[2022] PSA: Radio Location skill ONLY accounts for subs at Surface and Periscope Depth

Hi, guys!
This is interesting! First, thank you to the OP @Stoobz for actually providing a detailed account of your issue.

I see the problem here as a problem of wording. You're upset that Radio Location does not track Submarines that are submerged because this discrepancy is not explicitly stated in the description. I think this is a fair grievance, though respectfully I think demanding free respecs over this is unreasonable. Radio Location will indicate submarines that are surfaced or at periscope depth, but not submarines that are at maximum depth. RPF is hardly "broken" as a skill over this situation as you don't radio-locate something that's underwater and that it likely the reason behind the mechanic working this way.

Let's take a look at the in-game description:

To be more precise, I believe that the description could be altered to include "surface" or "surfaced", resulting in: "...the player will have the direction to the nearest surfaced enemy ship indicated to them.", but even then it would require a lot of extra words on the description just to signify that max-depth subs are exempt to this.

Seeing as Submarines are still being tested, there are bound to be hyper-specific instances when certain mechanics and descriptions don't line up exactly. This seems to be one of them. I appreciate you bringing it up!

You caught me while I was editing it to be more precise. Ahskance and I tested it and Radio Location tracks submarines as long as they are not at maximum depth.

Careful - I'm not dancing around anything. I didn't bring up whether subs are classified as ships or not. I was direct in addressing what the issue there was, so don't put words in my mouth please.

RPF detects subs at Surface and Periscope depth. This has been the way RPF has interacted with Subs since they were introduced to live testing half a year ago.

Boggzy and I tested this in a training room just now to confirm that it still works correctly.

Generally they don't.

Submarines on the surface have full spotting range like any other ship.

Subs at periscope depth can only see ships out to that ships AERIAL DETECT range (smaller than normal).
Submarines at max depth cannot see ships on the surface.
This info can be found here: https://blog.worldofwarships.com/blog/279

The skill is working as intended in all content which is an active part of our game. Submarines are in testing, so there is an expectation of some fluidity as mechanics continue to be addressed and altered.

As for this specific situation, this is how submarines have interacted with RPF for half a year, so this is not something which should be surprising to long-term players.

That's what testing is for, folks - finding these things and collecting them.

This is how RPF is modeled currently

A Submarine at Surface and Periscope Depth can receive or give team-spotting.

A Submarine at Maximum Depth cannot receive team-spotting. There is an edge-case of a Sub being able to detect an enemy Submarine with Hydrophone at Max Depth, which would be communicated to their team.