Watch officers not reporting visual contact.....

suitednate · 07-02-14, 04:52 PM

Hello.....

Does anyone else have an issue with the watch crew not reporting visual contacts? The green bar is full and whether there is time compression or not, the watch crew doesn't spot ships that I can see perfectly fine until it's too late.....

I was moving along in heavy fog one time trying to find a freighter and the time compression was at 64 or 128.......all of a sudden I hear a loud boom and the boat has crashed right into the side of the freighter!!!!

The watch crew never called out the contact.

Other examples include not calling out destroyer contacts until they have put a shell or two in or around me......is there something I can do to prevent this from happening? Thanks.

Edit: these situations above don't "always" happen but they happen with enough frequency that I think there might be an issue somehow somewhere.

Vipper · 07-02-14, 05:26 PM

Maybe they are tired? Let them rest?

suitednate · 07-02-14, 06:13 PM

No they weren't tired. No exclamation point next to them in crew screen.

desirableroasted · 07-02-14, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suitednate

I was moving along in heavy fog one time trying to find a freighter and the time compression was at 64 or 128.......all of a sudden I hear a loud boom

Right there is one problem... you don't plow through fog at high TC if you know something is out there.

When you are playing at x128, 2 seconds of "real" time is 00:04:16 of "game" time. At 8 knots, your boat can move 0.56 nautical miles in those two seconds. Your crew (well, really, the AI) does not have time to inform you if you find something in the fog.

If you are looking for a freighter in a fog bank, you do it at TCx1 at about 3 knots.

Also, you hump your own keister up to the UZO and do the lookout... you will always see better than even an elite crew once you learn what to look for.

RConch · 07-03-14, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desirableroasted

Right there is one problem... you don't plow through fog at high TC if you know something is out there.

When you are playing at x128, 2 seconds of "real" time is 00:04:16 of "game" time. At 8 knots, your boat can move 0.56 nautical miles in those two seconds. Your crew (well, really, the AI) does not have time to inform you if you find something in the fog.

If you are looking for a freighter in a fog bank, you do it at TCx1 at about 3 knots.

Also, you hump your own keister up to the UZO and do the lookout... you will always see better than even an elite crew once you learn what to look for.

This explains it all. Like my Mother used to say-"Haste makes waste."
We all know Mothers are always right!

maillemaker · 07-03-14, 09:31 AM

I've seen this before.

Just a couple of days ago I was chasing a sound contact in poor visibility. Finally spotted the steamer about 300 meters off the port side. Foggy but still plainly visible, broadside to us at 270. My guys didn't see it for like 5 minutes.

I was standing on the bridge with them. I wanted to go, "Guys! Guys!!!! LOOK!"

TC in poor weather can kill ya. My last career ended when I was TCing through rough seas and a destroyer found us.

Steve

07-03-14, 10:22 AM

In poor visibility it's more advisable to dive and let your hydrophone operator listen till the weather improves. This time you can avoid unwelcome objects in the fog to which your U-boat doesn't react too well.

UKönig · 07-03-14, 11:14 AM

I started a new campaign, 1st fleet with a type IIA (U-4), 1939, and this very thing happened just the other night.
We came upon a lone tug boat (1100 tons) acting as a patrol craft.
Seas flat and calm, sky clear. One watch officer and one watch trained petty officer still let the tug get within 2300 meters, and did not call out a warning. I was the one who spotted this ship and took action, but they did not say anything. I put that down to "inexperience" as the war just started...

maillemaker · 07-03-14, 12:15 PM

Quote:

One watch officer and one watch trained petty officer still let the tug get within 2300 meters, and did not call out a warning. I was the one who spotted this ship and took action, but they did not say anything.

In SH6 they need to add a command to "Swat crew member upside head".

Steve

Pisces · 07-05-14, 12:38 PM

Lets put things in perspective here. (pun not intended, but left for comical relief) You are watching the targets in 3d perspective. With all the environmental and GPU enhancements that the game and mod set provides. Your crew however only 'sees' numbers: distance, speed, day/night time fraction (not sure how this is implemented exactly). And probably then some variables more to decide when a lightbulb flips on in their heads. Hopefully the game, and the major mods that might be applied, have been thoroughly playbalanced by their creators. And AI parameters matched to when you detect something. But odds are this isn't perfect. Especially if you add further mods potentially mixing up the visual verses numerical based detection balance.

suitednate · 07-05-14, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maillemaker

In SH6 they need to add a command to "Swat crew member upside head".

Steve

^^^^ THIS.

All of this happened playing vanilla SH3. I have switched to GWX since my OP and it..is...AWESOME!!

Vanilla SH3 was awesome for me until I played GWX. Also concerning this thread's main topic. This seems to be less of a problem in GWX.....to a point.....I have been trying to be more careful with the TC. I think the 16km atmosphere makes an enormous difference.

Schöneboom · 07-05-14, 03:36 PM

Ja, fog really messes with the lookouts, I've noticed. With clear skies they can spot ships on the horizon at night long before I can, when they're just faint smudges. But add fog and you will likely spot ships first if you're on the bridge. Of course they'll spot you, too -- and quickly! ALAARRRMM!!!

