Author Topic: Silent Hunter III Review  (Read 16864 times)

Offline Gixer

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« Reply #420 on: April 12, 2005, 01:00:20 AM »
Campaign Convoy bug fixed!
http://www.subsim.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=32975

Bug that prevented certain escorts being spawned with convoys has been fixed. Now no more easy kills in  convoys escorted by a single  DD. Works very well on the two convoys I've encounted since the update. One had 5 escorts the other 7.




...-Gixer

Offline Dinger

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« Reply #421 on: April 12, 2005, 04:08:24 AM »
Yeah, it's not a hissing or an intermittent problem; it is bad.

I figured out the answers to some of my previous problems:

Basically, the game is not designed to be played with manual map contacts, for then:

A) The hydrophone operator does not track contacts once he announces them, nor does he give useful range approximations.
B) The BDU radio reports of individual ships do not show up.
C) Convoy reports are uselessly vague (I got one "Large Convoy in AM 1 heading E)". Please remove me from your mailing list).
D) The 1024x768 resolution is insufficient to render detail at range such as flags; detail which would have been IRL fairly visible. Map updates on fixes this.


Other silly things:
If the map measures distances in kilometers, speeds should be in KPH not knots.
The height computer is cute, but why not have the periscope/UZO graded in Mils instead?

Anyway, after four or five patrols in a IIA with map updates off, I abandoned career, went to a VIIA, and after two missions (played straight through), I'm at just under 80k tons. The weather in AM51 sucks by the way.

Offline Wotan

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« Reply #422 on: April 12, 2005, 08:02:54 AM »
Quote
Basically, the game is not designed to be played with manual map contacts, for then:

A) The hydrophone operator does not track contacts once he announces them, nor does he give useful range approximations.


If you tell him to 'track the nearest contact' then when ever you go to the sonar station (H key) you can see him tracking that contact by the postion of the dial.

You can modify him to make a text statement like 'tracking Nearest contact' but he wont give continous contact updates. You just have to jump to H then slightly adjust the bearing to get good sound contact and then plot it.

I am not to sure how much 'range information' the sonar man could give out other then 'far', 'close', 'fading', 'closing' etc...

I live in the sonar station. I spend almost all of my time there. You will learn to judge better for yourself what the contact is doing.

Quote
B) The BDU radio reports of individual ships do not show up.


Single ship contacts most likely would not get relayed anyway. I have no issue with this. There's several mods you can do to adjust the visual contact markers if you want to play on them on.

I dont bother as I don't chase the single ships much.

Quote
C) Convoy reports are uselessly vague (I got one "Large Convoy in AM 1 heading E)". Please remove me from your mailing list).


I have no problem finding and tracking them.

In my last career I found them easy enough patrolling AM51, 52, 53.

I just re-started my career after I died trying to get out of Lorient at night. I had 13 patrols and 400k tons.

Currently I am 2 patrols in on a 'new' career (DiD)  I have over 100k tons already. I just hunt down convoys. I did get a 28000 ton battleship in Scapa Flow that helped but I almost exclusively chase convoys.

I play will all the realism boxes checked except for external view so I can take screenshots. I renamed the image file that shows the orange boat marker as well.

My new boat is a type VIIB (U-47; Prien's boat). On 14 Oct, '39  Prien in U-47 snuck into Scapa Flow and sunk the HMS Royal Oak. It just happened I drew that same boat at the start of my new career. I snuck into Scapa Flow on my second patrol and sunk a battleship and when I reviewed the captian's log after the mission I realized I had snuck in on Oct 13th '39.

Anyway I found a convoy right after I snuck back out of Scapa Flow. I went to AM 52 and found me a convoy and had a field day:

Log page 1:



Log page 2:



Status Report:



Homeward bound:



I use the pause key a lot so even though the kills show up within minutes of each other it took a lot longer doing the calculations etc...

Quote
D) The 1024x768 resolution is insufficient to render detail at range such as flags; detail which would have been IRL fairly visible. Map updates on fixes this.


There's a fix for this as well. I haven't tried it but here's a link to the thread:

Perhaps a useful little utility...

