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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> Uncommon Valor - Campaign for the South Pacific >> Mines

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Mines - 1/29/2010 9:17:01 PM

MikeB20

Posts: 13
Joined: 1/1/2010
Status: offline

What a shame that the comment history only goes back 365 days.
Years ago there were numerous threads with a wealth of information on virtually every aspect of UV gameplay and all UV glitches.
Now, sadly, we each need to rediscover all that hard-won knowledge.

Mines - nasty damn things.
I get the impression that the UV programmer took delight in dreaming up every possible diabolical method of imposing grief on those foolish enough to seek access to hexes guarded by mines.

A heavily mined hex is like an onion, with layer upon layer of mines to be overcome.

Here are a few of my observations:
1: If a sub mines a hex and then waits in that hex and an enemy MSW seeks to sweep that hex, the sub will ALWAYS target and sink the minesweeper, even if given an escort of twenty destroyers.
2: The last mine (in each layer I believe) will always hit something, unless all ships in the hex are minesweepers.
3: If a minesweeper taskforce is given an escort, those escorts will invariably blunder into the mines.

Where a player is attempting to sweep a hex containing many layers of mines, this creates a situation where,
a) either the sweepers go in unescorted, where they are easy prey to an opponent's surface TF patrols; or,
b) where a player escorts the minesweepers to protect from enemy surface TFs, then those escorting surface escorts tend to blunder into at least a few mines each sweep, rapidly leaving much of that players' fleet limping towards the nearest decent port, and subject to submarine attack.

Also, MSW seem to be easy prey for submarines generally(I'm surprised when a sub misses a MSW with a torpedo), and there are nowhere near enough MSW in the game if one's opponent uses mines and subs intelligently in co-operation.
Lay some mines and linger nearby with subs waiting for the inevitable MSW to show up.
This can leave a player short of MSW very quickly.

Talk about grief programming.
The programmer must have had a wicked grin on his face dreaming up this stuff

Post #: 1

RE: Mines - 1/29/2010 10:51:38 PM

Joe D.

Posts: 4004
Joined: 8/31/2005
From: Stratford, Connecticut
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: MikeB20

Here are a few of my observations:
1: If a sub mines a hex and then waits in that hex and an enemy MSW seeks to sweep that hex, the sub will ALWAYS target and sink the minesweeper, even if given an escort of twenty destroyers ...

If a sub is loaded w/mines doesn't that preclude having any torps loaded into it?

BTW, having a surface TF follow a small fleet of DMS/MSWs into a heavilly mined hex has worked well for me.

_____________________________

Stratford, Connecticut, U.S.A.

"The Angel of Okinawa"

Home of the Chance-Vought Corsair, F4U
The best fighter-bomber of World War II

(in reply to MikeB20)

Post #: 2

RE: Mines - 1/29/2010 11:09:19 PM

MikeB20

Posts: 13
Joined: 1/1/2010
Status: offline

quote:

If a sub is loaded w/mines doesn't that preclude having any torps loaded into it?

Well, allied subs on mine missions always have one torpedo as well as mines. Quite enough to hang around and wait for a MSW.

quote:

having a surface TF follow a small fleet of DMS/MSWs into a heavilly mined hex has worked well for me.

I just tried this in a PBEM game and the TFs ordered to follow minesweepers have suffered several mine hits.
Whether they are integral to the minesweeper TF or a separate TF
ordered to follow, they both suffer casualties in my experience.

(in reply to Joe D.)

Post #: 3

RE: Mines - 1/30/2010 1:05:46 PM

Joe D.

Posts: 4004
Joined: 8/31/2005
From: Stratford, Connecticut
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: MikeB20

quote:

If a sub is loaded w/mines doesn't that preclude having any torps loaded into it?

Well, allied subs on mine missions always have one torpedo as well as mines. Quite enough to hang around and wait for a MSW ...

One fish hasn't much of a chance of a hit.

I've played UV for years, but was seduced to AE since it was sold as a stand-alone; in any case, I'm going to check if US subs in AE get a "fish" despite being loaded w/mines.

_____________________________

Stratford, Connecticut, U.S.A.

"The Angel of Okinawa"

Home of the Chance-Vought Corsair, F4U
The best fighter-bomber of World War II

(in reply to MikeB20)

Post #: 4

RE: Mines - 2/2/2010 12:06:00 AM

DEB

Posts: 687
Joined: 1/29/2005
From: Bristol , England
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: MikeB20

What a shame that the comment history only goes back 365 days.
Years ago there were numerous threads with a wealth of information on virtually every aspect of UV gameplay and all UV glitches.
Now, sadly, we each need to rediscover all that hard-won knowledge.

Incorrect! Above the 365 days is an "All Topics" line. Pick this.
It has 162 pages stored ( I checked ), going back to 1-1-2001!

(in reply to MikeB20)

Post #: 5

RE: Mines - 2/2/2010 3:11:24 AM

MikeB20

Posts: 13
Joined: 1/1/2010
Status: offline

Right you are, DEB.
Thanks for that

(in reply to DEB)

Post #: 6

RE: Mines - 2/18/2010 3:59:17 AM

MikeB20

Posts: 13
Joined: 1/1/2010
Status: offline

A few other observations about mines from my PBEM games.

Minesweeper TFs sometimes sweep, and sometimes they do not.
Several times I''ve given the order to sweep and nothing happens.

I've tried splitting the minesweeper TF into two or three separate TFs.
What happens here is that only one minesweeper TF does a sweep; the others are apparently all down the pub.

In one PBEM game, my opponent has cleverly spent several months laying mines at key likely invasion spots that the Allies might choose, one of which is Nevea.
Apparently, every single one of my opponent's subs has also been devoted to laying mines.
There must have been ten thousand mines layed at Nevea

I've been sending in a MSW taskforce of about 8 minesweepers just about every turn for almost two months and still the mines are there.
Each turn the escorts suffer damage by hitting mines and sub damage as well on their way back to port.
Nearly all my surface forces are limping back to PH.

What on earth were the designers thinking?
Mine warfare has ruined UV, turning the game from the exciting spectacle of surface and carrier clashes to a long grinding slog of trench warfare in the Pacific.

_____________________________

"Hey, Mac, are you a Marine?"

(in reply to MikeB20)

Post #: 7