a few more questions......

[Arno]

Hi mates,

I finally got to play a little more H3 and as it happens a bunch of questions came up, I hope you guys can help me:

#1
What exactly happens if I select the option that the staff handles navigation. Apart from plotting around coastlines, the only thing I notice is that the course of all my units is displayed.
Now this I like, I find it quite helpfull to see where each unit is plotted to go without having to select them first...
I dont like to turn on stuff that makes the game less realistic, though, so I would like to know what else the navigation assistant handles.

#2
The next one concerns attacking (once more :laugh:):
The last time I wanted to attack an enemy aircraft, the weapons menu stated that several types of missiles were not suitable, because the target was not illuminated... I looked through the manual and only found a short reference about illumination. Something about how a radar beam could pinpoint the location etc etc... I guess I can imagine how its done basically, but how do I use it in the game??? Is it done automatically or do I have to to do something special???

#3
What does BOL capability mean???

#4
How do I use a helo's active sonar??? I noticed that every time I select the active sonar option, it immediately switches back... at what altitude, speed etc can I use it???

#5
How do I use sonar buoys? (and how do I spell them again?!:( )

#6
what does a Q on the top right corner of an enemy contact mean???

#7
If a ship is reported as "on fire", does it still pose a threat or can I write it off as a kill???

#8
Is there a way to display an ETA for ships and subs??? Like the ETA of missiles, this would come in very handy... I just suck at math and sitting at my computer with a calculator on my lap trying to find out when my convoy should arrive at it's destinations is kind of tiring...

sorry for the many questions, I hope I dont get on your nerves :rolleyes:
Every time I play this game, it is more fun :)
Take care,
Arno

PS
I finally found out how to take screenshots on the mac... it's the easy combination of pressing Shift, Command, 4 and Space simultaniously while click-dragging a box around the area you want to photograph with your mouse...why didn't I think of THAT before?! No dear developers, that doesnt hurt at all! :freak:

[MikeSinn]

Arno,

While I am learning the game myself, I may be able to answer a few of your questions...

#2 = I believe you need to validate two thinks. First, confirm that the target is within range of the desired weapon system. Second, if the weapon system requires "illumination", make sure the firing platform's Radar is set to "Active".

#3 = BOL stands for "Bearing Only Launch", many cruise and ARM missiles have this capability. Rather than selecting a specific target for the missile, the BOL capability allows you to fire the weapon "blind" down a specific bearing and specify a point where the missiles seaker head will go active. This allows you to fire some weapons before a target's exact location is identified.

#5 = I believe there are two ways to use Sonar buoys. First, you can create a ASW mission and assign planes/ships that have sonar buoys to the mission. These units will move to the designated search zone and automatically deploy sonar buoys in a search pattern. I typically will create a second window around the ASW mission and set the preferences to display sonar buoys.

The second way to use sonar buoys is by manually deploying them. I have not personally done this but I believe the manual describes the process. On the PC, the Hot keys to launch the buoys are [ and ].

#6 = The "Q" indicates that the unit has its ECM sensors in active mode and is jamming one or more of your units.

Hope these comments provide some help.

Thanks,
Mike

[Herman Hum]

Hi mates,

I finally got to play a little more H3 and as it happens a bunch of questions came up, I hope you guys can help me:

#1
What exactly happens if I select the option that the staff handles navigation. Apart from plotting around coastlines, the only thing I notice is that the course of all my units is displayed.
Now this I like, I find it quite helpfull to see where each unit is plotted to go without having to select them first...
I dont like to turn on stuff that makes the game less realistic, though, so I would like to know what else the navigation assistant handles.

The Navigation Assistance command is just to help you plot a course around things. For example, if you want to plot a course for a ship and you accidentally order your ship to try and cross over an island, the Nav Assistant will simply re-plot your path so that you go around the island. If the Nav Assistant were turned OFF, you would simply be forced to plot a proper course. The Nav Assistant is only there to correct your mistakes.

#4
How do I use a helo's active sonar??? I noticed that every time I select the active sonar option, it immediately switches back... at what altitude, speed etc can I use it???

