Thought the real Japanese were incompetent? warspite1 (J) vs AllenK (A)

[rustysi]

but want to keep the TF together while in hostile waters.

Very good. You get a cookie.[:D]

left hand corner of the Task Force Information Screen turn red (I don’t know what these relate to but on the basis red is bad it is simpler to head home).

These numbers are most likely misleading you. These are based on the current movement and the home base that is set. What it basically means is that that particular TF can't reach the original home base if it performs its current orders. If it joins the CV TF it will refuel from there and be fine. As long as the CV force can spare the fuel. I know you haven't seen this yet, but get that replenishment TF to the north moving in your general direction so you can meet it and refuel.

[rustysi]

Ships use fuel whenever they move and each ship is rated for how much fuel it can hold as well as its maximum endurance, which is the number of miles the ship can travel at cruising speed. The TF display shows the amount of endurance remaining for each ship in the TF.

Whenever a ship moves in a TF, it draws on its Endurance, which in turn subtracts from the amount of fuel carried. Fuel is expended when:

» A ship moves the entire turn at or below its Cruising Speed (the cruise speed for the ship in hexes as specified on each Ship Information Screen); this ship will use up Endurance equal to 40 times the number of hexes moved. So TF 1 will be moving 8 hexes per turn, they will expend 320 endurance per day over the 6 days (1,920) out of the 4,400 the destroyers have.
However they will likely need a reserve as:

» For each hex moved over the ship’s Cruising Speed, the ship will expend an additional 240 endurance per hex. The cruising speed of the TF in hexes is figured by the Cruising Speed of the slowest ship in it. Since each ship checks the TF move against its own Cruising Speed, ships in the same TF can use up different amounts of Endurance in the same move.

» Every ship in a TF that is involved in surface combat expends 200 Endurance.

» Whenever a TF is bombed or strafed, all ships in the TF expend one Endurance per attacking plane.

Ewe, that's intense. You're getting a little too cerebral here, and it hurts.

[rustysi]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

The Yellow and Green radius markers (F4 to toggle on and off) provide the ranges in visual form. I am not sure why these seem to indicate 10 and 5 hexes can be travelled. A) I thought 9 was the maximum and b) the calcs above indicated 8 and 4 anyway? Maybe one doesn't count the hex the line travels through. I'll see next turn how far this task force actually moves having started in hex 180,104.

Here's the KISS method I like to use. Look in the top upper left hand corner. See where it says 'moves'? Those numbers to the right in green are how many hexes the TF has left to move if nothing is changed and how many it is attempting to move given its current orders. Its a quick and dirty way to see if your fuel will hold out.

[rustysi]

I’ve word searched mission speed and nothing comes up.

Mission speed is where your TF's should be 95% of the time or more. All it means is that the TF will use the proper speed for the TF based on what's going on. Normally it means the TF is using cruise speed, but if a threat is perceived it'll crank things up to full speed. You may at times wish to run at full speed. Don't do it for long, it uses massive amounts of fuel and your ships will incur additional damage.

Speaking of damage. Damaged ships are best set to cruise speed when out of danger. This will keep them from using full speed thus racking up more damage.

[rustysi]

I’ve word searched mission speed and nothing comes up.

Look at the altitude, they were set to a strafing run. I'd set them to rest for a day, after which their morale should come back up a bit. Then up their altitude and put them back on CAP.

[rustysi]

but my Kates also appear a little worse for wear and are low on torpedoes.

PH may be the exception, but I don't think that torp bombers set to port will use torps. Once you change their mission to say naval the torps indicator should turn yellow. As long as Kaga still has torps for her birds.

[rustysi]

Not guilty - it was an historical first turn so any result - good or bad was not my fault!

That's it, take the Fifth.[:D]

[rustysi]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

The Yellow and Green radius markers (F4 to toggle on and off) provide the ranges in visual form. I am not sure why these seem to indicate 10 and 5 hexes can be travelled. A) I thought 9 was the maximum and b) the calcs above indicated 8 and 4 anyway? Maybe one doesn't count the hex the line travels through. I'll see next turn how far this task force actually moves having started in hex 180,104.

May as well take a whack at Midway as you pass.[:D]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Zorch

I had to look it up: Kentucky windage is "An adjustment made by a shooter to correct for wind (or motion of the target) by aiming at a point horizontal to the target's position in the sight rather than by adjusting the sight to compensate."

The corollary is 'Arkansas elevation' - "A shooter's adjustment by aiming higher than the target's position in the sight to allow for the bullet's drop during travel rather than adjusting the sight."

Thank you, CB.

warspite1

I've considered mind_messing's and Chickenboy's advice (thanks both) as well as 'Kentucky Windage' and 'Arkansas elevation'.

For me personally I think that while a spreadsheet may help long term, it will prove just another complication that I can't cope with at this point in my development.

This sentence was the deciding factor:

...Notoriously user unfriendly to get started. Not for technophobes that don't enjoy fiddling with programs ad nauseum that make their life "easier".

I have worked with spreadsheets out of necessity for much of my working life and let's just say, Excel and warspite1 are not entirely sympatico.