Quote
The weather in AM51 sucks by the way.


That's a fact. I never had a flat sea to use my deck gun until the patrol above (all the small ships were sunk with the deck gun)...

fyi

1 knot = 1.852 kmh :p
« Last Edit: April 12, 2005, 08:52:41 AM by Wotan »

Offline Nefarious

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« Reply #423 on: April 12, 2005, 10:43:32 AM »
When does Lorient and St. Nazairre become available for Germans?

On my Current Patrol (BF21) I headed through the Straits of Dover, again, July 6th 1940. Those two locations dont even show up on my map! Bordeaux shows up friendly though. Maybe still being fought for?

I figured out my boat strategy, I will stick with VIIC until Dec 41-Jan 42. I still havnt been to the Mediterranean yet. But I will once Lorient becomes an available base.
There must also be a flyable computer available for Nefarious to do FSO. So he doesn't keep talking about it for eight and a half hours on Friday night!

Offline Gixer

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« Reply #424 on: April 12, 2005, 12:56:21 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Wotan
I went to AM 52 and found me a convoy and had a field day:


Wotan,

Have you installed the Convoy mod yet? I attacked a convoy coming out of the Med last night that had 5 escorts. I was detected while trying to get inside the convoy and was forced to dive deep was pinged and depth charged for a few hours and lost contact with the convoy.

Think it''s far more realisitc playing with this mod that it was before as convoys have their historic levels of escorts compared to before. Just need the ability to also add the reducition in single shipping mod to work with it and the campaign wiill be at a far more realistic level.


...-Gixer

Offline Dinger

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« Reply #425 on: April 12, 2005, 02:51:07 PM »
Yeah, I gotta say, the convoy mod makes a lot of difference. I did two patrols without it and was harassing convoys full of goodies with no escorts (uh... why have a convoy then?). Afterwards they had destroyers at the corners, which made it more interesting (ducking under the boats, and playing tag with destroyers, while popping up and putting fish into the troop transports).

Offline Wotan

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« Reply #426 on: April 12, 2005, 04:41:48 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Gixer
Wotan,

Have you installed the Convoy mod yet? I attacked a convoy coming out of the Med last night that had 5 escorts. I was detected while trying to get inside the convoy and was forced to dive deep was pinged and depth charged for a few hours and lost contact with the convoy.

Think it''s far more realisitc playing with this mod that it was before as convoys have their historic levels of escorts compared to before. Just need the ability to also add the reducition in single shipping mod to work with it and the campaign wiill be at a far more realistic level.


...-Gixer

I have.

I downloaded Jace's fix then went back and downloaded Pentallion version that merged Jace's with Pent's 'reduced' small traffic to 20% of default settings' fix.

That's what I am using now.
Once the "world' mod gets some more work I will install it.

My career started in Sept '39. I am 2 patrols in and the date is Dec '39.

Not much has changed for those early convoys with either of those fixes that I have noticed. This particular convoy was of a different composition and layout then the other I have encountered. It was mostly nuetral small tankers and merchants with a few Brit C2s. It still had the 2 large Brit tankers but they were positioned differently.

As I have said I have no issue at all finding them. Now whether they have an escort or 5 is irrelevant to that point. In Dec '39 the British ability to protect their shiping was limited. That's why its referred to as the "Happy Time'.

I am sure things will become more difficult later on but that hasn't got much to do with with the ability to locate them.

In that patrol I was forced to stay submerged for nearly 6 hours and returned to port with 55% hull damage and several wounded crew.

2 destroyers had rushed out to aid the convoy. I was hit while on the surface. I submerged and spent the rest of the time avoiding depth charges and making repairs.

I am into my 3rd patrol and my patrol area is BF59. I planned of making a run through the Channel but I currently caught near Dover by 2 destroyers, several armed trawlors and elcos.

I may try to reverse and turn back NE. But I don't know yet.
« Last Edit: April 12, 2005, 04:47:01 PM by Wotan »

Offline Nefarious

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« Reply #427 on: April 12, 2005, 07:47:10 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Wotan


I am into my 3rd patrol and my patrol area is BF59. I planned of making a run through the Channel but I currently caught near Dover by 2 destroyers, several armed trawlors and elcos.

