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The following naval system information is current to EUII v1.08.
Introduction
The purpose of this FAQ is to untangle some of the mysteries of the use of navies in the game EUII. There are six main sections to this FAQ: Attrition Section, Movement Section, User Interface Section, Tips and Tricks, Miscellaneous Section, and Recommendations for Paradox. The Attrition Section describes how ships are lost although not in battle. The Movement Section describes the number of days it takes to move ships from one sea-zone to another given various naval technology levels. The User Interface Section describes topics that involve, at least partly, the use of the user interface. Tips and Tricks gives helpful information that may border on exploitation. The Miscellaneous Section gives some possibly little known but helpful information. The Recommendations for Paradox section lists bugs and exploits uncovered along with possible solutions. Due to size, the FAQ is provided in three posts.
The truncate function is used in this text. The truncate function gives the integer portion of a real number, truncating the number at the decimal point. Truncate means that decimal remainders are no longer considered part of the result.
Credits
Thanks to Daniel A, Xang Xong III, Castellon, and VKV for their contributions to the making of this FAQ.
Table of Contents - post 1 of 4
[anchorlink=recent_changes]Recent Changes[/anchorlink]
[anchorlink=i]i) Attrition Section[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=i_I]I) Exemptions to Naval Attrition[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=i_II]II) Naval Supply Attrition[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=i_II_A]A. List of Modifiers[/anchorlink]
---------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_1]1) Storm[/anchorlink]
---------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_2]2) Icy[/anchorlink]
---------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_3]3) Blockade[/anchorlink]
---------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_4]4) Adjacent to port[/anchorlink]
---------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_5]5) Coastal[/anchorlink]
---------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_6]6) Leader[/anchorlink]
---------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_7]7) Months at Sea[/anchorlink]
------------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_7_a]a) Month Multiplier Table[/anchorlink]
------------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_7_b]b) Merging Fleets and Months at Sea[/anchorlink]
------------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_7_c]c) Reorganizing and Months at Sea[/anchorlink]
---------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_8]8) Attrition Limit Reached[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=i_II_B]B) Small Fleet Penalty (a.k.a. Minimum Naval Supply Attrition)[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=i_II_C]C) Maximum Naval Supply Attrition[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=i_III]III) Naval Movement Attrition[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=i_IV]IV) Dispersal of Attrition[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=i_V]V) How Naval Attrition Eventually Sinks Ships[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=i_VI]VI) Round-off Errors (Discrepancies in Number of Ships on Reload)[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=i_VII]VII) Repair of Ships[/anchorlink]
Table of Contents - post 2 of 4
[anchorlink=ii]ii) Movement Section[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=ii_I]I) Movement Speed[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=ii_II]II) Fast Northern Sea-zones[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=ii_III]III) Naval Exploration Time[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=ii_III_A]A) Days to Explore a Normal Sea-zone with Explorer[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=ii_III_B]B) Days to Explore a Fast Northern Sea-zone with Explorer[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=ii_III_C]C) Days to Explore a Normal Sea-zone without Explorer[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=ii_III_D]D) Days to Explore a Fast Northern Sea-zone without Explorer[/anchorlink]
[anchorlink=iii]iii) User Interface Section[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=iii_I]I) Troops and Splitting Ships or Losing Ships to Battle or Attrition[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iii_II]II) Reorganizing Ships and Troops On-board[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=iii_III]III) Troop Loading when Multiple Fleets Present[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iii_IV]IV) Types and Ranks of Naval Leaders [/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=iii_V]V) Multiple Leaders within one Fleet or Battle[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iii_VI]VI) Automatically Unloading Troops by Sailing into Port[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=iii_VII]VII) Way-points (Multiple Destinations or Stop in Port along the Way)[/anchorlink]
- [anchorlink=iii_VIII]VIII) Battles Cancel Movement Orders[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iii_IX]IX) Patrolling[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=iii_X]X) Canceling Orders to Unload Troops[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iii_XI]XI) Unloading Troop Detachments to One or More Destinations from Single Fleet[/anchorlink]
[anchorlink=iv]iv) Tips and Tricks[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=iv_I]I) Detecting Enemy Ships[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=iv_I_A]A) Your Fleet or Active Allies' Fleet in the Same Waters[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=iv_I_B]B) Naval Tech 18 or Higher (Increased Sight Range at Sea)[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=iv_I_C]C) Spotting Enemy Ships from Land[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=iv_I_D]D) Port Being Blockaded[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=iv_I_E]E) Enemy Troops Recently Unloaded[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=iv_I_F]F) Pirates[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=iv_I_G]G) Hidden Enemy Ships[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iv_II]II) Sneaking by Enemy Fleets[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=iv_III]III) Trying to Engage Enemy Fleets[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iv_IV]IV) Stopping Enemy Fleets from Unloading Troops[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=iv_V]V) Preventing Pirates from Appearing in National Waters[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iv_VI]VI) Detecting Enemy Armies Stationed in Port Provinces with Military Access[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=iv_VII]VII) Using Fleets to Capture or Recapture Provinces without Fortresses[/anchorlink]
- [anchorlink=iv_VIII]VIII) Quick Troop Unloading to Enemy Port with Military Access[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iv_IX]IX) Sailing or Exploring Long Distances without Making Port[/anchorlink]
Table of Contents - post 3 of 4
[anchorlink=v]v) Miscellaneous Section[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=v_I]I) Being Forced to Return to Port[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=v_II]II) Where Transports Can "Fight"[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=v_III]III) Where Galleys are "Safe"[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=v_IV]IV) Spontaneous Naval Battles[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_IV_A]A) Battle Caused by Splitting or Reorganizing Ships[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_IV_B]B) Battle Caused by War, Peace, or Increasing Alliance[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=v_V]V) Shipyards[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_V_A]A) Requirements to Build[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_V_B]B) Benefits[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=v_VI]VI) Naval Support Costs and Naval Support Limit[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_VI_A]A) Number of Ports[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_VI_B]B) Shipyards[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_VI_C]C) Merchants[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_VI_D]D) Naval Manufactories[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_VI_E]E) Naval Supplies Produced[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_VI_F]F) Naval Supplies Traded[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_VI_G]G) Economical Resources[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=v_VII]VII) Ship Build Capacity[/anchorlink]
- [anchorlink=v_VIII]VIII) Ship Build Costs[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=v_IX]IX) Naval Morale Modifiers[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=v_X]X) Blockade Effects[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_X_A]A) Enemy Tax Income[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_X_B]B) Enemy Trade Income[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_X_C]C) Supply for Friendly Troops[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_X_D]D) Supply for Friendly Ships[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_X_E]E) Siege Effects[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=v_XI]XI) Blocking Strait Crossings[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=v_XII]XII) Unusual Province and Sea-Zone Adjacencies[/anchorlink]
- [anchorlink=v_XIII]XIII) Naval Battle Information[/anchorlink]
Table of Contents - post 4 of 4
[anchorlink=vi]vi) Recommendations for Paradox[/anchorlink]
[anchor=recent_changes]Recent Changes[/anchor]
April 2005:
Information on shipyards and ship support has been added.
Information on ship building costs and naval morale has been added.
Information about blockade effects and blocking straits has been added.
Table of contents and references are now improved with links.
May 2005:
Additions to naval morale modifiers have been made.
