Another Campaign Thread. Confirmed features/Suggestions for better campaign mechanics

[Cpt.Hissy]

Abandoned ship will slow down to a crawl ("to drop lifeboats") and then float there passively and may be mistaken as valid target by opposing side. Crew will attempt to get to other allied ships (via chance or actual lifeboats or as rescuees after the battle)
Scuttled will leave behind some crew that can be rescued later, either by own fleet or by enemy as prisoners.
Surrendered enemy ship will stop fighting, but continue steaming after it's fleet. It then can be "claimed" by surrounding it with own ships, then it'll try to retire towards capturer's side or can be boarded or something along those lines.
Hero ship will basically behave like they do now, and keep paddling with chairs and throwing rocks at everything until it sinks.

Edited December 8, 2020 by Cpt.Hissy

[CapnAvont1015]

2 minutes ago, Cpt.Hissy said:

Abandoned ship will slow down to a crawl ("to drop lifeboats") and then float there passively and may be mistaken as valid target by opposing side. Crew will attempt to get to other allied ships (via chance or actual lifeboats or as rescuees after the battle)
Scuttled will leave behind some crew that can be rescued later, either by own fleet or by enemy as prisoners.
Surrendered enemy ship will stop fighting, but continue steaming after it's fleet. It then can be "claimed" by surrounding it with own ships, then it'll try to retire towards capturer's side or can be boarded or something along those lines.
Hero ship will basically behave like they do now, and keep paddling with chairs and throw rocks at everything until it sinks.

Ah so it will work similar to how it works in UA: Age of Sail?

[Cpt.Hissy]

1 minute ago, CapnAvont1015 said:

Ah so it will work similar to how it works in UA: Age of Sail?

I don't have that game, so i don't know. If so, then there's even a chance for this to happen, as devs already have such system.
Does it work well there?

[CapnAvont1015]

In UA:AOS it works well but problem sailboats are a lot slower than dreadnoughts and stop quickly so I don't know how it would work here.

[HistoricalAccuracyMan]

I'm still curious as to how transports will be implemented/used in the campaign. Because right now, the only purpose they serve is to be floating targets for one side or the other and not much else. And if that is all they'll ever be, I feel like there would be little/no reason to put them in the campaign.

I feel like if they are going to add in dockyards and ports/anchorages in locations other than the nation you choose to play as (like Pearl Harbor was a major base away from the US Mainland that had to have stuff shipped in) then transports should be given some functionality. I also think that this idea of transports having a function would add a layer of strategy due to the possibility of scenarios like: "If I can't get my convoy to <insert location here> then my ships there will be cut off or forced to stay in port" thus leading to increased importance of long-range escort/raiding missions

[Fishyfish]

Id like to see the ability to retrofit and modernize warships in the campaign, a limited overhaul system to take an existing hull and bring it up to speed, so to speak with out being able to completely rebuild it from scratch. A pretty simple and straight forward procedure, engine overhauls and fuel modernization, the ability to swap out, upgrade and ad additional secondaries, the ability to plop on better range finders, radios, and radars as they become available, and etc. 

I'd also like to see the ability to buy foreign built ships. Say your nation has limited tech and dock yard space, you should be able to commission warships from willing allied nations whom have the tech or dockyard capabilities you'd like at a reasonable markup. Many historical examples support this, as GB basically supplied many nations with capital ships through the turn of the century and the most prominent example that comes to mind is Japan buying the Kongo from british yards, or the Russians buying the Tsesarvich from France. 

I'd also also like to see the ability to salvage reusable equipment from scrapped/mothballed or reasonably accessible wrecks. I'd assume* that guns for example might have a limited amount in stockpile so, if you needed more say, 12" guns but hadn't enough in your stockpile, that you could strip them from warships nolonger needing them.

*I'd also also also like to see material stockpiles and equipment manufacturing when it comes to building warships. Moreso than just  having the finances to build a boat, I'd like to have it so you're limited in how many warships you can build not just from the cost, but also from components available. I think it could be pretty easy to simulate production of machinery and equipment, and to have a national stockpile there of where in if your country is only capable of producing ten 15" guns per year, your available stockpile of 15" guns use in naval projects are thus represented. Want to build that superduper dread with thirty 15in guns? You might have to save your guns over time to build it. 

Furthermore I'd also also also like to see accidents represented. While it would suck, it would be an interesting feature if oops, you just lost a heavy cruiser because a fire broke out while in harbor and despite a gallant effort your fire crews were unable to save her before her magazines cooked off. That could also lead to interest things like damage to industrial capabilities which while I understand might be frustrating, but also might be an interesting challenge to try and work with. 

 

Oh, also also also also also an optional Ironfish mode, which limits savescumming and forces you to deal with any and all ramifications and consequences of your actions, losses and successes. Lost a battle? Figure out how to compensate, don't just reload the save from before. 