I


I killed an Elco last night, July 7th 1940.

I was running surfaced, and a Ship came into view at very short range. An Elco was cutting right at me, So I called crew to Deck Stations, But they couldnt hit the PT Boat with the 8.8, So I jumped on the Gun and showed them how it was done.

3 Direct Hits, and Down he went. I also put some 20 mike mike into another one, and he sped off, must have caused severe damage to him, but he called his friends and I spent the rest of the Night Under water.

It seems like none of the Destroyers have ASDIC, I can wreak havoc on a convoy, and all they do is circle above. The Only time Ive been pinged is when I went into Scapa, And I think those were Flower Corvettes.

My Current Patrol, Im 90 meters down, I was attacked by a Flower at night, but hes not pinging me either. It's just to easy when they dont have ASDIC.
There must also be a flyable computer available for Nefarious to do FSO. So he doesn't keep talking about it for eight and a half hours on Friday night!

Offline Saintaw

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« Reply #428 on: April 13, 2005, 12:54:35 AM »
Wow that's a nice sky you had there Wotan, am jealous!
Saw
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Offline Wotan

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« Reply #429 on: April 13, 2005, 04:12:03 AM »
I was killed mid channel. I stayed submerged through out the night but had no choice but to surface due to O2 depletion.

I surfaced and ran ahead at flank to try and get into the wider section of the channel.

I was attacked by aircraft and severly damaged. My sonar room was flood and my sonar and radar men were killed.

I thought the area was clear and surfaced again only to be engaged by a destroyer.

I was able to dive but due to the flooding I couldn't rig for silent. I cut engine and flapped the rudder to stop and submerged to the bottom.

Soon depth charges exploded all around me and I was killed...

U-47 lost with all hands...

Offline Saintaw

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« Reply #430 on: April 13, 2005, 04:38:02 AM »
I no longer am jealous ;)
Saw
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Offline Nefarious

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« Reply #431 on: April 13, 2005, 10:57:11 AM »
I too, am going to install the Convoy Mod. Although I never really noticed a big problem with them. I've came across two convoys in Ten Patrols so far, and both had plenty of Destroyers.

But I'm going to install it as soon as I finish Patrol 10 here. I've completed my goals, but Ive only used 5 Torps, 4 Bow and One Aft, Got plenty of fuel.

After I evaded the Flower, A V&W attacked me, And actually used ASDIC. Although he was bombing the wrong spot, I started to get worried, but he moved away and I surfaced again.
There must also be a flyable computer available for Nefarious to do FSO. So he doesn't keep talking about it for eight and a half hours on Friday night!

Offline Dinger

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« Reply #432 on: April 13, 2005, 12:49:03 PM »
Total Dweeb mission that shows the strengths and very real problems with SH3.

March 1940, my Type VIIB (From Kiel) is slated to patrol AN31 -- just off the coast of Norway. Strange BdU would send a long-range boat there, and I figured they wnated me to do something better. So after clocking in the 24 hours, I head on over to Scapa Flow. I'd paid S.F. a visit the previous patrol, sneaking in through the W, finding nothing, and slipping out the S undetected.

