Attack Sub Duel off Hokkaido, 2003 -- new beta for testing

[Mgellis]

My newest beta...Japan and Russia are squabbling, Russia has threatened to attack Japanese merchants in the Sea of Japan, and you, as commander of a Japanese submarine, are tasked with making sure that three cargo vessels reach a rendezvous point.

As always, please let me know what you think. I'm interested in feedback, comments, suggestions, etc. I've got a couple of complicated Events in this scenario and I think they're working properly, but any suggestions here would be welcome, too. Thanks!

Version 2 uploaded 11:05 PM EST 9/9/15

[Sensei.Tokugawa]

Can't load it - the link leads to nowehere.

[Tomcat84]

Make sure you are not trying to manually open the link in a new tab or window. Just left click it.

Also if that doesnt help check if maybe you have a popup blocker?

[Dysta]

I usually can download, but this one is not.

I tried, and it shows 404.

[Mgellis]

ORIGINAL: Dysta

I usually can download, but this one is not.

I tried, and it shows 404.

I was told the object had moved, and then got the 404 error when I clicked the link. I tried deleting the file and uploading it again. Same problem. It may be a problem with the server. Not sure what to do except wait and see what happens.

[AlexGGGG]

FYI, I have just downloaded it successfully on the first try.

[Randomizer]

Confirm that the download seems to be working now.

[AlexGGGG]

//EDIT:
Upon rereading the text below I found my language somewhat aggressive. That was not meant to be. I found the scenario overall fine. I'm talking about minuscule details here.
END EDIT///

I'm getting more kills than I would expect - I tried to figure who fired at what but was not able to; Either it was a stray Harpoon, or someone got too excited. Someone killed a neutral ship, but I did not get a customary message "someone fired on neutrals", although I would expect it should be there; and no penalty for that.

However, I got penalty for sinking a false contact? I thought we are at war, who cares about goddamn fish with torpedoes swimming all over and ships sinking all the way to the bottom? Somehow I thought false contacts were there so I spend my torpedoes and stealth on them.

SIDE: Russia
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
1x MPK Grisha II [Pr.1124P Albatros] <--- allied frigate killed this one, spending apparently 2x Harpoons(?)
2x PL-877 Kilo <-- I sunk these

EXPENDITURES:
------------------
10x 53-65K WH <--- seems too many fired?

SIDE: Nature
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
1x False Contact (Medium) <---- I marked that as hostile and allied frigate did sink it.


LOSSES:
-------------------------------
1x Commercial Container Vessel - Panamax [4,500 TEU, 65,000t DWT] <-- who did this?


SIDE: Japanese Surface Forces
===========================================================

EXPENDITURES:
------------------
2x RGM-84D Harpoon IC <-- spent on Grisha?
1x Mk46 NEARTIP Mod 5 <-- spent on the false contact


---------------====================------------

SCORING LOG

07-Sep-03 23:29: Score changed from 0 to -50. Reason: Event Action: '-50 points' has been fired (part of Event: 'Japanese merchant destroyed')

08-Sep-03 00:17: Score changed from -50 to -30. Reason: Event Action: '20 points' has been fired (part of Event: 'Russian ship destroyed')

08-Sep-03 00:38: Score changed from -30 to 70. Reason: Event Action: '100 points' has been fired (part of Event: 'Russian submarine destroyed')

08-Sep-03 04:03: Score changed from 70 to 60. Reason: Event Action: '-10 points' has been fired (part of Event: 'Natural creature destroyed')

08-Sep-03 05:02: Score changed from 60 to 160. Reason: Event Action: '100 points' has been fired (part of Event: 'Ishikawa Maru on station')

[Mgellis]

AlexGGG, thanks for the feedback. What actually happened was not that a neutral ship was destroyed but that one of the merchants you were supposed to protect (i.e., an ally) was destroyed. Probably, it was sunk by one of the Russian submarines.

Why did the scenario stop. Did you run out of time? There should have been enough time for all three merchants (or at least the ones that survived) to get on station. Do I need to extend the time to 18 or 20 hours so the third ship can get on station?

