Couple things for you experts

[Tactics]

Been playing for about a week and there are some questions and things I could use some help with.

1. Fast Transports. I know they are refitted DD, but can you use any DD as a fast transport or is there a special kind?

2. TF Reacts to enemy TF. This has happened to me x2. My CV commander see's enemy CV's and reacts by moving to within 3-4 hexes of it. When he does that he opens the door for land based bombers to hit him. Is there anyway to stop him from doing this? I did change the the commander of the TF to an "experienced and competent" one from the default "aggresive" guy....but still it happens.

3. Ship Repairs. How do you know if a ship is undergoing repairs? When I dock my damaged ships I see no indication that work is underway.

Thats it, Im still learing and loving the game. Thx for any help you folks can offer.

[siRkid]

1. To my knowledge any DD can be used as a Fast Transport and so can CLs and APD. At least on the US side.


2. React to enemy is working correctly. Its like telling your TF commander to get those carriers no matter what. I almost never play with that on. The only exception is when I'm setting up an ambush and I know just about where my TF will end up.

3. Ship repairs are very random and slow. There have been many discussions on these boards about this subject. The larger the port the more die rolls made for repair. There is no priority given for capital ships or amount of damage. The rule of thumb is to keep operating your ships until they have 25+ system damage or are slowed down too much and then send them home for repairs and upgrades.

Keep in mind the number of ships you have affects the number of ships that will be released so don't hold onto too many damaged ships.

Hope this helps,

Rick

[Toro]

To expound upon the middle question (repairs):

If your ship is in port, it's being repaired. Note that a larger port repairs more "quickly" (more die rolls as Kid said). Rumor has it that a damaged ship in a TF (docked) repairs more slowly than one in the port (disbanded), but I don't think Matrix ever affirmed this. How you continue to use damaged ships is entirely up to you (ie, at what damage level do you port it, send to Tokyo or Pearl, etc.). Flotation damage won't be repaired unless the ship is in a port size 3 or higher, so don't beach a ship in a size 1 port and hope she won't sink, 'cause she will.

[mogami]

hi, I do not wait for a ship to be 25 percent damaged. If it gets over 10 I send it home (in many cases i send them back over 5 percent if another same type ship is back in PH/Japan)

You are limited to a total number of points in theatre. If you send a10 point ship home you get a10 point ship back. Early on it does not matter so much for allies (there is nothing waiting) but sending the ships back anyways at least insures you have ships in good condition.

Like it has been saud, build ports to at least size 3 (airfields to size 2 unless you want to base level bombers there, then you need a size 4 air field. But then if you place too many aircraft there they still will not all fly (op point limits)

[Tactics]

Thx for the replies, cleared it up nicely

[CapAndGown]

Originally posted by Mogami
hi, I do not wait for a ship to be 25 percent damaged. If it gets over 10 I send it home (in many cases i send them back over 5 percent if another same type ship is back in PH/Japan)

You are limited to a total number of points in theatre. If you send a10 point ship home you get a10 point ship back. Early on it does not matter so much for allies (there is nothing waiting) but sending the ships back anyways at least insures you have ships in good condition.

I think this would depend on the ship type. I would not send a carrier back because it just had 10 points of damage. Maybe the US can afford to do this later in the game, but the Japs can't. Also, the more damage the ship has, the more time it will spend in PH/Tokyo. I think a rule of thumb might be to keep carriers with less than 30 damage in theater and disbanded at Truck/Brisbane. The time spent repairing in theater, versus the trip to PH/Tokyo, plus the time spent coming back may even out at this level. (If you look at the arrival times for ships you send back, it appears that the more heavily damaged a ship, the longer it take to "arrive" in PH/Tokyo. I believe this is including time spent in drydock as well as actual travel time.)

[NorthStar]

Originally posted by Mogami
. . . SNIP

Like it has been saud, build ports to at least size 3 (airfields to size 2 unless you want to base level bombers there, then you need a size 4 air field. But then if you place too many aircraft there they still will not all fly (op point limits)

Mogami,

Can you elaborate a bit on the "op point limit" comment. I know about the 50 x Airfield size and 100 x Airfield size limit -- is that what you are refering to, or something else?

[thantis]

As the USN, especially early in the game, it pays to hold on to your carriers unless sys damage goes well above 20 or so. You don't see major carrier reinforcements until early 1943 - and having an extra carrier or two that can be thrown into the fray early (especially once the desperate surfaces actions begin in the Solomons) can spell the difference.

A nice size 9 port can be a boon & does a pretty good job of keeping ships in decent shape. It only took two months for Enterprise (with 35 sys damage) to get back down into the green (9 sys damage).

