Questions by a rookie

[SigUp]

Well, just bought the game yesterday and though I've read the manual there are still lots of questions popping up. [:D]

A first one would be, how do I tell a TF to automatically dock at its destination? I've created a cargo TF and assigned it a base to resupply. After it reaches that base it begins unloading, but is not docked (its tonnage is below the limit of the base), so I have to manually do it every time.

[DaveConn]

At small ports (can't remember the size limit), you have to tell the TF to dock. At larger ports, they will dock automatically when they arrive.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: SigUp

Well, just bought the game yesterday and though I've read the manual there are still lots of questions popping up. [:D]

A first one would be, how do I tell a TF to automatically dock at its destination? I've created a cargo TF and assigned it a base to resupply. After it reaches that base it begins unloading, but is not docked (its tonnage is below the limit of the base), so I have to manually do it every time.

You don't (can't). But what does happen, is that inside the code there is a 'port-master' type of routine that temporarily gives dock space to individual ships during the turn. You do not get to see that happen. It is less efficient than being docked for the whole time, but the reason it was done is so that other convoys can also unload during the same turn.

Each ship and each port has a limited quantity of activity that it can do in one turn (actually during each phase, of which there are two per day). It is possible that, just for example, some ships in one convoy finish unloading while other ships in that convoy are still unloading. Meanwhile, a different convoy can only unload very slowly (via barges that are abstracted into the concept of a port, but not shown) because the dock space is taken up by some ships that are empty.

So, sometimes you will want to manually dock a convoy (TF), but other times you might want to let the automatic routines handle it.

[SigUp]

Okay, thanks. I was already wondering. Now something entirely different. What would be a good naval attack altitude for Allied medium bombers? I hit absolutely nothing with altitudes above 10.000 feet so I reduced it to 4.000 (and got the Shokaku in the Thousand Miles scenario), but it was more like guessing into the dark.

[Lecivius]

Level bombers don't hit ships well, and that is historical. The lower you go, the better your chances, but then you also start getting into flak envelopes. It's actually well modelled. As your air crews get experience (I believe 70+, but that does not feel right) they will beging to skip bomb at lower altitudes.

[Gaspote]

Having so much issue I can tell you perhaps all questions have already been asked so just use the search tools it work fine [;)]

[rustysi]

http://witp-ae.wikia.com/wiki/War_in_th ... ition_Wiki Here's a wiki site that has info for you. There are videos in here that are helpful to newbee's. Oh, and welcome aboard.

[rustysi]

OK, I'm not trying to scare anyone off, but being honest this game takes a big commitment to learn how to play. I've been playing these games forever so I feel I have a leg up, and I've been at this one for a bit. I'm nowhere near ready to waste someones' time in a PBEM. Now, that being said realize you do it at your own pace. You will not (myself included) learn everything all at once (probably never). Read the manual, read the threads here. Read the after action reports. Read the war room posts. READ, READ, READ. Oh, I almost forgot... play. Get your butt kicked, and then you'll really learn. Don't forget to post questions here. I have only posted a few, but that's only because the other ones I had were already answered. The guys and gal on this site are great and tremendously helpful.[&o][&o][&o][&o] Also check out that wiki site I listed above. Not my find the people here showed me. [:D][:D][:D]

[ny59giants]

While altitude does have its part in Naval Attacks, the skill level of the pilots in your air groups is very important. At 1000' the planes will use LowN skill. Over that value, it will use NavB. If it is a TB and is carrying torpedoes, it will use NavT skill. Most pilots are trained by a player for two different skill levels. That is needed to raise your Def skill and improve the chance of your plane and pilot making it back to its home base. The speed and maneuverability of the ships being attack makes it more or less difficult to hit.

Having fun now!! [;)]

[SigUp]

ORIGINAL: rustysi

OK, I'm not trying to scare anyone off, but being honest this game takes a big commitment to learn how to play. I've been playing these games forever so I feel I have a leg up, and I've been at this one for a bit. I'm nowhere near ready to waste someones' time in a PBEM. Now, that being said realize you do it at your own pace. You will not (myself included) learn everything all at once (probably never). Read the manual, read the threads here. Read the after action reports. Read the war room posts. READ, READ, READ. Oh, I almost forgot... play. Get your butt kicked, and then you'll really learn. Don't forget to post questions here. I have only posted a few, but that's only because the other ones I had were already answered. The guys and gal on this site are great and tremendously helpful.[&o][&o][&o][&o] Also check out that wiki site I listed above. Not my find the people here showed me. [:D][:D][:D]

After playing the Thousand Mile scenario twice I'm starting to think that the basic commands and mechanics aren't that hard to handle. What will be hard is managing all this when you have the entire Pacific in front of you, get overwhelmed and have no idea what to do. Of course that doesn't mean I'm doing any good. Got my butt kicked the first try when I was so fixated on capturing Kiska that I forgot to recon for ships to the SW. Was quite surprised when a IJN CA-TF supported by Shokaku showed up and beat up my invasion TF (luckily the troops were already on the island) while my BBs were steaming somewhere in the off-map area. Managed to squeeze out a Minor Victory after the AI got greedy and wanted to sink my CVE. Ran right into a crossfire and lost Shokaku. Got my Major Victory the second time when I paid more attention to everything in addition to better planning, although the aerial attacks on Shokaku and Zuikaku failed to log but one hit in countless tries.

