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ORIGINAL: Hoplosternum

A few questions to anyone who knows how the CV squadron system works. I know lots of people don't like how it works but if I am to mod I have to work with what the game does not how I would like it to be.

1) I want to add some new CVs - what will determine the squadron layout / sizes? Does the place in the ship list or aircraft squadron list
matter. Or is size and type determined by the number of planes it can carry? Or by the type of ship and nationality it is? (Japanese CVs have three squadrons, US CVs four. But UK CVs seem to be able to have two or three?).

e.g. If I wanted to add another Shokaku class what determines its squadron sizes and the size they are after the Japanese squadrons change shape? Will they be the same size as Shokaku or follow the Unryu's or Hiyo etc.
If I wanted to add another US CV what makes it have 4 squadrons rather than the CVL configuration of just three? Will its squadron sizes and types change with other US CVs?

REPLY: Big trouble here - as hard code is not designed for real truth situations. But in general, YOU are in control. You decide what deck capacity is, what squadron size is. EXCEPT that squadrons will resize - and more than once. The 1942 resizes were fixed - but 1943 resizes seem to be busted as badly as ever. However, I have tricky ways to force a squadron to "resize" to its original size - a difficult subject to understand - more difficult still to use. In brief, you can START a ship they way you want, but both hard code and player actions probably will mess it up sooner or later.

2) I want to increase the capacity of some CVs to simulate deck parking, how does this affect the squadrons?

For example if I wanted to increase the Illustrius class CV from 33 to 45 (Illustrious standard squadrons 18/15) how will this affect anything?

Will the squadrons grow? If so does the max size change automatically and therefore could this be done as an 'upgrade' to the ship. i.e. it's first refit increases the capacity from 33 to 45 would the squadrons then expand to fill it? Or would a land based CV capable squadron need to be flown on to take advantage of the increased size?

During scenario design (not as an upgrade) could I add a third squadron to say make it 18/12/12 say? Would it have to be in the UK three squadron sizes of roughly 40%/25%/25%?

REPLY: A deck park is in my view unfair - because it risks losing the planes overboard in heavy weather - but the game will never do that. IRL a commander would avoid the bad weather hexes as it were - and if he failed lose the planes. WITP has no way to do that. UK carriers had as many as elements of 6 or even 8 squadrons - but not in that case whole squadrons - on board. Code will not allow so many. But it will allow 5. Until 1943, it will not be a problem. After 1943 arrives, no matter how few the squadron number is, you will have trouble UNLESS you learn how to avoid resizing - or swap squadrons with those that "resize" to the original size for technical reasons. Which is hard to explain - but there are threads on it.


3) Can I replace any of the CVs and their squadrons? Or are the places all effectively hard coded. For example the replacement CVs. If I changed the squadron sizes and names/types can I make these 'normal' or will they grow to 48/48 anyway unless I move them from those slots? Could I replace a few with full size CVs or will anything in a replacement CV squadron slot behave in that way anyway?

REPLY: Sure you can. And the modders do it all the time. They will never grow to 48 unless you permit it.

Thanks!