How do you read the grid after receiving msg from other uboats?

[Stop! Stop! He's Already Dead!]

There are always these uboat reports coming in saying they spotted something in a certain grid. It says merchant spotted AN416 or something like that but I can never seem to locate that exact specific grid? Because of this, I usually just ignore the messages. They start adding up though and I'll come back to port and there will be 12 unread messages with reports like this. Is there a mod that better manages the messaging or perhaps a mod that shows the actual grid in question on the map after a report comes in indicating a specific grid square? 1. I'd like to actually be able to make use of some of these reports when I'm near enough to the grid and 2. I'd like to better manage these messages somehow, do I have to confirm them or can I just right click the messages box on the right side to ignore them?

[Akeuila]

Each grid is like an upside down keypad. 1-3 across the top third, 4-6 across the middle third and 7-9 across the bottom third. So in your example, go to grid AN41. AN416 would be the center right third of that grid. The Kriegsmarine broke it down to 4 digits. Such as AN4169, which would be the bottom right corner of AN416.

[Tikigod]

Originally posted by Dondalinger:

There are always these uboat reports coming in saying they spotted something in a certain grid. It says merchant spotted AN416 or something like that but I can never seem to locate that exact specific grid? Because of this, I usually just ignore the messages. They start adding up though and I'll come back to port and there will be 12 unread messages with reports like this. Is there a mod that better manages the messaging or perhaps a mod that shows the actual grid in question on the map after a report comes in indicating a specific grid square? 1. I'd like to actually be able to make use of some of these reports when I'm near enough to the grid and 2. I'd like to better manage these messages somehow, do I have to confirm them or can I just right click the messages box on the right side to ignore them?

The world map is made up of two different grid layers.

When zoomed out you'll see the larger grid region cells that are labelled along the lines of "AN71", "AN72", "AN73" and so forth.

When you zoom in closer on the map, the larger grid region cells then get broken down into a smaller grid that consist of smaller areas that make up a singular region.

So for example:

The larger AN71 region cell when you zoom in on it would consist of: "AN711", "AN712", "AN713", "AN714", "AN715", "AN716" and so forth.

The larger AN72 region cell when you zoom in on it would consist of: "AN721", "AN722", "AN723", "AN724", "AN725", "AN726" and so on.


So to use the example from your post, if you receive a radio transmission that a merchant is spotted in grid AN416, when zoomed out on map what you're actually looking for is the grid reference "AN41".

Once you've found that then you need to zoom in closer to that grid cell and then you'll see the "AN416" cell appear within that area.

This then gives you a much smaller area to work in when predicting possible target heading lines based on the rest of the information included in the radio transmission.

[Stop! Stop! He's Already Dead!]

Originally posted by Tikigod:

Originally posted by Dondalinger:

There are always these uboat reports coming in saying they spotted something in a certain grid. It says merchant spotted AN416 or something like that but I can never seem to locate that exact specific grid? Because of this, I usually just ignore the messages. They start adding up though and I'll come back to port and there will be 12 unread messages with reports like this. Is there a mod that better manages the messaging or perhaps a mod that shows the actual grid in question on the map after a report comes in indicating a specific grid square? 1. I'd like to actually be able to make use of some of these reports when I'm near enough to the grid and 2. I'd like to better manage these messages somehow, do I have to confirm them or can I just right click the messages box on the right side to ignore them?

The world map is made up of two different grid layers.

When zoomed out you'll see the larger grid region cells that are labelled along the lines of "AN71", "AN72", "AN73" and so forth.

When you zoom in closer on the map, the larger grid region cells then get broken down into a smaller grid that consist of smaller areas that make up a singular region.

So for example:

The larger AN71 region cell when you zoom in on it would consist of: "AN711", "AN712", "AN713", "AN714", "AN715", "AN716" and so forth.

The larger AN72 region cell when you zoom in on it would consist of: "AN721", "AN722", "AN723", "AN724", "AN725", "AN726" and so on.


So to use the example from your post, if you receive a radio transmission that a merchant is spotted in grid AN416, when zoomed out on map what you're actually looking for is the grid reference "AN41".

Once you've found that then you need to zoom in closer to that grid cell and then you'll see the "AN416" cell appear within that area.

This then gives you a much smaller area to work in when predicting possible target heading lines based on the rest of the information included in the radio transmission.

Thanks for responding. I did figure out the zooming thing, but it seems once you zoom in, it is difficult to find the exact grid square as you scroll around. I wish we could just get a mark on the map or something like that with a mod, like after you confirm the report, it creates a point on the map or something. Do you think that's doable somehow?

[wolf310ii]

Originally posted by Akeuila:

The Kriegsmarine broke it down to 4 digits. Such as AN4169, which would be the bottom right corner of AN416.

And when needed (wich was rerely the case) they added instead of a 5th digit an up, down, center, left, ect. to it

[cretedog]

What would the approximate nautical mile calculation say from AN11 to AN16? Thank you.

