I've restarted work on Part 4 of the Tactics 101: ASW effort, which will focus on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) as it is modeled in HCE.

 

Obviously there will be ship vs sub, sub vs sub, and air vs sub.

 

But what kinds of specific match up's would you like to see covered?

I know your probably extremely busy already... but I'm really looking forward to more sections of Tatics 101, they are a huge help at really understanding the basics and concepts behind whats actually going on, and not just clicking a few buttons and achieving what you want, but not knowing why exactly

Perhaps this is the good topic for this question.

 

How does Harpoon model the Thermocline?

Early (DOS version) release notes mentioned penalties for cross layer detection.

What effects were/are coded actually?

Perhaps this is the good topic for this question. How does Harpoon model the Thermocline? Early (DOS version) release notes mentioned penalties for cross layer detection. What effects were/are coded actually?

 

I was going to tackle the thermocline in that ASW wish list thread, but here is as good a place as any.

 

There is only one thermocline or 'layer' existing in HCE and when present, it lies at the demarcation between Shallow and Intermediate depths.

 

There are actually five different possibilities for how the layer might appear in game:

 

1. No layer at all;

2. A slight layer;

3. An average layer;

4. A strong layer; or

5. A layer described to be a 'bank vault door'.

 

The strength of the layer is determined by the sea state, averaged between the target group and the detecting group (as opposed to unit).

 

For example, assume a target's location has Sea State 5 (about midway between 0-9, so rough weather), while the detecting unit's location has Sea State 9 (phenomenally bad).

 

Their average is 7.

 

The layer strength will be calculated as follows: 4 - 7 = -3.

 

Since anything less than 0 is treated as 0, the layer strength is considered 0, and hence we have no layer between the two groups.

 

Active sonars have the figure of merit reduced by 2 x Layer Strength, while for passive sonars, FOM is reduced by 1 x Layer Strength.

 

This is actually more advanced than both the Harpoon 3 and Harpoon 4.1 paper rules. So considering the age and complexity of the code, not a terrible attempt at modeling.

 

More on this when I actually muster the energy to complete the Tactics 101 discussion on ASW.

The layer strength will be calculated as follows: 4 - 7 = -3.

 

Since anything less than 0 is treated as 0, the layer strength is considered 0, and hence we have no layer between the two groups.

 

In other words, the calmer the sea along the detection path the stronger the layer effect.

 

Please feel free to let these questions just lay here until you will have the time to continue the ASW 101 but I just need to put them here.

• What is "4"? Is this a rule constant or is this some other function of the sea states?
• And how do you get 5 if it is a constant?
• And the big question of course, how does the layer modify detection?

And many more.

Thanks Brad, will be hard to wait.

In other words, the calmer the sea along the detection path the stronger the layer effect.

Pretty much, yeah.

 

Please feel free to let these questions just lay here until you will have the time to continue the ASW 101 but I just need to put them here.

Yeah, I'd like to leave a lot of this for Tactics 101 but you've lit a fire underneath me to get it done.