Allied routine convoy wierdness

[sdj420]

I'm running scenario 18 and since November 1942 I've started to see some of my routine convoys go crazy and head off for the other other side of the map instead of the destination I've defined. While I haven't totally identified the original destination of these convoys, they seem to be headed for new bases I've established at Taivu and Irau. I'm using the latest patch so is there something I'm doing to cause this or is it a bug?

TIA

[crsutton]

Probably not. If you have retirement allowed for surface ship TF and transports and they perceive carriers to be operating in the area (sometimes when they are not spotted) then they will move to avoid the carriers. Generally heading back to home port.

Likewise surface bombardment forces and fast transports with too little fuel will abort and head home.

[sdj420]

>> If you have retirement allowed for surface ship TF and transports and they perceive carriers to be operating in the area (sometimes when they are not spotted) then they will move to avoid the carriers. Generally heading back to home port. <<

This I've seen and understand. What I'm talking about is completely different. For example, I had a routine convoy set up between Noumea and Taivu composed of a single AK. The ship was part way done unloading supplies at Taivu when the next turn I saw it out in the middle of the slot. It had somehow changed its orders to be running between Gili Gili and Noumea and thus decided to sail directly for Gili Gili from Taivu, right through my protective minefields. Fortunately I was able to stop it and get it back to Taivu under human control without it getting "Betty'd" or mined.

This is the kind of wierdness I'm talking about. Routine convoys between Noumea and some nearby base suddenly deciding to head off to Australia or New Guinea. Am I the only one that's seen this?

I've just gotten barges and hope that they can be used successfully by the AI without getting a sudden case of the stupids.

Thanks for the reply!

[tabpub]

What might be happening is that the "routine convoy" learns of another base that has LOW supply levels and heads off to give it some, just as a computer controlled TF in Noumea would do it. I have seen this happen before.

[Denniss]

If you want to have a steady flow of supplies from Noumea to Taivu then create a new TF with one or more ships and set it to compute control .
Then select Taivu as destination and display should change to CS:Taivu
-> TF will load supplies and sail to Taivu to unload - will come back to Noumea and load again for Taivu and again and again ...

[sdj420]

Thanks for the replies:

tabpub - yes, those bases (Cooktown, Gili Gili) were in orange/pink supply status, so that must be why the convoy

Denniss - thanks for this and the other "barge" reply, I do have some follow-up questions, though, if you don't mind:

1. If I set a CS:Taivu or other routine supply route, it sounds and looks like the AI will re-evaluate the supply situation at any time and will change it's orders to be a routine convoy between the original home base and the new "need" base. Is this correct?

2. Will routine barge convoys do this as well, causing them to go galavanting off from Lunga to Gili Gili or other places beyond their range?

3. If I put a TF on "computer control" and give it no destination, will it sit in the port until a base gets into a "need" situation or will it distribute supplies automatically to the most needy base? My experience is that it just sits there until I tell it where to go, even with bases in need (experience based on Barges at Port Morseby and need at Gili Gili).

Thanks again to the both of you for your help!

[Denniss]

1) CS:Taivu will stay CS:Taivu unless you change orders or disband TF or the ships have been sunk .
Routine Convoy change destination if supply is needed elsewhere but I don't know whether this will come with the TF on the wa to a different base or only with a TF loading supplies awaiting target

[Halsey]

Never let the computer decide which base to supply. Always run your routine convoy to a destination of your choosing. While the transports are loading, set them to "do not retire". If you don't, they will run away from any CV TF that is within 30 hexes of them. If they are set to "retirement allowed" they will run away, then return back to their original course when the CV threat is gone.

Good Luck!