[Drevin]

Why would it be difficult? It's like zooming in on your house in Google Maps. You know a rough approximation, then you zoom in more and more, using the data you know. If you're looking for AN416, you first look for AN4, zoom into it, look for AN41, zoom into it, look for AN416. At each zoom level you only have to scan for 9 grids maximum. It doesn't take too long.

PS: while playing this game, it's a very good idea to keep a pen and paper close by. You'll need that quite often.

[Placebo]

If it is to some merit of accuracy and simulation, this could considered a form of small practice for real-life "voyage planning".

In voyage planning, navigators make use of small-scale(general/planning) charts gradually moving onto larger-scale(more detailed) charts. In a single voyage, there could be a lot of charts made-ready. Recently, there was a move to make use of paperless charts to make the process less-tedious in the form of ECDIS(Electronic Chart Display and Information System), a very similar system which the game uses, but backup charts still exists in-case of complete electronic failure.

[Micullus]

Originally posted by Drevin:

PS: while playing this game, it's a very good idea to keep a pen and paper close by. You'll need that quite often.

You also could just use the journal and map for that.
I wished you could change the grid from Marine to Merkator or even better UTM.
It would make things so much easier. (at least for me)

[KarlMarX]

Zoom the Map in then it shows you the complete grid there are 3 Stages first with one number snd with 2 and 3rd with 3 numbers and i think a 4rd one too so you can go to AN416 zoom out find AN search AN4 zoom in search for AN41 and a bit more and there should be a AN416 too

[KarlMarX]

there is a Layer with alll 4 numbers too but the Sub messages use the 3 numbers accuracy

[Tikigod]

Originally posted by Dondalinger:

Originally posted by Tikigod:

The world map is made up of two different grid layers.

When zoomed out you'll see the larger grid region cells that are labelled along the lines of "AN71", "AN72", "AN73" and so forth.

When you zoom in closer on the map, the larger grid region cells then get broken down into a smaller grid that consist of smaller areas that make up a singular region.

So for example:

The larger AN71 region cell when you zoom in on it would consist of: "AN711", "AN712", "AN713", "AN714", "AN715", "AN716" and so forth.

The larger AN72 region cell when you zoom in on it would consist of: "AN721", "AN722", "AN723", "AN724", "AN725", "AN726" and so on.


So to use the example from your post, if you receive a radio transmission that a merchant is spotted in grid AN416, when zoomed out on map what you're actually looking for is the grid reference "AN41".

Once you've found that then you need to zoom in closer to that grid cell and then you'll see the "AN416" cell appear within that area.

This then gives you a much smaller area to work in when predicting possible target heading lines based on the rest of the information included in the radio transmission.

Thanks for responding. I did figure out the zooming thing, but it seems once you zoom in, it is difficult to find the exact grid square as you scroll around. I wish we could just get a mark on the map or something like that with a mod, like after you confirm the report, it creates a point on the map or something. Do you think that's doable somehow?

The whole point is that it will never be 100% exact even if you use certain hacky cheese behaviours to abuse camera focus behaviours.

So if that's what you're wanting then no amount of mods will really ever achieve that unless someone makes a mod that gives you omnipresent divine sight over the entire map.

The reports give you a general area, bearing and very rough speed range for you to then use the map tools to draw out predictions on where the target will likely be over a period of time and from that then calculate where you need to be to have the greatest chance of intercepting or at the very least make some kind of detection contact with the target.

From the spotting reports unless the target is able to achieve speeds greater than your maximum possible speed, or if the target suddenly make a drastic bearing adjustments after you receive the report, it should always be possible to use the information you're given to work out a position to place yourself where you can then be close enough to make hydrophone contact and then narrow down their exact position from that point.

But the spotting reports aren't really ever meant to be something that tells you exactly where something is and where to exactly go by themselves, they're just a very basic set of information to feed into your own course calculation process alongside the map tools.

It's a very intentional part of the games simulation design that you're meant to be the one taking that basic information, and then translating it into a predictive course calculation process to aid your efforts to hunt your target down.

The reports are just giving you some variable information, it's down to the captain and its crew to turn that information into something workable.

If that's not something that's really your thing, then unfortunately that's a pretty solid indication that this game is fundamentally at its core just not something you're going to get a whole lot of enjoyment from.... because this whole process of taking rough general information and then running it through your own calculation process lies at the heart of pretty much every aspect of the game.


However if you're willing to go through the process and eventually figure out a way that works best for you, then I'd highly recommend this video as a good starting point of how to take basic position, bearing and speed information and turning it into a set of predictive courses to aid closing in to the point where you can make direct contact:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj0t0lJ4ci0

Just keep reminding yourself as you go, you don't need to know the targets EXACT position to use these processes and get good results.

You just need to know their general location within a 50-100km area, and providing your speed and bearing assumptions hold solid, you can use these approaches to position yourself to then be able to use your own detection means (Hydrophone or direct visual spotting) to finally make direct contact later on and then finalise the intercept.