Task Force Teleported

Thrair · 10-24-10, 06:05 PM

I was shadowing a task force off the west coast of Luzon, fresh career with map contacts on. I was keeping my distance and waiting for better conditions to attack them in or to find a way to get a good angle.

Then they turned into the Lingayen Gulf and I saw my chance to set up ahead of them, and at it'd be at night to boot. While I was moving into position (surfaced), the contacts disappeared from where they were (about 10km to my east) and reappeared to the northwest of me, about 7000 yards off.

Add to that, one of the escorts was only 5000 yards off and noticed me before I could scramble and dive. Especially bad because the water I was in at the time was fairly shallow (I had not arrived at my destination, which would have deeper water).

To make a long story a little shorter, I was sunk. Quite frustrating, as I had sunk a merchant already (which oddly enough was steaming into Manila on December 8th) and spent about 2 hours tracking this task force under light to nil time compression.

Anyone have any idea what the heck happened? Was it a bug, a flaw in the campaign? What? Because this has happened to me on occasion before. Although it's never completely screwed me over as heavily as it just did.

Armistead · 10-24-10, 10:23 PM

Happens more with RSRD, but should be rare. When any group reaches it's last waypoint it will vanish. Sometimes it pops back up or could be another group. Some harbors are tight, so it's easier to delete the group and respawn it headed out.This is basically done to make it look like the group has docked. Every group of ships will vanish when it reaches it's last waypoint. If you ever see a group going towards a port, better attack, because that's usually the last waypoint. There are several groups that go into and out of Lingayen, so it's a rather busy spawn point. The big Java invasion force spawns out of Lingayen...2/8/42 I believe

For instance, the Yamato TF in RSRD where the Yamato makes it's last foray will come through the Bungo. If you chase it will port in one of the cities, so looks like it's gone, but wait and it respawns the next day. This happens 3 times.

Many groups are like that. They may port and come back out per say or just reach port and vanish.

All groups have spawn and de-spawn points.

Thrair · 10-24-10, 10:36 PM

First off, grats on the new forum avatar. May you have another 1000 posts without incurring mod wrath.

Secondly, thanks for the heads up. I figured that might have been what was happening. I'd seen groups vanish before and figured that was them despawning, but I didn't think they'd respawn in a slightly different spot moments later.

Of note, they were not, iirc, near a harbor. Nor were they on path to one. They had turned into the gulf, but appeared to be turning to leave it again when they despawned and respawned on top of me.

Schwieger · 10-25-10, 07:05 AM

I've had stuff despawn in the middle of the ocean before, so....

raymond6751 · 10-25-10, 07:18 AM

What would be really scary and bad luck would be to have your sub located in the spot where a group will spawn. I'm sure they thought of that and have limits, but can you imagine?

Worse yet would be to find an aircraft spawning right above you.

Armistead · 10-25-10, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thrair

First off, grats on the new forum avatar. May you have another 1000 posts without incurring mod wrath.

Secondly, thanks for the heads up. I figured that might have been what was happening. I'd seen groups vanish before and figured that was them despawning, but I didn't think they'd respawn in a slightly different spot moments later.

Of note, they were not, iirc, near a harbor. Nor were they on path to one. They had turned into the gulf, but appeared to be turning to leave it again when they despawned and respawned on top of me.

Depends on how mods set the traffic up, most ships spawn and end waypoint near ports, but many can spawn about anywhere. The most is really the problem, often groups had meeting points any where in the Pacific and these are places ships will start/end. You do have to be a certain distance for the group to spawn, simply it won't if you're sitting right on top of the start point.

tater · 10-25-10, 08:41 AM

Usually groups down spawn in if the player is within render range (20 nm).

Odd.

The game has severe limits on what it can do with ships. In RL, some ships stayed with a group, then broke off for other duty, etc. The only way to do this is the for the group to disappear, then a new one appear. Also, the whole ship formation thing needed to be smarter. I tried in my campaign to have some units go into port, stay there, then leave the next day. It works, but it's hard to do for groups since they stay in their formation, and many harbors are too tight for that.

Thrair · 10-25-10, 08:59 AM

Yah, the formation thing can bugger the realism a bit.

Very common to see large groups of ships getting caught in a traffic jam of sorts. Sometimes they actually collide and sink on their own.

Hell. Last patrol I was in, I was setting up a shot on a Mogami Heavy Cruiser when the thing plowed through one of it's escorts. They kind of wedged together for a bit, but eventually the Destroyer split in two and blew up, and the Mogami capsized right after. Was laughing so hard I nearly got run over by one of the other escorts.

Totally worth it, tho. Got to watch the whole fail.

Armistead · 10-25-10, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thrair

Yah, the formation thing can bugger the realism a bit.

Very common to see large groups of ships getting caught in a traffic jam of sorts. Sometimes they actually collide and sink on their own.

Hell. Last patrol I was in, I was setting up a shot on a Mogami Heavy Cruiser when the thing plowed through one of it's escorts. They kind of wedged together for a bit, but eventually the Destroyer split in two and blew up, and the Mogami capsized right after. Was laughing so hard I nearly got run over by one of the other escorts.

Totally worth it, tho. Got to watch the whole fail.

Are you playing stock? Stock was bad, happened all the time. Most supermods have corrected it somewhat, still can happen, but very rare.

