Future Suggestions

Asdic Display

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Asdic Display

#1
I thought nothing of the sweeping sonar until I saw a show on the History channel about stealth ships. There was a scene in which a sonar screen was shown. There was no sweeping green line, but a green ring moving away from the ship. Of course this made sense. A radar display sweeps because an antenna is physically rotating. A sound wave should radiate awy from the source. A sweeping ASDIC would mean to me that the device that creates the sound is spinning on a platform somewhere on the ship or conning tower, and that the sound is continuously being broadcast. But we know this not to be true.

I'm aware that many games use the sweeping scanner mode of detecting targets. Is the ASDIC display a radar type to remain familar with gamers?

Asdic Display

#4
Yeah, I've read that on some posts as well.

I think its fine the way it is because it gives the information I need. I'm not going to nitpic for the cause of extreme realism. I understand that a game interface has to be usable to all players and not require "training" to use. A radar-like scope is something we have all encountered in many games so we know how it is used, and thus it quicker to play the game.

I play the game and I think of all the Gee Whiz crap I would add, then I think those implementations would be too involving and detract from game play. This game is pretty complex, but seems simple because its so streamlined.

Asdic Display

#5
What is great about this game, is you actually get to be the Captain... you don't have to be the fire control officer, navigatoin officer, chief engineer, torpdeoman, gunner's mate, sonar operator, radar operator, and galley wench, all at the same time. Unlike most "simulations" which demand you do everything, in enigma, your crew reports to you, you asses the situation, and then you kill the bastard. In my opinion, this is what makes Enigma so realistic; not having to micromanage your boat and its systems.

Asdic Display

#6
Details on Asdic are hard to come by, but the idea would have been back in the day to count off seconds between a ping and its return. The first reading was to the closest target. Stereo mounted hydrophones would be pivoted until the sound level in both audiophones would be equal, meaning you had directional data.

That's the idea, the reality is that the ocean is very noisy, the engines on your own ship could drown out returns. By looking at at a volume dial the operator could tell you if you were getting closer. WWII movies routinely show sub crews locking down everthing in order to survive being depth charged.

One thing was to be quiet, another thing would be to discharge miscellaneous items through the torpedo tubes and hope that the enemy would see this as evidence of a dead sub. :!!:

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