A more flexible periscope

[Ccrashh]

Right now we have very limited periscope uses. It may be odd to say this in modern times but the periscope is still one of the most usefull tools.

So here is my observation:

We are limited to no use of the periscope under 50Ft.

In reality before the Skipper pops the lens in the sky so blue he will first take a 360 view BELOW the surface of the water to look for shadows. These shadows could be stationary ships or the passing shadow of a Bear flying low.

Just a thought.

[r4y30n]

This was discussed a while back and is a rendering limitation currently. You may have noticed when you pan above and below the surface there's a jump in perspective, this is because above surface and below surface are rendered separately and you're switching between two cameras, in a sense. The periscope can't make that switch so it's limited to above surface only.

[Hal8000]

I want to be able to raise my periscope/ESM masts below 50 ft. That way I can creep towards the surface until just the tip of my masts break the water instead of having them half exposed at 50 ft.

In reality they can raise/lower the masts at any length they choose.

What I don't understand is one of the latest patch notes said that diving with your masts raised wouldn't damage them anymore, so why can't I raise them below 50 ft then if I'm already doing 5 kts?

Makes no sense.

[r4y30n]

Only the U-boats of WWII could vary attack scope height at will, everyone else has to do it by varying depth. Besides, default mast height in game is really close to the surface as it is. I often end up coming to 45 ft or so to get a better view in rough seas.

The patch was to prevent unrealistic damage (masts are designed for the same depth as the boat), they still don't do anything below PD so they still don't let you raise them below PD.

[Hal8000]

Originally posted by r4y30n:

Only the U-boats of WWII could vary attack scope height at will, everyone else has to do it by varying depth

What does this have to do with WWII?
Los Angeles class subs were modern in the 1980s, and could absolutely vary their periscope depth.

As far as the game, letting players raise it below 50 feet allows them to adjust depth as a poor-man's way of adjust how much of the scope you want out of the water.

[r4y30n]

You said "In reality they can raise/lower the masts at any length they choose," and that's just not true of conventional periscopes, they're one length only because that length is where the eyepiece is at a usable height in the control room. WWII U-boats had a telescoping attack scope that actually could change length. No relevance to this game, just a historical anecdote related to your statement.

Anyways, you want to raise the scope under 50 ft to keep the least amount of scope under the water. Look at this: https://ibb.co/eFB4Ek 50 ft in calm water with the scope up. If the seas were any heavier you'd have some serious trouble seeing anything at that depth.

And here's the view through the scope itself at that height: https://ibb.co/eFB4Ekhttps://ibb.co/gAOZEk The dark area on the bottom is water washing over the lens.

[Restilia]

50 feet works great for the Los Angeles subs, but I've been playing with the More Subs mod, specifically the Alfa and the Typhoon. Alfa is so small you have to go to ~35 feet for the scope to surface, while the Typhoon has about 25% of the sail out of the water at 50 feet. Being able to raise the scope at any depth, or even at 100 feet, would be great for these larger boats. My Typhoon run has had to be without the scope and masts because of this.

[r4y30n]

Russian subs were never tested for playability, I anticipate a lot of those things will be ironed out as we get closer to the official Soviet campaign release.

[Hal8000]

Originally posted by r4y30n:

You said "In reality they can raise/lower the masts at any length they choose," and that's just not true of conventional periscopes, they're one length only because that length is where the eyepiece is at a usable height in the control room. WWII U-boats had a telescoping attack scope that actually could change length. No relevance to this game, just a historical anecdote related to your statement.

Anyways, you want to raise the scope under 50 ft to keep the least amount of scope under the water. Look at this: https://ibb.co/eFB4Ek 50 ft in calm water with the scope up. If the seas were any heavier you'd have some serious trouble seeing anything at that depth.

And here's the view through the scope itself at that height: https://ibb.co/eFB4Ekhttps://ibb.co/gAOZEk The dark area on the bottom is water washing over the lens.

First off do you have any proof that 688 subs can't adjust the height of their periscopes?
You seem awfully sure of that. Where can I read about it?

Second, it's not just the periscope I want to keep just above the surface. I can get the ESM mast to expose at 55 feet.
It's not that hard of a change to let us raise the masts below 50 ft. I would be happy with 60 ft as the new limit.

[r4y30n]

The scope is a one piece tube with glass on both ends. One of those ends is in the control room. You can't drop it down five feet and still expect to be able to look through it, the eyepiece is under the floor.

The 688 uses a Kollmorgen Model 76/Type 18 periscope, read all about it here: https://www.forecastinternational.com/archive/disp_old_pdf.cfm?ARC_ID=1752
Or here: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dickbolt/KollmorganType18Periscope.htm

Nowhere does it say the unit can change length.

None of this has anything to do with making it happen in game. I agree, it would be a simple change but I'm not a dev so I can't pat you on the back and tell you it'll be in the next patch.

[[6thAL]Pvt. Manic Fred]

Hi, is it possible to get that rendering restrictions solved for the future?

[bfbreaux]

type 18 used fairing as the upper support bearing for the scope. barrel. Bumping the scope down would make the fairing come all the way down and leave the scope unsupported with the risk of bending the scope. If you want to change the amount of pole out of the water, you change your depth.