Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: AcePylut

Already then, so I dusted off this game (bought it, but never played it much), and am starting to get into it. I’ve played around a bit, read forums, etc, but am still totally lost as to “how to work everything”. So to get me started, and perhaps any new noobs that might be out there, I’ve got a few questions.

1) I’ve read about “sending ships to Pearl”… my question: how? Is there an ingame notification that Upgrade XXX is available – or to I have to have the upgrade charts memorized? Do I send planes to Pearl for upgrades in the same manner? Can I upgrade ground units?

The ships need to be disbanded at Nomea to have the "send back to Pearl" option. And it's just experience that let's ya know what upgrades they will get. It's usuall better AA and radar.

2) For supply, I create a transport TF, put some AK’s into it. Then I click load supplies. Do I have to wait until the TF has been loaded before I click on it’s destination hex, or can I click on the destination hex immediately and the TF will depart once it’s fully loaded? Assuming that I have the TF set to “retirement allowed”, does the TF automatically unload when it gets to the Destination hex – or will it stop there and turn right around and head home?

Create the TF and set the destination anytime. It will undock when it's loaded and crise. "Retirement allowed" is just an option that allows the TF commander to run from enemy fleets. It will unload automatically.

3) So I send my carriers into battle, and their air crews / planes get decimated (but for a good cause, cuz of course they sunk 2 CV’s for their sacrifice). Can I xfer squads on/off the CV’s from other CV’s? For example, between the Lex and York after a battle, I have effectively 1 Full Squadron of F4F’s, except it’s split between the two carriers in two squadrons. Can I combine the planes and pilots from the Lex and York and make 1 squadron of F4F’s, and then send a carrier back to PH?

4) If I have a Surface Combat TF set to “do not react”, do I have to have the SC TF in the same hex as an opposing TF to initiate combat – and will it initiate combat? If I have the SC TF set to react, will it automatically react to any TF in “range”? Is there any way I can designate which TF I want a SCTF to attack?

You cannot designate who to attack unfortunately. They will do combat when in range of an enemy TF. the carrier TF's will only travel one hex toward the enemy when "do not react"is set, otherwise they will cruise merrily into harms way.

Ya see, initially, I hate the “React to Enemy”, because I was in the Coral Sea scen, and my CV tf was set to react… well, three turns after heavily damaging the Jap CV’s, I couldn’t figure out for the life of me why the hell my CV’s went charging thru the Gasmata/Lae choke point, and not back to Briz like I ordered them to, until I realized that I had the CV’s on “React to Enemy”, and react they did. Didn’t matter, the entire TF was destroyed by Jap LBA by that time, so my victory turned into a terrible defeat.

5) If a Fighter is set to escort with 50% CAP, and there is no airstrike against the base, and the “escort” doesn’t (cuz I didn’t assign any attacks, thus, there’s no strike force to escort), does the unit still take fatigue? If any a/c unit is assigned a mission, and that unit can’t fly due to weather, does the a/c take fatigue?

The 50%cap is what fatigues if there are no escorts flown. And the crews will prepare for a mission even if it can't be flown due to weather, hence the fatigue. Stand them down if there is a bad forecast.

6) Is the only way to increase a/c morale is through “rest”? Does training increase a/c morale (and increase fatigue)?

There are only a few 'malaria free"zones. Brisbane, Nomea, Port Moresby and I think the Australia bases. Other bases will have morale and fatigue deteriorate faster.

7) How do I lay mines? I can create a Mine Warfare TF, get them to dest hex, but then what?

Only minelayers can lay mines. The MSW's ya get at the beginning just sweep. the newer subs can lay a few at a time, otherwise ya gotta wait for the DM's.

8) Is there a way to split ground units? I.e. can I split a Bdn into it’s smaller components?

They split but ya can't decide what personnel goes where. They just split.

9) How do I assign the TF Commander?

The TF has to be docked in Noumea. open the TF screen and the commander's name is in yellow. Click the name and the list opens to chose the commander.



Sorry about all these noobish questions that are probably answered somewhere in the manual… I like the concept behind UV and have been playing the first three scenarios lately… however, I’m hesitant to get into any longer scenario spending hours and hours on it and end up losing – not because I had a bad strategy – but because I didn’t understand something in the game engine, and my CV’s went charging off to Truk thru the Rabaul gap, for instance, or because my brave souls at PM ran out of supply 2 days before the IJN attacked, or so. So I’ve been playing around with various things in the smaller scenarios, and was looking for answers to these questions before I start getting into the deeper ones.

The ships need to be disbanded at Nomea to have the "send back to Pearl" option. And it's just experience that let's ya know what upgrades they will get. It's usuall better AA and radar.

Create the TF and set the destination anytime. It will undock when it's loaded and crise. "Retirement allowed" is just an option that allows the TF commander to run from enemy fleets. It will unload automatically.

You cannot designate who to attack unfortunately. They will do combat when in range of an enemy TF. the carrier TF's will only travel one hex toward the enemy when "do not react"is set, otherwise they will cruise merrily into harms way.

6) Is the only way to increase a/c morale is through “rest”? Does training increase a/c morale (and increase fatigue)?

