how selecting a target

[Gilber]

I find it hard to understand :
asking for a Naval Attack I choose the Target by clicking on the icon of an enemy TF and the message LRCAP mission only may target TF, but precisely I click on an enemy target. there must be something obvious that I didn't understand.[&:] a help would be welcome[:)].

[Heclapar]

You cannot target manually with naval attack, the game chooses the target by itself based on detection of taskforces in range.

[rsallen64]

If you're playing the Allies, which it appears you are, you cannot use a Long Range Cap to "attack" the enemy. This is a defensive measure that can only be applied for your own TF or base. You can select the TF you want to protect with a LRCAP. You cannot select an enemy TF for a naval attack. You can "sweep" an enemy base with fighters, however.

[Dan1977]

Hi Gilber,
You may be confused by the 2nd Column to the right of mission types. The first list in column form is the Primary Mission, the column of mission types to the immediate right are the secondary mission types. If you have selected Naval Attack in the Primary column, then you have a few choices for a secondary (if the Primary doesn't fly). If your secondary choice is a port or airfield attack, then the target selection button (below the Primary column) becomes active. You then select a port or airfield for example. If your secondary choice is "Rest", then the target selection is greyed out (inactive). So you have to remember that your target selected may be related to the Secondary/backup mission, not your Primary. You DO NOT get to choose which naval TF to attack tomorrow, based on today's spotted location. To attack an enemy TF, it needs to be spotted in the same turn it is attacked: night spotting for night attacks, day spotting for day attacks. Only the AI, not the player chooses which of the spotted enemy TF's become targets (based on distance, weather, threat, etc.).

[Sardaukar]

Attacking enemy TFs is where Detection Level is extremely important.

Thus always try to have good amount of Naval Search going on.

Weather you cannot affect, it can get your strikes cancelled either having bad weather over your base/TF or enemy's.

You will sometimes get frustrated when your Naval Attack hits "wrong" enemy TF because of lack of firm information about enemy composition. That happened e.g. when IJA at Coral Sea attacked AO Neosho mistaking it as carrier.

[Ian R]

Gilber,

The combat model in this game does not provide you with tactical control.

You are at operational (and strategic) command level.

You review the available information, and remember, what you see is yesterday's news.

You assign assets to search, or strike. They go to work. Sometimes they fail.

Often that failure is influenced by your failure, in your operational/strategic role, to organise enough supply, to have the right aviation command structures in place, to asign the right mix of ships to a TF to get the job done.

So, knowing you can't point a particular air group at a particular TF (that you detected yesterday) - what do you think you can do with your available assets to find, and then damage, that TF?

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: Ian R

Gilber,

The combat model in this game does not provide you with tactical control.

You are at operational (and strategic) command level.

You review the available information, and remember, what you see is yesterday's news.

You assign assets to search, or strike. They go to work. Sometimes they fail.

Often that failure is influenced by your failure, in your operational/strategic role, to organise enough supply, to have the right aviation command structures in place, to asign the right mix of ships to a TF to get the job done.

So, knowing you can't point a particular air group at a particular TF (that you detected yesterday) - what do you think you can do with your available assets to find, and then damage, that TF?

To increase the confusion, all non-Naval Attack air missions do allow the choosing of targets by the player.

The player can allow the Tactical AI to choose targets for all mission types by not selecting a target. This is the default, and unalterable, situation for all Naval Attack air missions.

The Tactical AI chooses Naval targets based on an algorithm that examines many variables. Yes, sometimes you will be pulling your hair out because your guys went after a nearby small potatoes target while ignoring another more juicy one.

CAP normally extends 3 hexes (unless the units range is manually restricted to less by the player) from the base hex it is being flown from. LRCAP can be assigned to any hex within range, but the further from the originating base hex, the smaller the percentage of planes that will appear over the hex and the greater the fatigue will be from the mission.

One can surmise that the developers thought that giving tactical control of naval target selection to the players would allow for too great a degree of tactical control.

One of the great things about Gary Grigsby games is the high degree of variability for any encounter and the inability to guarantee an outcome.

[Gilber]

Thank you all for these many explanations[&o].

I understand better the spirit of the game.
in summary: for naval attack missions it is not possible to choose the target.

this is very misleading because the screen offers the option (select Target) and the message you get in return (LRCAP mission only may target TF) is confusing, a message (a target cannot be designated for a naval attack mission) or something like that might be more explicit but I'm far too beginner to give advice.

In any case with your explanations here is a problem I've been struggling with for several hours.

One or two more years of learning and I'll start the PBEM tournament.[;)]

[Dan1977]

Gilber,
If you see the option to Select a specific target, after you have chosen the Naval Attack mission THEN LOOK AT the Secondary Mission column to the right. It is the Secondary Mission type that is asking you to choose a target, NOT the Naval Attack mission. You can test this by selecting "Rest" in the Secondary mission column. Then you will notice that the Target Selection button becomes greyed out (inactive). If you tell your air unit to attack a naval target, but IF it can't fly that mission for various reasons, then the air unit will try the alternate/secondary mission such as attacking a port, airfield, ground unit. For those missions you are allowed to select a target. Otherwise the AI will choose for you.

[Gilber]

Gilber,
If you see the option to Select a specific target, after you have chosen the Naval Attack mission THEN LOOK AT the Secondary Mission column to the right. It is the Secondary Mission type that is asking you to choose a target, NOT the Naval Attack mission. You can test this by selecting "Rest" in the Secondary mission column. Then you will notice that the Target Selection button becomes greyed out (inactive). If you tell your air unit to attack a naval target, but IF it can't fly that mission for various reasons, then the air unit will try the alternate/secondary mission such as attacking a port, airfield, ground unit. For those missions you are allowed to select a target. Otherwise the AI will choose for you.

Dan,
thank you very much for your help[:)]

[Sardaukar]

While you can micromanage units (and often should), you are Strategic/Operational commander.

Tactical decisions in combat are lower-level AI decisions.

Like Nimitz in Midway, your job is to make master plan, select best commanders, give guidelines..and hope they carry the day.