So for this game I am going to rely on 'London B******s' and try and muddle through to the best of my....ahem.... ability.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Zorch

warspite1

I spent some time analysing this flowchart and then extrapolating the data to ensure a comprehensive understanding of its functions could be obtained. Having done so for the last 16 hours solid I can now report my findings:

The colours used are, in many cases too vivid and this flowchart would definitely benefit from a more liberal use of pastel shades. For example the purple shade used for Manpwr (whatever that is) serves only to render the detail within the box illegible.

As for the rest of it? Well **** only knows.... anyone fancy a pint?

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: rustysi

ORIGINAL: warspite1

The Yellow and Green radius markers (F4 to toggle on and off) provide the ranges in visual form. I am not sure why these seem to indicate 10 and 5 hexes can be travelled. A) I thought 9 was the maximum and b) the calcs above indicated 8 and 4 anyway? Maybe one doesn't count the hex the line travels through. I'll see next turn how far this task force actually moves having started in hex 180,104.

Here's the KISS method I like to use. Look in the top upper left hand corner. See where it says 'moves'? Those numbers to the right in green are how many hexes the TF has left to move if nothing is changed and how many it is attempting to move given its current orders. Its a quick and dirty way to see if your fuel will hold out.

warspite1

Hi rustysi - thank-you. However I can't see an explanation for this in the manual. When I've opened the game this morning there is an additional number that wasn't there yesterday. It now states 197/97 (46). I can see that the number in brackets equates to the hexes it takes to reach the destination hex (its current orders) so that is good but....

There appears to be three movement types that I can click on:

Cruise Speed
Mission Speed
Full Speed

When clicking on Cruise Speed the speed for each ship drops accordingly and I can see that the TF will travel 4 hexes per phase (8 hexes per turn) and needs to travel 46 hexes - hence the approx 6 days. So that is all good. But if the 46 days is the hexes for the current orders then what is the 175/97?

If I click on Full Speed the TF will travel 8 hexes per phase (16 hexes per turn) but will run out of fuel because for each hex moved over the ship’s Cruising Speed, the ship will expend an additional 240 endurance per hex (so 280 total x 46 hexes = 12,880). These numbers have now gone red (which makes sense) and appear as 43/97 (46). Again what does the 43/97 represent?

If I click on Mission Speed the numbers appear to be the same as Cruise Speed - except the speed of the ships moves back to full speed. I look at Mission Types and their impact on movement and there is nothing for Air Combat so I am assuming that speed for a TF on Air Combat should be using cruise speed (unless it reacts to something). If so then why is full speed showing?

Should I be on Mission or Cruise Speed?

Mission speed is where your TF's should be 95% of the time or more. All it means is that the TF will use the proper speed for the TF based on what's going on. Normally it means the TF is using cruise speed, but if a threat is perceived it'll crank things up to full speed. You may at times wish to run at full speed. Don't do it for long, it uses massive amounts of fuel and your ships will incur additional damage.

Speaking of damage. Damaged ships are best set to cruise speed when out of danger. This will keep them from using full speed thus racking up more damage.

That's great thank-you. so the third picture below presumably just shows top speed in case on the mission the ships have to use it and alerts the player in case he has too slow a ship in a particular task force.

[warspite1]

Has anyone used Kull's spreadsheet and happen to know what these instructions (in bold) mean please?

Sub Patrol (E Hawaii Cripple Spotter): 1-193,107(3); 2-190,103(3); React:1 (Glen Carrier)
Sub Patrol (LA Convoy Spotter): 1-217,84(4); 2-222,87(4); React:1 (Glen Carrier)

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: warspite1
Has anyone used Kull's spreadsheet and happen to know what these instructions (in bold) mean please?

Sub Patrol (E Hawaii Cripple Spotter): 1-193,107(3); 2-190,103(3); React:1 (Glen Carrier)
Sub Patrol (LA Convoy Spotter): 1-217,84(4); 2-222,87(4); React:1 (Glen Carrier)

Looks like hex coordinates and # of days to linger for sub patrol area

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Zorch

I had to look it up: Kentucky windage is "An adjustment made by a shooter to correct for wind (or motion of the target) by aiming at a point horizontal to the target's position in the sight rather than by adjusting the sight to compensate."

The corollary is 'Arkansas elevation' - "A shooter's adjustment by aiming higher than the target's position in the sight to allow for the bullet's drop during travel rather than adjusting the sight."

Thank you, CB.

warspite1

I've considered mind_messing's and Chickenboy's advice (thanks both) as well as 'Kentucky Windage' and 'Arkansas elevation'.

For me personally I think that while a spreadsheet may help long term, it will prove just another complication that I can't cope with at this point in my development.

This sentence was the deciding factor:

...Notoriously user unfriendly to get started. Not for technophobes that don't enjoy fiddling with programs ad nauseum that make their life "easier".

I have worked with spreadsheets out of necessity for much of my working life and let's just say, Excel and warspite1 are not entirely sympatico.

So for this game I am going to rely on 'London B******s' and try and muddle through to the best of my....ahem.... ability.

