another Newby's questions...

[CaptainBokarati]

... and I may not post another post too closely to the last one; gosh, I guess I never had so much troble with a forum before... [&:] Will try to post my question #04 in a few days when I have my ten posts I gues... [:(]

#05: Coral Sea AI behaviour
Is it normal that Shoho is withdrawn to Truk, without ever having been attacked or even sighted (might be that it was out of sorties? Have no idea where all those air strikes I got incoming actually came from)? That it withdraws Zuikaku and Shokaku even though it sunk Yorktown and damaged Lexington, with Zukaku moderately damaged (damages below 20) and Shokaku virtually undamaged (damages below 10)?

Problems #04 and #05 led to a very strange and quite boring game, after I stopped the invasion with the move you blokes recommended. No enemy carriers around and me hunting for nothing...


Thanks for your input.

Cheers!
Bokarati[:(]

[sajm0n]

#05: Coral Sea AI behaviour
Is it normal that Shoho is withdrawn to Truk(...)

I think its because your fleet has by default 'Retirement allowed' behavior instead of 'Remain on station'.
You can also manipulate behavior by clicking on 'Set TF Routing' and then choose Threat tolerance

[CaptainBokarati]

Hey SajmOn,

thanks for your answer!

Well, Japanese are played by the AI here... So I guess the AI doesn't switch those setting?

Cheers!
Bokarati

[sajm0n]

Oh, you mean it that way.. I'd assume AI would use default behavior or scripts, but someone else would need to answer your questions, im just a noob
Good luck learning the game, im trying to get past turn 1 in grand campaign as Japan myself [X(]

Also about copying combat reports, you can do it by using Combat Reporter. I think everyone around here is using that tool, as well as WitPTracker.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: sajm0n

Oh, you mean it that way.. I'd assume AI would use default behavior or scripts, but someone else would need to answer your questions, im just a noob
Good luck learning the game, im trying to get past turn 1 in grand campaign as Japan myself [X(]

Also about copying combat reports, you can do it by using Combat Reporter. I think everyone around here is using that tool, as well as WitPTracker.

The AI "knows" what you have even without an actual sighting, and will compare with its own TF composition and decide what to do, taking into account what its mission is, firepower, and leader characteristics. For example, Air Combat and Troop Transport/Amphib missions always try to evade combat. If both TFs are SCTFs, the leader stats matter a lot more. IJ leaders tend to be very aggressive so sometimes their outgunned TF will still take on a seemingly superior Allied force and win with better shooting (crew experience and Captains Naval Skill) and better torps. That changes later in the war.

Edit: There may also be a random die roll that brings combat even when the two sides do not want to fight each other - I have had my tanker and a Japanese one fire some shots at each other for a while before disengaging. Neither tanker hit anything but ocean.

[CaptainBokarati]

Okay, thank you very much! However my question #05 was less about the tactical AI (playing my units) but about the strategic AI (playing the Japanese in this case). Shoho was never encountered, maybe played a role in some airstrike (or maybe not) and was found safely docked in Truc at the end of the scenario, where it shouldn't have been in my opinion, given that I lost one carrier and the other one was wounded. AND the AI having withdrawn Shokaku and Zuikaku, of which one was practically fresh and the other one with damages below 20. Is that normal behavior, ceding sea superiority like this?

Question status:

#01: Why does my surface TF evade combat? Answered. [&o]

#02: How do I copy/paste combat log results (or can I do it at all)? Answered. [&o]

#03: Task Force commanders
Can I really build and disband TFs at high sea until I get a TF commander I like and merge everything into that commander's TF?

#04: to be asked later...

#05: Coral Sea AI behaviour: see above.

Thanks again for all your input!

Cheers,
Bokarati

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: CaptainBokarati
Can I really build and disband TFs at high sea until I get a TF commander I like and merge everything into that commander's TF?

Don't do that. That's horribly inefficient and presupposes that you have to have a bunch of disparate ships milling about in a hex just so you can swap out the TF commander? Better to do that while they're in port. That way you can choose from any commander that is relevant to the purpose of the TF that you are creating.

ETA: And you can't disband TFs at sea.

[RangerJoe]

You can find a decent captain, start another TF and transfer ships to that new TF.

[CaptainBokarati]

Hey,

thank you for your answers. I think I got it now: When I divide my TFs I don't get a new TF commander, but my ship's captain is being bumped up to TF commander. Well, it doesn't work, anyway: As soon as I collect those micro-TFs together into their original ones, I get the original one. Or at least some times, I don't know. So I will have to be in port to do that efficiently, thanks for the heads-up!

Cheers,
Bokarati

[RangerJoe]

If you leave just one ship in the original task force, that task force commander stays there. You can send that task force to a port while the other ships can go about their business.

[sajm0n]

Can i hijack this thread to ask my questions too? [:'(]

Latest problem: slow loading rate of troops.
My ships (6x xAP) are docked in Shanghai and i've been loading 21st division LCU for 2 days now. Mission: "transport", 21st division is in "strategic move" mode and it loaded 60/20150 in 2 days.
Which one is it - strategic move is not good for AP ships, it should be amphibious mission, something else? - because it cant be port size.

[btd64]

Did you put the unit in strategic mode 2 days ago. If so, the unit is probably still packing with 1 day left. Then it will load up....GP

[sajm0n]

I thought i did pre-pack them, but i guess i didnt. They are packed right now, so ill test run turn and see if it speeds up..

[RangerJoe]

Another way to help speed up loading and unloading of troops and supplies is to have Naval Support available. This can especially help amphibious landings.

[sajm0n]

21st Division is already at sea now, thanks for fast answers [&o]

[btd64]

No problem....GP

[sajm0n]

Ok another thing...
So im using Kull's spreadsheet and one of the things suggested is to ship 2nd division's parts to Malaya in order to rebuild division. Why to Malaya, because Southern Army HQ is in there? If i changed everyone's HQ to... i dont know, General Defence, i could theoretically rebuild it in Tokyo?.
What about 16th Army HQ being in Babelbaob at the moment - i cant ship everyone and rebuild division there instead (even if i changed last 3 regiments to be attached to 16th Army)?

(i wanted to post printscreen, but i cant yet; 3 parts are attached to 16th Army, and the rest to Southern Army HQ's)

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: sajm0n

Ok another thing...
So im using Kull's spreadsheet and one of the things suggested is to ship 2nd division's parts to Malaya in order to rebuild division. Why to Malaya, because Southern Army HQ is in there? If i changed everyone's HQ to... i dont know, General Defence, i could theoretically rebuild it in Tokyo?.
What about 16th Army HQ being in Babelbaob at the moment - i cant ship everyone and rebuild division there instead (even if i changed last 3 regiments to be attached to 16th Army)?

(i wanted to post printscreen, but i cant yet; 3 parts are attached to 16th Army, and the rest to Southern Army HQ's)

You have 11 posts - you should be able to post a screenshot now.

One thing you should NEVER do is buy out an HQ change to a Restricted HQ. The whole need for PP is to buy out units to an Unrestricted HQ so that you can move it anywhere. You do not need the HQ present to rebuild the Division, but all parts of the Division must be under the same HQ. If some parts are under an Unrestricted HQ, change the other parts to that one.

[RangerJoe]

You will also need the 2nd division in Malaya to take Singapore and thence onto the (Dutch East Indies) DEI.

[sajm0n]

Any way to force certain leader to be Cdr of a task force? Im making Baby KB2 and everything is fine until i add BB's, then 30 air guy takes over from Zuiho's captain... Outside leader for PP?