High Speed Towed Arrays

[Elouda]

I've noticed that when you deploy a Towed Array, the ship will slow down to below whatever speed is set in the arrays datafiles. This works as intended. However, you can then give the ship an order to increase speed again with no noticable effect on the array; it can remain deployed and working despite the increased speed.

I'd suggest either not letting units exceed the speed when the array is out, or auto retracting the array if a speed higher than allow is ordered. The hardcore option if of course to have the array get damaged by exceeding the speed, but that might be too harsh.

This is easy to test on the sitting ducks tutorial with the sub near your ships.

 

[unmerged(255172)]

That is correct. In real life, a towed array would probably snap and be destroyed if you went at high speed.

What we are doing, instead, is making the sonar array not work at all above 10Kph (Slow) speed. The sonar will not be destroyed, and will work again when you reduce speed.

Having it auto-undeploy when you increase speed is an option we might consider. That, however, requires informing the player about this fact, explain how it works, and that will be another factor that may confuse new players and increase the learning curve of the game.

 

[unmerged(475778)]

Correct, you will get much better results at slow speed, but there is no problem having it streamed at high speed (we've done it with 25 kts but could not even find ourselves) - the biggest no-no is turning the ship in narrow turns which could cause a broken cable or in worst case to snap.

//mtl

 

[unmerged(255172)]

Thanks for the details. We don't simulate turn breakage; probably a neat thing to add for more realism.

 

[General Baker]

Maybe make it clear in the popup for the sensor that it will only work properly at under 10kmh?

 

[unmerged(255172)]

We probably could do well with some extra info here and there, yes.