UKönig · 07-05-14, 04:00 PM

At least in vanilla SH3, I've noticed the visual ranges are usually:
Clear = to the horizon
Light fog = approx. out to 5-7 km
medium fog = " out to 2 km
heavy fog = " out to 300-350m
But at 300 meters, you're both close enough to trade spit.
And the early war torpedoes (T1-T2) had to travel 400 meters to arm. Which makes you lose visual contact. I *hate* engagements in heavy fog.
And yes, It did happen to U99 once where the fog was so thick, we made physical contact before we made visual contact, and the bad news, it was a C2 class merchant we hit. Port, forecastle. Captain Koenig wasn't very happy with the crew that day...

07-02-14, 04:52 PM	#1
suitednate Planesman Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 198 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	Watch officers not reporting visual contact..... Hello..... Does anyone else have an issue with the watch crew not reporting visual contacts? The green bar is full and whether there is time compression or not, the watch crew doesn't spot ships that I can see perfectly fine until it's too late..... I was moving along in heavy fog one time trying to find a freighter and the time compression was at 64 or 128.......all of a sudden I hear a loud boom and the boat has crashed right into the side of the freighter!!!! The watch crew never called out the contact. Other examples include not calling out destroyer contacts until they have put a shell or two in or around me......is there something I can do to prevent this from happening? Thanks. Edit: these situations above don't "always" happen but they happen with enough frequency that I think there might be an issue somehow somewhere.

07-03-14, 11:14 AM	#8
UKönig Captain Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Posts: 495 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	I started a new campaign, 1st fleet with a type IIA (U-4), 1939, and this very thing happened just the other night. We came upon a lone tug boat (1100 tons) acting as a patrol craft. Seas flat and calm, sky clear. One watch officer and one watch trained petty officer still let the tug get within 2300 meters, and did not call out a warning. I was the one who spotted this ship and took action, but they did not say anything. I put that down to "inexperience" as the war just started... __________________ Because I'm the captain, that's why!

07-05-14, 03:36 PM	#12
Schöneboom Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 651 Downloads: 36 Uploads: 0	Ja, fog really messes with the lookouts, I've noticed. With clear skies they can spot ships on the horizon at night long before I can, when they're just faint smudges. But add fog and you will likely spot ships first if you're on the bridge. Of course they'll spot you, too -- and quickly! ALAARRRMM!!! __________________ Dietrich Schöneboom, U-431 "Es wird klappen, Herr Kaleun. Ganz sicher." Last edited by Schöneboom; 07-05-14 at 03:37 PM. Reason: Spelling

07-05-14, 04:00 PM	#13
UKönig Captain Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Posts: 495 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	visibility At least in vanilla SH3, I've noticed the visual ranges are usually: Clear = to the horizon Light fog = approx. out to 5-7 km medium fog = " out to 2 km heavy fog = " out to 300-350m But at 300 meters, you're both close enough to trade spit. And the early war torpedoes (T1-T2) had to travel 400 meters to arm. Which makes you lose visual contact. I hate engagements in heavy fog. And yes, It did happen to U99 once where the fog was so thick, we made physical contact before we made visual contact, and the bad news, it was a C2 class merchant we hit. Port, forecastle. Captain Koenig wasn't very happy with the crew that day... __________________ Because I'm the captain, that's why!

07-02-14, 05:26 PM	#2
Vipper Machinist's Mate Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 122 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Maybe they are tired? Let them rest?

07-02-14, 06:13 PM	#3
suitednate Planesman Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 198 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	No they weren't tired. No exclamation point next to them in crew screen.

07-03-14, 09:31 AM	#6
maillemaker Sea Lord Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,639 Downloads: 75 Uploads: 0	I've seen this before. Just a couple of days ago I was chasing a sound contact in poor visibility. Finally spotted the steamer about 300 meters off the port side. Foggy but still plainly visible, broadside to us at 270. My guys didn't see it for like 5 minutes. I was standing on the bridge with them. I wanted to go, "Guys! Guys!!!! LOOK!" TC in poor weather can kill ya. My last career ended when I was TCing through rough seas and a destroyer found us. Steve

07-03-14, 10:22 AM	#7
allievo Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	In poor visibility it's more advisable to dive and let your hydrophone operator listen till the weather improves. This time you can avoid unwelcome objects in the fog to which your U-boat doesn't react too well.

07-05-14, 12:38 PM	#10
Pisces Silent Hunter Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: AN9771 Posts: 4,892 Downloads: 300 Uploads: 0	Lets put things in perspective here. (pun not intended, but left for comical relief) You are watching the targets in 3d perspective. With all the environmental and GPU enhancements that the game and mod set provides. Your crew however only 'sees' numbers: distance, speed, day/night time fraction (not sure how this is implemented exactly). And probably then some variables more to decide when a lightbulb flips on in their heads. Hopefully the game, and the major mods that might be applied, have been thoroughly playbalanced by their creators. And AI parameters matched to when you detect something. But odds are this isn't perfect. Especially if you add further mods potentially mixing up the visual verses numerical based detection balance.