Computer course selection or "Why do my ships try to kill themselfs"

[firefly177]

I remember reading that when the computer picks a course for a task force, it takes into consideration the Airbal of enemy bases it may travel near trying to avoid enemy aircraft.

Early in the war my TF's leaving Pearl to Nomeau go crusing through the enemy help Gilbert Islands. Or worse run between Malaya and Sumatra even though the JPN air force is there in strength.

My question is, if you set up an automatic TF to run between two points, is the AI smart enough to adjust the course taken by current conditions or does it set the course only once at inception?

[Q-Ball]

No. For anything other than a straight line, you need to set the TF to "Do Not Retire", and manually change the waypoints along the way. AE will change that, but in WITP, you need to do it yourself.

[firefly177]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

No. For anything other than a straight line, you need to set the TF to "Do Not Retire", and manually change the waypoints along the way. AE will change that, but in WITP, you need to do it yourself.

So do you mean that for all TF's I would need to set detination to safe point B, when it gets there to set the next destination to safe point C, and so on until it reaches it's final destination or is there some other way I don't know about?

My observation of the AI behaviour is that course plotted later in time seem to take into consideration current Airbal for example. Am I "way off base"?

[Gem35]

ORIGINAL: firefly177

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

No. For anything other than a straight line, you need to set the TF to "Do Not Retire", and manually change the waypoints along the way. AE will change that, but in WITP, you need to do it yourself.

So do you mean that for all TF's I would need to set detination to safe point B, when it gets there to set the next destination to safe point C, and so on until it reaches it's final destination or is there some other way I don't know about?

My observation of the AI behaviour is that course plotted later in time seem to take into consideration current Airbal for example. Am I "way off base"?

The computer does not take into account current air balance.
Best way to do it is set your TF to retirement allowed, not do not reitre and set it's home base to where you want said TF to be delivered. Plot a course that does not take it into to harms way and once it reaches that hex, will continue on to it's home base you set for it.

[bradfordkay]

"So do you mean that for all TF's I would need to set detination to safe point B, when it gets there to set the next destination to safe point C, and so on until it reaches it's final destination or is there some other way I don't know about?"

Yep, that's pretty much it... [:(]

[pasternakski]

Just be careful to do it the way Gem pointed out. If you leave your ships on retirement allowed and don't change the home base, they will get to your "waypoint" and just turn around and go home.

Very frustrating in some ways this game.

Have you noticed how, instead of avoiding trouble, your convoy routes seem to belly out toward enemy airbases?

Before I quit playing this mess, I got to where I would trust the computer to do absolutely nothing if I could help it.

[JeffroK]

I dont trust the computer anymore either in combat zones. I am happy to let it route some of the convoys but take extra car when it means passing enemy bases. It seems to have an attraction for enemy airbases.
 
PS  I also thought I read that it looked at the "airbal" values, but, que sera sera