Of course, the first thing you should check is, "Does that helo even HAVE a dipping sonar!" I have made the mistake of trying to "dip" sonar that did not exist on that helo. :D

Helos need to be at Low or VeryLow altitude to use their dipping sonar. Also, you need to be in Loiter or 0kts speed (hovering).

#5
How do I use sonar buoys? (and how do I spell them again?!:( )

#5 = I believe there are two ways to use Sonar buoys. First, you can create a ASW mission and assign planes/ships that have sonar buoys to the mission. These units will move to the designated search zone and automatically deploy sonar buoys in a search pattern. I typically will create a second window around the ASW mission and set the preferences to display sonar buoys.

Mike's answer is correct, but that is ONLY for ANW! Since Arno is only playing H3, he needs to be aware that the sonobuoys deployed by the AI on missions Do Not Work! The AI will conduct the mission and the sonobuoys show up, all right, but they are non-functional in H3. Until he upgrades to ANW, he has to deploy sonobuoys manually with the "[" and "]" hotkeys.

#7
If a ship is reported as "on fire", does it still pose a threat or can I write it off as a kill???

No. Large ships can be afire and still kick the crap out of you! :laugh:

Just imagine BCGN or BB on fire. There's still lots of fight left in the old girl!

#8
Is there a way to display an ETA for ships and subs??? Like the ETA of missiles, this would come in very handy... I just suck at math and sitting at my computer with a calculator on my lap trying to find out when my convoy should arrive at it's destinations is kind of tiring...

Sorry, unlike in Harpoon Classic, there is not distance / travel calculator. The best that you can do is have a calculator nearby. Alas... :OHNO:

Great to see you enjoying the game! :cool:

[Arno]

thanks mates!
It's great that people around here are so helpful, it takes the gaming experience to a whole other level! I really look forward to upgrading to ANW so that I can finally play you guys.

Now I'll screw the red lightbulb back in and have another go at h3 :laugh:

Take care,
Arno

[Herman Hum]

Now I'll screw the red lightbulb back in and have another go at h3 :laugh:
Just be sure that you don't live in a district like Hamburg's Ripperbahn [Sp?] when you put it in or it will be a major case of,
"Lucy, you got some major 'splainin to do!" :p

[Arno]

Ripperbahn... I like it :laugh:

normally, it's spelled Reeperbahn, but every once in a while, some tabloid paper guy might decide that some stabbing in one of the clubs there asks for your way to spell it :D

anyway, last time I was deeply into the game and as I ordered a SeaKing to take off, I actually heard the helo noise loud and clear ... I really thought I was gone off the edge then, but it turned out to be just an emergency ambulance helicopter flying over my house... real life can be a ***** sometimes :laugh:

[Pirimeister]

I'm still in the dark regarding the "Target not Illuminated" issue (pun unintended...). I'm pretty sure that the times I got that message I was well within the engament envelop and I had my radars set to active.

I was thinking that it has something to do with the maximum number of missiles that each illuminator can guide at one time - that would be a welcome real life limitation - but I'm pretty sure that in some occasions I didn't had any AA missiles in the air, so the illuminators could guid at least one SAM, right?

Can someone please clarify a bit more on this subject?


PS: Arno, gret sig you have there! One of my favourite movies withgreat action scenes and one of the best car chases ever!

[Herman Hum]

I'm still in the dark regarding the "Target not Illuminated" issue (pun unintended...). I'm pretty sure that the times I got that message I was well within the engament envelop and I had my radars set to active.

I was thinking that it has something to do with the maximum number of missiles that each illuminator can guide at one time - that would be a welcome real life limitation - but I'm pretty sure that in some occasions I didn't had any AA missiles in the air, so the illuminators could guid at least one SAM, right?

Can someone please clarify a bit more on this subject?
That's pretty punny... :laugh:

I don't think that you would get the message, "Target not Illuminated", if it was only a matter of the maximum number of illuminators already being used up. I say this because I have engaged a swarm of targets and fired the maximum number of missiles allowable and then tried to fire some more. I never got the "Target not Illuminated" message. I could always try to fire more according to the weapons allocation window, but they simply would not launch after I had already loosed the maximum. At least, this has been my experience.