[SoulBlazer]

Okay, I'm a new player, and I'm wondering....

How CAN you send a ship home? I've never seen that option on the bottom "Send to Tokyo/PH" light up, despite the damage. How damaged does a ship need to be?

And what's a good rule of thumb for sending ships home, depending on the date, your side, the ship, and the damage?

In one of my PBEM games, I had two DD's crippled in a air attack. They made it home to Australia, but I expect them to be out of action for several months.

In another game, this time as the Japanese, had two CA's damaged, but not as badly.....still, at the 25 mark.

[dpstafford]

Originally posted by SoulBlazer
How CAN you send a ship home? I've never seen that option on the bottom "Send to Tokyo/PH" light up, despite the damage. How damaged does a ship need to be?

The ship has to be IN PORT at Noumea or Truk.

[SoulBlazer]

Okay, that does help, but what about my examples, and what are some 'rules of thumb' you guys have used in sending ships home?

[siRkid]

Originally posted by SoulBlazer
Okay, that does help, but what about my examples, and what are some 'rules of thumb' you guys have used in sending ships home?

That’s kind of what this whole thread is about. We all have different ideas about how much damage to take before sending back. As far as sending them back for upgrades, I don't track them that closely. I just wait till they are damaged before sending them back.

Rick

[mogami]

Originally posted by NorthStar


Mogami,

Can you elaborate a bit on the "op point limit" comment. I know about the 50 x Airfield size and 100 x Airfield size limit -- is that what you are refering to, or something else?

Hi, OK I should correct myself here. OP points effect carrier air ops
each takeoff or landing uses 1 OP point (as well as TF movement) so sometimes in carrier battles when it appears your TF does not launch many ac it could be because of OP point limits.

Concerning bases. if a base has more AC then sizex50 25 percent fewer AC may fly. If x100 then another 25 percent reduction. If base is outside air HQ control (6 Hexes for allies 3 for Japanese air div 1 hex for Japanese Air Bde then number of AC reduced by 25 percent. Then you have the morale/leadership checks. It is possible to find because of all of the above airgroups do not fly. Level bombers need a size 4 airbase or they suffer even more restrictions (they can not fly beyond normal range and carry smaller loads) With all the factors impacting missions the player need to insure he uses size 4 airfields, has an Air HQ in range and the groups are rested and have high morale (failing morale check is most common reason groups do not fly)

[thantis]

Rule of Thumb for sending or keeping ships in theater -

1) Carriers - if you need them, keep them until the system damage is in the mid-20's or higher. Over 35 or so, send them back to Pearl or Japan.

2) Battleships - they take a licking and keep on ticking. I usually keep them until system damage is over 40 (or if speed is too compromised).

3) Heavy/Light Cruisers & Destroyers - these ships tend to suffer high system damage in battle. Since you have many of them to work with, I tend to send them back as soon as system damage goes above 20. They are fragile enough as it is, and usually one good naval battle is enough to put several surface ships out of commission.

It doesn't do a lot of good to send in damaged destroyers, since they will probably just get sunk for very little return. The higher value the ship, the greater chance I will hang on it to & use it, while destroyers and such will go back to Pearl or Japan since I can count on plenty of replacements sooner.

[Toro]

Soul, as you play the game more, you'll get a better idea on when to send certain ships back. I think you'll probably get 10 folks here to reply, and each of us will have a different level.

Me:
CVs -- hold unless near dead, meaning I won't send one back unless damage is nearing 50, or I know a replacement is back home and will be sent.

BBs -- hold until damage runs 30 or therebouts. There's usually a BB back home to replace it (except Allied early).

CAs -- send home at 25 or so.

DDs -- send home at 20-25, or if I have a bunch of them around, maybe a bit less.

SSs -- send home at 30-35

APs, etc -- send home at 15-20.

Damage is repaired so slowly in theatre (even at large ports) that I don't hang onto a ship unless I absolutely have to have it around. This may sound contradictory to the above levels, but as Mogami says, it all matters on what ships are at home as available and what's going on in theatre.

Oh, and if damage hits 7, I port the ship to bring it down (unless/until needed).

The trick is really to make sure you have coverage in theatre. It doesn't help to send all your lightly damaged ships home and be caught short-handed when you need it. But also, lightly or moderately damaged ships are slower, fight worse, and are that much closer to sinking should they get hit again.

[MemoryLeak]

With all the factors impacting missions the player need to insure he uses size 4 airfields, has an Air HQ in range ..

When you say Air HQ, which ones are air HQ's. How can I tell the difference?