Game balance gone AWOL?

[Geordie Boy]

Five American DD's sailed into Truk and sunk a much much stronger force. So many torpedo hits. Has something in the latest patch gone wrong? Anyone else noticed anything similar?

Night Time Surface Combat, near Truk at 112,108, Range 12,000 Yards

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
E13A1 Jake: 1 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CA Chikuma, Shell hits 3
CA Nachi, Shell hits 16, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Wakazuki, Shell hits 29, and is sunk
DD Hayashio, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Tokitsukaze, Shell hits 11, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Asashio, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Hatsushima, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Allied Ships
DD Hazelwood, Shell hits 5
DD McGowan, Shell hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Newcomb, Shell hits 10, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Prichett, Shell hits 11, and is sunk
DD Robinson, Shell hits 2

[Geordie Boy]

BTW the Jap ships were all fully armed and had the best captains going...

[Gaspote]

Does the taskforce wasn't in patrol with ops from previous replenishment ?

[Itdepends]

s%#t happens
Are those Fletcher DD's? If yes- their good even against CA's
Night time conditions- looks like visibility is reasonable? (12,000 yards)
What does the full combat report look like (anyone get their T crossed?, who saw who first, what month/year in game)
Whoever got the first hits is important in night combat because ships on fire tend to gt concentrated on.

[EHansen]

Those look like late arriving USN Fletcher DDs. They are deadly.

[jeffk3510]

Fletchers are mean and those are all Pre WW2 Jap ships..

I'll send a 5-6 Fletcher TF against anything.

The American TF in this example has identical ships.. same speed, gun range, you name it. Ideal composition.

Not sure on the Japanese, as I don't play their side.

[jeffk3510]

Also- what's moonlight.. who was surprised.. who crossed T... yada yada?

[Geordie Boy]

Think my eagle eyed boys spotted the Fletchers first and opened fire. My flyboys finished off the Allied TF remnants from the air in daylight so from what you are telling me this was a Jap victory?? Cant afford too many more of these some-one once said.....


Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions and 39% moonlight: 12,000 yards
Range closes to 24,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 24,000 yards
Range closes to 18,000 yards...
Range closes to 12,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 12,000 yards
Japanese ships attempt to get underway
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 12,000 yards
CA Nachi engages DD Newcomb at 12,000 yards
CA Chikuma engages DD Newcomb at 12,000 yards
DD Tokitsukaze engages DD Newcomb at 12,000 yards
DD Newcomb engages DD Asashio at 12,000 yards
DD Hazelwood engages DD Asashio at 12,000 yards
Range closes to 5,000 yards
DD Robinson engages CA Nachi at 5,000 yards
DD Asashio sunk by DD Prichett at 5,000 yards
DD Hatsushima engages DD Robinson at 5,000 yards
DD Tokitsukaze engages DD McGowan at 5,000 yards
DD Hayashio engages DD Robinson at 5,000 yards
Range closes to 4,000 yards
DD Hayashio engages DD Robinson at 4,000 yards
DD Tokitsukaze sunk by DD Prichett at 4,000 yards
DD Hayashio sunk by DD Newcomb at 4,000 yards
DD McGowan engages DD Wakazuki at 4,000 yards
Range closes to 2,000 yards
CA Nachi engages DD Robinson at 2,000 yards
DD Hatsushima engages DD Prichett at 2,000 yards
DD Hatsushima sunk by DD Newcomb at 2,000 yards
DD Wakazuki engages DD Hazelwood at 2,000 yards
Range increases to 3,000 yards
DD Wakazuki engages DD Robinson at 3,000 yards
CA Chikuma engages DD Prichett at 3,000 yards
DD Wakazuki engages DD McGowan at 3,000 yards
DD Hazelwood engages DD Wakazuki at 3,000 yards
Range increases to 4,000 yards
CA Nachi engages DD Newcomb at 4,000 yards
Magazine explodes on DD Newcomb
DD Newcomb sunk by CA Chikuma at 4,000 yards
DD Wakazuki engages DD McGowan at 4,000 yards
DD Wakazuki engages DD Hazelwood at 4,000 yards
Range increases to 5,000 yards
DD Wakazuki engages DD Robinson at 5,000 yards
DD Wakazuki engages DD Prichett at 5,000 yards
DD Wakazuki sunk by DD McGowan at 5,000 yards
Range closes to 2,000 yards
CA Nachi engages DD Robinson at 2,000 yards
CA Chikuma engages DD Prichett at 2,000 yards
CA Chikuma engages DD McGowan at 2,000 yards
Magazine explodes on CA Nachi
CA Nachi sunk by DD Hazelwood at 2,000 yards
Range increases to 7,000 yards
CA Chikuma engages DD McGowan at 7,000 yards
CA Chikuma engages DD McGowan at 7,000 yards
Teroka, M. orders Japanese TF to disengage
CA Chikuma engages DD Robinson at 7,000 yards
CA Chikuma engages DD McGowan at 7,000 yards
CA Chikuma engages DD Hazelwood at 7,000 yards
Range increases to 13,000 yards
CA Chikuma engages DD Robinson at 13,000 yards
CA Chikuma engages DD Hazelwood at 13,000 yards
Task forces break off...

