Intellivision HSC Season 17 - Game 15 - Sub Hunt

[Walter Ives]

On 11/8/2022 at 1:53 PM, IntellivisionMaster said:

I don’t want to give a spoiler alert! But I’ll give you a good hint. The manual all-but spells out how…. It practically tells you how LOL

This was a big problem. Marketing insisted that manual writers put everything in the manuals, leaving no surprises for the users to find. Programmers had to keep discoverable strategies secret from the manual writers and hope they didn't find them on their own, but they inevitably did. This was a shame, because the game becomes more fun as you discover the strategies yourself and manual writers write better manuals when they find the game fun.

 

WJI

 

 

Edited February 12, 2023 by Walter Ives

[Walter Ives]

On 11/8/2022 at 4:36 PM, fakecortex said:

But I'm giving up on this one. This game is complicated, and uses the keypad a lot, ... I just don't have the mental capacity for this.

Try playing the 2600 for a while. Or Astrosmash.

 

George Plimpton

[Walter Ives]

On 11/11/2022 at 7:32 AM, Rickster8 said:

On 11/10/2022 at 10:42 PM, IntellivisionMaster said:

Rick, you must turn off your sonar before you engage the fleet. That’s why they’re bombing you so much. If they know you’re coming, you’re a goner. 

I must have mis-read the manual. I thought they just said to turn it (sonar) off when you were trying to dive and get away from the onslaught.

Americans. No imagination whatsoever—you have to put everything in the manual. It's incredible the number of submarines the US Navy loses because their captains can't figure out on their own to turn off their active sonar when engaging the enemy.

 

Marko Ramius

[Walter Ives]

On 11/12/2022 at 12:51 PM, wongojack said:

What I do is

1. Immediately speed up to 3/4 speed
2. Turn perpendicular to the course of the enemy.  They are always travelling to the far NE corner of the screen, so it is easy to plot an intercept course. 
3. At some point you will want to turn west (left if facing north)  
4. Turn off your sonar before you turn
5. Dive 1 level down (and only one level). Make sure you have enough speed to turn in time and be facing west as the rate of blinking on your sub changes. 
6. Slow down to 1/4 speed when facing west. 

You should be able to orient yourself directly in front of the lead ship and get one of them before they know you are there.  After that, you will usually see the destroyer move to try and get past you.  You should speed up to let yourself turn faster and try to kill the fast-moving destroyer.  Then take your time picking off the rest of the group.  Once the destroyer is gone, you can use your sonar somewhat liberally.

Submarine warfare is a game of wits. Congratulations. Your 85 billion neurons have learned to outwit a 6K program.

 

Marko Ramius

[Walter Ives]

On 11/13/2022 at 9:16 PM, Rickster8 said:

FINAL Sub Hunt Update: AL DOES IT AGAIN, NOW HE'S THE KING OF SUBS!!!

 

The Ghosts of GI/Mattel/APh Past derive considerable satisfaction from learning that forty years after the Intellivision's introduction they still have the power to render you happy; to make your service light; a pleasure. I say their power lies in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count ’em up. The happiness they gave is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.

 

WJI

[+wongojack]

@Walter Ives blowing up the Sub Hunt thread from last year.  Throw some scores in this year's compo Walter!