The Long Patrols

[pmcmull]

`I have been trying to get a career started. I am on the second try now. So it begins just after the Pearl Harbor attack. I have to sail from PH to near the Japan coast. Which is Very Long and boring. I made it through a first mission where I sunk 4 ships and used up all the forward torpedoes. But these patrols! I am cautious about going to the high end of the Time compression. I think I saw some messages about crashes or getting jumped by planes or destroyers. So not comfortable about going over 512 but use 1024 at times to just get there. Also if in enemy territory I assume it is standard procedure to run on the surface at night but then submerged in the daytime. So you have to stop and switch twice a day. It ends up taking 2 or 3 hours of my game time just to get there. Or to get back at the end of the mission.

Any tips or tricks to improve on this?

[Larrywb57]

Originally Posted by pmcmull

`I have been trying to get a career started. I am on the second try now. So it begins just after the Pearl Harbor attack. I have to sail from PH to near the Japan coast. Which is Very Long and boring. I made it through a first mission where I sunk 4 ships and used up all the forward torpedoes. But these patrols! I am cautious about going to the high end of the Time compression. I think I saw some messages about crashes or getting jumped by planes or destroyers. So not comfortable about going over 512 but use 1024 at times to just get there. Also if in enemy territory I assume it is standard procedure to run on the surface at night but then submerged in the daytime. So you have to stop and switch twice a day. It ends up taking 2 or 3 hours of my game time just to get there. Or to get back at the end of the mission.

Any tips or tricks to improve on this?

Welcome to SH4 pmcmull,

First, are you running any mods with the game? When traveling to my assigned patrol area, I run as high time compression as possible. My speed is
at 'Ahead Full.' I'm on the navigation map <F5> with the clock <C> opened. As soon I see the clock shutter or bump, the clock's second hand stops moving and I hit my backspace to stop the game. With the game at normal time, I started investigating why the clock shuttered. Normally, I go to the sonar station <H key>, stop my engines and turn the sonar dial using the Home or End key. If something is close the green light will come on. Then I go to the bridge <F4>, and push the <V key> to see if the watch crew has anything to report. Sometimes there is nothing there. If not, I go back to the navigation map to continue my journey. As I get closer to the enemy territory, I lower the time compression and speed. If you have an air search radar, contacts will bring you to normal time. I don't mess with the planes, I go to radar depth and then periscope depth as they get closer. If the water is clear, I go deeper, say two hundred feet. Your silhouette can be seen if they fly directly overhead. If there are a lot of planes, I stay down to it is dark, then surface.

Which is Very Long and boring.

Normally I save the game when entering the assigned patrol area, it saves time if you lose your boat. When saving, I try not to have any vessels or aircraft around. I go periscope depth with engines stopped. Save the game, I use the date such as 14Apr42 without any spaces. Click save, then resume the game. Wait thirty seconds before exiting. Click 'Exit Game' and I wait for a minute before closing the program. It takes the game a little extra time to put everything in its proper place. I have fewer CTDs when opening up on replay. Go luck.

[pmcmull]

Sounds like some great advice, Larry. I will try out these suggestions. The compression goes up to higher numbers, and you go as high as it will let you?
Saving when reaching the patrol area makes sense. So it can be the fallback in case of problems. I don't yet know all the keyboard shortcuts, like the V key on the bridge. I need to learn more of these.
The game is good at coming out of speed mode when a contact occurs? Current boat, a Porpoise and in April 42, has no radar. Urgently want that upgrade.
Pat

[KaleunMarco]

Originally Posted by pmcmull

Sounds like some great advice, Larry. I will try out these suggestions. The compression goes up to higher numbers, and you go as high as it will let you?
Saving when reaching the patrol area makes sense. So it can be the fallback in case of problems. I don't yet know all the keyboard shortcuts, like the V key on the bridge. I need to learn more of these.
The game is good at coming out of speed mode when a contact occurs? Current boat, a Porpoise and in April 42, has no radar. Urgently want that upgrade.
Pat

Glad you are enjoying SH4.
It is strongly suggested that players not exceed 1024 time compression due to the side effects that higher TC causes.
You are able to go as high as 8096 but you may experience difficulties.
Good luck.