Changes reflect economical resources are affected by investment income (not exactly correct).
August 2005:
Siege effects of blockades are mentioned.
A bug is mentioned regarding lost galleys in deep seas being incorrectly classified as lost warships.
Owning Hinterpommern gains The Sund as national waters.
Changes reflect economical resources are affected by the previous month's surplus slider income.
October 2005:
Difficulty level affects base cost and support cost of ships.
"Cloud" above a navy in battle means that navy has a combat bonus from national waters.
Naval supplies traded are always zero for the first month after a reload.
March 2006:
Updates made for version 1.09.
Cost of shipyards increases by 100d for each.
Number of ports contribute +4 naval support for each increment of base tax in homeports.
Merchants now support ten ships for each whole merchant received per year.
Defender of the faith bonus to morale remains 0.15 for naval and is 0.5 for land morale.
All land adjacencies to Venice can now be blocked by a fleet in the sea next to it.
It is more difficult for fleets to flee in a chosen direction.
[anchor=i]i) Attrition Section[/anchor]
When naval attrition occurs, ships are lost although they are not in battle and there has not been an event. At most one ship a month may be lost from a fleet due to "naval supply attrition" because the fleet has been too long from port or the condition of the sea is hazardous (see [anchorlink=i_II]i.II.[/anchorlink] below). More than one ship may be lost due to "naval movement attrition" if the ships are in motion at the end of a month (see [anchorlink=i_III]i.III.[/anchorlink] below). Attrition is computed and applied at the end of each month; the effects may be seen on the first of the following month. In many cases, one month's attrition only causes damage and no ships sink; ships usually sink only after multiple months of accumulated attrition (see [anchorlink=i_V]i.V.[/anchorlink] below).
Supply and movement attritions do not stack. The higher attrition percentage takes precedence.
[anchor=i_I]i.I) Exemptions to Naval Attrition[/anchor]
Naval supply and movement attrition do not apply to AI or to a player's ships in his own national waters (sea-zones adjacent to provinces owned by the player). When left-clicking on a sea-zone, shields are displayed of all nations that claim those waters as national waters.
Naval supply and movement attrition do not apply while in any port, including moving out of port. That is, movement attrition does not occur if ships are in port on the last day of the month, even though the ships may be in motion. Ships are considered "in port" for the entire time that the ships are not displayed and instead the "port icon" shows a navigator's wheel not an anchor.
Ships and troops on-board do not suffer movement attrition when led by an explorer.
Fleets with naval tech 41 and higher or fleets of size 101 or larger or do not suffer naval supply attrition; they are still subject to naval movement attrition.
[anchor=i_II]i.II) Naval Supply Attrition[/anchor]
Ships and troops on-board suffer this attrition, which increases with months-since-port (see [anchorlink=i_II_A_7]i.II.A.7.[/anchorlink] below). The number of months-since-port is in whole months; arriving at sea on the first or end of the same month is identical for all purposes except when merging fleets if a weighted-average occurs (see * note in section [anchorlink=I_II_A_7_b]i.II.A.7.b.[/anchorlink] below).
[anchor=i_II_A]i.II.A) List of Modifiers[/anchor]
The full list of modifiers to naval supply attrition is:
+10 Storm (less than 38 naval only)
+10 Icy (less than 41 naval only)
-3 Blockade
-2 Adjacent to port
-3 Costal
- leader
+ months at sea (There is a bug here, see * note in section [anchorlink=i_ii_A_7]i.II.A.7.[/anchorlink] below)
- attrition limit reached
If the summation of all modifiers is a positive value, then naval supply attrition will occur. The sum is to be considered a percentage. If the sum is greater than or equal to the small fleet penalty (see [anchorlink=i_II_B]i.II.B.[/anchorlink] below), then the amount of attrition suffered is the sum as a percentage applied to the ships and to the troops on the ships. If the sum is positive and is less than the small fleet penalty, then the amount of attrition is the small fleet penalty. Due to the "attrition limit reached" modifier (see [anchorlink=i_II_A_8]i.II.A.8.[/anchorlink] below), the sum cannot be greater than the maximum attrition (see [anchorlink=i_II_C]i.II.C.[/anchorlink] below).
The naval-unit window is "buggy" and shows one less attrition (but non-negative) than would be displayed in the naval-battle window; the same bug exists for the army-unit window (see FAQ for Army Attrition on Land V1.08). The naval-battle window is also incorrect in most instances because months at sea is not applied correctly (see * note in section [anchorlink=i_II_A_7]i.II.A.7.[/anchorlink] below). At low naval tech levels it is possible to receive 3% greater attrition than is shown in the naval-unit window.
[anchor=i_II_A_1]i.II.A.1) Storm[/anchor] - If a swirling black mass (storm) is present in the same sea-zone as a fleet on the last day of the month a +10 storm penalty is assessed for naval tech less than 38.
[anchor=i_II_A_2]i.II.A.2) Icy[/anchor] - If a white mass (ice) is present in the same sea-zone as a fleet on the last day of the month a +10 icy penalty is assessed for naval tech less than 41. Icy waters are exclusive to the Arctic area.
[anchor=i_II_A_3]i.II.A.3) Blockade[/anchor] - If the equivalent of at least five warships is present in the sea-zone outside a port controlled by an enemy at war, all ships in that sea-zone that at war with the province controller receive a -3 bonus to naval attrition. Two galleys may replace any one of the warships; ten galleys are equivalent to five warships. For more information about blockades see [anchorlink=v_X]v.X.[/anchorlink] below.
[anchor=i_II_A_4]i.II.A.4) Adjacent to port[/anchor] - If ships are in the sea-zone just outside port of an active ally or an enemy port under control by you or an active ally, a -2 bonus is received.
[anchor=i_II_A_5]i.II.A.5) Coastal[/anchor] - If ships are in a sea-zone adjacent to land, a -3 bonus is received.
[anchor=i_II_A_6]i.II.A.6) Leader[/anchor] - A bonus to reduce attrition is received based on the maneuver value of the fleet's leader. The bonus is -1 for each level of maneuver for non-explorers. Explorers have twice the bonus, -2 for each maneuver. In the case of multiple leaders within a fleet see [anchorlink=iii_V]iii.V.[/anchorlink] below.
[anchor=i_II_A_7]i.II.A.7) Months at Sea[/anchor] - Calculate by multiplying the months-since-port times naval month multiplier based on naval tech (see [anchorlink=i_II_A_7_a]i.II.A.7.a.[/anchorlink] below). The months-since-port is the number of end-of-month to first-of-month date-crossings since the last time in port (you may add one to that number account for the bug). Arriving at sea from port on the first of the month is preferable; it is the day that ships arrive at sea that is relevant. As stated elsewhere, ships are considered "in port" for the entire time that the ships are not displayed and instead the "port icon" shows a navigator's wheel not an anchor.
months at sea = truncate (months-since-port * month multiplier)
* The bug in "months at sea" is that the actual attrition applied is for the following month's value not the current month. Or you could think that the attrition applied to a ship just having left port is based on one month-since-port not zero months as would be indicated by the game display.
