Bizarre Port Attack Results?

[vaalen]

As Britain, I've blockaded the last french fleets in San Sebastian. My blockading fleet is far superior to the french. I have attempted a port attack the last three turns.

Each time, the French appear to attack my fleet, but withdraw back to San Sebastian before any combat takes place. They do suffer suffer some pursuit casualties, but combat is over.

They appear to be losing some ships, but no report says so. I think they are losing some ships, because they had less ships on the second turn than on the first, and less ships on the third turn than the second.

Can anyone explain what is going on? Is this WAD?

[Hard Sarge]

it sounds like there morale is shot, so they are routeing as soon as the battle starts

the damage being done, sounds like it is too much for the ships, so they are later being disbanded
(and you are not getting a report on the disbandment, since they are not yours)

so, over all, I think it is WAD

[morganbj]

Ah, that pesky morale thingie ... it does irritate me sometimes.
 
"Aye, Captain!  We sail into the harbor again!  Those frog eaters will now get a taste our guns! ........ Wait, some ships are turning away!  ....... KABOOM!!"   [:D]
 
(Something I think I heard in a recent game when I had the same thing happen to me.)

[Mus]

In quick combat, if their force size is small enough the AI will keep its guys in the route box.  Its basically the same as a withdraw.

However, given that its a port raid it doesnt make sense that they get to withdraw.  Where they are withdrawing to (the port) is under attack.  Thats why the defender of the port is forced to fight and gets free attacks from the harbor guns. So that might be WAD, but the D doesnt make any sense in that case.

[Anthropoid]

Whattsa "WAD?"

[Hard Sarge]

working as designed

[Hard Sarge]

ORIGINAL: Mus

In quick combat, if their force size is small enough the AI will keep its guys in the route box. Its basically the same as a withdraw.

However, given that its a port raid it doesnt make sense that they get to withdraw. Where they are withdrawing to (the port) is under attack. Thats why the defender of the port is forced to fight and gets free attacks from the harbor guns. So that might be WAD, but the D doesnt make any sense in that case.

I agree with what your saying, the hassle is, that is the way the combat system works, WTF, or morale, or overwelming numbers, will force the combat to break off

not sure if it can be changed, but we can ask

[Mus]

ORIGINAL: Hard Sarge

I agree with what your saying, the hassle is, that is the way the combat system works, WTF, or morale, or overwelming numbers, will force the combat to break off

not sure if it can be changed, but we can ask

Well the thing is in my experience, once the enemy is so depleted they automatically flee from a port raid, they are so small the damage you would inflict even if they didnt or couldnt flee is so small it doesnt make up for the damage you take from the Port guns to come in and do it.

Its only worth port raiding when there is a fleet that would be dangerous if it sortied. Once its just odds and ends hiding in port better off to leave them with a slightly larger force bottling them up.

I would rather see attention devoted somewhere else if things are going to be adjusted. If they made it so that in certain circumstances (like port raids) routing meant destruction or capture it would be a big PITA to make it so the AI knew that and it just seems like we could get more bang for our buck looking at other areas for improvement.

For example the recent complaint that the AI will not sortie blockaded fleets even if the province is about to be seiged/captured. Any human player would quickly see they need to "use or lose" their fleet. That needs more immediate attention than something small like this.

[vaalen]

This is not a small issue.

Two of Nelson's greatest victories, Copenhagen and the Nile, involved Port attacks against large enemy fleets.

Each battle ended with the complete destruction of the enemy fleet, in a single attack. The enemy fleets could not retreat because they were trapped in port, unable to retreat.

The game should reflect this, by not allowing a retreat, if possible.

The failure to sortie when the port is captured bug should also be addressed.

[Hard Sarge]

but as Mus says, those were battles against Healty Fleets, not damaged/broken Fleets (plus in the case of the Nile, don't think that was truely a Port attack (and in the Nile, the Fleet was not totally destroyed, some did get away)