Development Diary #10 - 17th of December 2008

[Myth]

Both carrier groups would (should?) probably detect each other at approx the same time (depending on recce effort and Carrier Doctrine?) and thus be able to launch a strike/counterstrike. At Midway 1942 the japanese carriers were for example detected early by US land-based aircraft and not the US carrier aircraft.

Yes, but at the same time at Midway for a long while the Japanese had absolutely no idea where the US carriers were (though to be fair, they didn't have any planes to send off anyway).

[ukgb]

we’ve added a cool new feature, multiple detection levels. Knowing an enemy fleet is in a sea zone is not enough to be able to engage it, the ocean is a big place and all you know is that a fleet is somewhere. You need to pinpoint the fleet’s location better than that if you wish to actually fight it.

Excellent... I was hoping for something like this.

And the ship models look pretty nifty to.

[Johan]

It means that convoys will be visible on the main map ?

did you miss last weeks dev diary?

[Lord Finnish]

Yay, accurate map!

I hope Finland will have it's true shape.

[Kouak]

Yes, but at the same time at Midway for a long while the Japanese had absolutely no idea where the US carriers were (though to be fair, they didn't have any planes to send off anyway).

If we can create our own ships and our own divisions, why not our own CAG ?
One carrier with fighters/dive bombers and one other with fighter/reco plane

[Hakkapeliitta]

It means that convoys will be visible on the main map ?

I also think that the escort part of the dd implied that there will be actual convoys.

[edit after Johan's comment: gotta read the last weak's dd again, and this time properly]

[ecnan02]

Yes, but at the same time at Midway for a long while the Japanese had absolutely no idea where the US carriers were (though to be fair, they didn't have any planes to send off anyway).

I see carriers probably getting higher detection ratings due to their patrol aircraft. Perhaps different CAGs (still holding out for the multiple / buildable CAG) will get higher ratings than others. Also, perhaps doctrine plays a part in detection ratings.

[GrimReaper]

Yay, more coolness!

I like the new detection levels. Those will come in handy

[Johan Jung]

The japanese did detect the US TF abouth two hours before the US carrier plane struck and they had actually 50% of their attack planes in reserve for just this scenario. However, the japanese Admirals (Nagumo & Kusaka) wanted to launch a full strike meaning that they had to wait for the Midway-attack planes to return, land, refuel and rearm.

Yes, but at the same time at Midway for a long while the Japanese had absolutely no idea where the US carriers were (though to be fair, they didn't have any planes to send off anyway).

[ecnan02]

The japanese did detect the US TF abouth two hours before the US carrier plane struck and they had actually 50% of their attack planes in reserve for just this scenario. However, the japanese Admirals (Nagumo & Kusaka) wanted to launch a full strike meaning that they had to wait for the Midway-attack planes to return, land, refuel and rearm.

which of course led to the fateful delay, as they kept changing armaments for their aircraft and thus had decks littered with ordnance when the US aircraft showed up. Also, the Japanese did find at least one carrier, and put her out of action.

[Kouak]

did you miss last weeks dev diary?

So, convoys are abstrats and their roads visible on the logistics maps, but the escorts fleets are managed and visible from main map ?...

[Manziel]

will there also be infinite missions for air units? i would really like to send my interceptors on air superiority over france/the channel without clicking one hundred times

[Myth]

The japanese did detect the US TF abouth two hours before the US carrier plane struck and they had actually 50% of their attack planes in reserve for just this scenario. However, the japanese Admirals (Nagumo & Kusaka) wanted to launch a full strike meaning that they had to wait for the Midway-attack planes to return, land, refuel and rearm.

There were two US CTFs. One consisted of the Lex and the other one was the Yorktown and the Hornet IIRC. The Japanese discovered the lone carrier but IIRC never the pair, or if it did then at the very end. Not to mention, the Japanese couldn't attack because they were busy preparing their reserve planes: fueling, rearming with bombs from torpedoes, and then back to torpedoes from bombs, and they were below deck too; it's all very time-consuming. IMHO carrier warfare needs its own rules anyway.

[HMS Enterprize]

I hope speed will play a more critical aspect than it did in HOI2. Speed was a serious issue for ship design yet it made virtually no difference (that I could see) in HOI2.

Speed should allow for the possibility of ships out-running persuers should it not? I dont think this was an option in HOI2, which as I said made some ships (the battlecruiser in particular) kind of pointless, especially for nations where IC is not really an issue. Speed is a tactical issue as well as a strategic and should be represented as such.

[Nilmerf]

Hooray, naval warfare! You have to admit that the sweetest part of HOI2 is building a mighty fleet from '36 until the war. No? Maybe I've exposed myself as an Allied-only player. Love the ship upgrade system, I wonder how much detail will go into designing the ships.. will you be able to specify the number of guns or just size?

What would be awesome is two or three naval sprites at sea for larger fleets, performance be damned!

[Zanza]

Will armour, speed, armament and anti-air be the only things you can chose for a ship design? Or can you also modify say radar, range, anti-sub and for carriers number of aircraft?

[Searry]

The terrain map is so nice!

[Lusitan]

You didn't read, it was a pre-Jutland design Battlecruiser.

And since when does Hood have better AA than Scharnhorst???
Hood was to have its own upgrade, but never had it.


PS: well as you have unlocked the Ship Design (and other stuff of course), i'll most likely buy Hoi3 (if nothing bad happens, to me).

[the engineer]

Has the number of sea zones increased considerably compared to hearts of iron 2?

[chridder]

Has the number of sea zones increased considerably compared to hearts of iron 2?

As I can see in the screenshots I would sadly say no...