Searchlights

[dwg]

I've been reading up on coast defences and it's readily apparent that Commonwealth batteries routinely included at least one Coastal Artillery Searchlight (CASL, a 60" device with a range of 3500 yards) per gun, and ISTR US batteries weren't too different. Looking through the device database of various scenarios most include a Searchlight(J) device, and a few also include a Searchlight(A), both implemented as ground radar, but with Range set to 0 yards and accuracy to 2, so I don't think they'd be much use, even if I had found a unit that used them (closest I've found are a few Japanese coastal forts with Observer squads, but Observers are an air search device). It's easy enough to turn them into a functional 'radar' system, but will implementing them actually make any difference? Has anyone tried?

I'm specifically not planning on adding searchlights to ships, a ship using or not using its searchlights was a tactical decision with both advantages and disadvantages (being a pretty good come-shoot-me-now flag), but coastal batteries physically separated their searchlights and weapons, so didn't have that disadvantage. There's a valid historical reason to model coastal artillery searchlights, but not necessarily a functional one.

[dr.hal]

I'd like to shed some light on this subject but I can't seem to focus!

[Schanilec]

ORIGINAL: dr.hal

I'd like to shed some light on this subject but I can't seem to focus!

Ouch! Bad boy, bad boy.[:D]

[MateDow]

I think that your idea has merit, but I don't know how to give advice on how to model it in game so that it is accurate.

This sounds like something that would be in DBB, so maybe they have already done it?

[dwg]

ORIGINAL: MateDow
This sounds like something that would be in DBB, so maybe they have already done it?

No, it's not in DBB (I'm using a DBB derived database). The device system is certainly capable of handling searchlights by defining them as radar systems, but the way coastal artillery duels are handled by the combat model may make that irrelevant - which is what I wanted to see if anyone had explored.

[dr.hal]

Could it not be argued that the concept is indirectly incorporated into the game system by the fact that the Japanese crews are so much better at night fighting skills at the start of the game? This is ONE factor that goes into that elevated number. Just a thought.

[MateDow]

ORIGINAL: dwg
No, it's not in DBB (I'm using a DBB derived database). The device system is certainly capable of handling searchlights by defining them as radar systems, but the way coastal artillery duels are handled by the combat model may make that irrelevant - which is what I wanted to see if anyone had explored.

The US coast artillery units have a radar set defined for them, so I wonder if that is for air defense or coast defense?

It seems that there would be some benefit for early detection for coast artillery, but I haven't seen anything in the combat reports that implies that sort of graininess in the model.

[Symon]

ORIGINAL: MateDow

ORIGINAL: dwg
No, it's not in DBB (I'm using a DBB derived database). The device system is certainly capable of handling searchlights by defining them as radar systems, but the way coastal artillery duels are handled by the combat model may make that irrelevant - which is what I wanted to see if anyone had explored.

The US coast artillery units have a radar set defined for them, so I wonder if that is for air defense or coast defense?

It seems that there would be some benefit for early detection for coast artillery, but I haven't seen anything in the combat reports that implies that sort of graininess in the model.

Searchlights are pretty much irrelevant. They are implemented as radar systems with squat for data. Useless, except insofar as they have a high LC and make moving units that have them very difficult.

Radar alerts you to bad people far away (detect level). Searchlights don't do that. They were, if anything, a fire control aide for night time engagements. The game does not model fire control. Searchlights were a device that got added to the database during AE's infancy. Could'a been cool if things should'a, would'a, but they weren't so it isn't. But it's still there to make OOB people happy, even though it don't do jack-all. All it does is cause confusion and make people think that "if it exists, it must do something". It doesn't. It's a vestigal name for a device slot location that serves no useful purpose, except for the evil load cost algorithm [8D]

[dwg]

ORIGINAL: Symon
Radar alerts you to bad people far away (detect level). Searchlights don't do that. They were, if anything, a fire control aide for night time engagements. The game does not model fire control. Searchlights were a device that got added to the database during AE's infancy. Could'a been cool if things should'a, would'a, but they weren't so it isn't. But it's still there to make OOB people happy, even though it don't do jack-all. All it does is cause confusion and make people think that "if it exists, it must do something". It doesn't. It's a vestigal name for a device slot location that serves no useful purpose, except for the evil load cost algorithm [8D]

Roughly what I was expecting, though another impact might be as a damage sink.

[dwg]

The US coast artillery units have a radar set defined for them, so I wonder if that is for air defense or coast defense?

Check whether the Air Search Mode flag is set in the device database.