Matrix Games Forums

I already posted this in Arkady's "What a Bug!" thread, but just to be sure someone who might have an answer will see it, I'll start a new thread as well.

I'm not sure if this is a bug, or if it is simply the way upgraded ships work, or if I could simply be missing out on one of the more complex rules.

First the General Pattern that I have Observed:
For quite a while, I had 39 AKs docked at Mare Island. On more than one turn, I set up 3 or 4 cargo TFs, added a DD or two to each one, set Destinations to Pearl, home base left as Mare, replenished them from Port, set Unload, retire allowed, and refuel allowed, hit load Supply, else load Fuel (about half and half), and went on about my turn . . .

Next turn, I have 39 AKs docked at Mare Island again!? Tried again, same thing happened again. Mare Island has 999,999 Fuel, and Supply, a USN base force, two UAAS base forces, 1155 support and only ~325 needed, and seemingly NOTHING wrong that would cause it to not be able to support this many task forces (port size has not been reduced and there is no damage).

I have been having a similar problem with half-dozen TKs at Karachi. Kept setting them to fill up with gas and go to Singapore, Trincomalee, etc., and they just kept appearing as redocked vessels (no TFs present in Karachi at all!) on the next turn.

So, the problem seems to have been recurrent, but specific only to Karachi and Mare Island, both of which are on the edge of the map, and both of which have max fuel and supplies accumulated.

Now to specifcally record what is happening _RIGHT NOW_ (and can send save files too).

Save 1 "Bug1" 10-5-1926
Have five TFs set up in Mare Island, each with about four to six AKs, set with Destination and Home Base as Mare, but Do Not Unload set and Load Fuel set. One of the five TFs has a DD in it, TF 1010, it also is set to Do Not Unload, Load Fuel, and destination Pearl Harbor. Also have several TKs set with Load fuel, do not unload, and various destinations and home bases that are all in Karachi . . . Hit end orders phase and hope for the best . . .

Save 2 "Bug2" 10-6-1926
In Mare Island, there are 39 docked AKs, 2 docked DDs, zero TFs. However, the tankers I set at Karachi do seem to actually be going on about their business as intended. Some are full of fuel and waiting for destinations, some are waiting to fill up and some are in the process of filling up, etc.

So, this appears to be Mare Island specific, and perhaps the problems I was having before with Karachi were just not hitting the right arrow keys and giving the proper orders prior to advancing the turn.

One possible explanation for this is that, those 39 ships are actually being upgraded? Back just before I noticed this problem perhaps a month game time ago, I noticed I could upgrade AKs when they were in Mare, and set a few to each possible type of upgrade (Q, AS, AD, AR, etc.). The rule book and game screen says they will be upgraded "off map" which I interpreted as being they would not appear on the game screen at all, but perhaps those 39 ships that seem to be "stuck" in Mare Island are actually getting upgraded right now? I don't recall setting quite that many to upgrade, but maybe I did.

Any help much appreciated!

On more than one turn, I set up 3 or 4 cargo TFs, added a DD or two to each one, set Destinations to Pearl, home base left as Mare, replenished them from Port, set Unload, retire allowed, and refuel allowed, hit load Supply, else load Fuel (about half and half), and went on about my turn . . .

[&:] Tried that many times, should work.

Usually it takes more than 1 day to load an AK/TK with supply/fuel. So, you migh have them docked in port until they fully loaded.

ORIGINAL: Anthropoid

I already posted this in Arkady's "What a Bug!" thread, but just to be sure someone who might have an answer will see it, I'll start a new thread as well.

Thanks. It gets confusing when people post multiple bugs in the same thread.

First the General Pattern that I have Observed:
For quite a while, I had 39 AKs docked at Mare Island. On more than one turn, I set up 3 or 4 cargo TFs, added a DD or two to each one, set Destinations to Pearl, home base left as Mare, replenished them from Port, set Unload, retire allowed, and refuel allowed, hit load Supply, else load Fuel (about half and half), and went on about my turn . . .

Next turn, I have 39 AKs docked at Mare Island again!? Tried again, same thing happened again. Mare Island has 999,999 Fuel, and Supply, a USN base force, two UAAS base forces, 1155 support and only ~325 needed, and seemingly NOTHING wrong that would cause it to not be able to support this many task forces (port size has not been reduced and there is no damage).

It takes time to load each individual ship, and when there are a lot of them, it takes more time. 39 AKs loading all at the same time can take 3-7 days to fully load. It does not matter that the base is stockpiled with fuel, the limits of the port are finite, and can only load so much per turn.

I have been having a similar problem with half-dozen TKs at Karachi. Kept setting them to fill up with gas and go to Singapore, Trincomalee, etc., and they just kept appearing as redocked vessels (no TFs present in Karachi at all!) on the next turn.

So, the problem seems to have been recurrent, but specific only to Karachi and Mare Island, both of which are on the edge of the map, and both of which have max fuel and supplies accumulated.

That right there is the problem. Do you have anything computer controlled on, as in individual theaters? Those two bases are the key ports of their theaters, and it sounds like the AI is turning off your transport TFs, because it wants the TFs for something else. Turn off Computer control in those theaters, create the TFs, let them sail, and then turn it back on.

One possible explanation for this is that, those 39 ships are actually being upgraded? Back just before I noticed this problem perhaps a month game time ago, I noticed I could upgrade AKs when they were in Mare, and set a few to each possible type of upgrade (Q, AS, AD, AR, etc.). The rule book and game screen says they will be upgraded "off map" which I interpreted as being they would not appear on the game screen at all, but perhaps those 39 ships that seem to be "stuck" in Mare Island are actually getting upgraded right now? I don't recall setting quite that many to upgrade, but maybe I did.

This is not the case. When a ship is converted (upgrading refers to when it goes from say Ak 6/22 to AK 1/23 class), it is taken off map, and arrives as a reinforcement in 180 days from the time it was converted. When a ship is upgraded, it incurs an amount of sys damage at the base that needs to be repaired.

So based on what you are describing, it is not a bug, but rather the computer controlled theater commander wanting those ships for other reasons, and thus reassinging them. So my advice is to either turn off computer controlled theaters, or turn it off while you are making convoys. Also keep in mind that port facilities are finite, even big ones, and even small convoys will take two or three days to load. Larger ones, when you have around 40 ships, can take up to a week to load. Especially if loading AKs with fuel, as they take forever to load (as they really aren't designed as fuel carriers).

Thanks Tankerace! I'll be your explanation will account for it.

What an awesome game. I think I'll still be having hours of fun exploring this for another year or more

I'll just turn off all the computer controlled theatres and see if that fixes it. Now to try it out and see!! [:D]

Your explanation was exactly correct. The computer controlled theatres was gumming up my works.