trouble with collisions

[funkpapa]

I am in late 1943 vs. AI and the last couple months it seems I can't go a day without having my ships run into each other. Most cases have been xAKs in large convoys and I am prepared to accept that this happens sometimes but I've had about 30 of them in the last 2-3 months. Is there anything I can do to prevent or mitigate this short of running all transport TFs with 15 ships? Are there other numbers besides the 15-ship unit that have some effect on die rolls and such?

On a related note, I see several collisions in off-map task forces, which is very frustrating because you just have to wait the 3 months for the entire task for to limp into Cape Town as you can't split off-map TFs. It seems like off-map TFs should have some immunity from collisions as our options to deal with them are so limited.

Any advice or perspective would be appreciated. Thanks!

[GreyJoy]

The only ways i know to avoid them are:
 
Good TF Leader with good naval skill
cruise speed instead of mission speed
The smaller the convoy the less collisions you will have
 
(probably also the experience of the crew matters but merchants have so low experience that you cannot really do anything about it)

[funkpapa]

Thanks for the response. I have enough political points now that I can afford to spend a few on transport TF commanders, so why not?

[oldman45]

I think you have been getting some bad die rolls. In my games, I have only seen collisions when a surface group hits an Amphib or transport group when they were unloading.

[crsutton]

Size of TF number of ships and number of TFs in a hex also matters. To be frank, I have never wasted a single PP point to change any TF leader other than surface combat and carrier combat TFs or perhaps an important invasion TF. Usually collisions happen in restricted waters when there are a lot of ships present. (invasions) otherwise they have been minimal. I would not recommend wasting PPs changing TF leaders. PPs are always in short supply.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Size of TF number of ships and number of TFs in a hex also matters. To be frank, I have never wasted a single PP point to change any TF leader other than surface combat and carrier combat TFs or perhaps an important invasion TF. Usually collisions happen in restricted waters when there are a lot of ships present. (invasions) otherwise they have been minimal. I would not recommend wasting PPs changing TF leaders. PPs are always in short supply.

You're obviously an Allied only player! [;)]

Playing the IJ I do change them (after first letting auto-choice give a try, which is usually useless, but at least cheap). Big tanker TFs are precious and need all of the help they can get once the Mk 14s start working. A commander with better naval skill should help a bit getting the escorts to locate subs. Maybe also reducing things like collisions? Not sure though. i definitely only see them rarely.

[jeffk3510]

I wouldn't waste PP on convoy leaders..to be honest.

Just a case of bad luck I would say. You can reduce the chances, as mentioned above, but I wouldn't waste the PP.

I have had a handful of collisions here and there...nothing to make me want to spend PP on it.

[JSG]

I am playing allies and my cruisers tend to ram something all the time when they get under air attack.
Freighters do so quite often as well, but I tend to see that damage much later and can't tell about when it happened.

The damage is usually moderate, below 20% and to be repaired in shipyards in one or two weeks at most.
I believe I haven't lost a single ship because of this issue so far.

[jmalter]

the # of ships in your TF affects the possibility of collisions, if your SurfTF has 25 ships, it's more likely to suffer a collision incident than a 12-ship TF, especially during a combat episode. large TFs are inherently 'unwieldy'.

a 50-ship TranTF is much more likely to have a collision than a 10-ship convoy.

use smaller TFs to reduce the likelihood of collisions. you can't eliminate the possibility of collisions, but you can organize your TFs in smaller groups. mebbe you like to run huge convoys, i think that's a mistake 'cos you overload the port-capacity at either end, as well as beg for a collision.

if i had 50 xAKs at EastCoast, i'd load & sail them for CapeTown in 5 10-ship TFs at 2-day intervals. if you use too-large convoys, you're just being lazy, & must accept the collision-damage as a penalty.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

...Usually collisions happen in restricted waters ...

This has been my experience. Really have to watch TF's in the DEI/PI area. Outside of that area, I have not experienced a collision. In particular, TF's reacting in restricted waters ...

[LoBaron]

ORIGINAL: jeffk3510

I wouldn't waste PP on convoy leaders..to be honest.

Depends.

For small backwater units or TF´s created only for a single mission I agree. But some of my TFs are created in Dec 41 and run routes for a couple of years.
Only the ships are exchanged, but the TF is never disbanded. So spending PPs for such a convoy is extremely cheap considering the timeframe it is active.

So for those convoys its entirely worth it to select suiting leaders, since Leadership & naval skill does have an impact on convoy performance - avoiding collisions,
avoiding or fighting subs, retreating from raiders, fleeing from surface action groups,....

[PaxMondo]

not to mention damage control, and the IJ needs all the help it can get with that ...

[mikkey]

It's possible to pick TF commander during TF forming without paying PP? TF form menu contain button "Auto-select commander On/Off" and also in WITP tutorial manual was wrote "If you turn Auto-select commander to Off, you will be required to pick commander from a list of available officers." but not works for me.

[btbw]

ORIGINAL: mikkey

It's possible to pick TF commander during TF forming without paying PP? TF form menu contain button "Auto-select commander On/Off" and also in WITP tutorial manual was wrote "If you turn Auto-select commander to Off, you will be required to pick commander from a list of available officers." but not works for me.

It works but you cannot select. Game choose TF commander from ship's captains. So better to have good naval skill captains for escort ships (dont work for tanker/replenish TFs).

[funkpapa]

I had been running my transport TFs on Mission speed. Changed them all to run on Cruise speed and the problem has disappeared. I didn't realize it made that much of a difference. *facepalm*

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: jmalter

the # of ships in your TF affects the possibility of collisions, if your SurfTF has 25 ships, it's more likely to suffer a collision incident than a 12-ship TF, especially during a combat episode. large TFs are inherently 'unwieldy'.

a 50-ship TranTF is much more likely to have a collision than a 10-ship convoy.

use smaller TFs to reduce the likelihood of collisions. you can't eliminate the possibility of collisions, but you can organize your TFs in smaller groups. mebbe you like to run huge convoys, i think that's a mistake 'cos you overload the port-capacity at either end, as well as beg for a collision.

if i had 50 xAKs at EastCoast, i'd load & sail them for CapeTown in 5 10-ship TFs at 2-day intervals. if you use too-large convoys, you're just being lazy, & must accept the collision-damage as a penalty.

Not to mention the unload at CT. 50-ships are anchoring out.

[spence]

Does "local" weather or the presence/absence of radar have any influence on the probability of a collision?

I doubt it but for realism's sake those factors certainly ought to (radar being a graduated collision probability reducer rather than a collision probability eliminator).