A few new ideas

Fidd · 11-04-23, 10:20 PM

75. Difficulty setting - Escorts

Imagine there was a lobby setting which controlled how far away from the convoy escorts might spontaneously move, as well as the bearing change away from convoy heading when they did so.

Now imagine that this was an invisible setting only known to the mission designer or lobby creator.

This would allow for games where the escort AI was less predictable, and the game more varied in outcome, BUT would allow newer players to use less arduous settings if they so wished...

If an escort apparently moving parallel to the convoy suddenly makes a 60 degree turn towards the flank of the convoy at 18-36 kts, for a kilometer or so, then relying on detection distances where the u-boat captain "knows" he is utterly safe from detection becomes more tricky....

So on "easy mode" escorts might patrol with only a small change of heading from the convoy course, and a short distance at low speed; and on "hard" they might turn 60 degrees or more, and move a km or more, and do it quickly meaning that players would have to spot the threat, and act, much more than is currently the case. Because the setting is invisible to players, one can no longer rely on being 2000m (or whatever it is) as being "absolutely safe" from detection, because you don't know, as a captain, with what difficulty setting you are contending.

This effect could be enhanced by having harder settings initially making gentle, slow speed changes of heading, for shorter distances, and only later doing the quicker changes of heading, for longer distances, at and at greater speed in knots. Thus keeping the apparantly random effect concealed for longer...

11-04-23, 10:20 PM	#26
Fidd XO Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Blighty! Posts: 437 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	75. Difficulty setting - Escorts Imagine there was a lobby setting which controlled how far away from the convoy escorts might spontaneously move, as well as the bearing change away from convoy heading when they did so. Now imagine that this was an invisible setting only known to the mission designer or lobby creator. This would allow for games where the escort AI was less predictable, and the game more varied in outcome, BUT would allow newer players to use less arduous settings if they so wished... If an escort apparently moving parallel to the convoy suddenly makes a 60 degree turn towards the flank of the convoy at 18-36 kts, for a kilometer or so, then relying on detection distances where the u-boat captain "knows" he is utterly safe from detection becomes more tricky.... So on "easy mode" escorts might patrol with only a small change of heading from the convoy course, and a short distance at low speed; and on "hard" they might turn 60 degrees or more, and move a km or more, and do it quickly meaning that players would have to spot the threat, and act, much more than is currently the case. Because the setting is invisible to players, one can no longer rely on being 2000m (or whatever it is) as being "absolutely safe" from detection, because you don't know, as a captain, with what difficulty setting you are contending. This effect could be enhanced by having harder settings initially making gentle, slow speed changes of heading, for shorter distances, and only later doing the quicker changes of heading, for longer distances, at and at greater speed in knots. Thus keeping the apparantly random effect concealed for longer... Last edited by Fidd; 11-06-23 at 09:04 AM.