_rod]

None! http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z15/subject_rod/smilies/pleased2.gif

[Ducimus_Rapax]

2. Not zooming in enough, making madly frustrating mistakes like plotting a course straight over the actual docks and then timecompress my way into them. Can't bloody see them unless zoomed in REAL good.


With the map zoomed out, draw a line with the ruler tool from where you want to be, and where you are. Then zoom back in the map, and plot your course along or near that line. This way you can see those little rocks and shoals when setting your course.

[bubblehead1980]

Not a full tank of disel if you run at ahead standard.Most places in the areas youll patrol, you should only use 20-25 percent of full en route if you stay surfaced enough and only dive to avoid planes or patrols.This avoids charging batteries often and thus use less fuel.

The things that kill you used to get me when i first started playing but not so much anymore.However, things added into TMO do get me.For example, I was off Palau Islands on last patrol in 1944 and was tracking a ship near the coast, it zigged and cut through the shallow area at the north, in stock could zip through ther eno problem and had never been there in TMO.SO at flank speed about 11000 yards behind the contact, BOOM BOOM , damage reports filing in....TMO added a subnet and also surfaced, I hit the top and of it and caused 90 percent hull damage, destroyed all kinds of systems, I was making 21 knots when i hit so.While trying to back out, hull damage went to 100, it was all over for me.Like you, I die, I start over.I was cursing Ducimus much, but glad he did it, always wondered why it was so easy to get around.Now if only more mines were around.

[fireftr18]

Originally posted by RottweilExpress:
So, what's your mistakes?

I tend to go after that one last merchant while the DD's are DCing me. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif But I figure it's just a game.

[MWolfe1963]

I use to not save, now I do on patrol in case the game locks up...

For whatever stupid reason, usually after playing too long, while using the stad I will drag the mouse arrow over the fire button while dragging the stad down....out goes a torp and ruins my set up.

[Magic452]

@ M_Wolfe been there, done that only it's the Speed telegraph,depth gauge,etc.. that get me
Hit the speed to ahead flank in the middle of a TF.
Another I've done is when switching from attack map to periscope (F3 key) I was concentrating
so hard on my firing solution I hit the number 3 key instead, went to ahead standard.

Magic452

[RottweilExpress]

I'm happy to hear that you guys are almost failsafe perfect, haha.

I'm working on my faults though, making less mistakes one dead crew at a time http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_razz.gif

Still haven't made it past patrol no 2. That's strange by the way, when I complete the first patrol it congratulates me on completing my second patrol.....Weird.

[Subject_rod]

If you have been visiting a supply ship, I think it counts as a new patrol, when you leave?

And I stand corrected. Last night on the way home to base, we met a destroyer crossing our path. We decided to "give it a go" despite heavy fog and rain and laid in ambush, waiting for him to pass us close by. Now that was a big mistake! http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z15/subject_rod/smilies/tired.gif We never saw him, but at some 600m range he started pinging like a madman and only luck and some wild evasive manouvering managed to get us out of there some 4 hours later... with a battered nose.

Now we have cuties onboard! http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z15/subject_rod/smilies/pleased2.gif

[RottweilExpress]

A supply ship? Are there any of those out there?

I guess a refit does not count as another patrol, because then I'd be on my fourth patrol before no time =)

[Subject_rod]

We are celebrating Christmas in the Bungo Straits 1943 and have the nearest supply ship/base in Molucca Sea (Phillipines) and another in southern Solomon Islands. And one is SW of Midway...
TMO here too http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z15/subject_rod/smilies/rock.gif

Oh! and regarding mistakes!
We've now learned you must be very, very quiet when launching cuties! http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z15/subject_rod/smilies/bigeyes2.gif
First one we ever launched, was at a small Wakate (?) destroyer. It started of allright, but then we could follow it making a nice turn... after some 135 degree of turning we had enough and dropped the boat down to +110 meters...
Otherwise than that, they are very handy! http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z15/subject_rod/smilies/biggrin.gif

[RottweilExpress]

Oh, now I know why you guys don't die...You never actualy find any enemies! I installed TMO today succesfully, as it seems my previous attempt was a failure and I was still playing 1.5.

And now I meet no enemies. 2½ month of patroling at the surface resulted in two enemy destroyers and one allied merchant ship. The second I fired at the destroyers they instantly fired at me and evaded my torps. Since my 2 of my torps prematurely exploded after 1000 meters evasion might have been meaningless. I'm not sure TMO is for me. My comp can hardly run it either.

[Subject_rod]

Originally posted by RottweilExpress:
Oh, now I know why you guys don't die...You never actualy find any enemies!...
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z15/subject_rod/smilies/faint2.gif http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z15/subject_rod/smilies/rotfl.gif
Right then!
Just finished 4th patrol... results from patrol 1 and 3:

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z15/subject_rod/Contest/TMO/P1_P3res.jpg
Patrol 3 is the most insane patrol I've ever done... drowned in ships... madness.

Patrol 2 was a bit special, since the dear Lockimus wanted us to go to the bottom of the Yellow Sea with a very important agent...:

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z15/subject_rod/Contest/TMO/P2res.jpg


And result of last patrol:
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z15/subject_rod/Contest/TMO/P4.jpg


Some we met unprotected...
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z15/subject_rod/Contest/TMO/some.jpg


One we could not touch:
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z15/subject_rod/Contest/TMO/untouchable.jpg



Originally posted by RottweilExpress:
...not sure TMO is for me. My comp can hardly run it either. Yeah. You need a fairly decent computer to fully enjoy SH4. He said after spending 13 grands updating... http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z15/subject_rod/smilies/rolleyes.gif

[RottweilExpress]

There I go, torpedoed and sunk by Subject_Rod, haha. Ok, I'm going to make another patrol run soon and let you know if I find any hostiles. not one merchant at the last one, except one friendly that is. And I sunk it http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif

[RottweilExpress]

Update: First patrol, 9 dec '41. In the 3 first days out of Manilla I found two TF's, both heading away from me, resulting in nothing of course. Upon reaching Suba one month later, 1594 ton had been sunk. One small MARU that is.

Useless.

I've yet to dock though, I'm heading out again and not coming back until dead or at least one merchant richer. With this rate I'll be back in june '42.

And yes, I have the map.

[swamprat69er]

Originally posted by RottweilExpress:
not one merchant at the last one, except one friendly that is. And I sunk it http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif

for FF you get awarded -5000 (thats minus 5000) renown points and a one way trip to Leaveworth. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif
I know from experience. There are more of my relatives there than on the street. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif
Regards, Captain Hindgrinder Jr.