Other potential explanations for why you get the "Target not Illuminated" message might be:

1) if you are approaching on the deck (10-40m altitude), the weapon in question may not be able to engage

2) if you are approaching at vLow, the curvature of the earth may prevent the radar from locking onto you

3) ECM may reduce the radar effectiveness and prevent a lock-on

4) there may be a database problem. Editors are only human and sometimes they forget to put an illuminator on the firing platform. It's happened before.... :D

If you are really having problems, throw up a few more details or attached a saved game so that we can get to the bottom of it.

Great to see everyone killing little electronic blips and not each other. :halo:

[jpkoester1]

I'm still in the dark regarding the "Target not Illuminated" issue (pun unintended...). I'm pretty sure that the times I got that message I was well within the engament envelop and I had my radars set to active.

Search radars may have a different performance than the fire control radars that the missiles you are trying to shoot has. So you might have located the target with your search radars, but the fire control radars simply cannot get a lockon yet. In that case you'll have to wait for the target to get a little closer until your fire control radar locks onto the target and then the target not illuminated message will disappear.

Cheers,
JP

[Arno]

it's reassuring to see that others have the same problems :D

I tried it again and in my scenario the problem seemed to be solved once I got a Lynx helo up with actice emcon...

@piri: thanks man, it's one of my all-time favourites... aside from the great shootouts and chases, the dialouge itself is just amazing. The actors are all top notch and for once they had a screenwriter who really came up with great scenes. I wanted to use some part of the movie as my Sig but it was really hard deciding on just one quote, there are so many!

"What's the color of the boathouse at Hereford???";
"You ever killed somebody? - I hurt somebody's feelings once..."
and dont get me started on the grasshopper :laugh:

take care mates,
Arno

[Herman Hum]

I tried it again and in my scenario the problem seemed to be solved once I got a Lynx helo up with actice emcon...
That is one 'solution' that I would never have thought about! :laugh:

As Gunnery Sgt. Tom Highway might say,
Adapt, improvise, and overcome. :cool:

[Arno]

well, thank you... with the windows version of harpoon it would have been even easier... just shut the windows of your flagship, (re-)boot the chief of the watch and you're there :laugh:

[Pirimeister]

So you might have located the target with your search radars, but the fire control radars simply cannot get a lockon yet. In that case you'll have to wait for the target to get a little closer until your fire control radar locks onto the target and then the target not illuminated message will disappear.


So this means that the "Target not in range" message is refering to the missile's own range, while the "target not illuminated" message referes to the illuminator's range. Is this right?

Cheers!
Paulo

[jpkoester1]

So this means that the "Target not in range" message is refering to the missile's own range, while the "target not illuminated" message referes to the illuminator's range. Is this right?

Cheers!
Paulo

Right, however, in contrast to the missiles own range the illuminator's range doesn't only depend on the illuminator but also on target cross section, weather conditions, etc...

This means that in some cases the game will allow you to fire the missile at maximum range and at other times the target not illuminated message will be displayed.

Cheers,
JP

[Arno]

wow, this seems to add up... thanks guys...

PS it seems the gemermans are taking over the forum :laugh:

[Herman Hum]

PS it seems the gemermans are taking over the forum :laugh:
To arms, to arms...

"We shall fight them on the beaches, we shall fight them in the..."

[Divefreak]

wow, this seems to add up... thanks guys...

PS it seems the gemermans are taking over the forum :laugh:

May we start writing german onyl? :clown:

Regards René

[Pirimeister]

Ich bin ein berliner?

[Arno]

nice try... but you cant fool us, we're evil gemermans after all :devious:

[Taitennek]

PS it seems the gemermans are taking over the forum :laugh:


Tatatarattarattttaaatttaaaatarattatititatati...... ....[the horn blower of the Cavalery]:nuts: :nuts: :nuts:

Glad I'm speaking German:laugh: