I'm back with some TDC news.
For the last few weeks I have been quite interested in manual firing of torpedos ... ever since playing the Enigma demo and then entering this topic.
While I personally find Enigma, as it is now, to be too simplistic in any ability to set up a manual shot with any in game tools; I'm still encouraged to hear the developers are working to put more detail into the firing of torpedos.
Because I saw some info about the TDC in SH 2, I decided to get the game and give it a whirl. While it is very interesting to view the TDC station and all the dials accurately displaying their values in automatic mode ... it seems to be too involved a proceedure to complete a manual firing solution if you have to do all the math yourself. After learning the basics of the game I tried the Excell program "Weapons Officer" that is supposed to act as a TDC where you can input the appropriate data and get a manual firing solution. The data needed was:
-subs relative bearing (the angle to the target relative to the bow of the sub
-mast height (to find it you have to scroll through a menu with a profile view of the target vessel and match it with the one in your scope and read the mast height)
-zoom (the zoom value you are using)
-reticle reading (the measure of the target's mast to water line using the scope reticle)
-time
-subs speed
These readings have to be done twice about a minute or so apart. Then in order to get to the weps program you have to Alt+Tab out of game of then Ctrl+Alt+delte and close the screen blanker. Now enter in the data and out comes some numbers. Now click sim in the taskbar and into the TDC station in SH 2. This is done by sliding the dial indicators to match the data provided by the weps program.
-target bearing (relative bearing)
-range
-target speed
-Angle on the bow (relative coarse)
This is for immediate fire with an option to fire with time delay, and another dial to set a optional spread angle.
I found this all so interesting ... the problem is after many tries and comparing the weps officer solution to the automatic mode solution, I just wasn't getting accurate shots. The weps program wasn't matching the data the auto mode was giving.
Of coarse I had a saved game where I was lined up on a convoy just off my port bow at about 2000m. I even downloaded a reticle mod for more accurate readings, but I couldn't get shots to hit. So I have uninstalled the game for now, realizing that I wasn't able to acheive a TDC sim type game experience with this game and Excell program. Although my hopes were high and I feel I gave it a good try, the results were not good enough to make it worth the while. Obviously I could be at fault in aquiring the data for the weps program ... and I for sure am not going to figure out a solution using math.
I am posting this info here in order to describe what I would like to have work in a sub sim:
I would like to aquire info for manual firing solutions, similar to real life, but in a more simplistic manner and then enter it in to a TDC program ... and Fire. And of coarse hit somthing once in a while. Hopefully Enigma can come up with something.
David
excuse me.............. but what if the target changes speeds and turns after you set formula? I think I'll stick to closing one eye and aiming where he aint. 
