Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: brian800000

I've read on the forum that the AI gets a cheat for extra planes. Does anyone know the mechanics of how it works?

The reason I'm asking is that I'd like to know if it is really productive to shoot down their planes early in the war. If the cheat just keeps them with a minimum number of planes, then it probably would be. If the cheat just replaces a certain percentage of their losses, it may be less useful.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alpha77

quote:

ORIGINAL: brian800000

I've read on the forum that the AI gets a cheat for extra planes. Does anyone know the mechanics of how it works?

The reason I'm asking is that I'd like to know if it is really productive to shoot down their planes early in the war. If the cheat just keeps them with a minimum number of planes, then it probably would be. If the cheat just replaces a certain percentage of their losses, it may be less useful.

I foundf out, that Jap plane production in game (means vs.AI in the normal scens with so called "historic" level) is more than twice than in reality - it should help the Jap in the middle of the game to not run out of planes. Sadly this cheat (among others) was also implemented in the historic level of the game - so it isn´t historic at all You can just load the Jap side in your game and take a look (but don´t look up his carrier positions).

quote:

ORIGINAL: brian800000

Questions on the use of the mega xAPs--some of these have cruise speeds of 28. I think that speed is their best defense--and leaves them rather invulnerable to everything save carriers. So I'm thinking of running them unescorted from LA to Sydney to move troops.

Is this the way experienced players use them? It seems unhistorical to move large LCUs unescorted, but from a gameplay perspective it seems counterproductive to stick them with a bunch of escorts that slow them down to 14 and make them accessible targets to subs and surface raiders. I'm torn on this.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alfred

quote:

ORIGINAL: brian800000

Questions on the use of the mega xAPs--some of these have cruise speeds of 28. I think that speed is their best defense--and leaves them rather invulnerable to everything save carriers. So I'm thinking of running them unescorted from LA to Sydney to move troops.

Is this the way experienced players use them? It seems unhistorical to move large LCUs unescorted, but from a gameplay perspective it seems counterproductive to stick them with a bunch of escorts that slow them down to 14 and make them accessible targets to subs and surface raiders. I'm torn on this.

Both the Queen Mary and Queen Elisabeth made high speed unescorted runs throughout the war. The gameplay is therefore consistent with the historical record.

Alfred

quote:

ORIGINAL: brian800000

Is this the way experienced players use them? It seems unhistorical to move large LCUs unescorted, but from a gameplay perspective it seems counterproductive to stick them with a bunch of escorts that slow them down to 14 and make them accessible targets to subs and surface raiders. I'm torn on this.

quote:

Airfield size has many effects. It is easier to
damage and destroy aircraft on the ground at
smaller airfields (less dispersion). It is also more
likely that planes will suffer operational losses
when landing at smaller airfields.
Level bombers require an airfield equal to size 4
+ (bomb load / 6500) rounded down. So, a B29 requires a size 7 airfield to avoid the penalties.
Light bombers require a starting airfield of 2 rather than 4.

Penalties include:
»» Increased operational losses on takeoff.
»» A reduction in their range as air units cannot fly combat
Missions at greater than their normal range.
»» A diminished (extended range) bomb load.

If a base has less Aviation Support than is required, level bomber offensive missions are
reduced by 25%.
If an Airfield has too many aircraft (physical space) or groups (administrative) present, then the
airfield is deemed overstacked. And is indicated by an ‘*’ next to the airfield.
An overstacked airfield affects how many aircraft can be launched, casualties from attacks
and aircraft repairs.

A 9+ airfield does not suffer from overstacking.

An airfield can operate 50 single engine (or 25 two engine, or 12 four engine) planes per AF size
or 1 group per AF size. The best Air HQ of the same command as the base which is within range
can add its command radius to the number of groups that can be administrated, or if not in the
same command, the nearest HQ will add ½ its command radius to the number of groups.
In addition, groups at rest or in training only count as 1/3 for the purposes of counting aircraft
at the base, and don’t count at all against the number of groups. Split groups only count as
individual groups if they are attached to different HQs.

quote:

ORIGINAL: brian800000

Questions on the use of the mega xAPs--some of these have cruise speeds of 28. I think that speed is their best defense--and leaves them rather invulnerable to everything save carriers. So I'm thinking of running them unescorted from LA to Sydney to move troops.

Is this the way experienced players use them? It seems unhistorical to move large LCUs unescorted, but from a gameplay perspective it seems counterproductive to stick them with a bunch of escorts that slow them down to 14 and make them accessible targets to subs and surface raiders. I'm torn on this.

quote:

ORIGINAL: USS America

Brian, both of your concerns are valid.  AA will not shoot at planes, and engineers will not build or repair anything while in Rest mode.  The engineers need to be in Combat mode to work.  I believe the AA, and other defenses will work at a reduced effectiveness if they are in Move or Strategic Op mode.  

quote:

ORIGINAL: xnavytc

newbie question, when u click on an industry ie (manpower, HI, LI, resources etc), it has a repair then under that says on or off, if i turn it to off what does it do to the industry and /or supply for that base??? and vice versa, its off and i turn it on?????

quote:

ORIGINAL: Erkki

Just 2 newbie questions... How do I make automated TF, without using the auto convoy? I mean, how to create a TF that will cruise between 2 or more ports and load & unload different resources, oil, supplies, fuel, at different ports? The only thing about naval logistics the Manual says is that theres the auto-convoy and that I need to move stuff around to keep factories working and fighting units supplied.

Secondly, is there anywhere a list on the ship type abbreviations? I know the BBs, BCs, DDs, PTs and most of them, but not not all of them are clear. I can always see the ship details, but the difference between ie. CVE and CVL is not obvious to me. Or AK, AKx, etc.

quote:

ORIGINAL: brian800000

A couple more questions regarding airgroups, and a bad mistake I may have made.

1) I got the idea that it would be good to max out the pilots in my training squadrons. So I've now done so. However, some of them only have a few planes, but now have many pilots. What concerns me is by getting all these new pilots, I seem to have used up anyone decent and some of the new guys have experience around 10. Are these guys going to crash my planes because of their low experience? Did I make a mistake here?

The lower the experience level of a pilot, the greater the chances that they will crash. You can mitigate this to a degree by ensuring the air range is set to within the normal range. However overall in AE, operational training losses are quite low and nothing to be overly concerned.

2) I don't think you can upgrade, add planes, or add pilots to a detached airgroup or an airgroup with detachments. Short of reunifying all of the airgroups (for some airgroups this isn't practical), is there a way to work around this? A few of my detachments now have 0 pilots and are just sitting around.

I think you are confusing "detachment" with "fragment". Detachments can receive both replacement pilots and airframes. "Fragments" (identified with a forward slash eg VF-3/1) can not be reinforced with either pilots or airframes. Only course of action open to you is to reunify all the fragments or disband fragments into other units flying same airframes at same location.