How I use aircraft in UV

mogami · Post by **mogami** » Mon Sep 01, 2003 10:05 pm

Hi, Pick the one that is most important to you
Rats I screwed it up and made it single vote.

pasternakski · Post by **pasternakski** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 12:59 am

I check each group every day and try to assign it in accordance with what I'm currently trying to accomplish, given fatigue, morale, and all that. Of course, that means "I have no clue" should have been my response to the poll.

One of the toughest things for me to learn was how to anticipate air group transfers so as to get them to where I am going to be using them ahead of time so that fatigue, morale, and damaged aircraft can recover before going into action. This, along with logistics, reinforcements, and replacements, makes UV one of my favorite designs - it forces you to plan ahead, and you pay the consequences if you don't.

I would like to take weather into account, but how can you do that when it is impossible to tell what the weather is and, more importantly, what it is going to be? I really, really, really wish UV included a sophisticated weather system that would allow you to factor weather into your planning. The possibility of the forecast being wrong would be one of the best parts...

Tristanjohn · Post by **Tristanjohn** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 4:28 am

pasternakski wrote:One of the toughest things for me to learn was how to anticipate air group transfers so as to get them to where I am going to be using them ahead of time so that fatigue, morale, and damaged aircraft can recover before going into action. This, along with logistics, reinforcements, and replacements, makes UV one of my favorite designs - it forces you to plan ahead, and you pay the consequences if you don't.

I would like to take weather into account, but how can you do that when it is impossible to tell what the weather is and, more importantly, what it is going to be? I really, really, really wish UV included a sophisticated weather system that would allow you to factor weather into your planning. The possibility of the forecast being wrong would be one of the best parts...

Agreed on both points, especially re weather: what we have is some weak fantasy, more or less dysfunctional even in its watered-down form and useless to simulate the problems (and potential advantages!) both sides were asked to deal with in real life. A huge opportunity wasted both strategically and grand tactically speaking.

Instead of new features what this system begs for is a fix for much of what's extant, along with an entirely rethought weather module. As bad as this is for UV its lack will be even more sorely missed in WitP should changes not be made.

von Murrin · Post by **von Murrin** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 11:42 am

I check my AG's every day, but I would absolutely love it if I could "set and forget" for even a few days straight.

ltfightr · Post by **ltfightr** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 5:25 pm

You must check every day. Fighters even on a low % of Cap feel so abused that they alll but refuse to fly or get shot down in droves if they do. I hope this gets looked at soon.

Sonny · Post by **Sonny** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 5:46 pm

The top two vote getters (as of now) are what I do - check 'em every day and adjust for weather (and fatigue) if necessary.

Kevinugly · Post by **Kevinugly** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 6:35 pm

Shame you accidentally made it a 'single vote' poll as I tend to check my air groups every two or three days unless they've been exceptionally busy. Mind you I'm still playing with the game so this may all change

sparks · Post by **sparks** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 11:04 pm

Gawd alone knows what language we would be speaking if the guys that really flew in WWII acted like these whimps in this game. These wusses fly once and then ask for a pass to the USO to get cheered up. I know they wouldn't go to the local brothel for some other refreshments cuz I'm not sure they'd know what to do there since they must not have a pair. "Geez, Kernel, you mean we have to fly more than once a week. Did you know there are guys up there shooting at us?" Maybe we can borrow some of the pilots from the Bettys that keep sneaking into ports and putting torpeckers into my ships all by themselves against 20 plane caps.

Sonny · Post by **Sonny** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 11:38 pm

sparks wrote:G.......... Maybe we can borrow some of the pilots from the Bettys that keep sneaking into ports and putting torpeckers into my ships all by themselves against 20 plane caps.

In my current game there have been several incidents of 3 Bettys doing exactly that!

In larger groups my CAP shoots 'em down and/or turns them back. But when they come in a group of three they always seem to get through the CAP and they always seem to put at least one fish into one of my better ships (poor Wasp).

