How in the world do you get a destroyers off your tail in GWX?

[Eetere]

I am a brand new player to the game and had my first run in with a destroyer. Four hours later, after searching the internet for an answer and trying everything I came across, I am now dead and quitting this game unless I get this explained to me. There is absolutely nothing enjoyable about having a destroyer circle you for four hours with there being nothing able to be done about it.

[Aktungbby]

Eetere!

[Fifi]

Originally Posted by Eetere

I am a brand new player to the game and had my first run in with a destroyer. Four hours later, after searching the internet for an answer and trying everything I came across, I am now dead and quitting this game unless I get this explained to me. There is absolutely nothing enjoyable about having a destroyer circle you for four hours with there being nothing able to be done about it.

Go deeper as possible (180m should do it) and run very slow (2 knots or even 1 knot) with of course the silent running ordered.
Changing course so your smaller silhouette face the destroyer position can be good idea too…
Also avoid beeing detected by destroyer when flat sea! You’ll have better chances when sea is rough

[Jimbuna]

^Pretty much as explained above.

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Eetere

There is absolutely nothing enjoyable about having a destroyer circle you for four hours with there being nothing able to be done about it.

Originally Posted by Fifi

Go deeper as possible (180m should do it) and run very slow (2 knots or even 1 knot) with of course the silent running ordered.
Changing course so your smaller silhouette face the destroyer position can be good idea too…

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

^Pretty much as explained above.

Indeed, the movie The Enemy Below portrays it best in three words:"Deeper Heini, deeper" as Curd Jugens' U-boat evades Robert Mitchum's destroyer for hours...but before commencing any attack, be certain your batteries and compressed air tanks are full up...you'll need em for slow constant evasion maneuvering. Also, it helps to use the convoy itself, by getting into or under it, as a screen to confuse the escorts.

[Eetere]

Thanks for the help! I realize now after sleeping and calming down that I was probably screwed because of the 60-80 m depth I was in while trying to escape. France has yet to fall and I'm in a type II between Germany and Britain. I should probably just avoid destroyers like the plague until I get to deeper waters.

[Mad Mardigan]

1 tactic, that I'd relied on... for those persistent buggers.

Just as they've passed by & are marking a turn to come back around. pop the torp door open (either an aft or fore tube, depending on your orientation to them. ) pop the cork to do a emergency blow ballast... making sure to set your depth for peri depth. Nno need to worry about their hearing that... as likely you're by that time, in their... baffles & 2ndly... is not like your telling them, your about... they already know that... since they're hounding you... (If it's a solo DD or DE, hounding you at the time... & not getting tagged teamed by 2 or more think I have had this also work with 2... but, has been some time. I've since learned early on, to avoid DD's/DE's... )

Anyway, soon as you start nearing periscope depth... go to the scope, raise it & as soon as it clears water... get a bead on where that pesky sucker is. If, they are still aft end facing you, doing a swing about... then chances are good... to give 'em a slap & tickle lullaby of death.

Make sure that when you pop off that 1 torp.. that it, is set it to 3 meters below their keel, for 1... & if possible... set for fast speed (know the T-II, was only a 1 speed torp... but, if that's all you have then, better than nothing...) & mag det. (best time to do that, is just before you pop emergency blow ballast.)

If successful (which by all rights, their being in close... the torp set to fast... they ain't getting away from death. As 1 torp, is enough to sink a DD/DE.) then, right after... get the flock outta Dodge...

Warships, just like their merchie heinz 57 sea going cousins... their belly, aka keel... was their Achillies heel.

This tactic works best in a... 400-750 meter engagement range setting...

If no other DD's or DE's, are about.. & you're not near air coverage or patrol areas... then you should be safe to pop the cork & surface to make your getting outta Dodge, that much faster... just be mindful to keep a sharp look out for air patrols none the less. Not to mention, other warships that just may be out for your head, to mount on to their walls... in revenge for their fallen comrades you just sent to the bottom...

Hope this info helps...



M. M.

[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by Eetere

Thanks for the help! I realize now after sleeping and calming down that I was probably screwed because of the 60-80 m depth I was in while trying to escape. France has yet to fall and I'm in a type II between Germany and Britain. I should probably just avoid destroyers like the plague until I get to deeper waters.

Yes. Period.

[kapuhy]

Originally Posted by Eetere

There is absolutely nothing enjoyable about having a destroyer circle you for four hours with there being nothing able to be done about it.

Others already gave better advice than I ever could regarding tactics, but one general remark as far as SH games are concerned: they are only typical "games" in their vanilla state - in that they are not too realistic but have "challenging but enjoyable enough not to rage quit" diffficulty level.

Megamods usually move them more into "simulation" territory - much more realistic, but not at all fair. And realistically odds were stacked against U-Boats for much of the war so badly it takes very specific type of player to have fun playing realistic U-Boat sim. The kind that thinks original X-Com series or Dwarf Fortress are fun games and losing is an exciting experience

[Mister_M]

I remember reading something here. It was a veteran German U-Boot's crew who was testing SH3 (maybe with GWX). When he was asked if it was a realistic game, he answered : "It was so much easier in reality" ! (for the U-Boot)...

But I guess it might be extremly hard to create a good simulation, like creating a perfect 3D model of a destroyer : spending 1000 triangles to model a single porthole, and modeling every rivets...

But here is a list of what is badly missing : https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/sho...d.php?t=251099

[FUBAR295]

That was Jurgen Oesten who was the technical consultant on the game. He said that in an interview, it was available at one time one time on Youtube.

I found that an interesting comment.

Good hunting,
FUBAR295

[John Pancoast]

It's always a good idea to research the meaning of actual participant comments vs. taking them at face value.
I.e., with his, what did he think was easier ? Controlling the boat, issuing orders, combat, what ?
Plus, another person might have thought it was harder, i.e.

[FUBAR295]

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

It's always a good idea to research the meaning of actual participant comments vs. taking them at face value.
I.e., with his, what did he think was easier ? Controlling the boat, issuing orders, combat, what ?
Plus, another person might have thought it was harder, i.e.

Agreed, as he never elaborated on the comment in the interview, as I recollect. I kind of feel that it was the computer interface and doing everything yourself as opposed to having a crew working with and for you in real time.

[Mister_M]

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

It's always a good idea to research the meaning of actual participant comments vs. taking them at face value.
I.e., with his, what did he think was easier ? Controlling the boat, issuing orders, combat, what ?
Plus, another person might have thought it was harder, i.e.

I may be wrong, but IIRC, it was about evading destroyers, or/and the fact that depth charges were far less precise than in game.

[Schiffmorder]

Originally Posted by kapuhy

...And realistically odds were stacked against U-Boats for much of the war so badly it takes very specific type of player to have fun playing realistic U-Boat sim. The kind that thinks original X-Com series or Dwarf Fortress are fun games and losing is an exciting experience

I've honestly thought players who stick with SH3 long term (like me) must have a love of the underdog and a bit of a masochistic streak in them.