[Geordie Boy]

Haha pleased with yourself Roger Neilson III?

[RogerJNeilson]

They were my Fletchers.... also with a very good commander.

Can't post the full CR as I only have the combat replay.

However, moonlight less than 40%, message Japanese ships attempt to get underway.....radar spots Japs first, firing commences 12,000 yds, then down to 5,000 yds at which point 2 Jap DDs eat torpedoes, down to 4000 yds, no jap hits on Fletchers yet, another Jap DD eats torpedo, first hits on one US DD so three Jap Dds hit before they even score one hit on attacking Fletchers. At 2000 yds still only one US dd been hit but now they start to get punished. Range increases and US DDs taking hits now, but 4 Jap DDs sunk. Now report that all Japanese ships underway... Trading more shots at 5000 yds, closes again to 2000 yds, 5 Jap DDs now sunk, 2 CAs and one Jap DD still in fight. US DDs now getting badly danmaged, but torpedo hits CA Nachi. Range increases to 7000 yds, then Jap TF ordered to disengage. Range increases to 13000 yds, task forces break off.

I sent them in not realising there was a nasty Jap TF there, having seen a lot of transport ships milling round the area. I agree with others late war Fletchers are very powerful. Looks to me like I caught the Jap TF with its pants down and before it got a chance to retaliate it was badly mauled. The torpedo on CA Nachi a bit of good luck for me.

Quite understandable results - given the random nature of game events.......

I got exactly the same combat summary in terms of damage.

[Geordie Boy]

BTW whats so good about the Fletchers in this game (assuming they were Fletchers)? What did they do IRL to merit such wonderful powers? Its the fact that 5 out of 7 of my ships were hit by torpedo's, 4 of which were DD's.

[RogerJNeilson]

A ship that is moored up with its engines not running is an easy target, to me the key is that they only are 'underway' after the torpedoes have hit, apart from the one that got the CA Nachi.....

Lot of bad luck there, but as people often say.... sh*t happens in warfare.


But that's only my interpretation of the CR.... what do others think?

Roger

[RogerJNeilson]

Its June 1944....

Roger

[Geordie Boy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher-class_destroyer

Nothing on any wondrous torpedo abilty here - sank alot of SS's - are they just vastly overrated like division destroying 4E's??????????

[Geordie Boy]

Its the torpedo hit accuracy that I am objecting too. A single DD also took on the Yamato and several DD's in a transport TF a few game weeks ago and also hit the BB with a torpedo. If in June 1944 the Allies torpedos were so good then there must be real evidence somewhere????

[EHansen]

Starting in 1944, the USN crew experience is very high when entering, often 70+ in both daylight and night.
Combined with good commanders and ship skippers, they can be hard for Japan to deal with.
Plus the USN gets 200+ of them, along with all the other DDs they get.

[Gaspote]

ORIGINAL: Geordie Boy

Its the torpedo hit accuracy that I am objecting too. A single DD also took on the Yamato and several DD's in a transport TF a few game weeks ago and also hit the BB with a torpedo. If in June 1944 the Allies torpedos were so good then there must be real evidence somewhere????

The battle of Samar.

edit : Although the jap don't get the historical result of 42 in the game if you want to become mad.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Geordie Boy

Think my eagle eyed boys spotted the Fletchers first and opened fire. My flyboys finished off the Allied TF remnants from the air in daylight so from what you are telling me this was a Jap victory?? Cant afford too many more of these some-one once said.....


Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions and 39% moonlight: 12,000 yards
Range closes to 24,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 24,000 yards
Range closes to 18,000 yards...
Range closes to 12,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 12,000 yards
Japanese ships attempt to get underway

That's what screwed you over. The Japanese ships were sitting anchored in the hex when the USN showed up.

[oldman45]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

ORIGINAL: Geordie Boy

Think my eagle eyed boys spotted the Fletchers first and opened fire. My flyboys finished off the Allied TF remnants from the air in daylight so from what you are telling me this was a Jap victory?? Cant afford too many more of these some-one once said.....


Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions and 39% moonlight: 12,000 yards
Range closes to 24,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 24,000 yards
Range closes to 18,000 yards...
Range closes to 12,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 12,000 yards
Japanese ships attempt to get underway

That's what screwed you over. The Japanese ships were sitting anchored in the hex when the USN showed up.

+1 Against the AI I caught a transport group in port, not only did ships collide trying to get away but my old British and Australian DD's racked up kills that round. The game will severely penalize you if your caught at anchor.

[crsutton]

Yep, that pretty much says it all.