It's been a topic that probably goes back to SR-2020, but there remains a need to improve the AI's management of naval warfare and in particular, the persistence of naval ships and their escorts (or lack thereof).
Playing SR-36, date in Dec 1943, and Germany and Great Britain (and Commonwealth) have been at war for 3-years now. Game is being played under Moderate Volatility rules.
Japan defeated Italy and inherited the coastal regions of the Low Countries and most of France. Japan is in near mutual defense & alliance with Germany (but refused to go that final step), and is red-lined with Great Britain but remains in a non-hostility state with London.
Therefore, "air" access between the two countries is more limited to entry / exist via the North Sea.
Some highlights (or lowlights):
* * At no time has either attempted an air attack the other; Britain has two 4-engine strategic bombers researched (and presumed in production); Germany has both Donier-215 and -217, plus He-111H designs and in production.
Either country could therefore wage an air war against the other.
* * ATM, there are only four German submarines in the North Sea - date: Dec 1943. Never been more than four or five and none further afield in the North Atlantic, despite having German Type VII and XI designs researched.
One German Z-23 class large destroyer sits off the English coast, north of Dover but has been neither bombed or attack at-sea (and its been there for several days).
* * Only two past sorties by a Royal Navy warship has entered the English Channel or French coast.....both times it was HMS Nelson without Escort......
at no time have there been German surface or submarines in the English Channel either. [Japan has a Line of Sight Treaty with Germany and therefore see location for all German units].
Solution:
1. "ramping-up" of the level of air and naval engagement between powers at war is clearly needed.
2. Routinely provide Capital ship classes with Escort or Patrol classes at all times, or they don't leave port.
Need Improved AI Commitment to Naval Warfare & Ship Use
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geminif4ucorsair
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way2co0l
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Re: Need Improved AI Commitment to Naval Warfare & Ship Use
I gave a similar suggestion regarding escorts in the great war forum. I don't think it's a perfect option, but it's probably the best option within engine constraints to require capital ships to have a certain number of escorts to be able to leave port. Those escorts should not be able to act independently while they are tied to the capital ship, so they would follow it around and try to protect it from the threats it might face.
I agree though that the ai needs better engagement options for naval warfare. They currently mostly just fan out to fill an area around their territory, but they don't respond to an enemy offensive or respond to fill gaps in that area of coverage after initial assignment. So when 2 overlapping areas result in conflict while their ships try to fill that area, it results in the area being thinned out in general, but the 2 nations don't make any real effort to rebalance their ship distribution. Instead the area tends to remain mostly empty unless one side managed to more or less defeat the other in general.
But navies need to make a bigger effort to fill in areas that become depleted. They also need to try harder to respond to ongoing engagements, calling in ships from further and further away when their ships come into conflict, redistributing once those conflicts cease.
Though as a counterpoint, nations should probably do some kind of threat assessment as well. The WW2 example where the allied fleet, or even just the English fleet on its own, surpassed German tonnage in a major way. As was the case historically, Germany should be less willing to engage in that typical area type of competition, instead trying to keep its ships safe from enemy engagement until the odds become more even. Otherwise, their entire fleet would be wiped out with the type of mechanic I was describing above.
It'd be nice to get some kind of sea raider logic where an underpowered fleet might try to have some capital ships (with escorts) try to run the blockade to get around the enemies area of control and use hit and run tactics to try to pick off ships along the outermost edges of their area of control, and falling back before supporting ships can arrive. I doubt that'll be something we get anytime soon, but I can envision it as being an option to improve on what we have.
I agree though that the ai needs better engagement options for naval warfare. They currently mostly just fan out to fill an area around their territory, but they don't respond to an enemy offensive or respond to fill gaps in that area of coverage after initial assignment. So when 2 overlapping areas result in conflict while their ships try to fill that area, it results in the area being thinned out in general, but the 2 nations don't make any real effort to rebalance their ship distribution. Instead the area tends to remain mostly empty unless one side managed to more or less defeat the other in general.
But navies need to make a bigger effort to fill in areas that become depleted. They also need to try harder to respond to ongoing engagements, calling in ships from further and further away when their ships come into conflict, redistributing once those conflicts cease.
Though as a counterpoint, nations should probably do some kind of threat assessment as well. The WW2 example where the allied fleet, or even just the English fleet on its own, surpassed German tonnage in a major way. As was the case historically, Germany should be less willing to engage in that typical area type of competition, instead trying to keep its ships safe from enemy engagement until the odds become more even. Otherwise, their entire fleet would be wiped out with the type of mechanic I was describing above.
It'd be nice to get some kind of sea raider logic where an underpowered fleet might try to have some capital ships (with escorts) try to run the blockade to get around the enemies area of control and use hit and run tactics to try to pick off ships along the outermost edges of their area of control, and falling back before supporting ships can arrive. I doubt that'll be something we get anytime soon, but I can envision it as being an option to improve on what we have.