Suggested - Ability to Visually Mark "Roles" for Vessels

[blarglol]

It would be wonderful if this new game would allow players a box in the ship list (perhaps toggled in the design screen but not necessary) in which we can either type or choose from a list of ship roles. For example, KEs, corvettes, cover a huge variety of vessels. It would be helpful to be able to prominently have in the UI somewhere that *this* one is a minesweeper, this one an ASW platform, etc. Battleships could be set for first rate, second rate, or coastal duty, same for cruisers.

[williammiller]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[blur]

If there was a premade list of such roles/designations, they could be taken into account for battle generation and division assignment. If you'd allow a design to have up to two of those significant designations plus one custom label without effect, that would allow us a great deal of control over our deployments. Ships would generally be more likely to show up on assignments they were designed for without excessive micromanagement, and it even allows battles with one-sided lineup advantage. For example, a port attack or coastal raid might put the defender in a very poor spot where most of his lineup consists of unsuitable or second-line ships. This could even tie into a "intel advantage" mechanic where relative technology level, espionage budgets and the number of light vessels in the area affect the overall chance of beneficial or detrimental clashes.

Some examples of ship designations:

• Fleet - Far more likely to be in planned operations, far less likely for escort or coastal patrol duty 
• Reserve - Less likely to be in planned operations, more likely for escort or coastal patrol duty
• Escort - Far less likely to be in planned operations, far more likely for escort or coastal patrol duty
• Raider - More likely to operate alone and at long range
  
• Coastal - More likely to operate at short range
• Leader - Far more likely to be lead ship of a formation, less likely to be subordinate or operate alone
• Scout - Far more likely to be assigned in scout divisions, less likely for other roles
• Screen - Far more likely to be assigned in screen divisions, less likely for other roles
• Torpedo - Far more likely to be grouped with other torpedo units
• AA - More likely to screen capital ships, far less likely to be operate alone. Far more likely to be assigned where there's a danger of air attacks
• ASW - More likely to escort convoys and far more likely to engage submarines
• Minesweeper - Far less likely to be in planned engagements, far more likely for coastal patrol duty

In-game, this might make an Apex Class Fleet Destroyer Leader

• 9 times as likely to lead a division in a planned fleet operation (3*3 from Fleet and Leader)
• 1.5 times as likely to be subordinate in a planned fleet operation (3*0.5 from Fleet and Leader) 
• 3 times as likely to lead a division in a surprise engagement (3 fom Leader)
• 0.5 times as likely to be subordinate in a surprise engagement (0.5 from Leader)
• 0.75 times as likely to lead a division in coastal patrol or convoy escort (0.25*3 from Fleet and Leader)
• 0.125 times as likely to be subordinate in a coastal patrol or convoy escort (0.25*0.5 from Fleet and Leader)

By contrast, an Boring Class ASW Destroyer Escort might be

• 6 times as likely to be in a convoy escort (2*3 from ASW and Escort)
• 3 times as likely to be on coastal patrol duty (3 from Escort)
• 3 times as likely to clash with a submarine (3 from ASW)
• 0.25 times as likely to be in a planned fleet operation (0.25 from Escort)

So while it's not guaranteed that the ships show up in their intended role, it is generally much more likely. Assuming you have four times as many Boring Class DEs available as Apex Class DLs, you'd end up with:

• 90% chance an Apex DL will lead a division in a planned fleet operation rather than a Boring DE (9 vs 0.25*4 (from relative numbers))
• 60% chance a subordinate in the planned fleet operation is an Apex DL rather than a Boring DE (1.5 vs 0.25*4)
• 43% chance an Apex DL will lead a division in a surprise engagement rather than a Boring DE (3 vs 1*4)
• 3% chance an Apex DL will lead a convoy escort division rather than a Boring DE (0.75 vs 6*4)
• 0.5% chance a subordinate in the convoy escort division is an Apex DL rather than a Boring DE (0.125 vs 6*4)
• 92% chance a submarine encounter is resolved by a Boring DE rather than an Apex DL (1 vs 3*4)

[wlbjork]

A lot of that is going to be redundant due to being able to create your own squadrons and flotillas of ships though.

[rockmedic109]

Oct 19, 2022 0:25:00 GMT -6 blarglol said:

It would be wonderful if this new game would allow players a box in the ship list (perhaps toggled in the design screen but not necessary) in which we can either type or choose from a list of ship roles. For example, KEs, corvettes, cover a huge variety of vessels. It would be helpful to be able to prominently have in the UI somewhere that *this* one is a minesweeper, this one an ASW platform, etc. Battleships could be set for first rate, second rate, or coastal duty, same for cruisers.

For personal use, I sort of do this with ship names.  If I see a report and a name is listed, I know what the ship class is.


All the ships of a class have a theme to their name.  Initial ore-dreads are named after Greek monsters, CAs after Greek heroes, CLs after Greek Heroines, etc.  Minesweepers are named for volcanoes {I have a warped sense of humor}.  ASW KE are named for flowers.  DD classes are words themed by speed, dog breeds, cat breeds, Insects, melee weapons, etc.

[cwemyss]

May 21, 2023 18:15:34 GMT -6 rockmedic109 said:

Minesweepers are named for volcanoes {I have a warped sense of humor}.

You aren't the only one

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilauea-class_ammunition_ship?wprov=sfla1

[rockmedic109]

May 21, 2023 20:39:13 GMT -6 cwemyss said:

May 21, 2023 18:15:34 GMT -6 rockmedic109 said:

Minesweepers are named for volcanoes {I have a warped sense of humor}.

You aren't the only one

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilauea-class_ammunition_ship?wprov=sfla1

Maybe I should've named them after explosives.