Just curious...how did you find the second submarine?

Thanks.

[Mgellis]

Version 2 uploaded. Tweaked a few things based on AlexGGG's comments. Please let me know what you think. Thanks!

[AlexGGGG]

I can't really recall how it did stop. I was probably infuriated by being reprimanded for killing fish )
Any yes, I messed up the debrief, confusing neutral and allied forces.


The sub was actually pretty easy. I knew it was your scenario, and it always worse than what it says on tin (except tutorials). Briefing said AT LEAST ONE SUBMARINE; based on previous scenarios of yours I was expecting something to the tune of three submarines or sub + aircraft. I thought if it is aircraft, there are no bases, so it will be a helo from the Russian warship. Periscope however did not give any hints of the helo. Therefore I knew I was looking for moar subs.

Then, I detected the submarine by seeing smoke of the allied ship. I was able to kill the sub, because it was inside my kinematic range at the time, but too late to save the ship. That was in southern direction, south-west, and I was north of the situation. Allied frigate started moved in from south. I had a choice of where to move, south along with first two merchants towards their destination, or north to meet the third merchant. I made a bet that if there is an ambush at the destination point, frigate would detect it; anyway I was too slow and can't make to destination before allied ships. So I chose to go north to meet Masuda Maru, which was last to arrive.

Then, it was just a matter of identifying contacts. I used a simple method of shooting torpedo BOL in general direction of the contact. One which does not twitch is biologics. One which turns and runs away is a sub. Plus, at max speed it gives more data for identification.

----

I replayed the updated scenario and it ended when at the same time four things happened

1. first ship reached its destination
2. Event "Ishikawa Maru on station" fired
3. Event "Victory" fired
4. Scoring changed from Major Victory to Triumph

I don't really know which of the above caused which

Then I waited till all the ships arrive and they all arrived with time to spare.

[Dysta]

It's actually quite fun to start the game with a pseudo-sub-thread right at the beginning, and I can easily expect a heavy activity of biologics.

The only way I could seek the deadly goblin is default cruise and above the layer, trying to make myself as a bait, but it seems the Russian doesn't seek the Japanese war machine, and floored two friendly merchant ships.

A Kilo caught by surprises an hour late when I fired a first wave of torps, and trying to escape from them. I keep chasing its back with flank and below the layer, and easily hunt it down again.

But the second 5-knots goblin is northwest of the DDG, I tried to intercept and launch torps, but it escaped and seems never come back. This games continues until the Russian FFG get sunk by AI's DDG.

Ending game is average 55. To me, it looks like very nice try for this scenario.

-----

Something bugging me a lot is the AI DDG reached at one of the unidentified goblin and cruise right at it to find out. It's definitely a biologic, but it doesn't find out and keep spinning all around until it detected Russian FFG threat. It's also happens in many games, the ship just spinning crazy above the goblin until it's identified.

[AlexGGGG]

If you know its biological, mark it neutral yourself. It releases AI from being stuck identifying the goblin.

[AlexGGGG]

I got the idea, if we can make whales chase submarines or ships, but I failed to implement it. I was thinking along the lines of curious fish, which will come closer to ships or subs if possible. I tried to put a whale on ASW or sea control patrol mission, added passive sonars to it so it can hear, but it did not work - the whale ignored the targets. I went as far as adding torpedo tube to a whale actually; I thought maybe it will not move towards something it cannot attack, but that also failed. Apparently biologics get special treatment and cannot be used this way.

[AlexGGGG]

Yet another idea is a Russian-trained dolphin with a nuclear DC strapped to its back, but again I'm not sure we can make it.

[Dysta]

ORIGINAL: AlexGGGG

Yet another idea is a Russian-trained dolphin with a nuclear DC strapped to its back, but again I'm not sure we can make it.

Or Russian-trained octa-kraken:

[tk208]

I'm getting the "you have attempted to load a DB that does not exist" pop up when I try and load the scenario

[AlexGGGG]

Update to the latest Command.

[tk208]

Yea done that, I'm running build 735

[tk208]

double post