Kido Butai just.. wont leave

[altemosejd]

Hey guys,

Another interesting game and subsequent operational question.

I'm in late February 1942. For whatever reason the Jap AI is obsessed with Palmyra. I've thrown one invasion force back into the sea. On this second attempt, they rolled in in force x10. A 10 ship cargo force, roughly the same transport TF, and the full on KB. The land unit retreated from the beach after one turn. However, the KB and the invasion force have just been hanging out sending carrier strike after strike on the relatively undeveloped atoll. I don't have any planes left on the island, and only 2 cargo ships in port so I'm not really sure what they're trying to do. They're just airfield bombing, not even going after my ground unit. So far it's been over 5 days of them not moving at all.

Now, fair enough. It's February 1942. My entire combat fleet across the pacific is running as far away as possible from Palmyra. I'm certainly not going to risk any of my carriers at this point. But still, I wouldn't think the KB would just hang out within 2 days sailing of PH. Is this normal? Is it a bug? If it's a bug is there a way to "force" the KB back into normal operations?

If it's normal and I'm overthinking it. What do i do if the KB just.. doesn't leave? Do i just divert everything way east and around christmas island? Do I just sit tight and hope they leave? Any operational level input would be awesome. I'm trying to keep things as realistic as possible, so as much as I want to send all 4 carriers and a couple BB TFs full tilt in to it, I'm worried that may ruin the rest of the game.

Interested in your thoughts.

[Bo Rearguard]

If it's normal and I'm overthinking it. What do i do if the KB just.. doesn't leave? Do i just divert everything way east and around christmas island? Do I just sit tight and hope they leave? Any operational level input would be awesome. I'm trying to keep things as realistic as possible, so as much as I want to send all 4 carriers and a couple BB TFs full tilt in to it, I'm worried that may ruin the rest of the game.

Take full advantage of knowing where they are and send those 4 carriers to hit them where they ain't.

[altemosejd]

sorry had to delete the duplicates

[altemosejd]

If it's normal and I'm overthinking it. What do i do if the KB just.. doesn't leave? Do i just divert everything way east and around christmas island? Do I just sit tight and hope they leave? Any operational level input would be awesome. I'm trying to keep things as realistic as possible, so as much as I want to send all 4 carriers and a couple BB TFs full tilt in to it, I'm worried that may ruin the rest of the game.

Take full advantage of knowing where they are and send those 4 carriers to hit them where they ain't.

I do want to! I just don't want to cripple either of our fleets so early in the game. Maybe it wouldn't do much to the KB anyway, not sure.

[Chris21wen]

Been many posts raised on the AI but here's a few points about playing the AI and they mostly apply to both sides.

The AI is working to scripts it has limited ability to react to anything you do. It's scenerio creator who has decided and possible something more adventurous later.
The AI will not relent on it's attempt to take an objevtive unless you manually intervene and cancel any current orders it has. Once you have manually cancelled them than go back to AI play.
The AI is very, very bad at assessing threats. You will often see stray TF deep in enemy territory. I leave them alone by limiting naval attack mission.
If you want a reasonable game agianst the AI you should let it take all it's objectives once they becomes obvious, even as late as mid 43.
Yes you can take advantage of an absent KB but do it sparingly.

All this boils down to the Allies fighing a defensive war early on and an attackin one from late 43. It's the reverse for the Japanese.

[altemosejd]

Been many posts raised on the AI but here's a few points about playing the AI and they mostly apply to both sides.

The AI is working to scripts it has limited ability to react to anything you do. It's scenerio creator who has decided and possible something more adventurous later.
The AI will not relent on it's attempt to take an objevtive unless you manually intervene and cancel any current orders it has. Once you have manually cancelled them than go back to AI play.
The AI is very, very bad at assessing threats. You will often see stray TF deep in enemy territory. I leave them alone by limiting naval attack mission.
If you want a reasonable game agianst the AI you should let it take all it's objectives once they becomes obvious, even as late as mid 43.
Yes you can take advantage of an absent KB but do it sparingly.

All this boils down to the Allies fighing a defensive war early on and an attackin one from late 43. It's the reverse for the Japanese.

Hey Chris, thanks for the input. I was hesitant to call it a limitation of the AI (because everything the AI has done up to this point on a number of different saves has been fantastic and very plausible). But I think you answered my overall question. I "played" thru mid March and the KB was still there. Almost a month sitting at Palmyra doing nothing. So i decided to hit them to force them out. Sunk 3 carriers to 1 of mine, along with a BB and multiple CA's and CL's as well as almost all of their AP and AK fleet. Great result for me, but I don't like playing that way. I have a save that will take me back and I'm planning on doing that.

I saw a couple posts here and there about editing a scenario so I'll dig into that, see if I can't shake the KB loose and get them back into normal operations again.

[JanSako]

You probably broke the script by defeating the invasion. I am unsure if it can be 'restarted' again any other way than rewinding & letting it take the base.

[JeffroK]

You could open the game as the Japanese player and give the offending TF return to base orders????