[anchor=i_II_A_7_a]i.II.A.7.a) Month Multiplier Table[/anchor]
Naval --- Month
Tech ---- Multiplier
-----------------
0-6 ----- 2.0
7-8 ----- 1.8
9-11 ---- 1.6
12-14 --- 1.4
15-18 --- 1.2
19-26 --- 1.0
27-30 --- 0.8
31-40 --- 0.6
41-60 --- 0.0
[anchor=i_II_A_7_b]i.II.A.7.b) Merging Fleets and Months at Sea[/anchor]
Merging fleets are "buggy" with respect to computing a sensible value for months at sea. The computation is different depending on the method and order of selection of naval-units before merging. If selecting by dragging a rectangle around the units, the units when merged will take the month-value of the most-recently-created-fleet.
Otherwise, when selecting individual units one by one: if the first naval-unit selected has a lower months-at-sea-value than the next unit selected and they are merged, the resulting fleet has the worst-case months. If however, the fleet with the worst months-at-sea-value is first selected and the units are merged, the resulting fleet has a "buggy" weighted-average where a smaller fleet size of the naval-unit with best-months-value causes a lower resulting months-at-sea-value.
* The weighted-average is a new date since last port computed based on days since last port for the two fleets. So it is possible to get some slightly skewed results for the weighted-average (than would be suggested below) when fleets have left port on different days of the month.
To give some examples I define the following notation where a fleet's attributes are given as (fleet size, months at sea) and the order of the fleets presented in the equation is in order of selection from left (first) to right (last). Assume a naval tech level in the range zero to six where the month multiplier is two.
(9 ships, 20 months) + (1 ships, 0 months) = (10 ships, 2 months)
(1 ships, 20 months) + (9 ships, 0 months) = (10 ships, 18 months)
Above, you see the weighted-average is opposite of what makes sense.
(5 ships, 20 months) + (5 ships, 0 months) = (10 ships, 10 months)
(5 ships, 0 months) + (5 ships, 20 months) = (10 ships, 20 months)
(1 ships, 0 months) + (9 ships, 20 months) = (10 ships, 20 months)
For more than two units merged, the merges are in order of selection.
Each of the following lines is equivalent (i.e. =) to each of the others:
(5, 20) + (5, 12) + (10, 0) =
[(5, 20) + (5, 12)] + (10, 0) =
(10, 16) + (10, 0) =
(20 ships, 8 months)
To get the best months at sea that is possible (referring to all merge or reorganize methods), break a single ship from the best-months-fleet. That is, reorganize the best-months-fleet and move a single ship down into a newly-created-fleet. That makes the tiny fleet of one ship the most-recently-created-fleet. Drag a rectangle around all the naval-units and merge. The new fleet has the month-value of the most-recently-created-fleet, which was the tiny fleet of one ship.
Once fleets that each carry troops are merged there is no quick way to return the original armies to different fleets; so you might not always want to merge all fleets in a sea-zone. After rectangle-selecting all naval-units in a sea-zone you can deselect individual units you do not want to merge. However you must predetermine the position of the selection-bars of those units; there is no way to get a naval-unit window-display for a unit while multiple units are selected. Keep in mind that the position of selection-bars often rotate upon clicking on the fleets. It may sometimes be preferable to individually select the naval-units to merge. To get the best months-value always start by merging with a single ship from the best-months-fleet.
[anchor=i_II_A_7_c]i.II.A.7.c) Reorganizing and Months at Sea[/anchor]
Reorganizing like merging is also "buggy" in computing a sensible value for months at sea. It is always simpler and preferable to use one of the merge methods (see [anchorlink=i_II_A_7_b]i.II.A.7.b.[/anchorlink] above). When reorganizing, the order of selection is also important. Also important is whether the ships are moved up or down when reorganizing. If first selecting the ships with the best-months-value or if the first ship is moved down in the reorganization, both fleets will take the worst-case months-value.
To get the best-months-value possible in reorganization, first select the fleet with the worst-months-value. Then select the other fleet to reorganize. Move a ship up from the best-months-fleet (bottom) to the worst-months-fleet (top). The result is that both fleets take a "buggy" weighted-average as if the worst-months-fleet had been merged with one ship of the best-months-fleet (see [anchorlink=i_II_A_7_b]i.II.A.7.b.[/anchorlink] above). Since both fleets then take the same value, additional ships can be moved up or down in the reorganization from that point without further effect on the months-value.
[anchor=i_II_A_8]i.II.A.8) Attrition Limit Reached[/anchor] - This is a reduction in attrition imposed by the maximum attrition level. The attrition limit reached reduction is zero if attrition would not exceed the maximum attrition. Otherwise, the attrition limit reached reduction is whatever number required making the sum of modifiers total to be the maximum attrition level. Even though the months-at-sea-value is not applied correctly (see * note above in [anchorlink=i_II_A_7]i.II.A.7[/anchorlink]) attrition limit reached is applied to counteract months
[anchor=i_II_B]i.II.B) Small Fleet Penalty (a.k.a. Minimum Naval Supply Attrition)[/anchor]
A small fleet penalty applies to fleets of size five or less if there is at least 1% naval supply attrition as calculated in section i.II.A.
Small Fleet Penalty = truncate (10/number of ships)
That means if you would normally suffer 1% naval supply attrition but had a fleet of less than six ships, you would suffer additional attrition. It is a minimum attrition level that is placed on small fleets; attrition will be higher if naval supply attrition as calculated in section i.II.A. is greater.
Fleet -- Small Fleet Penalty
Size --- Minimum Attrition
-----------------------
11-up -- 0%
6-10 --- 1%
4-5 ---- 2%
3 ------ 3%
2 ------ 5%
1 ------ 10%
So, a fleet consisting of a single ship will sink fast. Where a fleet of six ships would suffer 1% attrition, a single ship suffers at least 10% attrition. A single ship would survive for 10 months if attrition were always 10%. The ship exists as a fraction less than one; but attrition is applied as if it was a whole ship. Going to port, splitting, merging or clicking reorganize repairs all fractional portions of ships restoring them to whole numbers (see [anchorlink=i_VII]i.VII.[/anchorlink] below).
When transporting troops outside national waters, use fleets of at least size six since that minimizes troop casualties. Without troops, moving fleets of three or four in size is okay because ships can be repaired before a single ship is lost. A large fleet can accumulate a whole ships worth of attrition fairly quickly. A fleet of size one or two can suffer a high minimum attrition. Once attrition is already at a fairly high value fleets of three can be broken into size one fleets and merged and reorganized frequently to repair damage. They will be forced to return to port eventually however, due to "too high attrition."
[anchor=i_II_C]i.II.C) Maximum Naval Supply Attrition[/anchor]
Maximum Naval Supply Attrition = truncate (100/number of ships)
That is a fleet of 101 ships will never suffer naval supply attrition! Without an explorer, the fleet is vulnerable to movement attrition however. And with so many ships, movement attrition would cause the average loss of at least one ship every month (possibly distributed among different ship types), but not if the ships were not moving at the end of the month.
The basic result of maximum naval supply attrition is that no fleet will ever lose more than one ship a month to supply attrition no matter how many months since port or what the conditions of the seas. High ship losses are still possible with movement attrition and very large fleets.
