Convoy Question

[fthein]

Hello

i am playing the ´42 Campaign as Japan and i get no more than 9 Tanker in the Routine Convoy. (Usually between 3 and 5) My Oil Level drops after 5 Turns to 1000. Is this intended in Version 3.2 or make i something wrong? The last time i played Pacific War 1 Year ago i had 20 - 30 Tankers in Routine Convoy as Japan in the ´42 Campaign. Maybe someone can help me.

Thanks
Frank

[Capt. Harlock]

I've had problems on occasion with the Japanese National Oil Reserve myself. Some of it seems to be "hard-wired" into the game: no matter what you do your oil levels will drop like a stone in the early turns, and then slowly recover. One suggestion is to check which of your oil bases are "isolated" by enemy AZOCs. If several of the major bases are cut off from the routine convoy system, the program will obviously use fewer tankers.

I am able to say that the "floor" has changed for Version 3.0 and later. It used to be that if the Reserve dropped below 4000 units, the program would compensate by starving the economy until the Reserve levels recovered. Now you can go to 1000 units or below without major impact.

One hint: put the battleships and fleet carriers into port for a few turns. That saves a lot of fuel.

[Capt Cliff]

I've always played the US so I am not sure of the Japs, but I have always had problemw with the convoy system running right. Tankers won't sail or I get a blank screen display. Well recently I've put a MCS and a tanker in each of the following ports; Seattle, San Fran, LA, Diego, Pearl, Calcutta and Brisbane and the sill thing works great! The size of the MSC and Tankers vary but they the convoy system works, beacuse they are taking hits. Try it with Japan.

[Weathersfield]

I have always found as the Allies that if I leave MCS and TK in HQ ports ( not in a TF ), that my routine supply does just fine. I use APS and AOs to distribute supplies and fuel from the HQ ports to where I need a build up. Taking supplies and fuel from your HQ bases seems to stimulate the routine convoys into delivering more. Also make sure you have a Leader for all those HQs you want supply to go to.

[mogami]

Hi, Also as Japan do not send ships out for Joy rides. Keep the fuel hogs (the slow BB) at home unless you have work for them.
Always keep as much of the fleet as possible at home.
Place you HQ where you want fuel and supply to be sent.
Train aircraft at home (these really use a lot) If you think airgroup needs training send it back to Japan. Capture oil centers quickly and then insure the routes to and from have air cover.

[Dawy]

Actually the reason why the Japanese oil supply drops so quickly in the first few turns is that a lot of bases in SE asia has very little fuel so the routine convoy has to ship thousands of fuel points to these bases. This means a lot of oil is used up to make fuel.

If you use the editor and give each base 50000 fuel points and then restart the game, you'll find Japans oil reserve will barely fall at all.

[mogami]

Originally posted by Dawy
Actually the reason why the Japanese oil supply drops so quickly in the first few turns is that a lot of bases in SE asia has very little fuel so the routine convoy has to ship thousands of fuel points to these bases. This means a lot of oil is used up to make fuel.

If you use the editor and give each base 50000 fuel points and then restart the game, you'll find Japans oil reserve will barely fall at all.

Hi, Very funny. Thats because now all the bases have fuel that does not exist. So all your ships and aircraft use it for free.
The supply routine does not just send fuel to bases (Something has to be there needing it)
How many bases do you give this free fuel to?

[Jeremy Pritchard]

The reason you are having fewer TK in your routine convoys is because of...

#1. There are fewer of them.

#2. Most large bases start off with sufficient fuel in 1941.

Historically Japan had about 600 000 tons of Tanker shipping before the war. Now in PacWar they have that 600 000t. However, since I increased the amount of fuel at forward main bases, less tankers are needed to send out fuel. Also, since oil is now more 'concentrated', it takes less tankers to transport it from port to port. This is because...

(PREVIOUSLY)

100 oil was spread around...
30 Base A (requires 2 TK, cargo not full, 10% free space)
20 Base B (requires 2 TK, cargo not full, 10% free space)
10 Base C (requires 1 TK, cargo not full, 50% free space)
40 Base D (requires 3 TK, cargo not full, 25% free space)
10 Base E (requires 1 TK, cargo not full, 50% free space)

9 TK to pick up 100 oil

(NOW)

100 oil is concentrated at one base...
100 Base A (requires 6 TK, cargo not full, 15% free space)

6 TK to pick up 100 oil

Since you need at least ONE TK to pick up ANY size of oil (be it 20 or 5), you are wasting a lot of cargo space by requiring that single TK, with escorts, to be sent to a single base to pick up a small amount of oil. With the oil more concentrated, you need fewer tankers and your tankers are actually fully loaded.

You ALWAYS lose a lot of oil in the first few turns, especially if you move A LOT of ships around, and A LOT of fuel from the Home Islands. Use only a few of your best ships (you don't have to worry about much opposition), and have main bases of operation so you are not diverging supplies. After your conquest of South East Asia you should tone down your advances and move on only one front. You will notice that your oil supply should quickly move back to 10 000. I have seen the AI routinely do it.