Poor Pathfining

[Rogue187]

While the Americans were nailing the Japanese carriers, I was trying to use TFZ (reinforced with US ships) and a Dutch CL/DD TF to engage a Japanese CVL TF running around the DEI. Even with remain on station selected, the two TFs never engaged the CVL. When the turn was over, the computer had completely rerouted the ships! Instead of going into the strait, they were on opposite sides of the islands. I changed the tolerance level to absolute, but they keep going the wrong way to engage. The CVL was able to sink a few AKs, AOs and a TK without being engaged by naval or air forces. The Dutch group was set to react of 3 and TFZ is react 6. How can this happen!?

[DConn]

In addition the absolute threat tolerance, did the TF have a "direct" routing command?

[Lecivius]

And aggressive commanders? At the start of the war the commanders are not the best, and can over ride any orders you set for them.

[crsutton]

Leadership, experience, weather, detection level, air superiority and many more factors can affect contact and combat. The information you are providing is just too vague for anyone to offer more than a guess. And sometimes the unexpected just happens..

[HansBolter]

It happened because you disabled their reaction.

'Remain on Station' disables Reaction.

It is the WORST setting choice you can make when attempting a an intercept.

Reactions occur when TFs have a Patrol order or are transiting from on point to another.

If you want them to remain in one hex and react up to 6 hexes away you need to set them to patrol a one hex pattern.

A better method for making an intercept happen is to patrol an actual area pattern, covering a greater area with reaction set to maximum.

This increase the area over which you can get a reaction to intercept.

[rustysi]

It happened because you disabled their reaction.

'Remain on Station' disables Reaction.

It is the WORST setting choice you can make when attempting a an intercept.

Tah-dah. +1 Hans.[;)]

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: rustysi

It happened because you disabled their reaction.

'Remain on Station' disables Reaction.

It is the WORST setting choice you can make when attempting a an intercept.

Tah-dah. +1 Hans.[;)]

+ another 1. And to add to what crsutton said, the game AI makes use of any aircraft it has to carry out night searches as well as day. Once an enemy SCTF is detected near a CV/CVL/CVE, the coding tells them to run away! The only time I managed an intercept of a CVL was when it had no cruiser or BB FPs to do a search. Even if it did have FPs, weather might hamper their search and enable an intercept .... or not!

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

And aggressive commanders? At the start of the war the commanders are not the best, and can over ride any orders you set for them.

Unless you set them to direct/absolute and remain on station.

I've never had non-bombardment TFs not go where they were supposed to when I set those things, regardless of commander settings. The only exception is CV reactions to other CVs, and CV TFs will always retire if they are contacted by a surface force even if you have those things set (which has ground my gears in the past).

Just a clarification/elaboration.

[SheperdN7]

Only use "Remain on Station" for intercepting if you want the TF to move to a hex and stay there, only covering that hex, blocking off a passage or strait. Patrol setting can be used as well but on this setting the TF will go back to its home port to replenish after its fuel goes down.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: SheperdN7

Only use "Remain on Station" for intercepting if you want the TF to move to a hex and stay there, only covering that hex, blocking off a passage or strait. Patrol setting can be used as well but on this setting the TF will go back to its home port to replenish after its fuel goes down.

With a patrol setting, the TF may react out to try and intercept a detected enemy after which, if it has enough fuel and ammo, it will go back to the original patrol hex/zone. But with "remain on station" set, the TF will RTB after a single encounter with the enemy, even if no shots were fired. I have had this happen many times even though I ALWAYS use Direct/Absolute routing. Really annoying to find your TF 7 hexes out of position after a brief glimpse of their prey at night, right where you thought it would show up.

[rsallen64]

+1 to all of the above. My great luck in my GC against the AI was having the remnants of TF Z, with the addition of some Dutch ships, catch a Japanese CV TF in the Java Sea at night. Noting that the Kaga, Akagi and Shokaku were sunk by 15" shell fire still fills me with warmth months later. [&o] I am in April 1942 now and they're still listed as sunk (in December), so I am accepting that this is an accurate report at this point.