Post by dizzy on Oct 2, 2019 15:28:22 GMT -6
In specific observations on this issue, it appears dive/torp bombers use a sight range to engage enemy ships that is about equal to a ship's sight range. This leads to aircraft not engaging enemy targets that are just outside of this range despite that aircraft should be able to see much further than a ship's sight range.
As an example, a squadron sent to a 'Location' just south of a convoy attack area will start circling that 'Location' used to setup that airstrike. If an enemy doesn't wander into what is equal to a ship's sighting range where that squadron is circling, that squadron will remain on 'Location' circling around that spot for hours until they need to refuel and return to carrier.
When aircraft fly at 10,000 feet altitude, a plane can see 122 miles. A ship can only see 17 miles, and yes, weather plays a role reducing sight range. Despite this, my observations have been made in a varied weather conditions and at varying sighting ranges because of weather and yet my observations are the same. Planes will not engage enemy ships unless they wander into what an area equal to a ship's sighting range centered around where they are flying their circle at 'Location'.
Often times an entire airstrike group will be sent to a location to attack an enemy ship/fleet and not find anything and circle endlessly. That's not the issue. Sometimes you do send your squadron to an empty patch of sea mistakenly. The issue is when there are enemy ships nearby engaging your fleet, but are just outside of the squadron's sighting range which has been observed to be equal to that of a ship and the planes continue to fly around in a circle doing nothing else.
Now, you'd think that the planes would see the gunfire and assist. Or perhaps they would notice multiple wakes in the area and investigate. Or maybe someone would radio the planes and give enemy main force bearing and speed. Or maybe the planes will conduct a search pattern of the nearby area. But you'd be wrong on all accounts. The only thing the planes do is circle around the 'Location' and will only engage targets that get within a sight range equal to a ship's where they are circling.
The resultant gameplay issue is obvious. The UI controls don't allow you to select 'Protect my Division' or any of your other divisions for that matter when they are attacked by enemy capital ships. Instead, you have to select a 'Location' and HOPE and PRAY that the enemy ships will be there when your planes arrive. Often times, in close range encounters, they won't be and your planes are tied up circling around uselessly for hours. So while the planes took off to protect their carrier from an enemy BC that's bearing down on them, and the pilots know if their carrier is sunk there won't be anywhere for them to land, they will still not engage that BC unless it wanders into an area equal to a ship's sight range over where they are circling, all the while their carrier they just took off from is getting shelled.
So I can think of a lot of ways to fix this issue, one would be to increase the sight range of a squadron by 2-3x that of a ship (still affected by weather) ... that'd increase the likely hood they'd spot an enemy and do something. Another idea is to have planes with sufficient fuel to begin an increasing diameter search pattern where the search circle gets wider and wider until they need to return to carrier due to lack of fuel, another is setting a friendly target division to defend. They'd fly and circle above the target division and any enemy that engages that friendly division would be attacked.
I know there are two types of weather. One that affects a ship and alters the sight range and the other is for planes which is variable depending on time, place and altitude. Despite this, my observations have been in good weather and bad and yet the same holds true, a plane's sight range when circling at location seems equal to that of a ship's sight range. So anything really that you could do to help fix this problem would be so helpful!
For comedic effect on this issue, see tortugapower 's video
Here is the start of the battle
Here is sample stupidity
As an example, a squadron sent to a 'Location' just south of a convoy attack area will start circling that 'Location' used to setup that airstrike. If an enemy doesn't wander into what is equal to a ship's sighting range where that squadron is circling, that squadron will remain on 'Location' circling around that spot for hours until they need to refuel and return to carrier.
When aircraft fly at 10,000 feet altitude, a plane can see 122 miles. A ship can only see 17 miles, and yes, weather plays a role reducing sight range. Despite this, my observations have been made in a varied weather conditions and at varying sighting ranges because of weather and yet my observations are the same. Planes will not engage enemy ships unless they wander into what an area equal to a ship's sighting range centered around where they are flying their circle at 'Location'.
Often times an entire airstrike group will be sent to a location to attack an enemy ship/fleet and not find anything and circle endlessly. That's not the issue. Sometimes you do send your squadron to an empty patch of sea mistakenly. The issue is when there are enemy ships nearby engaging your fleet, but are just outside of the squadron's sighting range which has been observed to be equal to that of a ship and the planes continue to fly around in a circle doing nothing else.
Now, you'd think that the planes would see the gunfire and assist. Or perhaps they would notice multiple wakes in the area and investigate. Or maybe someone would radio the planes and give enemy main force bearing and speed. Or maybe the planes will conduct a search pattern of the nearby area. But you'd be wrong on all accounts. The only thing the planes do is circle around the 'Location' and will only engage targets that get within a sight range equal to a ship's where they are circling.
The resultant gameplay issue is obvious. The UI controls don't allow you to select 'Protect my Division' or any of your other divisions for that matter when they are attacked by enemy capital ships. Instead, you have to select a 'Location' and HOPE and PRAY that the enemy ships will be there when your planes arrive. Often times, in close range encounters, they won't be and your planes are tied up circling around uselessly for hours. So while the planes took off to protect their carrier from an enemy BC that's bearing down on them, and the pilots know if their carrier is sunk there won't be anywhere for them to land, they will still not engage that BC unless it wanders into an area equal to a ship's sight range over where they are circling, all the while their carrier they just took off from is getting shelled.
So I can think of a lot of ways to fix this issue, one would be to increase the sight range of a squadron by 2-3x that of a ship (still affected by weather) ... that'd increase the likely hood they'd spot an enemy and do something. Another idea is to have planes with sufficient fuel to begin an increasing diameter search pattern where the search circle gets wider and wider until they need to return to carrier due to lack of fuel, another is setting a friendly target division to defend. They'd fly and circle above the target division and any enemy that engages that friendly division would be attacked.
I know there are two types of weather. One that affects a ship and alters the sight range and the other is for planes which is variable depending on time, place and altitude. Despite this, my observations have been in good weather and bad and yet the same holds true, a plane's sight range when circling at location seems equal to that of a ship's sight range. So anything really that you could do to help fix this problem would be so helpful!
For comedic effect on this issue, see tortugapower 's video
Here is the start of the battle
Here is sample stupidity
