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Post by generalvikus on Jun 22, 2024 12:31:14 GMT -6
Hey guys,
So, lately I presume we've all had to deal with destroyers on screen running constantly at maximum speed no matter the speed of the ships they're screening, and thereby running themselves out of fuel. I have considered a few solutions:
1. Assign destroyers to support instead of screen, though this would presumably lose their HAA utility. HAA certainly doesn't get many kills, but I haven't established whether or not it has a significant disruptive effect.
2. Design destroyers with long or extreme range. Self-explanatory and you'd think it would work, but I haven't tested it yet, so I'm not sure.
3. Design destroyers with a lower top speed. It occurs to me that if DDs will always run at their top speed, reducing their top speed might decrease their fuel consumption. Again, I haven't tried this yet.
Has anyone tried any of these solutions, or any others? How do you deal with the issue, if at all?
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Post by golingarf on Jun 22, 2024 12:45:29 GMT -6
I don't think I have ever seen a DD run out of fuel. I do tend to build slow ships, however. Are you perhaps changing the heading of the lead division constantly? When performing rapid maneuvers, you usually should use "support" orders unless there's a specific reason not to - not because of fuel but just because your destroyers end up in a big mess otherwise.
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Post by generalvikus on Jun 22, 2024 13:20:52 GMT -6
I don't think I have ever seen a DD run out of fuel. I do tend to build slow ships, however. Are you perhaps changing the heading of the lead division constantly? When performing rapid maneuvers, you usually should use "support" orders unless there's a specific reason not to - not because of fuel but just because your destroyers end up in a big mess otherwise. No, my 34 - 36 knot destroyers are constantly running at full speed and running out of fuel even when the ships they're screening sail dead ahead at 20 knots for most of the battle. It might also have something to do with distance from bases, though - I'm playing a USA campaign, and it so happens I've been fighting almost exclusively in SEA / NEA.
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Post by golingarf on Jun 22, 2024 13:28:30 GMT -6
I don't think I have ever seen a DD run out of fuel. I do tend to build slow ships, however. Are you perhaps changing the heading of the lead division constantly? When performing rapid maneuvers, you usually should use "support" orders unless there's a specific reason not to - not because of fuel but just because your destroyers end up in a big mess otherwise. No, my 34 - 36 knot destroyers are constantly running at full speed and running out of fuel even when the ships they're screening sail dead ahead at 20 knots for most of the battle. It might also have something to do with distance from bases, though - I'm playing a USA campaign, and it so happens I've been fighting almost exclusively in SEA / NEA. You definitely want long range destroyers for that. The game is extremely limited in not allowing doctrine settings, so I don't think you can trick them into going slower.
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Post by brygun on Jun 22, 2024 19:19:56 GMT -6
Destroyers can run out of fuel. At the start of a tactical battle it is both the fuel to even show up (messages of # destroyers didnt make it due to fuel) but also the destroyers that do will have less fuel.
The larger a destroyer is the larger its ranges. We dont see the numerical ranges. Its been seen by a lot that larger destroyers due better.
Engine type tech also helps especially the jump from coal to oil.
Fuel usage isn't linear. The equations for power needed have a square and cubic aspect ^2 ^3. So increasing from 30 to 32 to 34 to 36 are actually big jumps. Just because the DD has more engine doesn't mean it got more fuel. So top speed being higher will burn it out more.
I personally tend to slower DDs in part to keep their tonnage down so I can build more. This lets me field more of their weapon torps and later HSSM.
You could take manual control of the DD squadron on Rear Admiral or Captain play levels. Then you can set the speed to whatever and save the sprint for when needed. However you would have to constantly update their direction if you want curving swerve defense.
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