Fleet --- Maximum Naval
Size ---- Supply Attrition
-----------------------
101-up -- 0%
51-100 -- 1%
34-50 --- 2%
26-33 --- 3%
21-25 --- 4%
17-20 --- 5%
15-16 --- 6%
13-14 --- 7%
12 ------ 8%
11 ------ 9%
10 ----- 10%
9 ------ 11%
8 ------ 12%
7 ------ 14%
6 ------ 16%
5 ------ 20%
4 ------ 25%
3 ------ 33%
2 ------ 50%
1 ----- 100%
[anchor=i_III]i.III) Naval Movement Attrition[/anchor]
Ships and troops on-board may suffer 1% movement attrition if ships are in motion on the last day of a month. Movement attrition does not occur if ships are moving out of a port on the last day of a month. Movement attrition does not affect ships in national waters on the last day of the month. Ships and troops on-board are not affected by movement attrition if led by an explorer.
As stated elsewhere, supply and movement attritions do not stack. The higher attrition percentage takes precedence.
[anchor=i_IV]i.IV) Dispersal of Attrition[/anchor]
If there are warships, or galleys, or transports all by themselves with no ships of one of the other three categories all the attrition is suffered in the ship category present. The chart below shows how the attrition is divided when more than one category of ships is present. Where dashes are present in place of a fraction, the lack of ships of that category is indicated. Where a fraction is present, ships of that category are present and the fraction represents the fraction of the total attrition that ships in that category will suffer. For example, in the last column, when warships are grouped with transports, the warships suffer 5/6 of the attrition. So it is better not to group small numbers of warships with large numbers of transports.
-------------- Dispersal of Attrition ---
Warships ----- 1/9 --- 1/6 ---------- 5/6
Galleys ------ 7/9 --- 5/6 -- 5/6 -------
Transports --- 1/9 ---------- 1/6 --- 1/6
[anchor=i_V]i.V) How Naval Attrition Eventually Sinks Ships[/anchor]
Naval attrition works the same way as land attrition for artillery (see related FAQ on Army Attrition on Land V1.08). In the computer's game logic, a fleet of ships is stored as a number with an integer portion and a decimal portion. If the decimal portion of ships is greater than zero, one more ship is displayed in the game than would otherwise be indicated by the integer portion of the fleet's number. That means that the number of ships available in the game is the value of the ceiling function applied to the fleet's number. The ceiling function applied to a whole number is the number itself. Applied to number between two consecutive whole numbers the ceiling function is the greater of the two whole numbers.
Whenever ships suffer attrition, a percentage is applied to the displayed number of ships and is subtracted from the internal decimal number of ships. The percentage applied is known in this FAQ as either the naval supply attrition or naval movement attrition. When the fleet's number is decreased to have a lower ceiling function value, at least one ship is lost.
For example:
10.000 galleys are displayed as 10 ships.
If 10 ships suffer a maximum of 10% supply attrition:
10.000 - (10% * 10) = 10.000 - 1.000 = 9.000
9.000 galleys are displayed as 9 ships; one ship was lost.
If 9 ships suffer a maximum of 11% supply attrition:
9.000 - (11% * 9) = 9.000 - 0.990 = 8.010
8.010 galleys are displayed as 9 ships; no ships are lost.
If 9 ships again suffer a maximum of 11% attrition (without repair, see [anchorlink=i_VII]i.VII.[/anchorlink] below):
8.010 - (11% * 9) = 8.010 - 0.990 = 7.020
7.020 galleys are displayed as 8 ships; one ship was lost.
Attrition dispersal can reduce a single month's ship losses (compare to above example).
A fleet of 1.000 warships and 9.000 galleys is ten ships.
If 10 ships suffer a maximum of 10% supply attrition,
warships take 1/6 of the attrition (see [anchorlink=i_IV]i.IV.[/anchorlink] above):
1.000 - (1/6 * 10% * 10) = 1.000 - 0.167 = 0.833 warships
galleys take 5/6 of the attrition:
9.000 - (5/6 * 10% * 10) = 9.000 - 0.834 = 0.166 galleys
A fleet of 0.833 warships and 0.166 galleys is ten ships; no ships are lost.
249.500 warships are displayed as 250 ships.
If 250 ships suffer a 1% movement attrition:
249.500 - (1% * 250) = 249.500 - 2.500 = 247.000
247.000 warships are displayed as 247 ships; three ships were lost.
Warships grouped with large numbers of transports may be lost more quickly.
A fleet of 1.000 warships and 199.000 transports is 200 ships.
If 200 ships suffer a 1% movement attrition:
warships take 5/6 of the attrition (see [anchorlink=i_IV]i.IV.[/anchorlink] above):
1.000 - (5/6 * 1% * 200) = 1.000 - 1.667 = -0.667 ==> 0.000 warships
transports take 1/6 of the attrition:
199.000 - (1/6 * 1% * 200) = 199.000 - 0.334 = 198.666 transports
A fleet of 0.000 warships and 198.666 galleys is 199 ships; one warship was lost.
[anchor=i_VI]i.VI) Round-off Errors (Discrepancies in Number of Ships on Reload)[/anchor]
First there are round-off errors in computing attrition percentages. In computers, percentages are not always accurately represented because computers represent fractions in binary (a ones and zeros number system). In binary, one-half is 0.100 and one-quarter is 0.010 and one-eighth is 0.001 and so on. The problem arises from representing one-fifth. In the decimal system one-fifth is simply 0.2. But in binary, one-fifth is an infinitely repeating value past the binary point (0.00110011001100110011...). The infinitely repeating value cannot be fully represented and is truncated at some point. So percentages where one-fifth factors into the lowest common denominator will sometimes be computed very slightly smaller than they should be.
The binary percentage round-off error can be seen when sending 20.000 or 25.000 ships of all the same type (warship, galley, transport) out past national waters at maximum attrition. Twenty ships suffer 5% maximum attrition and 25 ships suffer 4% maximum attrition (see [anchorlink=i_II_C]i.II.C.[/anchorlink] above). In the case of 20 or 25 of the same ship-type, one ship should be lost on the first month at maximum attrition. But since the percentages are actually infinitesimally smaller than 5% and 4%, there is some very tiny fraction of a ship remaining that prevents ship-loss from being displayed (see [anchorlink=i_V]i.V.[/anchorlink] above). Twenty or 25 ships remain after the first month of attrition.
The very tiny fraction of a ship that remains is less than 0.001, which is the smallest fraction of a ship that can be stored in a save-game. So if saving and reloading the above examples where 20 or 25 ships had suffered maximum attrition (without repair, see [anchorlink=i_VII]i.VII.[/anchorlink] below), the number of ships after reloading would be 19 or 24 ships respectively. This is the second type of round-off error. In saving a game, the fractional portion of a ship is converted to a decimal and is truncated past the thousandths place.
Fleets of 100.000, 50.000, 10.0000, 5.000, 4.000, 2.000, and 1.000 composed of a single ship-type (warship, galley, transport) at maximum attrition all lose exactly one ship as should be the case.
[anchor=i_VII]i.VII) Repair of Ships[/anchor]
Ships are repaired to whole numbers upon entering port, splitting, merging or clicking reorganize. That is, the fleet's number is raised to the ceiling function value of the current fleet number (see [anchorlink=i_V]i.V.[/anchorlink] above).
Exploit: (See [anchorlink=iv_IX]iv.IX.[/anchorlink] below)
(post 1 of 4 - Naval FAQ is continued in the following post)
The following naval system information is current to EUII v1.08.
