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Post by ivaldi on Jul 20, 2015 16:26:22 GMT -6
Hi guys, i have a question.
Why can't I launch the torpedoes manually? the ship lunch torpedo only automatic.
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Post by ccip on Jul 20, 2015 16:45:51 GMT -6
The same reason that you cannot manually control the guns in the game - the concept of the game is that it is an operational-level wargame, not a first-person simulation. You do not have tactical control of your ships. Your role in the game is essentially that of admiral or, at most, division commander. Tactical decisions were done at a lower level than that - arguably, for torpedo launching, two levels lower, since that would be decided by gunnery/torpedo officers.
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Post by ivaldi on Jul 20, 2015 16:59:33 GMT -6
but it is the key to game "fire torpedo".
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Post by galagagalaxian on Jul 20, 2015 17:56:20 GMT -6
Torpedoes can be manually targeted and fired only on Captain's Mode.
That said, if your ships aren't firing torpedoes, usually its for a good reason. Early torpedo technology is pretty lousy and the AI will only fire torpedoes if they're very confident that they'll score a hit.
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Post by ccip on Jul 20, 2015 18:25:21 GMT -6
Hmm yes, in that case I'll suspect that it won't fire because there's no solution on target. Make sure that you have a launch angle (I think the launch arc for torpedoes is about 45 degrees), with some room to lead your target; and make sure that your destroyer is sailing a straight course for a bit before launch. The way torpedo solutions were calculated required a straight course and some time to take angle and range measurements to come up with a solution.
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Post by ivaldi on Jul 20, 2015 18:30:49 GMT -6
thanks for the answers, my doubts are dispelled.
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Post by galagagalaxian on Jul 20, 2015 18:37:49 GMT -6
Hmm yes, in that case I'll suspect that it won't fire because there's no solution on target. Make sure that you have a launch angle (I think the launch arc for torpedoes is about 45 degrees), with some room to lead your target; and make sure that your destroyer is sailing a straight course for a bit before launch. The way torpedo solutions were calculated required a straight course and some time to take angle and range measurements to come up with a solution.As someone who plays Silent Hunter 3 and loves to do his own torpedo firing solution plotting, this. Oh so very much this. The math isn't that complicated (depending on what method you use, you may not even need to do much arithmetic and instead use geometry) but it takes a handful of minutes to do (longer I imagine without the lovely firing computers available in WW2), and if the situation changes (one or both ships change speed or heading) you've got to scrap most of that and start over again. Or you just eyeball it and shoot from the hip. Some real life torpedo officers were apparently really good at that. |
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Post by ivaldi on Jul 20, 2015 19:03:47 GMT -6
A question for ccip, in admiral mode the gameis more simple than captain?
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Post by gord96 on Jul 20, 2015 19:53:18 GMT -6
yes. Admiral's Mode is the most simplistic. I used Captain's Mode as I like to fire my own torpedoes as well. Once you find the 'sweet spot' you should be able to launch torps with a 'high' chance of hit easily!  Downside is that Captain's Mode provides 20% less VP as it's easier I find. |
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Post by Fredrik W on Jul 21, 2015 0:23:18 GMT -6
To add a little to the above. The best place to launch torpedoes is somewhat forward of the enemy, and about 45 degrees offtheir course. That will let the torpedo hit at a 90 degree angle which is most advantageous as it gives the largest hit area. Torpedoes are not all that much faster than the target ship, especially not early in the game. If you launch from directly abeam or astern, the torpedo will have to catch up with the enemy ship, which is often impossible or gives much worse hit chances. See the below diagram. A torpedo launched from X would have good chances, assuming the enemy keeps his course, which of course he might vey well not do when he sees a bunch of destroyers in ideal launching position.The cirles roughly show the best launching positions. Incidentally, it is also the best positions to spook the enemy with some DD:s.
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Post by ivaldi on Jul 21, 2015 1:22:42 GMT -6
Yes,now it is even more clear, thanks fredrik.
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Post by gord96 on Jul 21, 2015 7:26:08 GMT -6
I have noticed that after 1910 torpedo warfare gets alot crazier. I am guessing because of tech making torpedos faster, more powerful and with greater range. Seems you don't even have to try and fire manually anymore as the AI is pretty fast to fire by themselves. And they chew early ships to pieces.... Good times!
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sage2
Junior Member
Posts: 56 
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Post by sage2 on Jul 23, 2015 10:57:16 GMT -6
To add a little to the above. The best place to launch torpedoes is somewhat forward of the enemy, and about 45 degrees offtheir course. That will let the torpedo hit at a 90 degree angle which is most advantageous as it gives the largest hit area. Torpedoes are not all that much faster than the target ship, especially not early in the game. If you launch from directly abeam or astern, the torpedo will have to catch up with the enemy ship, which is often impossible or gives much worse hit chances. See the below diagram. A torpedo launched from X would have good chances, assuming the enemy keeps his course, which of course he might vey well not do when he sees a bunch of destroyers in ideal launching position.The cirles roughly show the best launching positions. Incidentally, it is also the best positions to spook the enemy with some DD:s.
Thanks, this is helpful. Are there other factors that go into launching? I ask because I have had 2 battles with about 10ish destroyers vs. 4 BBs, and I tried to use the positioning you describe, (and keep the vector unchanged), but I only saw a total of 4 torpedo launches. This was 1903, I've focused on torp training, and some of my dds had 2 torps per side. I would have expected to see more launches possibly? Are there other things I can do to maximize this, or do i just need to wait for better tech? |
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Post by gord96 on Jul 23, 2015 11:05:48 GMT -6
Better tech makes a world of difference. You won't see many launches in the early years (unless you turn on captains mode and manually launch them), but in my 1918 game torpedoes get launched like crazy. I equipped all my destroyers with 6 tubes now because they shoot so many torpedoes now!
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Post by ccip on Jul 23, 2015 11:10:28 GMT -6
I would wait and see - I also rarely see launches early on. What I've also noticed is that unless the enemy is sailing a straight course, destroyers will rarely launch torpedoes from maximum range, but will usually need to be a lot closer. Since the torpedo range is miniscule early in the game, that's what you end up with.
That said, in some ways torpedoes early on are actually more dangerous than later, because ships don't have torpedo protection or advanced damage control. Often one good shot is all you need. In my AAR game, out of 4 or 5 launches I got in my first battle in 1901, I got a cruiser and a battleship sunk.
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