Angle on Bow and other issues

[Luka761]

Ok im having real trouble hitting the target at anything other then point blank range, mostly because I think im not judging/understanding Angle on Bow very well. I'm also slightly frustrated by mouse sensitivity in this game not allowing me to be that accurate with my TDC imputs. I've tried looking at the SH4 forums but they all deal with the US position keeper so can anyone here help me?? please?!!

Basicaly deal with me as if talking to a complete cretin of a child and use pretty pictures where possible to illustratte how I can more accurately judge Angle on Bow. Also is their any way to use things like the ruler on the combat map screen where you select your torpedo settings etc?

Any help is much appriciated.

[Fincuan]

http://www.paulwasserman.net/SHIII/

Manual targeting tutorial written for SH3, works equally well for SH4.

[Luka761]

OK cheers that helps, but I still wish I had my trusty weapons officer to give me a solution sometimes

[joegrundman]

Try using the search function Luka761, and welcome to subsim

[ATR-42]

Welcome Luka,
one thing you'll find here is that there is more than one way to skin a cat. the technique i use came from this forum. You'll have to do a bit of searching to un-bury it but its here somewhere. CapnScurvy made a PDF of a Angle on Bow calculator. you Print it out, then cut out the three pieces. I stick them into a piece of foam with thumb tacks so the 'base' stays put, while your able to spin both wheels to determine an exact AOB. i cant play without it.

once you get that sorted out, you'll just need to nail speed and range, but thats a whole nother thread

the feeling of manual kills is a great feeling, especially the 'long shots', i still cheer out loud sometimes and ive been playing this game since its release

good luck! and keep at it!

[Rockin Robbins]

Angle on the bow is nothing more than your heading as reported from the target. It works the same way as German headings, always an angle from zero (straight ahead of the target) to 180 (straight back of the target) and is reported either starboard (recht) or port (links). You want ze picture?



Here's a nice MoBo plot. You can see OwnShip to the left heading north. I don't remember what the impact point is so you can ignore that. But off to the right you can see our target 4400 yards away or so with the AoB compass rose on it. Note that the bearing of our ship from the target is 66º starboard. That is the Angle on the Bow. Simple, no? Just needs explaining properly.

It's just like explaining to a newbie how to operate an astronomical telescope. At first they are all confused. "Everything is backward and upside-down. How can I learn this crazy thing?" But when I explain to them that all they have to do is move the telescope the direction they want the object to move. If they want the object to move up, they move the scope up. They suddenly forget everything is inverted and in ten seconds are pointing as if they had been doing it all their lives. Everything is point of view!

And Captain Scurvy's Angle on the Bow and Speed Calculator--simply the best!

[Luka761]

thanks very much guys, im making slow but steady progress.

[Rockin Robbins]

Here's my first (alpha version!) video on Silent Hunter 4 Plotting Techniques. Hope it helps. I'm fishing for suggestions or additional plotting questions you'd like answered.

[Syxx_Killer]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

Here's my first (alpha version!) video on Silent Hunter 4 Plotting Techniques. Hope it helps. I'm fishing for suggestions or additional plotting questions you'd like answered.

Thanks for the video! It helped a lot! I have an easier time with things if I actually see them rather than just read about how to do it. Your method for AOB is great. I know the concept about it, it really isn't that hard. The hard part for me was trying to get the right angle inputed into the TDC. I do have a question, though. How'd you get the speed? Is it as simple as, say, if he went 700 yards in that 3 minutes, would he be doing 7 knots?

[Rockin Robbins]

And that's what's so great about doing video. People really ask "Is it that simple?" And this is an alpha version, buried deep in this thread for the reason that I'm a total noob about making these things and don't want to embarass myself. I already know that there's a problem with the compression and the video isn't great. I know that my breathing made me sound like Darth Vader. All that will be fixed.

I am mostly interested in what subect matter people would like to see covered. Already have a great suggestion to do plotting a conventional stadimeter attack and a WernerSobe sonar only attack. I thought Werner's video had all the possible info. I'll have to watch it again. I'm sure not about to reinvent the wheel and risk getting credit for his great work. That one is as important as Natural Sinking Mechanics. I'll be glad to cover sonar plotting though.

So think about what you want to see and let me know. My goal is to make something worth watching.

[geosub1978]

What is this above???

Is it free? Is it uploaded anywere?

[Quillan]

That program is MoBo, the electronic maneuvering board, and you can get it here.

[geosub1978]

Thanks!

[M. Sarsfield]

Do you guys play in Windowed mode when you use the MoBo program?

Angle on the bow is nothing more than your heading as reported from the target.

My understanding is that AoB is the target's heading (profile angle) relative to your position, regardless of where your boat is pointing. Just imagine yourself as a single pointn in space and your observing what the target is doing. After soem practice, you'll get pretty good at estimating AoB visually. Just keep referencing the recognition manual and make adjustments.

[Rockin Robbins]

No, I alt-tab back and forth. SH4 pauses automatically when you alt-tab.