tips for cv captains

[Citabria]

this aspect of the game sure is fun. I've been captaining the cv a bit and have some findings to share on what I've found works pretty well. please add your findings as well thanks  

1. stay near the cv when captaining it. either in an aircraft or gun position. ranging away will leave the cv vulnerable if it is attacked.

2. if you do leave the area give up command of the cv. this leaves your team mates the ability to take evasive action when bombers are overhead, or tbms/pt's are torping.

3. try to maintain a bit of distance between bases being attacked and the cv. it is vulnerable to tank fire. and kamakazi's.

4. if being attacked by a buff level bombing take evasive action moments before you think he is in position to drop. or if its ambiguous start evading by changing the cvs direction.

5. warn planes landing taking off if there is time before a turn or they will crash. sometimes they do even if you warn them  

6. try to use the cv strategically. charging in and getting the cv killed isn't the best way to use it if the cv spawn point is very far from action. yet keeping the cv to far from the action will make it ineffective as either a defensive or offensive platform. also if a cv is not defended or being used by the players its not effective to take it on a rampage into the enemies territory without player support for offense and defense.

7. taking the cv to the oposing sides spawn point with the enemy cv near is a sure way to get your carrier group sunk since the enemy keeps respawning after he sinks.

thats the main things i noticed
happy boating  

[This message has been edited by Citabria (edited 01-08-2001).]

[Nash]

 

1. stay near the cv when captaining it. either in an aircraft or gun position. ranging away will leave the cv vulnerable if it is attacked.

Definitely!

Saw a terrible example of what happens when someone controls 2 CVs, miles away from eachother.

Captains..... you need to be THERE.

[Westy]

And learn to use channel 3 so that no only will it keep the local CV ops from clogging the country channel any changes to the CV course will stick out easier for pilots coming in for a landing or getting ready to take off. Gunners benefit from knowing when the CV will be taking evasive also. Not to the same extent as pilots though.

 It might be a good idea to put a 'leash' on the Captains. If they are 25 miles (one grid) away thier control of the Cv is auto-disconnected. Not dumped from the arena. Just the fleet control.  I wonder if HTC can code that?

edited: What about the pilot who wants to run a strike mission from a CV but the target is more than a grid away? Well he can't react to an attack on the CV as well as someone who is on the scene when he's out of sight of the ships anyway. So he shouldn't be in command under those circumstances.

  -Westy

[This message has been edited by Westy (edited 01-08-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Westy (edited 01-08-2001).]

[buhdman]

Thanks Citabria!!  These are great suggestions, especially number 6 (warn people that are landing).  I can't count the number of times I would have died had I not happened to notice the curved wake!!

Buhdman, out

[mason22]

quit killing the CV so close to it's respective spawn point!! If you keep killing it next to it's own port, you never will  be able to get a goon in (ok, unless you have a 2:1 ratio of good guys to bad guys). Kill ALL of the escorts and the destroyer, let the carrier go: #1 it takes the NME flights away from the port, and possibly away from your own CV (depending on whos driving it) thus allowing the troops a safer passage into the port for capture. #2, with the escorts and destroyer gone, it will be easier to vulch and cap the NME carrier and then finally sinking it once the port has been captured. YES, i know there will be NME flights upping from the carrier, that's what the vulchers are for...to NOT let them get into a defensive setup back at the port. Plus, with all of the escorts and destroyer gone, your own CV group will not be as vulnerable (no 8" or 5" guns firing at it), AND the NME carrier will beasier to attack because the other 5 ships with AA are all sunk.

just a few cents.

[Torgo]

I personally think the CV only needs to zig-zag for level bomber attack.

1) If you zigged it every time it looked like an enemy PT or TBM was headed for it no one would ever be able to take off and land :-)

2) My overall suspicion is that torpedoes are a tiny fraction of CV sinkings.

The most efficient way to sink a CV is 1) 8" guns if another TF is in range or 2) 2x1000 ln. dive bombing from a heavy fighter. I don't think zig-zagging really impairs dive-bombing.

PTs and TBMs are so obviously vulnerable I think you'll see fewer torp attacks on CVs as the game goes along.

[Mighty1]

All very good points but the #1 should be if the CV is near action the commander should be with the fleet at all times. I mean as a gunner or in the tower.

If I am in control of the CV I will stay with it just in case there is an attack and I have to do quick evasives. If you are not at the CV you cannot change course to avoid a torpedo or bomb.

[Pepino]

Excellent points Citabria.

Just a couple of thoughts:

You made a great tactic-wise approach. Sometimes, CV is there just for the fun of it (I mean close shoreline patrollin, shore bombardement at point blank, etc.). But this does not question any of the points you stated so well.

Instead of being at the tower, I rather like to be above the fleet. Better overall picture. I would take a plane (i.e.: zeke)and patrol over the CV. Great view over incoming planes, PT's, and, especially, torps ib CV.

Otherwise, thnks for the wrapup.

Cheers,

Pepe

[prz]

so here's an idea and I think  a good one:

we need flags on carriers or some color stripes on decks so we can tell enemy fleet from friendly anyway. I got more than once diving into a fleet thinking "why is my ack shooting at ME ?"

extending that, why don't we have a flag being brought up or color stripes on the deck coming
up automatically when carrier is changing direction/running evasives ?? As well, instead of changing waypoints, having a "do evasives for 1min" button would help the flow of the game.