This time I came in through the S, and had made it past the straights (running silent, submerged, daytime, with high winds and medium fog), when one of the corvettes starts pinging. It's shallow water, and I don't have much room to maneuver. I dare not poke the scope up (and external view is disabled), but I can hear 5 ships around me. ASDIC is going nuts.  After sneaking around a bit, I pop the periscope barely out of its case and notice that the seafloor is so disturbed I can't see the undersea environment about 100m around me. As the destroyers make thei rattack runs, some of them come so close I can make out their hulls as they  go past, watching them roll depth charges off the back as they go, which hit the bottom, and detonate with a flash and a cloud of dirt. That's when I time the bursts of flank speed forward (or when the destroyer starts coming across the bow, emergency reverse).
A few times, the keel of a destroyer scraped the deck as it passed, making a horrifying screeching noise as the warship's 2-meter draft slid along, taking now the Flak cannon, now the deck gun along with it. One even took off the A couple depth charges got close enough to blow some pipes and shake us around.
Finally, a particularly close bow-to-stern run got me p*ssed off. I sent Hans down to the aft torpedo room, and had him flood the tube and give the eal a full head of steam. Rotated the scope to 180, and popped it up, right as he was approaching about 300m range. Calculated a bit of lead to starboard, and hit fire. Flank speed and hard port rudder, and another destroyer's coming on my six. Right then an explosion goes off in the distance.  I break right and watch the cans fall off the back of the boat, just off to port, and explode on the floor. Meanwhile, I send Hans to the bow torps, and having him prep a surprise there. Pop the scope up and minimum range and send one that way.
Another explosion.
I cut to silent running and slink NE. After a while, the audio contacts are all distant.
I finally risk a putting the scope above the water for a peak. I get it above the storm-tossed waves and see
destruction.
Parts of V&W Destroyers and Flower Corvettes are scattered everywhere --something like 5 ships have sunk; smoke and debris hang over Scapa Flow (we'll say three of htem ran out of depth charges).  Everything is eerily quiet.
I bring her to the surface long enough to grab some fresh air, then glide over to the port - nothing. I skirt the shore, wary of the new gun emplacements they seem to have installed -- I pull out so that my periscope is masked by the fog.
I head for the western exit, when I come across the Invincible, parked.
I pull up for a money shot, and set up a full spread of all four forward tubes.
The ruckus I had raised earlier must have warned them; their boilers were going and as soon as I choked off the spread, the flattop tried to get underway. The first torp hit amidships; one missed/was a dud and the other two hit the fantail. Still moving forward, she started to list towards me, then rolled over hard. The aircraft that weren't strapped to the deck slid into the water. Soon she was smoking in the Mud of Scapa Flow.

As I continued, there was an Auxiliary Cruiser desperately trying to get moving. Hans had two forward torpedos loaded; nothing else was left. This time, I stagger the shots, giving the second one some lead. Sure enough, I fire the first, she gets moving.  Torp one hits the stern; Torp two amidships, and she starts taking on water in the bow, slowing to a stop.
I pull up to the burning wreck, waiting for her to sink. I get cocky and wait there for an hour.
Eventually someone who's not fighting hte fire ont he Aux cruiser spots me and starts firing.
So I drop the scope, and pull around side.
eventually, I figure it's time to leave, pull out to about 800 meters, and fire my last, aft, torpedo at the Aux cruiser.
I exit via the west, dodging a patrol craft, then head back to Kiel, with 4 kills and 39000 tons of british warships.

Offline takeda

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« Reply #433 on: April 14, 2005, 05:26:23 PM »
I haven't played in a week, instead I've been peering through all the files looking for modable stuff...
Lately I've been trying to crack the 3D format for the game models (with moderate success: http://www.subsim.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=33178)

And I haven't even completed one proper campaign mission.

Heck... as I kid I never got to properly play with my toys, before 10 minutes they were already sitting in pieces, guts showing. Guess I didn't get any better.

Offline Nefarious

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« Reply #434 on: April 14, 2005, 11:27:55 PM »
Installed the Convoy/Destroyer Mod and the 20% Single Shipping Mod. Am waiting for a complete World Mod or a bundled Mod with all mods combined, then I will start over :(

Patrol 11 (Started July 16th 1940)

Ordered AM68

Instead of braving the Channel a 3rd Time, I head NW around Scapa Flow, I take the small passage near Loch Ewe, and arrive at my objective after about 7 days at sea.

Dodged the Most Hurricanes Ive ever seen yet, (Only going to get worse) And battled another Armed Trawler, Sunk the Trawler then had to dive away from Flower Class.

Narrowly missed my chance at an Outbound Convoy from Liverpool, but I've completed my objective. Time to Sail South.

Recieved a Radio Message, that the 1st Flotilla has been moved to Brest.

So, Still on Patrol 11, but things are starting to look promising further South as Im still on the Hunt.
There must also be a flyable computer available for Nefarious to do FSO. So he doesn't keep talking about it for eight and a half hours on Friday night!