Controlling Escort Formation

[tortugapower]

Hi gang, I'm having some problems setting formations for my escorts. When I get a bit frustrated, I seek solace in the wisdom of this forum.

I keep telling my destroyers to assume "line ahead" formation, but they don't ever do so. They are stuck on "line abreast". Every time I change it, they change it back. Is there something I'm missing? Is it possibly a bug, or a design decision related to tactics at this time?

Thanks in advance!

(edit: see my post about 8 replies down for a video of the bug)

[tbr]

Mission trumps formation. Guess your DD's are "Screen". Switch them to "Support".

[fredsanford]

uncheck the 'turn together' box

[tortugapower]

Dec 3, 2015 6:21:21 GMT -6 tbr said:

Mission trumps formation. Guess your DD's are "Screen". Switch them to "Support".

Thanks tbr, I'm testing this out. It's weird, I wasn't able to duplicate the error in my last battle. I'm going to start a fresh campaign just for testing this issue.


Thanks fred, but I do know that I deselected turn together. This is still possibly good info though: are you saying that if you have "turn together" selected, the formation cannot be changed?

[tbr]

"Turn together" means the ships will not maintain fomation but all turn at the same time. They will only re-enter any formation after "turn together" is deselected. One big difficulty I have with "turn together" is that SPACE is not just the "one turn more" key in tactical battle but also the select/deselect key for the whole interface and after I use the mouse to select "turn together" the "cursor" "hangs" to that flag, the first press of SPACE after then deselects "turn together" and only then the next SPACE press advances the turn. I have to click with the mouse into the speed setting window to set the cursor somewhere else to avoid this. Is there a way to select another key for "one turn more"?

[kyle]

Sometimes the escort ships just do stupid things and there is little reason for it that the game provides. Other times I see a report about mistaken messages (something like that, don't remember exactly). I find escorts either go running off doing their own things in battles or go crazy and sail into fire like they have no self preservation instinct.
I just want them to stick with the 'heavies' they are escorting most of the time - but they seem only to do that prior to enemy contact.

[tbr]

I actually like the escort AI behaviour but have lately switched to "Captain" realism setting to use them more aggressively. I take direct control in lieu of the "flotilla attack" button. But the escorts overall behave very well, more or less (that is more remarkable than perfectly) keeping station, with automatic detachments to escort damaged capital ships that ffall out of the battleline etc. The "Flotilla Attack" also works well with intermediate torpedo technology. Only early on, when range is too short, and very late, when the range in slow setting is very long, the AI does stupid things, i.e. either not closing in enough for an attack or firing at extreme range, even from the non-engaged side, which endangers the own battleline.

[tortugapower]

Hi folks,

I was able to replicate the error on camera! Please see the [unlisted] video below:
youtu.be/Z3UP_-eVGDY

EXPLANATION:

1. I set formation to Support, as someone had recommended
2. I then set the formation to Line Ahead.
3. In order to avoid the <space bar> issue that could possible toggle the unit to AI (I haven't experienced this, but I'm just setting up all the controls for this experiment), I mouse-select another unit
4. I advanced one turn (one minute) -- by mouse click, I don't press space bar.
   
5. Going back to the original division, they are back on Line Abreast
   

Any help on this? (ed: Hopefully I'm just missing the obvious)

[gornik]

Dec 12, 2015 3:04:33 GMT -6 tortugapower said:

Hi folks,

I was able to replicate the error on camera! Please see the [unlisted] video below:
youtu.be/Z3UP_-eVGDY

EXPLANATION:

1. I set formation to Support, as someone had recommended
2. I then set the formation to Line Ahead.
3. In order to avoid the <space bar> issue that could possible toggle the unit to AI (I haven't experienced this, but I'm just setting up all the controls for this experiment), I mouse-select another unit
4. I advanced one turn (one minute) -- by mouse click, I don't press space bar.
   
5. Going back to the original division, they are back on Line Abreast
   

Any help on this? (ed: Hopefully I'm just missing the obvious)

In video you didn't uncheck the "turn together" box in left low corner of main screen or division screen. It is prior to formations, so formation automatically return to  "line abreast".

If you uncheck this box and set new course to division, it should turn to line ahead automatically without any other changes. 

[tortugapower]

Thanks gornik! This was already mentioned too, but I'm a dummy.

(edit: got a chance to test this, and it's working. I really appreciate the help)