There are only a few 'malaria free"zones. Brisbane, Nomea, Port Moresby and I think the Australia bases. Other bases will have morale and fatigue deteriorate faster.

Only minelayers can lay mines. The MSW's ya get at the beginning just sweep. the newer subs can lay a few at a time, otherwise ya gotta wait for the DM's.

8) Is there a way to split ground units? I.e. can I split a Bdn into it’s smaller components?
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They split but ya can't decide what personnel goes where. They just split.

The TF has to be docked in Noumea. open the TF screen and the commander's name is in yellow. Click the name and the list opens to chose the commander.

So I’m screwed against anyone that’s played the game once, cuz they’ll know that at “Jan 1, 43, send your B-17’s to PH to get the Daisy Cutter upgrade”. Is there any variable to these upgrades – so that one is never sure if an upgrade is currently available.. or have you noticed, in PBEM games, that around Month XX, 42, most PBEM opponents send their US CA’s to PH to get the uber AA upgrade (hypothetically speaking)?

Create the TF and set the destination anytime. It will undock when it's loaded and crise. "Retirement allowed" is just an option that allows the TF commander to run from enemy fleets. It will unload automatically.

Will it unload automatically upon reaching the destination?

You cannot designate who to attack unfortunately. They will do combat when in range of an enemy TF. the carrier TF's will only travel one hex toward the enemy when "do not react"is set, otherwise they will cruise merrily into harms way.

When you say “range”, do you mean “TF Cruise Range” or “Ship’s weapon range”?

If I have the SC TF set to “do not react”, I wanted to know if my SC tf’s will go 3 or 4 hexes (and possibly into LBA range) “off course” to attack an enemy fleet. If not, will that “Do Not React” SC tf will initiate surface combat if in the same hex as an opposing fleet. I take it from your answer that a SC TF will go “one hex” off course to attack an enemy TF – can you confirm?

Is the only way to increase a/c morale is through “rest”? Does training increase a/c morale (and increase fatigue)?

There are only a few 'malaria free"zones. Brisbane, Nomea, Port Moresby and I think the Australia bases. Other bases will have morale and fatigue deteriorate faster.


Confused – does that mean that aircraft will fatigue even if standing down in a Malaria zone?

The “Is the only way to increase a/c morale is through “rest”?” means: If my Jap Shoho Val’s sink the Lex and York in one days action, at no loss of aircraft – does their morale increase. Will it / does it? If so, is there a point where aircraft losses overcome ‘glorious victories’ in the morale department (is there a mythical % that experienced players know… like… oh you can kill 2 carriers, but if you lose 50% of your planes, your morale will plummet no matter how many CV’s you sank).

If I have noob pilots on training missions, will their morale increase? Do training missions increase fatigue (irregardless of weather or not they are in a malaria zone) at the same rate as combat missions?

Maybe I should ask: what’s the best way to increase aircraft morale?

Only minelayers can lay mines. The MSW's ya get at the beginning just sweep. the newer subs can lay a few at a time, otherwise ya gotta wait for the DM's.

How do I lay mines with DM’s?

8) Is there a way to split ground units? I.e. can I split a Bdn into it’s smaller components?
----
They split but ya can't decide what personnel goes where. They just split.

How do I split them?

The TF has to be docked in Noumea. open the TF screen and the commander's name is in yellow. Click the name and the list opens to chose the commander.

I’m assuming that the Japs need to be in Truk to assign a commander?

Thx so far for your help Rogue… there is so much in this game that it’s difficult to “put it all together”… and I find myself continuously searching the manual to find that “one sentence” that answers my question, which is quite time consuming in a 70 page manual…. So I thought I’d just ask those questions here and hope for the quick answer that also lets me know “how UV REALLY works”, cuz sometimes game manuals are wrong. I understand, quite well, all the concepts and strategies of how to wage war in the South Pacific, and my strategies have been working quite well (in those few scenarios I’ve been playing). It’s frustrating though, because I find myself losing due to “lack of Game Engine knowledge” (hehe, like my Carriers that had no qualms about chasing enemy TF’s right past the “Lae-Gasmata” choke point – can you say, exit game.. read the manual yet again to try and figure out …why they went into harms way… come back an hour later after finding the answer, and restart the scenario)

The TF has to be docked in Noumea. open the TF screen and the commander's name is in yellow. Click the name and the list opens to chose the commander.

I’m assuming that the Japs need to be in Truk to assign a commander?

That i'm not sure about. I have never played as the IJN.

3) Can I xfer squads on/off the CV’s from other CV’s? For example, between the Lex and York after a battle, I have effectively 1 Full Squadron of F4F’s, except it’s split between the two carriers in two squadrons. Can I combine the planes and pilots from the Lex and York and make 1 squadron of F4F’s, and then send a carrier back to PH?

Be very careful exchanging sqdns off CVs. USN sqdns are 36 plane max. They can convert to 24 max like Marine sqdns if taken off the CV and replaced. As IJN I have put extra Zeros on board and rotated off burnt out sqdns. I have not had a problem doing this. Do not go over 110% of the CVs rated capacity or no missions will fly.