Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: SteveF2006
The only "complaint" I have regarding the formation editor is that if you have a realistic plane load out on your carriers and support ships, you can't have a good CAP or ASW patrol. For instance, if you have 10 F/A 18Cs and 10 F/A 18Es you can only select the 'C' or the 'E' model to be on patrol. Will there ever be a way to resolve this?

quote:

ORIGINAL: SteveF2006

Sorry I wasn't more clear. Sure you can "launch" any type you like. However, in your formation that the staff is controlling, if you have set up a CAP in your formation, they must always be of the exact same plane type. For instance, if I have a CVBG with one carrier and her escorts and I have 4 F-14Bs and 4 F-14Ds, I would have to select either my F-14B's or my F-14D's in the formation to be on CAP. The "staff" can't think, OK, all my F-14B's are being refueled or out of ammo, I'll launch my F-14D's in their place.

Does that make more sense as to what I mean?

thanks,
Steve

quote:

ORIGINAL: SteveF2006
I think we're gettting warmer. When I have a CVBG, I (like everyone else) set up my formation. I change the range circles, position my ships, then I set up my ASW aircraft, in the formation, to patrol certain areas, set up my AEW & EW to patrol and then I set up my CAP. Again, because I am not manually in charge of this during the running of the scenario, my staff is, if I only have a few of say F/A 18E's and the are on the CAP, if I use then up in either defending my CVBG or they've been recalled to refuel, the AI won't think to use the F/A18F's that have the same loadout to suppliment my CAP. Again all of this is set up in the formation editor so I'm not manually launching the CAP.

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ORIGINAL: CV32
Ok, so correct me if I'm wrong, but you're saying you'd like the Staff Assistant to be smart enough to launch aircraft of similar loadout to 'restock' your CAP, if the current CAP is depleted or destroyed ?

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ORIGINAL: SteveF2006

That's a great idea. However, in some of the scenarios posted, you may only have 2 to 4 of a certain type. As soon as they are used to defend your fleet, there is a "hole" in the protection.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Stalintc
Perhaps somewhat unrelated ...

quote:

... but as an example of adapting to such things, the scenario that I am running at the moment GIUK 3.0

One of the surface groups has four helos, 2 of each of the following type:
2 x SH-60B - Long range, good radar, plenty of sonobouys
2 x Sea Sprite - Short range, fewer sonobouys, faster than SH-60's

I let the AI have 1 of the Sea Sprites which it can rotate without running out, positioned in the formation where I expect the a sub threat to appear (or the worst possible place for a sub to appear)

I control the 2 SH-60s planting hole plugging barriers at distance from my surface group but close enough for one Seasprite to run to from the formation and get a torp off if needs be. I return the SH-60's to my fleet the moment they have run out of sonobouys to keep a good rotation on the barrier which still leaves me the 1 seasprite in the air, or the one ready on deck to intercept a contact. This way I can keep loss of protection and detection for the shortest time possible

Erk perhaps im just rambling waffle, but thats just a current working example of using the formation editor and the game mechanics to get the result you need, without compromising protection when you have limited numbers of A/C I hope I make some sort of sense lol!

edit - surface group not fleet.. doh..

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ORIGINAL: CV32

Well done, Stalintc. That's putting your best foot forward.

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ORIGINAL: SteveF2006

Oh sure. That really is very creative. OK... I'll admit it... I'm somewhat lazy and I want the "staff" to handle that part!