Question: black patrol arcs

[DarkFib3r]

I am a little confused about search arcs and how they are represented in the game.

A video tutorial I watched stated that each plane on a search will scan 10 degrees of a patrol arc in both the AM and PM phase. You can get morning and afternoon search coverage up to a degree arc of the active number of planes you have on search; if you have 6 active planes in a group, you can fully scan a 60 degree arc in the morning and afternoon. Furthermore, on the map you will be presented with an operlapping blue and green arc representing these searches.

When I tried setting this, I get a black arc with some blue and green highlighting. I think it is telling me that my entire search is getting full coverage, but it is inconsistent with what I have seen online.





Are these black arcs normal for searches that have full coverage, or should I be seeing overlapping blue and green arcs on the entire search arc, on each of the 10 degree slices? I think I have set up my search properly, but it would be a shame if I was doing something wrong and my flights were not actually searching the areas I specify.

[Reg]

At a guess the morning search was conducted with full complement (100%) of six aircraft. However the afternoon wave looks like it was was only conducted by five aircraft and only covered 50° of arc. My guess was an aircraft returned broken from the morning mission!!

The air group screen shot above is the situation first thing in the morning. More than likely the broken aircraft will be fixed overnight and be available again the next morning so you won't see it unavailable.

Don't underestimate the depth of this game and remember spare aircraft can be useful. [;)]

[DarkFib3r]

Thanks for the response, Reg!

You mention that the afternoon flight may only have 5 aircraft and that one may have been damaged. But this is the first mission for this group at the start of a new scenario - Guadalcanal. They haven't flown yet and have not yet had a chance to get damaged. Furthermore, the air group screen shows there are 6 aircraft available and none requiring maintenance. Finally, it looks like the afternoon arc is a 10 degree slice from 50-60 degrees, as opposed to 0-50 degrees, which is what I would expect if one aircraft got damaged.

So do the black arcs mean that both morning and afternoon flights are working that slice? Or does it mean aircraft are not flying at all? I am still confused by this.

[Reg]

ORIGINAL: DarkFib3r

So do the black arcs mean that both morning and afternoon flights are working that slice?

Yes


Edit: Note the afternoon blue edge. An arc only worked in the PM mission will have blue radial lines too.

Try setting your requested search arc to 120° and see what it does....

[btd64]

Alfred has a detailed thread/post on this subject. I don't have the ability to search for it at the moment. Use the search feature with Alfred as the author....GP

[Itdepends]

Not a damage issue. There are enough aircraft to cover all the arcs except one in both the AM and PM phases. Think of the PM phase as a second arc under the first that slides out to cover the section of your search arc that was not covered int the AM phase. It will keep rotating out until yourset search arc reaches the limit that can be covered with one flight per sector (am or pm)

[mikkey]

some useful info about Search arc are here Naval Air Search Coverage here Mid-ocean islands, naval search, search arcs or here Arcs random vs setting a start and end arc

[kbfchicago]

After five games...1/2 way through my sixth and FIRST game as "ARC FREE" and darn happy...

Since I started in 2009 until fairly recently I was determined to "be a better player through arcs"...meticulously managing every float & CV plane in the game for what should be its most optimum search or asw pattern. I read but just did not believe the many posts here on the forum about the value of "random arcs". I am now a believer...come Luke, come to the dark side. I know it feels like you are in control with all those arcs...the results just do not bear this out.

In arc free game: I have never set an arc (leaving them at random 000/000) for any carrier sqdn, BB, CA, CL, CS, etc. float planes, or any land based unit whose circumference covers at least 50% water (I do set for those at 50% or less water). I have been very pleased with the results compared to five games of tedious, meticulous arc management...

Seriously...
We will never know the code...but my pea brain figures with a random arc, perhaps you have a chance to see "any" target, at any time during the evaluation process(es) throughout the turn, you get multiple chances with multiple air frames flying. By restricting your self, you likely get fewer die rolls, with no or only marginally better odds or even potentially less odds (think long range, where I think you get dinged on your observation chances beyond 11 hexes?) - as your air frames stick to their "lanes". Again - NO specific knowledge here, just one player's observation.

[geofflambert]

ORIGINAL: kbfchicago

After five games...1/2 way through my sixth and FIRST game as "ARC FREE" and darn happy...

Since I started in 2009 until fairly recently I was determined to "be a better player through arcs"...meticulously managing every float & CV plane in the game for what should be its most optimum search or asw pattern. I read but just did not believe the many posts here on the forum about the value of "random arcs". I am now a believer...come Luke, come to the dark side. I know it feels like you are in control with all those arcs...the results just do not bear this out.

In arc free game: I have never set an arc (leaving them at random 000/000) for any carrier sqdn, BB, CA, CL, CS, etc. float planes, or any land based unit whose circumference covers at least 50% water (I do set for those at 50% or less water). I have been very pleased with the results compared to five games of tedious, meticulous arc management...

Seriously...
We will never know the code...but my pea brain figures with a random arc, perhaps you have a chance to see "any" target, at any time during the evaluation process(es) throughout the turn, you get multiple chances with multiple air frames flying. By restricting your self, you likely get fewer die rolls, with no or only marginally better odds or even potentially less odds (think long range, where I think you get dinged on your observation chances beyond 11 hexes?) - as your air frames stick to their "lanes". Again - NO specific knowledge here, just one player's observation.

You have a pea brain!? Damn, you must be more evolved than us gorns.

[kbfchicago]

Yep... one pea = two lizard brains... Noted your St. Louis tag, hope you found a dry rock to lie upon the last few weeks. Made a trip to the Arch for 4th of July celebrations about five years back and recall seeing the high water mark from the last "Flood of the century" (ten years ago?), thought I heard or read in the news ya'all beat that one this year.

High & Dry in Virgin'y

[rustysi]

ORIGINAL: kbfchicago

After five games...1/2 way through my sixth and FIRST game as "ARC FREE" and darn happy...

Since I started in 2009 until fairly recently I was determined to "be a better player through arcs"...meticulously managing every float & CV plane in the game for what should be its most optimum search or asw pattern. I read but just did not believe the many posts here on the forum about the value of "random arcs". I am now a believer...come Luke, come to the dark side. I know it feels like you are in control with all those arcs...the results just do not bear this out.

In arc free game: I have never set an arc (leaving them at random 000/000) for any carrier sqdn, BB, CA, CL, CS, etc. float planes, or any land based unit whose circumference covers at least 50% water (I do set for those at 50% or less water). I have been very pleased with the results compared to five games of tedious, meticulous arc management...

Seriously...
We will never know the code...but my pea brain figures with a random arc, perhaps you have a chance to see "any" target, at any time during the evaluation process(es) throughout the turn, you get multiple chances with multiple air frames flying. By restricting your self, you likely get fewer die rolls, with no or only marginally better odds or even potentially less odds (think long range, where I think you get dinged on your observation chances beyond 11 hexes?) - as your air frames stick to their "lanes". Again - NO specific knowledge here, just one player's observation.

Arc's are "set it and forget it" for me, so I'm not exactly sure what you're on about. As far as TF's go I never set arcs for them.