Discouraging torpedo thrift

[antiochtopus]

I've been having a great time with the game, but there's a thing that's been bugging me a bit. I cannot seem to figure out (on Admiral mode) how to get my DDs to actually close to effective torpedo range and fire. I've used Flotilla Attack, but that seems primarily to get them to mill about within the enemy's gun range, rather than actually getting to knife-fighting range and loosing some fish - losses have been fairly substantial with little results in terms of launches or hits. Is there a 'trick' to it, in terms of design configuration or an orders thing that I'm missing? This has been happening both in ordinary battles and the ambush scenarios, particularly at night but during the day as well. I've been paying for Torpedo and Night Fighting training as well in the hopes of improving the situation, but they still seem rather hesitant both to fire without the perfect shot, and to get close enough to line up said perfect shot. Anyone else been having this issue, or having particularly good results?

[gord96]

In the early years torp range, speed and accuracy is very low. It's not easy to get a solution so you won't see many shots if you play admirals mode. Later in the game the AI with better tech launches torpedos like wild men!

What I do in the early game to get more use from early torpedo boats is to make sure my destroyers have 4 tubes. That's crucial I find. Also consider playing on captain's mode here and there and learn where the sweet spot is to launch from by doing some manual launches. But once you get further into the game it really becomes a non issue as the AI has no problems launching torps.

[gord96]

Just to give you an idea, I was just playing a game as the CSA in 1913 and torpedoes are flying around like crazy and from some pretty huge ranges.

[sage2]

I also thought that the torpedo use was pretty low (and it still might be) in the early years. It's picks up a lot later on. In the early years, I wonder if that the problem of very short ranges means that, because ships then have to be close, angles are changing too quickly for a solution. They still get used though, and lack of torp defense means that they can sink Bs and CAs handily.

[iceberg]

But how do you make your destroyers even try to get in range in admiral mode if they are under AI control? They never close to torpedo range and just get shot to bits.

[andrew]

Jul 29, 2015 22:53:00 GMT -6 iceberg said:

But how do you make your destroyers even try to get in range in admiral mode if they are under AI control? They never close to torpedo range and just get shot to bits.

Early in the game I find that torpedo attacks in daylight usually fail. The destroyers are not fast enough and torpedo range is too short. The best approach is to wait until night and/or a badly damaged and slow enemy unit.

A few times I've had success steering my battleline really close to the enemy line, dangerously so even, and then click the flotilla attack button.

But the tech levels play a huge roll. Sometimes if you get some torpedo tech breakthroughs early then your destroyers will be effective but I've also had a game where torpedo tech seemed unusually primitive much later than usual.

When I first started playing SAI I remember getting frustrated with the torpedo attacks but after time you start to get a sense of timing and what to expect. Sometimes the destroyers completely screw up (I remember one battle they put 7 torps in one crippled and sinking battleship instead of the ships I wanted them to attack) but that is the life of an admiral ha ha ha.

[Sven]

Jul 29, 2015 22:53:00 GMT -6 iceberg said:

But how do you make your destroyers even try to get in range in admiral mode if they are under AI control? They never close to torpedo range and just get shot to bits.

I don´t; in early years (like 1902/03) i usually leave them in support role. They might make not much of an impact but they can still shoot and act to distract the enemy-gunners by acting as fast hard-to-hit targets.

later on (like 1912/13) you usually do not have enough Torpedos around. They start launching Torpedos right from the start.

It really is a question of torpedo-technology and probably fleet tactics. Just wait and see.

[julianbarker]

Where early DDs really score (literally) is at night. In my current game as Germany I had a night encounter where both sides had 3 B supported by CAs CLs and DDs. With night visibility good due to clear skies and calm weather I engaged in a gunnery duel just outside torpedo range until the British line started to stretch out. I launched a DD attack against the isolated Bs and torpedoed two of them, and finished them off with gunfire. I allowed the third B to escape as was low on ammunition.

[jma286]

In the early game I've found that most torpedo hits occur not from destroyers but from cruisers and battleships slugging it out at close range. In 1.0 it got to the point that when I was chasing a crippled enemy ship I would zig zag behind it to rake it with full broadsides instead of pulling up beside it, which would require less effort on my part but often lead to my chasing cruiser getting torpedoed and then sinking while the crippled enemy ship limped to safety. Fortunately 1.1 has solved this problem.

Once you get past 1910 torpedoes really start to more powerful, especially as destroyers get bigger and faster and begin to mount double, triple, and even quadruple tubes. I wouldn't bother with spending $ on torpedo training before then. Gunnery training is always my first choice, since good gunnery is always important while night warfare and torpedo skills are more situational.

[hossster]

Jul 30, 2015 20:02:39 GMT -6 jma286 said:

In the early game I've found that most torpedo hits occur not from destroyers but from cruisers and battleships slugging it out at close range. In 1.0 it got to the point that when I was chasing a crippled enemy ship I would zig zag behind it to rake it with full broadsides instead of pulling up beside it, which would require less effort on my part but often lead to my chasing cruiser getting torpedoed and then sinking while the crippled enemy ship limped to safety. Fortunately 1.1 has solved this problem.

Once you get past 1910 torpedoes really start to more powerful, especially as destroyers get bigger and faster and begin to mount double, triple, and even quadruple tubes. I wouldn't bother with spending $ on torpedo training before then. Gunnery training is always my first choice, since good gunnery is always important while night warfare and torpedo skills are more situational.

 
What changes are there in 1.1 that relate to being toredoed by a cruiser when you pull along side to finish them off?  I haven't played it yet ...

[jma286]

Jul 31, 2015 15:46:12 GMT -6 hossster said:

Jul 30, 2015 20:02:39 GMT -6 jma286 said:

In the early game I've found that most torpedo hits occur not from destroyers but from cruisers and battleships slugging it out at close range. In 1.0 it got to the point that when I was chasing a crippled enemy ship I would zig zag behind it to rake it with full broadsides instead of pulling up beside it, which would require less effort on my part but often lead to my chasing cruiser getting torpedoed and then sinking while the crippled enemy ship limped to safety. Fortunately 1.1 has solved this problem.

Once you get past 1910 torpedoes really start to more powerful, especially as destroyers get bigger and faster and begin to mount double, triple, and even quadruple tubes. I wouldn't bother with spending $ on torpedo training before then. Gunnery training is always my first choice, since good gunnery is always important while night warfare and torpedo skills are more situational.

 
What changes are there in 1.1 that relate to being toredoed by a cruiser when you pull along side to finish them off?  I haven't played it yet ...

If a ship becomes too flooded, then a submerged torpedo launcher is liable to be destroyed and unable to launch.