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I just finished a game (Victorious) in which I observed a curious phenomon. I had become aware that the Japanese were basing ships in Nagoya port (not TF's). I had good results by sending Oldendorf's TF after them wiht orders to go for "Ships In POrt". Old Jesse did a great job but there were several left. Well, I had pretty much complete control of the air so I made up a TF of The Guam, Alaska and several cruisers and destroyers and gave them "Surface Combat" orders and a standoff range of 0. Sent them right into the port. They ignored the anchored ships and blew up a bunch of depots.

Later, I became aware that the Mushashi and Yamato wee skulking up in one of the Chinese ports and sent a carrier group to kill them. Same thing happened. They blew up a few stacks of rice bags and left the battleships alone.

Why did this happen?

This is one of the more annoying "Fog of War" features in Pacific War. However, it is actually documented in the manual. It often happens that commanders will go after what the game considers "higher value" targets, and depots and factories are considered to be the highest in value. I get reasonable results by using a CV task force with most of the bombers set to "Naval Interdiction", which will still attack ships in port.

It's pretty weird all round. In a campaign I just completed, I had three air combat TFs--1, 6 and 8. This is too many, I know, but I tried disbanding TF8 and Allied TFs raided the port the very next turn and blew the shit out of it..so I reassembled it with what was left plus reserves, and sent the surviving damaged units to the rear. I was lucky to only lose a CV and a CVL permanently.

TF1 was commanded by Onishi (sp?), anyway the guy with Ag 8. 6 and 8 had leaders of Ag 7--Yamaguchi and some other guy.

In 1944, the Allied AI went mad and punched a whole lot of stuff through from Pearl to Pt. Moresby. TFs 1 and 8, poised at Kwajalein (Combined Fleet HQ), minimal or no damage, and swinging around their anchors there for months, did nothing as Air, Surface, transport and cargo TFs zipped by within the reaction range--sometimes close enough to attack as they went by!

TF6, scratched up out of miscellaneous reinforcements and sitting at Rabaul for two turns, attacked everything that went past for the next eight turns, though without much success as Allied flak is heading rapidly towards invincible at this point. All TFs had reaction range 10.

I have been able to get Japanese Surface TFs to react precisely three times in 15 years playing GGPW, and only when commanded by R. Tanaka, who is a complete psycho as we all know. This is not such a hot idea anyway, as Allied Surface TFs tend to be really tough once the new BBs arrive, and you generally want your surface forces where they're not...you will be very lucky indeed to have your BBs fall on the actual invasion fleet, and I've never seen it.

Doubtless I'm doing something wrong, but I've never really figured out what.

Setting the HQ target definitely helps, plenty of patrol planes also, but these do not guarantee anything. I'd be interested to know other people's experiences with this.

ORIGINAL: Koniev

I just finished a game (Victorious) in which I observed a curious phenomon. I had become aware that the Japanese were basing ships in Nagoya port (not TF's). I had good results by sending Oldendorf's TF after them wiht orders to go for "Ships In POrt". Old Jesse did a great job but there were several left. Well, I had pretty much complete control of the air so I made up a TF of The Guam, Alaska and several cruisers and destroyers and gave them "Surface Combat" orders and a standoff range of 0. Sent them right into the port. They ignored the anchored ships and blew up a bunch of depots.

Later, I became aware that the Mushashi and Yamato wee skulking up in one of the Chinese ports and sent a carrier group to kill them. Same thing happened. They blew up a few stacks of rice bags and left the battleships alone.

Why did this happen?

Surface combat TFs don't attack ships in port. They only attack TFs. Just the way the game is.

Doubtless I'm doing something wrong, but I've never really figured out what

You and me both, my friend. I'm beginning to think I don't understand the difference between Reaction Range and Standoff, because sometimes I get a screen that wants me to set RR but I can't find any way to do it from the menus.

ORIGINAL: Koniev

Doubtless I'm doing something wrong, but I've never really figured out what

You and me both, my friend. I'm beginning to think I don't understand the difference between Reaction Range and Standoff, because sometimes I get a screen that wants me to set RR but I can't find any way to do it from the menus.

Standoff is set when the TF has a destination different than its home port. Reaction is set when a TF's destination and home port are the same.