"Automatic" Ship Selection for ASW

[Ldeathbow]

I've got about 170 ships in/around Tokyo (100 or so not in TF's). I have decided I need to make some more ASW TF's - of the 170 +/- ships, about 65 have ASW values and half of those are NOT in pre-existing TF's. I set all the "switches" (Auto select commander, ASW TF type, Retirement off, Auto Select Ships) and hit the select ships button - the Auto Selected vessels are 3 TB's ALL with an ASW value of 0 (auto selected ships for an ASW TF results in ships that have NO ASW value at all?!?!). Call me crazy, but I think this might be a "bug"

[Local Yokel]

The v1.01.06i patch changes the Chidori/Tomozuru torpedo boats by equipping them with Type 95 DC's from the outset. This is a welcome correction that for some reason has not been applied to the larger Ootori class TB's, as I would have thought it should. I would guess that the TB's selected for your ASW TF must have been Ootoris.

I too have encountered situations in which it was possible to add to an ASW TF a ship with no a/s gear. Possibly the auto-selection routine is selecting by reference to class rather than to armament. I am guessing that auto-selection may also attempt to select first whatever the designer of the routine regarded as being the most potent type of ASW ship - hence the choice of TB's.

A bug it might be, but one that's easily circumvented by swapping ships in and out of the ASW TF according to your own preferences.

[Nomad]

I have nothing to say any more.

[Don Bowen]

Selection for ASW (and all other) TF missions is based on type of ship (DD, TB, etc). For some missions there are additional criteria.

For ASW, the ship must have at least one ASW device. Ammo is not considered as the ship can be rearmed after selection.

[Local Yokel]

ORIGINAL: Local Yokel

I too have encountered situations in which it was possible to add to an ASW TF a ship with no a/s gear.

My memory was probably playing me false when I said this. However, it is possible to create a SCTF that includes non-ASW capable ships and then change the TF type to ASW. I have done this by adding Escort vessel Hashidate (at a time she has no a/s weapons) to an SCTF. The option to convert the TF from SC to ASW role remained available. A minor anomaly.

[Ldeathbow]

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen


Selection for ASW (and all other) TF missions is based on type of ship (DD, TB, etc). For some missions there are additional criteria.

For ASW, the ship must have at least one ASW device. Ammo is not considered as the ship can be rearmed after selection.

Mr. Bowen – I hate to argue with you, but in this case, I must…

I tried to import screenshots, but don't seem to have a way to get them into a "legal" filetype, so I settled for a ZIP file of savegame 199 - where TF 82 (just made) has 3 TB's that all have 0 ASW ratings. I'm not really sure if loading a savegame on your system will cause it to take shipdata from your system, or whether it will reflect my systems ship data.

The first ship in TF82 - The Chidori, is a Tomozuru class TB (which Local explains is being given DC (apparently not an "official" patch yet though). Examining the Chidori (on my system at least), we see that it has NO ASW armament (and HAS ammo for every weapon it DOES have, none of which are ASW weapons according to Ship Weapons DB) – and indeed clearly states “Anti-Submarine None.”

Either the TB class vessel (for Japan, at least) is ill-suited to ASW roles (at least very early in the war (it is only 12/29/41)) OR the data for the ship class is seriously incorrect (perhaps one of it's weapons IS ASW but not properly listed as such...but then why would it say "None"?) For now, (at least)….either way, making an ASW TF using TB’s that have ZERO ASW capability (and can not take on ammo to “get” ASW capabilities) is, to me, a rather significant issue. Had I not noticed that these vessels had 0 ASW capability, I might well have sent them on a patrol that would have been, at best, only marginally successful (keeping Subs from surfacing – once the sub is underwater the TB becomes just another target….unable to defend itself.

Original: Local Yokel

The v1.01.06i patch changes the Chidori/Tomozuru torpedo boats by equipping them with Type 95 DC's from the outset. This is a welcome correction that for some reason has not been applied to the larger Ootori class TB's, as I would have thought it should. I would guess that the TB's selected for your ASW TF must have been Ootoris.

I too have encountered situations in which it was possible to add to an ASW TF a ship with no a/s gear. Possibly the auto-selection routine is selecting by reference to class rather than to armament. I am guessing that auto-selection may also attempt to select first whatever the designer of the routine regarded as being the most potent type of ASW ship - hence the choice of TB's.

A bug it might be, but one that's easily circumvented by swapping ships in and out of the ASW TF according to your own preferences

Apparently the version you reference is a beta – as I have run updater and it claims I am running the latest version. (Also Note the Referenced ship above – the Chidori, is indeed a Tomozuru Class TB). So I suppose this is a known issue and will be fixed in the next “official” release/patch. (Honestly, I don’t really know how I’d install a Beta version – I always use the “updater” which only checks for official releases.)

As to it being an easy work around, yes it is…so easy I can describe it in 3 letters D I Y, but that begs the 3 letter question “WHY?” What’s the point in having an auto-select feature if it gives you useless results?

[Don Bowen]

OK by me. I'm no longer involved in support. All I can do is tell you what I read in the code.