[alanschu]

I found jumping into the campaign as the Allies worked well enough, because I make mistakes and take losses at the beginning but by the time I started to figure things out, fresh ships were on their way in in late '42 or so

[SigUp]

ORIGINAL: alanschu

I found jumping into the campaign as the Allies worked well enough, because I make mistakes and take losses at the beginning but by the time I started to figure things out, fresh ships were on their way in in late '42 or so

The advantage of little scenarios is in my eyes that they provide you direct feedback so you can practice the basics first. I am tempted to go towards grand campaign next because the little scenarios can't offer the operational freedom that makes these games great. On the other hand in a grand campaign the feedback is slower as you have to spend endless hours doing the first turn(s).

Oh, while I'm at it, how good is the auto convoy system? Or should I (if I get to the campaign game) do the resupply manually, aided by the continuous supply feature?

[alanschu]

I think I buggered around with Coral Sea before hand too. The basics aren't too tricky to learn IMO, for understanding how to move your fleets around and so forth. Once you have that down, it starts to come pretty quickly IMO. Great references on this board too.

And yes, the first turn will take a while. Although I still find myself limiting myself somewhat on first turns just for my own impatience as well as a degree of "reaction" (I typically play as the Allies as I'm familiar with their ships and whatnot and tend to struggle with the Japanese industry) lag. For instance, no sending out every single submarine on the first turn. I just do a few, and do a few more the next day, and the next day say, and so forth.

[SigUp]

Well, I decided to go another route. I'll start a campaign game and the Guadalcanal scenario. Slowly starting on the first turn of the campaign game while progressing through Guadalcanal. Although with my current time constraints might seriously take a month until I've completed the first turn. [X(]

[Buck Beach]

Here is another location for tutorials: https://sites.google.com/site/n01487477/Home?pli=1

Buck

[SigUp]

Okay, here I'm at it again, used the search function but didn't turn up what I looked for. So, when putting together a carrier TF, should I pay attention to both max speed and cruise speed, or only the latter? So, for example I want to build a TF around Indomitable with max speed 30 and cruise speed 15. Can I put Repulse with max speed 28 (or Hermes with 25) but same cruise speed into it without worrying about any negatives?

[Alfred]

There is always some negative.  It need not be significant if the speed differential is small, but the greater the delta, the more significant it becomes.  What you lose with adding the Repulse is more than made up by the other benefits that ship brings to the party.
 
A lot also depends on what is the mission purpose and likely developments.
 
Alfred

[Barb]

Depends on what you intend to meet with your ships
- Airplanes dropping torpedoes and bombs? MVR rating of each ships will be possibly your best friend when it become target - as well as flak, experience, etc..
- Avoiding surface combat TF? Certainly higher max speed is preferred as MIN(max.speed) of the all ships in TF will be the speed your TF will be moving + TF leader rolls
- Some hot smoking big guns shooting your way? Again the MIN(max.speed) plus MVR rating of ships + exp + leaders + etc...

Repulse could help much more than Hermes - both in movement, escaping surface combat and bringing additional flak as well as another big fat target on your side ... Not to mention Hermes was probably best used as training/ferry carrier at this point of time...

[SigUp]

Thanks for the initial replies. So let's say I want to put together a task force to do a raid on a Japanese base and only anticipate resistance from land based aircraft, putting Repulse in is a net bonus, right? Oh, and next one, even though that's still a long way ahead. If I put together a carrier task force for combat against Japanese CVs, are the North Carolina battleships a good option, or should I only include CAs?

[Barb]

Battleships are always great magnet for bombers - thus taking some damage instead of your CV decks - which is a win-win situation as any hit to battleship is probably less critical than any damage to carrier. Once had 8 of 12 bombs hitting 2 Kongo class ships (doing minor damage) instead of 2CVs and CVL. However try to include only faster battleships (27+kts), not the slow ones (22/21kts).
As a bonus those battle-wagons usually carry a hell load of Ack-Ack to kill lot of incoming planes

Indeed I think that players who use their fast new battleships for surface combat and not for carrier screening usually face higher carrier losses...