Introduction
The purpose of this FAQ is to untangle some of the mysteries of the use of navies in the game EUII. There are six main sections to this FAQ: Attrition Section, Movement Section, User Interface Section, Tips and Tricks, Miscellaneous Section, and Recommendations for Paradox. The Attrition Section describes how ships are lost although not in battle. The Movement Section describes the number of days it takes to move ships from one sea-zone to another given various naval technology levels. The User Interface Section describes topics that involve, at least partly, the use of the user interface. Tips and Tricks gives helpful information that may border on exploitation. The Miscellaneous Section gives some possibly little known but helpful information. The Recommendations for Paradox section lists bugs and exploits uncovered along with possible solutions. Due to size, the FAQ is provided in three posts.
The truncate function is used in this text. The truncate function gives the integer portion of a real number, truncating the number at the decimal point. Truncate means that decimal remainders are no longer considered part of the result.
Credits
Thanks to Daniel A, Xang Xong III, Castellon, and VKV for their contributions to the making of this FAQ.
Table of Contents - post 1 of 4
[anchorlink=recent_changes]Recent Changes[/anchorlink]
[anchorlink=i]i) Attrition Section[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=i_I]I) Exemptions to Naval Attrition[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=i_II]II) Naval Supply Attrition[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=i_II_A]A. List of Modifiers[/anchorlink]
---------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_1]1) Storm[/anchorlink]
---------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_2]2) Icy[/anchorlink]
---------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_3]3) Blockade[/anchorlink]
---------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_4]4) Adjacent to port[/anchorlink]
---------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_5]5) Coastal[/anchorlink]
---------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_6]6) Leader[/anchorlink]
---------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_7]7) Months at Sea[/anchorlink]
------------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_7_a]a) Month Multiplier Table[/anchorlink]
------------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_7_b]b) Merging Fleets and Months at Sea[/anchorlink]
------------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_7_c]c) Reorganizing and Months at Sea[/anchorlink]
---------- [anchorlink=i_II_A_8]8) Attrition Limit Reached[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=i_II_B]B) Small Fleet Penalty (a.k.a. Minimum Naval Supply Attrition)[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=i_II_C]C) Maximum Naval Supply Attrition[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=i_III]III) Naval Movement Attrition[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=i_IV]IV) Dispersal of Attrition[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=i_V]V) How Naval Attrition Eventually Sinks Ships[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=i_VI]VI) Round-off Errors (Discrepancies in Number of Ships on Reload)[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=i_VII]VII) Repair of Ships[/anchorlink]
Table of Contents - post 2 of 4
[anchorlink=ii]ii) Movement Section[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=ii_I]I) Movement Speed[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=ii_II]II) Fast Northern Sea-zones[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=ii_III]III) Naval Exploration Time[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=ii_III_A]A) Days to Explore a Normal Sea-zone with Explorer[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=ii_III_B]B) Days to Explore a Fast Northern Sea-zone with Explorer[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=ii_III_C]C) Days to Explore a Normal Sea-zone without Explorer[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=ii_III_D]D) Days to Explore a Fast Northern Sea-zone without Explorer[/anchorlink]
[anchorlink=iii]iii) User Interface Section[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=iii_I]I) Troops and Splitting Ships or Losing Ships to Battle or Attrition[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iii_II]II) Reorganizing Ships and Troops On-board[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=iii_III]III) Troop Loading when Multiple Fleets Present[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iii_IV]IV) Types and Ranks of Naval Leaders [/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=iii_V]V) Multiple Leaders within one Fleet or Battle[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iii_VI]VI) Automatically Unloading Troops by Sailing into Port[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=iii_VII]VII) Way-points (Multiple Destinations or Stop in Port along the Way)[/anchorlink]
- [anchorlink=iii_VIII]VIII) Battles Cancel Movement Orders[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iii_IX]IX) Patrolling[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=iii_X]X) Canceling Orders to Unload Troops[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iii_XI]XI) Unloading Troop Detachments to One or More Destinations from Single Fleet[/anchorlink]
[anchorlink=iv]iv) Tips and Tricks[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=iv_I]I) Detecting Enemy Ships[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=iv_I_A]A) Your Fleet or Active Allies' Fleet in the Same Waters[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=iv_I_B]B) Naval Tech 18 or Higher (Increased Sight Range at Sea)[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=iv_I_C]C) Spotting Enemy Ships from Land[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=iv_I_D]D) Port Being Blockaded[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=iv_I_E]E) Enemy Troops Recently Unloaded[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=iv_I_F]F) Pirates[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=iv_I_G]G) Hidden Enemy Ships[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iv_II]II) Sneaking by Enemy Fleets[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=iv_III]III) Trying to Engage Enemy Fleets[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iv_IV]IV) Stopping Enemy Fleets from Unloading Troops[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=iv_V]V) Preventing Pirates from Appearing in National Waters[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iv_VI]VI) Detecting Enemy Armies Stationed in Port Provinces with Military Access[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=iv_VII]VII) Using Fleets to Capture or Recapture Provinces without Fortresses[/anchorlink]
- [anchorlink=iv_VIII]VIII) Quick Troop Unloading to Enemy Port with Military Access[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=iv_IX]IX) Sailing or Exploring Long Distances without Making Port[/anchorlink]
Table of Contents - post 3 of 4
[anchorlink=v]v) Miscellaneous Section[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=v_I]I) Being Forced to Return to Port[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=v_II]II) Where Transports Can "Fight"[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=v_III]III) Where Galleys are "Safe"[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=v_IV]IV) Spontaneous Naval Battles[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_IV_A]A) Battle Caused by Splitting or Reorganizing Ships[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_IV_B]B) Battle Caused by War, Peace, or Increasing Alliance[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=v_V]V) Shipyards[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_V_A]A) Requirements to Build[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_V_B]B) Benefits[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=v_VI]VI) Naval Support Costs and Naval Support Limit[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_VI_A]A) Number of Ports[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_VI_B]B) Shipyards[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_VI_C]C) Merchants[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_VI_D]D) Naval Manufactories[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_VI_E]E) Naval Supplies Produced[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_VI_F]F) Naval Supplies Traded[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_VI_G]G) Economical Resources[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=v_VII]VII) Ship Build Capacity[/anchorlink]
- [anchorlink=v_VIII]VIII) Ship Build Costs[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=v_IX]IX) Naval Morale Modifiers[/anchorlink]
---- [anchorlink=v_X]X) Blockade Effects[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_X_A]A) Enemy Tax Income[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_X_B]B) Enemy Trade Income[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_X_C]C) Supply for Friendly Troops[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_X_D]D) Supply for Friendly Ships[/anchorlink]
------- [anchorlink=v_X_E]E) Siege Effects[/anchorlink]
--- [anchorlink=v_XI]XI) Blocking Strait Crossings[/anchorlink]
-- [anchorlink=v_XII]XII) Unusual Province and Sea-Zone Adjacencies[/anchorlink]
- [anchorlink=v_XIII]XIII) Naval Battle Information[/anchorlink]
Table of Contents - post 4 of 4
[anchorlink=vi]vi) Recommendations for Paradox[/anchorlink]
[anchor=recent_changes]Recent Changes[/anchor]
April 2005:
Information on shipyards and ship support has been added.
Information on ship building costs and naval morale has been added.
Information about blockade effects and blocking straits has been added.
