Creating a Submarine Patrol Zone

[Don Bowen]

ORIGINAL: pad152

This looks good and very useful for Anti_sub TF ops too.

Question, can mine layer use this, to go to way point drop mines, reload and return?

Well, it wasn't intended that way but I haven't actually tried. Since it is patrol, I do not think they would auto-return unless low of fuel. But then again, laying all the mines might raise the "out of ammo" condition.

If it does, it's an easter egg. If not - I guess it really shouldn't...

[Don Bowen]

ORIGINAL: rockmedic109

Subs will return to base, refuel and then return to patrol area?  Nice featue, but what about normal operational Sys Damage?  Will they return when Sys damage is repaired?  Will they continue to return to patrol area till Sys damage reaches a certain level?

Very specifically folks. If a sub leaves it's patrol zone and returns to home port, it will be checked for damage.

There are two levels of damage:
1. If ON patrol, sub will leave the patrol zone if it reaches this level. "Medium" damage.
2. If sub has returned to port and refueled, it will NOT return to patrol zone if damage is over this level. Much lower level, repair it now while in port.

If a submarine TF is disbanded due to damage, the TF goes away. Patrol zones are an attribute of the Task Force, so they go away.

When the sub is repaired, the player can form it into another TF and manually set a new Patrol Zone. Or, if auto-sub ops is on, the computer will do it.

Don

[mlees]

I guess I'm the only one around here who actually likes micromanaging his subs... heh.

[jwilkerson]

ORIGINAL: mlees

I guess I'm the only one around here who actually likes micromanaging his subs... heh.

Micromanaging is great - but have you NEVER forgotten to move at least one sub on at least one turn!?



Most of the subs I lose are when I forget to move them.

[Shark7]

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen

ORIGINAL: mark24

Hi Don,

Is it possible to create a patrol zone, then assign multiple subs to it?

Will subs refuel then return to the patrol zone?

If so, this would really make sub management easy. Zones could be set for the entire war, & all it takes a player to do is assign new subs to them as they become available.

Mark

No, each TF has a patrol zone. You could turn on auto-sub ops and let the computer due it for you. And, yes, computer generated sub patrols use patrol zones.

This is what I usually do now, let the computer take care of it. The problem with it is that when you do want a subminlayer or transport, the computer has set them ALL on patrol, and you have to go micro-manage anyway to get the ones you need for the other missions.

Catch 22, don't use the computer control and you micromanage...do use it and you still micromanage. [8|]

[FeurerKrieg]

Probably too much to ask for, but I would love if those thresholds were player definable (you pick the sys damage numbers for #1 and #2 that Don mentioned) in game. Even if not by task force, just on a macro level it would be nice.

[Don Bowen]

ORIGINAL: Shark7

[This is what I usually do now, let the computer take care of it. The problem with it is that when you do want a subminlayer or transport, the computer has set them ALL on patrol, and you have to go micro-manage anyway to get the ones you need for the other missions.

Catch 22, don't use the computer control and you micromanage...do use it and you still micromanage. [8|]

But we now have a specific type of submarine transport, which eases things a bit. Thought about a type for submarine minelayers (SSM) but so few in the Pacific that it was not worth while.

[Don Bowen]

ORIGINAL: Feurer Krieg

Probably too much to ask for, but I would love if those thresholds were player definable (you pick the sys damage numbers for #1 and #2 that Don mentioned) in game. Even if not by task force, just on a macro level it would be nice.

Yes Sir, I agree.

[bradfordkay]

ORIGINAL: jwilkerson

ORIGINAL: mlees

I guess I'm the only one around here who actually likes micromanaging his subs... heh.

Micromanaging is great - but have you NEVER forgotten to move at least one sub on at least one turn!?



Most of the subs I lose are when I forget to move them.

I have finally forced myself to take care of this in PBEM by going through the Operations Reports item by item and moving every sub that has been sighted. My sub losses have dropped tremendously as a result of this effort.

I now fear that my opponent's sub losses are going to start to drop...[:(]

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: mlees

I guess I'm the only one around here who actually likes micromanaging his subs... heh.

You and Speedy. [8|]

[kwcampbell]

Can we assume this will also work for ASW TFs? That would be a great help.

[Ron Saueracker]

This is pretty darn useful I must say. Thaks guys. Thanks Don for posting the morsel.[;)]

[Snowman999]

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen


A day has passed and Triton has reached the first patrol zone boundary. Since the linger option was set (at one day) she will remain here until the 9th, then move toward the next patrol zone boundary.

Triton will continue to patrol this zone until her orders are changed, she runs low on fuel or ammo, or is damaged. If she has to leave her patrol zone to refuel, she will automatically return once refueled.

I think I know the answer, but is fuel consumption during the linger period simply the cruise/mission/full rate as set in the tf window, or something else/lower?

[Snowman999]

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen


A patrol zone is set south of Wake. This was done by clicking on hexes for Patrol Boundaries 1 and 2. A third is available but was not used.

Forgive me for maybe being clueless, but if the third boundary is used, does the code "close the triangle" or do we get a three-leg open polygon, and the unit reverses course at the end point to return? Back-and-forth or a circle route?

[Don Bowen]

ORIGINAL: Snowman999


I think I know the answer, but is fuel consumption during the linger period simply the cruise/mission/full rate as set in the tf window, or something else/lower?

It's the patrol fuel burn rate. TF's that are "on patrol" in a hex are not static and burn fuel at the normal rate.

[Don Bowen]

ORIGINAL: Snowman999

Forgive me for maybe being clueless, but if the third boundary is used, does the code "close the triangle" or do we get a three-leg open polygon, and the unit reverses course at the end point to return? Back-and-forth or a circle route?

Boundary one to boundary two, boundary two to boundary three, boundary three to boundary one, repeat.

[Snowman999]

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen

ORIGINAL: Snowman999

Forgive me for maybe being clueless, but if the third boundary is used, does the code "close the triangle" or do we get a three-leg open polygon, and the unit reverses course at the end point to return? Back-and-forth or a circle route?

Boundary one to boundary two, boundary two to boundary three, boundary three to boundary one, repeat.

Excellent.

I assume normal land-avoidance code is in place so zones can't go across land. One more Q--is there a limit to how long each leg can be, or will be have contests to see who can design the largest multi-thousand-mile-wide patrol zone?

[Don Bowen]

ORIGINAL: Snowman999

I assume normal land-avoidance code is in place so zones can't go across land. One more Q--is there a limit to how long each leg can be, or will be have contests to see who can design the largest multi-thousand-mile-wide patrol zone?

Valid sea path. Don't think there are any other limits.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen

Boundary one to boundary two, boundary two to boundary three, boundary three to boundary one, repeat.

Ah, yes. Once knew a programmer with that problem. Tragic it was. Found dead in the shower clutching an empty shampoo bottle. The instructions read "Lather, rinse, repeat."

Of course, that was back in the days before everybody knew all the programmer jokes!