banana, Dadog etc

[Curval]

Kisters.  No monthly fee or anything, just the cost of the software.  

Here is the home page link:

Matrix Games

[Kisters]

Originally posted by Curval
Kisters.  No monthly fee or anything, just the cost of the software.  

Here is the home page link:

Matrix Games

cc thanks, ill see if i can find it down here

[Wanker]

1. My naval bombers at Rabaul didn't take off once to intercept the enemy task forces when in range and yet I cannot assign specific naval targets..only ports and airfields etc. They had a primary objective set as naval and secondary as "rest" so that they wouldn't just keep hitting the US stationary targets.

You sure they aren't your level bombing Betties and Nells? Those planes will not attack enemy shipping if there is a strong CAP over the target, or if they don't have escort.  

In one of my PBEM games against "Cup", a squaddie of mine.....his Betty and Nell bombers flew all the way from Rabaul to Cairns, unescorted....and put multiple fish into both my CV's!

The conditions have to be right for the local AI flight commander to send his boys to the attack. That's the frustrating-yet-beautiful part of this game. Sometimes the fact that you can't target specific TF's is good, sometimes bad.  

2. My carrier planes attacked the small crusier task force (Hobart etc) over and over again, while the Americans ignored all my other TFs and hit my carrier group time after time.

Who was your CV commander? Yamaguchi is the best admiral to have in command of a CV TF as the Japanese. Also, did you have some Val's or Kate's allocated for search duties? And you had your Cruisers' float planes all out searching, correct?

There's probably an answer as to why things didn't go as you had planned, just trying to find out if you missed something.

Also, how was the weather that turn? Weather can have an effect on sightings, etc....

[Curval]

Okay, makes sense then re: the bombers at Rabaul.  They had the range but the escorts didn't, and there was heavy US CAP.  

I haven't seen where to switch commanders, but I will look into it with my next scenario (tonight).  I'm going to start a big one..get the feel for it and then I'm ready to fight ya.  

I understand that weather etc plays a part, but the contacts in the Coral Sea scenario were sitting on my screen "clear as a bell".  If I can see them, logically so can the commander on the carriers, right?  If, for example, a long range search plane from RAbaul spots a US carrier and it is reported to me (via an icon on my screen), this report would be transmitted to the relevant commanders in the theater?  Or does a search plane from the carrier need to spot the contact for that commander to know about it?

[Curval]

My new scenario (17) is going very well and according to plan.

Both US carriers that dared venture out to prevent my Guadalcanal invasion are out of action...I expect the Yorktown to sink on my next turn (it had huge internal explosions reported as well as explosions in the ammunition dumps on board).  The Lexington is on fire and was hit by my level bombers from Rabaul by two torpoedos as a final hurrah before we both retreated to "lick our wounds".

Port Morsby is next, once I decide where to invade from and once my current captured bases are consolidated and re-supplied.

banana....I'm ready when you are.

[Wanker]

I haven't seen where to switch commanders, but I will look into it with my next scenario (tonight).

When you create a TF, after you exit the ship selection screen, you can click on the icon for your just-created TF near the bottome of the screen. This brings up the TF info screen. On the left hand side, you'll see the name of the TF commander in yellow text. If you click on that, you can select a new commander.

If I can see them, logically so can the commander on the carriers, right? If, for example, a long range search plane from RAbaul spots a US carrier and it is reported to me (via an icon on my screen), this report would be transmitted to the relevant commanders in the theater? Or does a search plane from the carrier need to spot the contact for that commander to know about it?

Yes, if a search plane spotted a TF, then every local AI commander knows about it. Whether or not they actually decide to do something about it, is another matter. There are many little things that can prevent effective use of air assets at a base, that can be found in the manual. One of these is that if the number of planes at a given base exceeds the amount of air support, then performance of the whole base is degraded. Base force units supply needed air support. On the base screen, you'll see an entry for "Air Support" and "Air Support Needed". If either of these two entries is in red text, then you need to send another air support unit to that base.

Also, if the number of planes at the airbase exceeds 50x the size of the airfield, then effectiveness suffers considerably. For example, if the airbase is size 4, then it can comfortably handle 200 aircraft without penalty(4x50=200). But if you have 250 aircraft stuffed into that base, then obviously the groundcrew can't cope with that many, so fewer flights will be ordered.

Another thing to be careful about is weather. Ordering flight ops on days that are filled with thunderstorms, will wear your pilots out, and cause uneccessary operational losses. Not to mention that the escort may not be able to find the bombers to escort, the bombers may get lost and rtb without attacking, etc.

Keep your pilots well-rested, and when their fatigue is over 25, give them a break for a day or two. When a huge battle is imminent, of course, then you will have to fly them no matter what their fatigue. But woe be to the commander who pushes his men too hard.