Keep it simple: Ask yourself 'What would Blackadder do?"

[BBfanboy]

warspite1: Should I be on Mission or Cruise Speed?

Cruise speed keeps the ship from changing speed during attack (unless the TF leader overrules you), so, not so good when enemy subs/aircraft/ships are around.

The only "advantage" I have noted (by observation only, not statistical analysis) is that a CS convoy on cruise speed generally receives less system damage and engine damage than other convoys left on "Mission speed".

The only way I can rationalize this is if there has been no enemy contact is that the game abstracts "false sightings" or false intel about nearby threats that make the TF on Mission Speed go to full speed for a short time - less than one hex travel.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

The Yellow and Green radius markers (F4 to toggle on and off) provide the ranges in visual form. I am not sure why these seem to indicate 10 and 5 hexes can be travelled. A) I thought 9 was the maximum and b) the calcs above indicated 8 and 4 anyway? Maybe one doesn't count the hex the line travels through. I'll see next turn how far this task force actually moves having started in hex 180,104.

I didn't seen anyone answer your specific question about range circles.
The inner circle is the distance the TF can travel in one phase at cruise speed. The outer circle is the distance it can travel at full speed.

At one knot a ship can travel 12 NM in one phase. So five hexes on the range circle indicates a TF Speed of at least (200 NM/12 =) 16.67 kts. Any additional distance traveled short of an entire hex distance is carried over to the next phase, so the "day" phase will have additional distance added to its five hex travel circle.

When that is combined with any additional distance short of one hex during the afternoon phase, it often exceeds a hex distance and therefore, the second circle often shows one more hex travel than the inner (night) travel. Further, any distance short of a full hex in the afternoon phase will carry over into the night phase of the next turn.
If you change the hexside direction the TF is traveling at the beginning of next turn, I am not sure if the carry-over distance is kept or scrubbed.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

I spent some time analysing this flowchart and then extrapolating the data to ensure a comprehensive understanding of its functions could be obtained. Having done so for the last 16 hours solid I can now report my findings:

The colours used are, in many cases too vivid and this flowchart would definitely benefit from a more liberal use of pastel shades. For example the purple shade used for Manpwr (whatever that is) serves only to render the detail within the box illegible.

As for the rest of it? Well **** only knows.... anyone fancy a pint?

Oi! I hear ya about the flowchart WTF. However, Tracker can be useful at digging out tidbits of production information that are difficult to get at otherwise.

May I propose that you periodically send someone with great Tracker comfort your turn save (and password) and have them print out a handful of relevant pages? Every three to four weeks or so to assist with your British b******s? I've asked NYGiants to this for me and he was kind enough to assist with that endeavor. Note: many in this community 'will work for books', a commodity I am certain you have in abundance for trade.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Has anyone used Kull's spreadsheet and happen to know what these instructions (in bold) mean please?

Sub Patrol (E Hawaii Cripple Spotter): 1-193,107(3); 2-190,103(3); React:1 (Glen Carrier)
Sub Patrol (LA Convoy Spotter): 1-217,84(4); 2-222,87(4); React:1 (Glen Carrier)

Don't forget to actually give orders to the attendant Glen scout aircraft on board the subs too. They are set by default to something like "Nav Search-25". Give those goldbrickers the what for. They should be searching their 'normal' range (3 hexes for the Glen) at 60-65.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: warspite1
so the third picture below presumably just shows top speed in case on the mission the ships have to use it and alerts the player in case he has too slow a ship in a particular task force.

You had asked before how to calculate number of days to target. 1. Select your TF. 2. Select your target. 3. Adjust your movement orders / routing orders to accommodate the movement (i.e., how sensitive to different threats you want to be). Now your distance to target will be in the brackets in the 'moves (m/c)' row.

In this case, you've selected destination hex 138,96. It's 46 hexes from your current location with your current move orders.
With 'Mission' speed it will take you 46/12= just under 4 days sail. Cruise speed double that.

ETA: I remove the first sentence of my reply as it appears to have been incorrectly calculated.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: warspite1
so the third picture below presumably just shows top speed in case on the mission the ships have to use it and alerts the player in case he has too slow a ship in a particular task force.

Not exactly. Mission speed settings for that TF will move it 8 hexes in the first movement phase and 4 in the next. Full speed settings 8/8. Cruise 3/3 or 4/2.

You had asked before how to calculate number of days to target. 1. Select your TF. 2. Select your target. 3. Adjust your movement orders / routing orders to accommodate the movement (i.e., how sensitive to different threats you want to be). Now your distance to target will be in the brackets in the 'moves (m/c)' row.

In this case, you've selected destination hex 138,96. It's 46 hexes from your current location with your current move orders.
With 'Mission' speed it will take you 46/12= just under 4 days sail. Cruise speed double that.

The part about moving 8 hexes in the first movement phase is incorrect. 8 hexes is 320 NM so in one 12 hour phase it would have to move at 26.66 kts - full speed. The TF at mission speed setting will not use full speed unless reacting to something. It will likely move at cruise speed for four hexes distance in the first naval movement phase.