Torpedo Boats still OP

[hurepoix]

Like peoples still complain torps dont works, but dont show any evidences, I decided to make a short video, which is the summary of how it works for me everytime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isNfxFTb78c

Better in fullscreen imo.

[Sword_of_Light]

So, two things:

1. Thank you for actually showing torpedoes working.

2. and, really nice example of torpedo boat tactics. Just gave those battleships zero room to maneuver. Risky getting that close, but if you sacrifice a few pawns for checkmate, its a good trade.

It shows just how vulnerable capital ships are without escort vessels, especially the capital ships with few small guns. Had there been a single CL, you might have had a less successful run - I think you would have still sunk the battleships, but you might have lost a DD or 2 to the CL.

[hurepoix]

Early BB are clumsy shooters. Main danger come from little secondary guns (if any exists). Golden age for torps attack is imo 1890-1910.
After that artillery become more and more accurate. Long range torp attack give usually poor results. In 1897, like here with 17 '' torp and 1.5 km range, you have few choice on attack range. However, even in later era, I think my max range to launch torps is may be around 7.5 km.

[caillou_furtif]

Your torp have very few delay between activation and launching. Bigger ones have a lower turning rate and need to be prept some time before.

[hurepoix]

Bigger ones appears later when more sophisticated electric or electro hydro powered launchers are also available. Also you launch torps from farer, with time, that reduce need to turn fast launchers. If I tend to less use torps in later era it is mostly because it become dangerous to get close when artillery become more accurate. Firing torps at over 10 km is a none sense, it takes 10 mn to reach the target, and you have to bet during all this time target will not change trajectory nor speed ?

[Ailika]

oh i was about to type something rude... instead i would say...
i think torps work fine there is no hard bias between player and AI and also TB's are not OP

[Mobzonk]

Nice attack.

I would recommend dettaching the lead ship from a division as it comes under fire. Then if it gets hit it won't try to move to the back of the formation and will stay on course, attracting more fire and in doing so protecting the ships behind.

[Butterside down]

Torpedoes work so good I set them to either save or off now.

[SeeSeeBee]

press shift+right click on enemy boat to designate torpedo target. u will see a thin dotted line different from the usual gun target line.

also if u are later using DD, u can use smoke screen + turn off all guns to allow u to approach alot further in without getting shot at. but eventually it will become harder and harder to do as enemy tech increase. until a point u will need to depend on bad weather to give u enough cover to close in without getting blapped.

here is my recent torp run at 1932, done very similarly to what was shown in the video. but with help of darkness during twilight + fog + smokescreen.
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198039711379/screenshot/2308721072248486815/

[hurepoix]

Originally posted by Oggmeista:

I notice you are not absolutely allowing the automatic function to control the weapon so which button are you pressing if any, when you click the target symbol on the ship you are giving instructions to attack?

In the video I have assigned a target to first and second ship of the first squadron, using shift click. I didnt gave orders, manually to fire, just gave the target. It was mainly to avoid they torp the BB ahead at risk to caused friendly fire on the second squads.
Otherwise the first thing I do when a battle start is to reorganize line, of course, but also to forbid torpedo use. I unlock it only when needed, and lock it again after during reload (not necessary here since battle ended).

I chose early era in an answer to a recent post speaking specifically about TB and torpedoes.

In middle era I tend to not assign target, since I fire from farer. I usually run in parallel of the targets, allows fire on normal setting and let my DD do the job by themself.

Like said I use torps less and less in offensive role with time. I still keep torps however because it can be successfully use in defensive role to forbid ennemy to come too close to my battleships.

Torps are not bullets, it is rather slow devices with top speed not exceeding 40 to 50 knts. even max range is 20 kms firing at such range is just believe in miracle.

I hope I answered all questions.

[Gavin McStine]

I don't have video but here is a screen of 3 ships not firing torpedoes.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2928643240

Under water torpedoes, not deck so it doesn't require a turret to turn for a firing arc. This is an on going issue. As I restart about 70% of my battles because of the TDs not doing their job.

How torpedoes should work
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUOKrlBTyLY

Torpedogasim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0XwIqAbL70

[hurepoix]

Underwater torps works poorly, mostly due to very low fire arc. This feature (underwater launchers) proved historically to be unpracticable and disapeared from design. I have also exemple of refits where underwater tubes were simply removed.

It existed at that time, so it exist in game, however I never use it.

[SeeSeeBee]

-underwater torp tubes usually have very bad firing arc.
-when there is a remote chance that the torp might hit a team mate it will not fire, maybe aggressive mode will coax them into firing but i am not sure if even that will do.
-crew training affect the time it takes to aim and fire the torp, this combined with the small firing arc can cause alot of problem because the enemy might very well zoom past the arc before anything can be done.

that said sometime i also experience torp not firing but it doesnt happen often.

i have suggested it some time ago. it would be real nice if they can make torp work like in world of warships, can select angle manually, can adjust the angle of torp spread. that would be perfect.

[vanDyck]

Thats how its to be done.

I would just:
-move the TBs that already fired the torps into a new div so i can steer them away and adjust the course of the remaining TBs to evasice maneuvers of the target
-turn the boats that fired the torps 180° to stay in ahead of the target and reload so i can attack again if its survives, and stay away from the sides secondaries.

[Maelstrom Vortex]

If they ever make the AI smart enough to scale down and use a proliferate amount of 1 inch guns, all of this gets busted.

[Zsar]

I think the part of torpedoes that really/actually is the one that does not work well, is that for longer ranges the AI just shoots them away even on 'Safe' mode, with no chance whatsoever to ever hit the target.

... Once technology increases torpedo range to ~3 km and more, I find I cannot use them without switching between 'Disable' and 'Aggressive' anymore - but because 'Disable'-d turrets do not even aim, that is hard to time correctly.

So I tend to eventually abandon torpedoes as a useful weapon around 1910: Too much micro, too much frustration. - None of that is the torpedoes' fault, though.

(FWIW: Due to this AI quirk, I actually find underwater launchers to be more convenient to use: Their narrow firing arc means they are never out of position. If they could get multiple tubes, I'd keep using them after already getting rid of the turrets.)