Table of contents and references are now improved with links.
May 2005:
Additions to naval morale modifiers have been made.
Changes reflect economical resources are affected by investment income (not exactly correct).
August 2005:
Siege effects of blockades are mentioned.
A bug is mentioned regarding lost galleys in deep seas being incorrectly classified as lost warships.
Owning Hinterpommern gains The Sund as national waters.
Changes reflect economical resources are affected by the previous month's surplus slider income.
October 2005:
Difficulty level affects base cost and support cost of ships.
"Cloud" above a navy in battle means that navy has a combat bonus from national waters.
Naval supplies traded are always zero for the first month after a reload.
March 2006:
Updates made for version 1.09.
Cost of shipyards increases by 100d for each.
Number of ports contribute +4 naval support for each increment of base tax in homeports.
Merchants now support ten ships for each whole merchant received per year.
Defender of the faith bonus to morale remains 0.15 for naval and is 0.5 for land morale.
All land adjacencies to Venice can now be blocked by a fleet in the sea next to it.
It is more difficult for fleets to flee in a chosen direction.
[anchor=i]i) Attrition Section[/anchor]
When naval attrition occurs, ships are lost although they are not in battle and there has not been an event. At most one ship a month may be lost from a fleet due to "naval supply attrition" because the fleet has been too long from port or the condition of the sea is hazardous (see [anchorlink=i_II]i.II.[/anchorlink] below). More than one ship may be lost due to "naval movement attrition" if the ships are in motion at the end of a month (see [anchorlink=i_III]i.III.[/anchorlink] below). Attrition is computed and applied at the end of each month; the effects may be seen on the first of the following month. In many cases, one month's attrition only causes damage and no ships sink; ships usually sink only after multiple months of accumulated attrition (see [anchorlink=i_V]i.V.[/anchorlink] below).
Supply and movement attritions do not stack. The higher attrition percentage takes precedence.
[anchor=i_I]i.I) Exemptions to Naval Attrition[/anchor]
Naval supply and movement attrition do not apply to AI or to a player's ships in his own national waters (sea-zones adjacent to provinces owned by the player). When left-clicking on a sea-zone, shields are displayed of all nations that claim those waters as national waters.
Naval supply and movement attrition do not apply while in any port, including moving out of port. That is, movement attrition does not occur if ships are in port on the last day of the month, even though the ships may be in motion. Ships are considered "in port" for the entire time that the ships are not displayed and instead the "port icon" shows a navigator's wheel not an anchor.
Ships and troops on-board do not suffer movement attrition when led by an explorer.
Fleets with naval tech 41 and higher or fleets of size 101 or larger or do not suffer naval supply attrition; they are still subject to naval movement attrition.
[anchor=i_II]i.II) Naval Supply Attrition[/anchor]
Ships and troops on-board suffer this attrition, which increases with months-since-port (see [anchorlink=i_II_A_7]i.II.A.7.[/anchorlink] below). The number of months-since-port is in whole months; arriving at sea on the first or end of the same month is identical for all purposes except when merging fleets if a weighted-average occurs (see * note in section [anchorlink=I_II_A_7_b]i.II.A.7.b.[/anchorlink] below).
[anchor=i_II_A]i.II.A) List of Modifiers[/anchor]
The full list of modifiers to naval supply attrition is:
+10 Storm (less than 38 naval only)
+10 Icy (less than 41 naval only)
-3 Blockade
-2 Adjacent to port
-3 Costal
- leader
+ months at sea (There is a bug here, see * note in section [anchorlink=i_ii_A_7]i.II.A.7.[/anchorlink] below)
- attrition limit reached
If the summation of all modifiers is a positive value, then naval supply attrition will occur. The sum is to be considered a percentage. If the sum is greater than or equal to the small fleet penalty (see [anchorlink=i_II_B]i.II.B.[/anchorlink] below), then the amount of attrition suffered is the sum as a percentage applied to the ships and to the troops on the ships. If the sum is positive and is less than the small fleet penalty, then the amount of attrition is the small fleet penalty. Due to the "attrition limit reached" modifier (see [anchorlink=i_II_A_8]i.II.A.8.[/anchorlink] below), the sum cannot be greater than the maximum attrition (see [anchorlink=i_II_C]i.II.C.[/anchorlink] below).
The naval-unit window is "buggy" and shows one less attrition (but non-negative) than would be displayed in the naval-battle window; the same bug exists for the army-unit window (see FAQ for Army Attrition on Land V1.08). The naval-battle window is also incorrect in most instances because months at sea is not applied correctly (see * note in section [anchorlink=i_II_A_7]i.II.A.7.[/anchorlink] below). At low naval tech levels it is possible to receive 3% greater attrition than is shown in the naval-unit window.
[anchor=i_II_A_1]i.II.A.1) Storm[/anchor] - If a swirling black mass (storm) is present in the same sea-zone as a fleet on the last day of the month a +10 storm penalty is assessed for naval tech less than 38.
[anchor=i_II_A_2]i.II.A.2) Icy[/anchor] - If a white mass (ice) is present in the same sea-zone as a fleet on the last day of the month a +10 icy penalty is assessed for naval tech less than 41. Icy waters are exclusive to the Arctic area.
[anchor=i_II_A_3]i.II.A.3) Blockade[/anchor] - If the equivalent of at least five warships is present in the sea-zone outside a port controlled by an enemy at war, all ships in that sea-zone that at war with the province controller receive a -3 bonus to naval attrition. Two galleys may replace any one of the warships; ten galleys are equivalent to five warships. For more information about blockades see [anchorlink=v_X]v.X.[/anchorlink] below.
[anchor=i_II_A_4]i.II.A.4) Adjacent to port[/anchor] - If ships are in the sea-zone just outside port of an active ally or an enemy port under control by you or an active ally, a -2 bonus is received.
[anchor=i_II_A_5]i.II.A.5) Coastal[/anchor] - If ships are in a sea-zone adjacent to land, a -3 bonus is received.
[anchor=i_II_A_6]i.II.A.6) Leader[/anchor] - A bonus to reduce attrition is received based on the maneuver value of the fleet's leader. The bonus is -1 for each level of maneuver for non-explorers. Explorers have twice the bonus, -2 for each maneuver. In the case of multiple leaders within a fleet see [anchorlink=iii_V]iii.V.[/anchorlink] below.
[anchor=i_II_A_7]i.II.A.7) Months at Sea[/anchor] - Calculate by multiplying the months-since-port times naval month multiplier based on naval tech (see [anchorlink=i_II_A_7_a]i.II.A.7.a.[/anchorlink] below). The months-since-port is the number of end-of-month to first-of-month date-crossings since the last time in port (you may add one to that number account for the bug). Arriving at sea from port on the first of the month is preferable; it is the day that ships arrive at sea that is relevant. As stated elsewhere, ships are considered "in port" for the entire time that the ships are not displayed and instead the "port icon" shows a navigator's wheel not an anchor.
months at sea = truncate (months-since-port * month multiplier)
* The bug in "months at sea" is that the actual attrition applied is for the following month's value not the current month. Or you could think that the attrition applied to a ship just having left port is based on one month-since-port not zero months as would be indicated by the game display.