Curval · Post by **Curval** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 11:44 pm

Would anyone who answered "I don't have a clue how to use my airgroups" like to have a PBEM game?

Shaggy · Post by **Shaggy** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 12:41 pm

I cant say that I check every squadron every day but I do try to check the ones that were in combat or flew long range cap the turn before. I also adjust the missions and bases depending on the situation.

Right now Im playing #13 Fortress Rabaul against the AI. Im a newbe, this will be only the 4th scenerio Ive compleated and its the longest. I was getting so flustered trying to keep track of my squadrons that I resorted to a pen and note pad :rolleyes:

But of course being a former member of the US Army Infantry I had to vote for: "Fighter pilots need more rest then infantry men". But only because its true!

Fred98 · Post by **Fred98** » Fri Sep 05, 2003 5:04 am

You cannot fly according to the weather because the weather is only a forecast and the actual weather varies across the map.

Weather is therefore irrelevant.

So, each turn, I check that each squadron is assigned to some task or other. I don’t want anybody sitting around doing nothing. And so I would love the List All Aircraft screen to have a column showing the current orders of each squadron.

Alas it does not and checking squadrons is a chore usually confined to board games.

As the situation changes and my plans develop I will issue fresh orders but otherwise “set and forget” is the best order of all.

As for fatigue, I thought this was suffered by marathon runners. I have no desire to check the fatigue level. Which might explain why 4 Dauntless with 6 Wildcats in support often fight their way through my CAP of 60 zeros and sink my carriers.

I really enjoy this game but I consider the above to be a weakness in the design of the game. Some will say it is a weakness in me but I really don’t want to check the fatigue of my squadrons. That ought to be automated. This is a computer game after all.

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Shaggy · Post by **Shaggy** » Fri Sep 05, 2003 10:36 pm

So, each turn, I check that each squadron is assigned to some task or other. I don’t want anybody sitting around doing nothing. And so I would love the List All Aircraft screen to have a column showing the current orders of each squadron.

Alas it does not and checking squadrons is a chore usually confined to board games.

As the situation changes and my plans develop I will issue fresh orders but otherwise “set and forget” is the best order of all.

As for fatigue, I thought this was suffered by marathon runners. I have no desire to check the fatigue level. Which might explain why 4 Dauntless with 6 Wildcats in support often fight their way through my CAP of 60 zeros and sink my carriers.

I dont have a problem with checking fatigue, I consider it a viable operational level issue. Fatigue was an issue with WWII aircrew and when to pull entire squadrons out of the line is an issue for higher headquarters, not the local commanders: "So sorry General MacArther, Ive decided to take my boys for a week of fun in Brisbane. Maybe we'll be back to support your offensive on...ohh... next tuesday...ish. Ill get back to you on that."

Ive seen arguements that fatigue too harsh in UV. From what Ive seen it is harsh, but its not so harsh as to be a game killer and Ive been able to work with it so far.

Fatigue is harsh enough to make you keep up on it and come up with a system of rotation if you want your aircraft to be effective. I remember when I first realised how important fatigue was. I did the "set and forget" thing with my C47s transporting supplys. Somewhere around 30-40 days into the game I noticed on the aircraft loss screen that I had lost over 60 C47s! Some were flying into forward bases so some could have been combat losses, but it was obvious to me that they were mostly operational losses.

So, I would also like more information on the List All Aircraft screen. But Id like to have the moral/fatigue listed as well and the ability to access and issue orders to the squadrons from this screen. I think that would make it much easier to manage your aircraft.

Sonny · Post by **Sonny** » Fri Sep 05, 2003 10:46 pm

Shaggy wrote:............

So, I would also like more information on the List All Aircraft screen. But Id like to have the moral/fatigue listed as well and the ability to access and issue orders to the squadrons from this screen. I think that would make it much easier to manage your aircraft.

Somewhere on the WitP forum I asked for something similar. It is almost a must for handling the number of aircraft in WitP and would be nice in UV too.

How I use aircraft in UV

How I use aircraft in UV

The Cap Fatigue

These poor airdales...