Thrair · 10-25-10, 09:11 AM

Nah, I run TMO.

And it's not ALL that common, but it still does happen. It's still much better than stock was. Used to be, I snuck into a harbor, chances are it was already on fire from incompetent helmsmen.

As for open-water collisions, seems to only really happen if the AI knows you're close, but not exactly where. And only with big TFs or Convoys.

10-24-10, 06:05 PM	#1
Thrair Helmsman Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 102 Downloads: 16 Uploads: 0	Task Force Teleported I was shadowing a task force off the west coast of Luzon, fresh career with map contacts on. I was keeping my distance and waiting for better conditions to attack them in or to find a way to get a good angle. Then they turned into the Lingayen Gulf and I saw my chance to set up ahead of them, and at it'd be at night to boot. While I was moving into position (surfaced), the contacts disappeared from where they were (about 10km to my east) and reappeared to the northwest of me, about 7000 yards off. Add to that, one of the escorts was only 5000 yards off and noticed me before I could scramble and dive. Especially bad because the water I was in at the time was fairly shallow (I had not arrived at my destination, which would have deeper water). To make a long story a little shorter, I was sunk. Quite frustrating, as I had sunk a merchant already (which oddly enough was steaming into Manila on December 8th) and spent about 2 hours tracking this task force under light to nil time compression. Anyone have any idea what the heck happened? Was it a bug, a flaw in the campaign? What? Because this has happened to me on occasion before. Although it's never completely screwed me over as heavily as it just did.

10-25-10, 07:05 AM	#4
Schwieger Commodore Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: U-142 Posts: 624 Downloads: 62 Uploads: 0	I've had stuff despawn in the middle of the ocean before, so.... __________________ Support U-Boot_HAHD: Install Dropbox Click Here & Increase The Teams Dropbox space and get 2.25GB of free online Storage space for yourself.

10-25-10, 07:18 AM	#5
raymond6751 Admirable Mike Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 1,338 Downloads: 421 Uploads: 0	Scary What would be really scary and bad luck would be to have your sub located in the spot where a group will spawn. I'm sure they thought of that and have limits, but can you imagine? Worse yet would be to find an aircraft spawning right above you. __________________ Game Designer: Close The Atlantic - World War Three https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/...orld-war-three

10-24-10, 10:23 PM	#2
Armistead Rear Admiral Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: on the Dan Posts: 10,880 Downloads: 364 Uploads: 0	Happens more with RSRD, but should be rare. When any group reaches it's last waypoint it will vanish. Sometimes it pops back up or could be another group. Some harbors are tight, so it's easier to delete the group and respawn it headed out.This is basically done to make it look like the group has docked. Every group of ships will vanish when it reaches it's last waypoint. If you ever see a group going towards a port, better attack, because that's usually the last waypoint. There are several groups that go into and out of Lingayen, so it's a rather busy spawn point. The big Java invasion force spawns out of Lingayen...2/8/42 I believe For instance, the Yamato TF in RSRD where the Yamato makes it's last foray will come through the Bungo. If you chase it will port in one of the cities, so looks like it's gone, but wait and it respawns the next day. This happens 3 times. Many groups are like that. They may port and come back out per say or just reach port and vanish. All groups have spawn and de-spawn points.

10-24-10, 10:36 PM	#3
Thrair Helmsman Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 102 Downloads: 16 Uploads: 0	First off, grats on the new forum avatar. May you have another 1000 posts without incurring mod wrath. Secondly, thanks for the heads up. I figured that might have been what was happening. I'd seen groups vanish before and figured that was them despawning, but I didn't think they'd respawn in a slightly different spot moments later. Of note, they were not, iirc, near a harbor. Nor were they on path to one. They had turned into the gulf, but appeared to be turning to leave it again when they despawned and respawned on top of me.

10-25-10, 08:41 AM	#7
tater Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 9,023 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 2	Usually groups down spawn in if the player is within render range (20 nm). Odd. The game has severe limits on what it can do with ships. In RL, some ships stayed with a group, then broke off for other duty, etc. The only way to do this is the for the group to disappear, then a new one appear. Also, the whole ship formation thing needed to be smarter. I tried in my campaign to have some units go into port, stay there, then leave the next day. It works, but it's hard to do for groups since they stay in their formation, and many harbors are too tight for that.

10-25-10, 08:59 AM	#8
Thrair Helmsman Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 102 Downloads: 16 Uploads: 0	Yah, the formation thing can bugger the realism a bit. Very common to see large groups of ships getting caught in a traffic jam of sorts. Sometimes they actually collide and sink on their own. Hell. Last patrol I was in, I was setting up a shot on a Mogami Heavy Cruiser when the thing plowed through one of it's escorts. They kind of wedged together for a bit, but eventually the Destroyer split in two and blew up, and the Mogami capsized right after. Was laughing so hard I nearly got run over by one of the other escorts. Totally worth it, tho. Got to watch the whole fail.

10-25-10, 09:11 AM	#10
Thrair Helmsman Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 102 Downloads: 16 Uploads: 0	Nah, I run TMO. And it's not ALL that common, but it still does happen. It's still much better than stock was. Used to be, I snuck into a harbor, chances are it was already on fire from incompetent helmsmen. As for open-water collisions, seems to only really happen if the AI knows you're close, but not exactly where. And only with big TFs or Convoys.