[anchor=i_II_A_7_a]i.II.A.7.a) Month Multiplier Table[/anchor]
Naval --- Month
Tech ---- Multiplier
-----------------
0-6 ----- 2.0
7-8 ----- 1.8
9-11 ---- 1.6
12-14 --- 1.4
15-18 --- 1.2
19-26 --- 1.0
27-30 --- 0.8
31-40 --- 0.6
41-60 --- 0.0
[anchor=i_II_A_7_b]i.II.A.7.b) Merging Fleets and Months at Sea[/anchor]
Merging fleets are "buggy" with respect to computing a sensible value for months at sea. The computation is different depending on the method and order of selection of naval-units before merging. If selecting by dragging a rectangle around the units, the units when merged will take the month-value of the most-recently-created-fleet.
Otherwise, when selecting individual units one by one: if the first naval-unit selected has a lower months-at-sea-value than the next unit selected and they are merged, the resulting fleet has the worst-case months. If however, the fleet with the worst months-at-sea-value is first selected and the units are merged, the resulting fleet has a "buggy" weighted-average where a smaller fleet size of the naval-unit with best-months-value causes a lower resulting months-at-sea-value.
* The weighted-average is a new date since last port computed based on days since last port for the two fleets. So it is possible to get some slightly skewed results for the weighted-average (than would be suggested below) when fleets have left port on different days of the month.
To give some examples I define the following notation where a fleet's attributes are given as (fleet size, months at sea) and the order of the fleets presented in the equation is in order of selection from left (first) to right (last). Assume a naval tech level in the range zero to six where the month multiplier is two.
(9 ships, 20 months) + (1 ships, 0 months) = (10 ships, 2 months)
(1 ships, 20 months) + (9 ships, 0 months) = (10 ships, 18 months)
Above, you see the weighted-average is opposite of what makes sense.
(5 ships, 20 months) + (5 ships, 0 months) = (10 ships, 10 months)
(5 ships, 0 months) + (5 ships, 20 months) = (10 ships, 20 months)
(1 ships, 0 months) + (9 ships, 20 months) = (10 ships, 20 months)
For more than two units merged, the merges are in order of selection.
Each of the following lines is equivalent (i.e. =) to each of the others:
(5, 20) + (5, 12) + (10, 0) =
[(5, 20) + (5, 12)] + (10, 0) =
(10, 16) + (10, 0) =
(20 ships, 8 months)
To get the best months at sea that is possible (referring to all merge or reorganize methods), break a single ship from the best-months-fleet. That is, reorganize the best-months-fleet and move a single ship down into a newly-created-fleet. That makes the tiny fleet of one ship the most-recently-created-fleet. Drag a rectangle around all the naval-units and merge. The new fleet has the month-value of the most-recently-created-fleet, which was the tiny fleet of one ship.
Once fleets that each carry troops are merged there is no quick way to return the original armies to different fleets; so you might not always want to merge all fleets in a sea-zone. After rectangle-selecting all naval-units in a sea-zone you can deselect individual units you do not want to merge. However you must predetermine the position of the selection-bars of those units; there is no way to get a naval-unit window-display for a unit while multiple units are selected. Keep in mind that the position of selection-bars often rotate upon clicking on the fleets. It may sometimes be preferable to individually select the naval-units to merge. To get the best months-value always start by merging with a single ship from the best-months-fleet.
[anchor=i_II_A_7_c]i.II.A.7.c) Reorganizing and Months at Sea[/anchor]
Reorganizing like merging is also "buggy" in computing a sensible value for months at sea. It is always simpler and preferable to use one of the merge methods (see [anchorlink=i_II_A_7_b]i.II.A.7.b.[/anchorlink] above). When reorganizing, the order of selection is also important. Also important is whether the ships are moved up or down when reorganizing. If first selecting the ships with the best-months-value or if the first ship is moved down in the reorganization, both fleets will take the worst-case months-value.
To get the best-months-value possible in reorganization, first select the fleet with the worst-months-value. Then select the other fleet to reorganize. Move a ship up from the best-months-fleet (bottom) to the worst-months-fleet (top). The result is that both fleets take a "buggy" weighted-average as if the worst-months-fleet had been merged with one ship of the best-months-fleet (see [anchorlink=i_II_A_7_b]i.II.A.7.b.[/anchorlink] above). Since both fleets then take the same value, additional ships can be moved up or down in the reorganization from that point without further effect on the months-value.
[anchor=i_II_A_8]i.II.A.8) Attrition Limit Reached[/anchor] - This is a reduction in attrition imposed by the maximum attrition level. The attrition limit reached reduction is zero if attrition would not exceed the maximum attrition. Otherwise, the attrition limit reached reduction is whatever number required making the sum of modifiers total to be the maximum attrition level. Even though the months-at-sea-value is not applied correctly (see * note above in [anchorlink=i_II_A_7]i.II.A.7[/anchorlink]) attrition limit reached is applied to counteract months
[anchor=i_II_B]i.II.B) Small Fleet Penalty (a.k.a. Minimum Naval Supply Attrition)[/anchor]
A small fleet penalty applies to fleets of size five or less if there is at least 1% naval supply attrition as calculated in section i.II.A.
Small Fleet Penalty = truncate (10/number of ships)
That means if you would normally suffer 1% naval supply attrition but had a fleet of less than six ships, you would suffer additional attrition. It is a minimum attrition level that is placed on small fleets; attrition will be higher if naval supply attrition as calculated in section i.II.A. is greater.
Fleet -- Small Fleet Penalty
Size --- Minimum Attrition
-----------------------
11-up -- 0%
6-10 --- 1%
4-5 ---- 2%
3 ------ 3%
2 ------ 5%
1 ------ 10%
So, a fleet consisting of a single ship will sink fast. Where a fleet of six ships would suffer 1% attrition, a single ship suffers at least 10% attrition. A single ship would survive for 10 months if attrition were always 10%. The ship exists as a fraction less than one; but attrition is applied as if it was a whole ship. Going to port, splitting, merging or clicking reorganize repairs all fractional portions of ships restoring them to whole numbers (see [anchorlink=i_VII]i.VII.[/anchorlink] below).
When transporting troops outside national waters, use fleets of at least size six since that minimizes troop casualties. Without troops, moving fleets of three or four in size is okay because ships can be repaired before a single ship is lost. A large fleet can accumulate a whole ships worth of attrition fairly quickly. A fleet of size one or two can suffer a high minimum attrition. Once attrition is already at a fairly high value fleets of three can be broken into size one fleets and merged and reorganized frequently to repair damage. They will be forced to return to port eventually however, due to "too high attrition."
[anchor=i_II_C]i.II.C) Maximum Naval Supply Attrition[/anchor]
Maximum Naval Supply Attrition = truncate (100/number of ships)
That is a fleet of 101 ships will never suffer naval supply attrition! Without an explorer, the fleet is vulnerable to movement attrition however. And with so many ships, movement attrition would cause the average loss of at least one ship every month (possibly distributed among different ship types), but not if the ships were not moving at the end of the month.
The basic result of maximum naval supply attrition is that no fleet will ever lose more than one ship a month to supply attrition no matter how many months since port or what the conditions of the seas. High ship losses are still possible with movement attrition and very large fleets.
