Three questions on Navy Stuff

[husky1943]

Actually, a couple of questions; I was reading Tex's thread about shipping (with the many answers) and it got me to thinking....

I am now in the Campaign, in Mar '64. My blockade box is 90% and I have built every available supply ship that I could with almost every one of them being put in the shipping box. I have received news from time to time of my ships being sunk, but I can't remember being told that I have sunk an enemy.

Question 1: When I sink an enemy, do I receive news of that event?

I have never fully understood if I should place my fleets on offensive mode if they are in the blockade boxes. I routinely place any vessels doing blockade duty in rivers and or coastal areas.

Question 2: Is it more effective to place the fleet in offensive mode in the blockade boxes?

Also, I have rotated my fleets in and out of port, thinking that was the best thing for them. Someone stated that the fleets/vessels can remain afloat for really long periods of time (years, even.) Now, I did 20 years in the US Navy, and I can tell you honestly, that we were out to sea for over 100 days straight (only once) and we were in a really FOUL mood.

Question 3: Is it unrealistic that the fleets can remain so long at sea before facing real problems (even mutiny)?

Just curious…..

[arsan]

Hi!

1- No, you will see messages telling you about hits being done, but will not know if you actually sunk one ship. Combat on the boxes works in a simplified way (like when you pass by a fort and get bombarded) without an actual battle report where can check elements destroyed.

2- Posture don't matter on the boxes, because of the simplified combat i explain above. Use defensive so your units don't loss cohesion per turn.

3- Check the options screen on the main menu. There are several settings for naval boxes handling so you can choose the micromanagement level you want. They were implemented because many people (not you, certainly ) found boring having to send back and forth ships form ports to boxes .
Even in the more micromanagement settings ships can stay quite a while at sea, specially transports as they don't consume supply. But combat forces will have to go back to port to resupply from time to time except on the automated setting. Transports work like supply wagons, so they can share their supply reserves with combat units.
To repair damage (combat, storms...) you will always need to go back to port.

Regards!

[husky1943]

Thanks, Arsan.

[Jim-NC]

Actually, a couple of questions; I was reading Tex's thread about shipping (with the many answers) and it got me to thinking....

I am now in the Campaign, in Mar '64. My blockade box is 90% and I have built every available supply ship that I could with almost every one of them being put in the shipping box. I have received news from time to time of my ships being sunk, but I can't remember being told that I have sunk an enemy.

Question 1: When I sink an enemy, do I receive news of that event?

I have never fully understood if I should place my fleets on offensive mode if they are in the blockade boxes. I routinely place any vessels doing blockade duty in rivers and or coastal areas.

You should get a message stating that you engaged the enemy (it will say something like fleet 2 engaged raider, inflicting 3 hits and being hit 4 times in return). This is your clue that you attacked someone. The other clue is you will hear cannons firing, and a little icon shows up in the blockade box/shipping box during the turn exectution.

Good luck on sinking a commerce raider/blockade runner. Most times, you only wound them, and the enemy moves them back to port for repair. I generally play as the CSA, and usually lose only 2-3 ships per year due to enemy action (mostly due to the same ship being caught by the enemy 2 turns in a row).

Question 2: Is it more effective to place the fleet in offensive mode in the blockade boxes?

Also, I have rotated my fleets in and out of port, thinking that was the best thing for them. Someone stated that the fleets/vessels can remain afloat for really long periods of time (years, even.) Now, I did 20 years in the US Navy, and I can tell you honestly, that we were out to sea for over 100 days straight (only once) and we were in a really FOUL mood.

Question 3: Is it unrealistic that the fleets can remain so long at sea before facing real problems (even mutiny)?

Just curious…..

Generally, in the game offensive posture is needed to attack the enemy. If I want to attack with my ships, I normally put them in offensive posture (but I am not 100% sure that it helps).

As to it being realistic? Not my area of expertise. You can keep your ships out of port for several game turns. Look at your supply icon (if you mouse over it, it shows how much supply you carry, and how much you consume per turn). For a single brig unit (for example), you consume 1 supply point per turn, and can carry approximately 8 supply points. This means you are in supply for 8 turns. As the turn is 14 days, a ship next to land will draw supply from the land area (the game assumes that the ship pulls into port, reloads, and moves back to sea). The multiple turns are important, as it takes 1-2 turns to get to the blockade box, and 1-2 turns to return. This limits your ships time at sea to 5-6 turns without resupply. You can only reload ammo by sitting in a port for a turn.
BTW, if you change an option, you can have your ships stay out at sea forever (they don't consume general supply, but are less effective). I know that is not accurate/realistic, but it does get rid of some micromanaging.

[husky1943]

Hey Jim,
You are right about everything, and I even the "easy button" enabled. I appreciate it, but it's completely unrealistic. I have to give my blue jackets some liberty. Too bad Hong Kong or Olongapo City isn't on the map. Good liberty!!