Submarine patrol zones

[SimonDC]

Hello all, I'm having trouble setting up sub patrol zones using waypointsand having the subs stay on patrol. They seem to come back to base every time. I've set the patrol to stay on station and then they just stay at the first waypoint. Any help much appreciated.

Simon

[HansBolter]

You’re using the wrong command choice to establish a patrol zone.

The command options for establishing patrol zones is above or below (can’t remember and not at the game) the waypoints choice.

Choosing the Patrol command choice expands the box to provide more sub-choices allowing you to either choose “patrol around” which has the computer establish a randomly outlined patrol pattern around the hex you choose, or make from one to three choices of hexes to establish the patrol pattern yourself, including options for amount of days of lingering time in each chosen hex and if you want to allow the TF to refuel in any of the three hexes if the hex happens to be a port capable of refueling the TF.

The patrol command interface is useful for much more than just subs such as ASW, local minesweepers covering their home port hexes and even surface forces or carriers searching a large sea area for surface raiders.

[jmalter]

In my experience, a sub that's moving (traveling between its patrol zone hexes) is more likely to intercept & engage a target than one that's sitting in a hex in 'remain on station' mode. Don't use waypoints, use the 'set patrol zone' button.

Time at sea is greatly extended, & damage-accrual is greatly reduced, if the 2 or 3 locations of the patrol-zone are within 1 or 2 hexes of each other, and the time spent at each is set to 1 day.

When the sub has only enough fuel to return to its home-port, it will automatically return to base, then automatically sail back to its patrol zone. It'll also auto-rtb when it runs very low on torps, but you need to keep an eye on torp ammo. Send them back to base when torps ammo is at 1, or when gun ammo is red, or when an upgrade is due. USN subs love getting better radar, and need the better deck-gun.

[dr.hal]

Simply put, I don't think you can select a waypoint to get to a patrol station, you have to accept the computer generated path or simply put in a destination hex, use waypoints and then once there, set the sub to patrol that hex!

[Ddog]

I think Simon was using the correct Patrol command.  Otherwise the sub would have continued to advance to the last waypoint and remained there.  It's stopping at the first waypoint.  So I am assuming he's settign up the patrol correctly and because he's using "remain on station" the sub isn't patrolling??

[HansBolter]

Check to see if you have the TF set to Remain on Station. That might cause it to hold at the first hex of the patrol pattern.

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: SimonDC

Hello all, I'm having trouble setting up sub patrol zones using waypointsand having the subs stay on patrol. They seem to come back to base every time. I've set the patrol to stay on station and then they just stay at the first waypoint. Any help much appreciated.

Simon

1. Waypoints are not used to set up a patrol zone for a sub. Waypoints are used to get to a set destination for the Task Force.

2. No destination is set for a patrol zone, instead you set boundary hexes (up to a maximum of 3 boundary hexes) which determine the area over which the sub patrol will roam.

3. See pages 82-83 of the manual for screen shots and an explanation of how to set up a patrol zone.

4. A remain on station order is incompatible with setting a patrol zone.

Alfred

[SimonDC]

Many thanks Alfred. Got it now.

Simon

[Numdydar]

Or you can just set the sub task forces to Computer Controlled [:)]. That is what I do and with the latest Beta seems to work pretty well.

To me subs are just one less thing I have to micromanage [:)]

Before anyone jumps all over me and tells me how bad doing this is, by Sept '42 I have sunk over 100 Allied ships with subs using Computer Controlled sub TFs. Not too bad imho [:)]

[geofflambert]

1. What's bad is you don't get credit for it.

2. What sort of WitP-AE player doesn't obsess over the minutia? [:-]

[Numdydar]

Me [:D]

I have X ammount of tolorance for minuta and mircomanagement so I perfer to use it in other areas of the game versus sup ops [:)] After all i do not have a HQ staff the way the realy commander did. Which is both good and bad [:)]

Why would I not get credit? I told the base commander to send out a sub TF. indicated who the Captain should be, and told the sub Captian to go wherever he wanted. If they are successful, then I picked the right Captian, if they get sunk or don't sink anything, then it was thier fault. I do not see a down side here at all [8D]

[geofflambert]

ORIGINAL: Numdydar

Me [:D]

I have X ammount of tolorance for minuta and mircomanagement so I perfer to use it in other areas of the game versus sup ops [:)] After all i do not have a HQ staff the way the realy commander did. Which is both good and bad [:)]

Why would I not get credit? I told the base commander to send out a sub TF. indicated who the Captain should be, and told the sub Captian to go wherever he wanted. If they are successful, then I picked the right Captian, if they get sunk or don't sink anything, then it was thier fault. I do not see a down side here at all [8D]

If you told all your Captains that, all your subs would be tied up at a wharf near a whore house in Shanghai. [;)]

[Numdydar]

That would give a whole new meaning to "Torpedo's away!" [:'(]