Fleet --- Maximum Naval
Size ---- Supply Attrition
-----------------------
101-up -- 0%
51-100 -- 1%
34-50 --- 2%
26-33 --- 3%
21-25 --- 4%
17-20 --- 5%
15-16 --- 6%
13-14 --- 7%
12 ------ 8%
11 ------ 9%
10 ----- 10%
9 ------ 11%
8 ------ 12%
7 ------ 14%
6 ------ 16%
5 ------ 20%
4 ------ 25%
3 ------ 33%
2 ------ 50%
1 ----- 100%
[anchor=i_III]i.III) Naval Movement Attrition[/anchor]
Ships and troops on-board may suffer 1% movement attrition if ships are in motion on the last day of a month. Movement attrition does not occur if ships are moving out of a port on the last day of a month. Movement attrition does not affect ships in national waters on the last day of the month. Ships and troops on-board are not affected by movement attrition if led by an explorer.
As stated elsewhere, supply and movement attritions do not stack. The higher attrition percentage takes precedence.
[anchor=i_IV]i.IV) Dispersal of Attrition[/anchor]
If there are warships, or galleys, or transports all by themselves with no ships of one of the other three categories all the attrition is suffered in the ship category present. The chart below shows how the attrition is divided when more than one category of ships is present. Where dashes are present in place of a fraction, the lack of ships of that category is indicated. Where a fraction is present, ships of that category are present and the fraction represents the fraction of the total attrition that ships in that category will suffer. For example, in the last column, when warships are grouped with transports, the warships suffer 5/6 of the attrition. So it is better not to group small numbers of warships with large numbers of transports.
-------------- Dispersal of Attrition ---
Warships ----- 1/9 --- 1/6 ---------- 5/6
Galleys ------ 7/9 --- 5/6 -- 5/6 -------
Transports --- 1/9 ---------- 1/6 --- 1/6
[anchor=i_V]i.V) How Naval Attrition Eventually Sinks Ships[/anchor]
Naval attrition works the same way as land attrition for artillery (see related FAQ on Army Attrition on Land V1.08). In the computer's game logic, a fleet of ships is stored as a number with an integer portion and a decimal portion. If the decimal portion of ships is greater than zero, one more ship is displayed in the game than would otherwise be indicated by the integer portion of the fleet's number. That means that the number of ships available in the game is the value of the ceiling function applied to the fleet's number. The ceiling function applied to a whole number is the number itself. Applied to number between two consecutive whole numbers the ceiling function is the greater of the two whole numbers.
Whenever ships suffer attrition, a percentage is applied to the displayed number of ships and is subtracted from the internal decimal number of ships. The percentage applied is known in this FAQ as either the naval supply attrition or naval movement attrition. When the fleet's number is decreased to have a lower ceiling function value, at least one ship is lost.
For example:
10.000 galleys are displayed as 10 ships.
If 10 ships suffer a maximum of 10% supply attrition:
10.000 - (10% * 10) = 10.000 - 1.000 = 9.000
9.000 galleys are displayed as 9 ships; one ship was lost.
If 9 ships suffer a maximum of 11% supply attrition:
9.000 - (11% * 9) = 9.000 - 0.990 = 8.010
8.010 galleys are displayed as 9 ships; no ships are lost.
If 9 ships again suffer a maximum of 11% attrition (without repair, see [anchorlink=i_VII]i.VII.[/anchorlink] below):
8.010 - (11% * 9) = 8.010 - 0.990 = 7.020
7.020 galleys are displayed as 8 ships; one ship was lost.
Attrition dispersal can reduce a single month's ship losses (compare to above example).
A fleet of 1.000 warships and 9.000 galleys is ten ships.
If 10 ships suffer a maximum of 10% supply attrition,
warships take 1/6 of the attrition (see [anchorlink=i_IV]i.IV.[/anchorlink] above):
1.000 - (1/6 * 10% * 10) = 1.000 - 0.167 = 0.833 warships
galleys take 5/6 of the attrition:
9.000 - (5/6 * 10% * 10) = 9.000 - 0.834 = 0.166 galleys
A fleet of 0.833 warships and 0.166 galleys is ten ships; no ships are lost.
249.500 warships are displayed as 250 ships.
If 250 ships suffer a 1% movement attrition:
249.500 - (1% * 250) = 249.500 - 2.500 = 247.000
247.000 warships are displayed as 247 ships; three ships were lost.
Warships grouped with large numbers of transports may be lost more quickly.
A fleet of 1.000 warships and 199.000 transports is 200 ships.
If 200 ships suffer a 1% movement attrition:
warships take 5/6 of the attrition (see [anchorlink=i_IV]i.IV.[/anchorlink] above):
1.000 - (5/6 * 1% * 200) = 1.000 - 1.667 = -0.667 ==> 0.000 warships
transports take 1/6 of the attrition:
199.000 - (1/6 * 1% * 200) = 199.000 - 0.334 = 198.666 transports
A fleet of 0.000 warships and 198.666 galleys is 199 ships; one warship was lost.
[anchor=i_VI]i.VI) Round-off Errors (Discrepancies in Number of Ships on Reload)[/anchor]
First there are round-off errors in computing attrition percentages. In computers, percentages are not always accurately represented because computers represent fractions in binary (a ones and zeros number system). In binary, one-half is 0.100 and one-quarter is 0.010 and one-eighth is 0.001 and so on. The problem arises from representing one-fifth. In the decimal system one-fifth is simply 0.2. But in binary, one-fifth is an infinitely repeating value past the binary point (0.00110011001100110011...). The infinitely repeating value cannot be fully represented and is truncated at some point. So percentages where one-fifth factors into the lowest common denominator will sometimes be computed very slightly smaller than they should be.
The binary percentage round-off error can be seen when sending 20.000 or 25.000 ships of all the same type (warship, galley, transport) out past national waters at maximum attrition. Twenty ships suffer 5% maximum attrition and 25 ships suffer 4% maximum attrition (see [anchorlink=i_II_C]i.II.C.[/anchorlink] above). In the case of 20 or 25 of the same ship-type, one ship should be lost on the first month at maximum attrition. But since the percentages are actually infinitesimally smaller than 5% and 4%, there is some very tiny fraction of a ship remaining that prevents ship-loss from being displayed (see [anchorlink=i_V]i.V.[/anchorlink] above). Twenty or 25 ships remain after the first month of attrition.
The very tiny fraction of a ship that remains is less than 0.001, which is the smallest fraction of a ship that can be stored in a save-game. So if saving and reloading the above examples where 20 or 25 ships had suffered maximum attrition (without repair, see [anchorlink=i_VII]i.VII.[/anchorlink] below), the number of ships after reloading would be 19 or 24 ships respectively. This is the second type of round-off error. In saving a game, the fractional portion of a ship is converted to a decimal and is truncated past the thousandths place.
Fleets of 100.000, 50.000, 10.0000, 5.000, 4.000, 2.000, and 1.000 composed of a single ship-type (warship, galley, transport) at maximum attrition all lose exactly one ship as should be the case.
[anchor=i_VII]i.VII) Repair of Ships[/anchor]
Ships are repaired to whole numbers upon entering port, splitting, merging or clicking reorganize. That is, the fleet's number is raised to the ceiling function value of the current fleet number (see [anchorlink=i_V]i.V.[/anchorlink] above).
Exploit: (See [anchorlink=iv_IX]iv.IX.[/anchorlink] below)
(post 1 of 4 - Naval FAQ is continued in the following post)
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