Edited December 9, 2020 by Fishyfish

[Skeksis]

Logistics

Campaign Logistics by adding a ‘Supply Fleet’. - General Discussions - Game-Labs Forum (game-labs.net)

 

[Null]

Here are some of my thougths on the campaign:  

Leadership:  If I am the HAIC (Head err Admiral in Charge) of a Navy, I am going to want to have the best people working for me, or rather, out there on the sea, working for the Empire/Republic/Junta.  I think there should be a mechanic for looking over Personel Dossiers  so that I can assign the Right Ship to the Right Captain, andt he Right Fleet to the Right Admiral and so forth.  This wouldn't have to be all that involved of a feature.  The Dossiers Should just show a little Portrait of the fella in his Dress Uniform.  Off to the side a few lines could say when he graduated from the Naval Academy and what place he Graduated for that year along with his area of study.  Under that there could be a line or two detailing the high (and low) points of his career. Something like ***Graduated 1911, 5th in his class, with two degrees (Engineering, History) Made Lt Commander in 1916, while XO of USS Example forced German U Boat to Surface in 1917, Promoated to Commander, Currently Awaiting assignment to his own Command in New York*****

I know that this isn't reallyt hat big of an issue, I was just thinking this might be added somewhere down the line.  I am of the belief that there is no such thing as too much Imersion, and you'd be surprsied how "the little things" can go a long way in a person's Imersion into a game

 

Intelligence:  There should be a small mountain of Intelligence bombarding the player pretty much non-stop, but of that intel, only a little bit is actually of any real, practical value.  There could be a tab you click on and it will have different reports tagged for you to read.  Something like, "While at Naval HQ Rear Admiral So and So practically runs into your office, after having called your assistant now less than six times in the last hour.  Finally you relent and agreee to see him for "Five Minutes" before you have to leave for a meeting with the Joint Cheifs about the Jamacia Debacle.  The admiral is beside himself, showing you picture after picture taken from a plane at high altitude on a rainey day, showing some sort of activity in such and such Naval base.  Apparently the Admiral is grinding his "The French are plotting against us" Axe again and has decided to waste your time with this nonsense instead of adhering to the Chain of Command.  Stilll...It does look like the fleet is putting to sea.  Should you put some of your team on it or tell the Admiral that you will  "Get to it when you can".  

 

I have other thoughts on this but This is getting rather long.  Anyway, Good Hunting everybody.

[CapnAvont1015]

Alrighty sailors I got a suggestion. 

• Propaganda- So I reckon recruiting sailors is gonna be restricted to a limited number. For example every month you recruit 100 sailors. With propaganda you can increase the number of sailors you get for your fleet and increase that number to 200 a month. Another thing what propaganda can do is increase your Nation's faith in the Navy. Doing this will increase the amount of funds you get from your Nation for a period of time. 

So what do you lads think? Do ya like? Hate it? Let me know. NOW!!

[Fishyfish]

On 12/20/2020 at 4:30 PM, CapnAvont1015 said:

Alrighty sailors I got a suggestion. 

• Propaganda- So I reckon recruiting sailors is gonna be restricted to a limited number. For example every month you recruit 100 sailors. With propaganda you can increase the number of sailors you get for your fleet and increase that number to 200 a month. Another thing what propaganda can do is increase your Nation's faith in the Navy. Doing this will increase the amount of funds you get from your Nation for a period of time. 

So what do you lads think? Do ya like? Hate it? Let me know. NOW!!

Spend political points on war propaganda and war bonds, reminds me a lot of HoI4 and I support it. 

[CapnAvont1015]

Ok here's a suggestion

• Scrapping Broken Ships- So the other day I one shot a BB above the water line yet it still sank with no flash fire. So my suggestion is a slight rework to what sinks a ship and if a ship is destroyed but didn't take that much flooding it will sit there. So when the battle is done and if the destroyed ship is still there and close to a nearby port you own, you can send a group tugs to collect the ship and bring it to the port to be scraped. Of course scraping it will earn you some money and maybe get you some technology from it.

So what you guys think? Sorry if I didn't explain it to well.

Edited January 5, 2021 by CapnAvont1015

[TotalRampage]

On 1/4/2021 at 5:32 PM, CapnAvont1015 said:

Ok here's a suggestion

• Scrapping Broken Ships- So the other day I one shot a BB above the water line yet it still sank with no flash fire. So my suggestion is a slight rework to what sinks a ship and if a ship is destroyed but didn't take that much flooding it will sit there. So when the battle is done and if the destroyed ship is still there and close to a nearby port you own, you can send a group tugs to collect the ship and bring it to the port to be scraped. Of course scraping it will earn you some money and maybe get you some technology from it.

So what you guys think? Sorry if I didn't explain it to well.

I like it. So it would be like an enemy ship after a battle (for the tech portion)?  Also gotta be careful because historically it took a long time to salvage/refloat ships 1+ years and a lot of resources so it's not something that could be done for a quick resource or monetary gain. I think the best thing we could do witht his would be for stealing technology. Say there is a battle that you were involved in or two other powers fighting at the moment you have the option to send some DD's and CL's to steal some tech or maybe even ship plans/tactics from the ships. This would help you know exactly the build of other enemy ships (assuming the other ship had logs about friendly ships) of course this runs the risk of ruining relations with friendly or placing you at war with another faction because well you are stealing stuff. 

[Aceituna]

16 hours ago, TotalRampage said:

Say there is a battle that you were involved in or two other powers fighting at the moment you have the option to send some DD's and CL's to steal some tech or maybe even ship plans/tactics from the ships.

Oh, please no. The chance of accomplishment for such action would be so low that there's no point in adding such feature. If it's not possible to save the ship and captain decides to abandon the ship there are two primary intends: Saving as big part of the crew as possible and making sure that the ship will really sink (usually by opening Kingstons or with explosives).

Now let's look at the situation where the ship surrenders. If captain of the ship sees that the fight is pointless he will always rather sink the ship himself so 1. He saves the crew, 2. The ship doesn't fall into the hands of the enemy. (for example Graf Spee).

So, usually the only type of ship you are actually able to capture is transport (for example by commerce raider). And if this ship's captain decides to surrender than one of the most important things he has to do is to throw important documents into the sea - typically codes (with some weight attached to them). Yes it can happen that the ship is captured before captain can destroy these documents but it's quite rare.

Edited January 11, 2021 by Aceituna