G'day List,


    As most of you know, I am the Resident WW2 fan. I set this databaseto
work a fair bit different to most. Sighting distances (Non-radar) are way
shorter and much more in keeping with visual reality and as such, dictates
tactics that many would never have considered as fesible, or indeed, they
are not fesible in the harpoon databases based in the modern arena.
Best ever daytime max sighting range on a large ship is 28 mile. It averages
25 mile in good weather. About 12-16 mile on a small ship. Bad weather sees
these distances more than halved. A fair weather Night reduces it down to a
max range sighting of about 8 mile. Bad weather (a force 4 will do) can
bring it as low as 2 mile. Think about that while you read on.


There is nothing like a gun battle to get me 'fired' up. :)
OK here it is,
Game: H2 AE
PC: P600 64 Win 95
Database "Age of Steel"
Options: I play "Full Reality" Datalinks off, and weapon range circles
up.


Right, I have sighted the enemy, (by whatever means), I have maneuvered
into a gun-line and am ready to engage. This is where the tactics begin. The
fact that I have time to maneuver means that its day time. Nights are scary.
Larger ships against small, Try to keep heading away from them, not fast
enough to loose contact, just enough to rule out their torpedo option,
stand off and hammer. Smaller ships against large, Scatter your forces and
attempt a 'wagon wheel' attack. come in from all points as fast as you can close
in. The AI will target the first ship detected, Keep him maneuvering to draw
fire, keep all others closing. When you open fire, (Tip, set time at
1;1,set range ASuW circles) Target and fire manually, watch your reload
times, cycle through your ships, If you have several, you may need to pause it
here, (OK, the pause, I have heard many arguements on this one, Reality,
I tell the signalman to run up the "Open fire flag", All the ships then do
this. Harpoon: Selecting shooter, choosing target, Allocating and firing
weapons takes time that a crew does concurrently, The pause simulates
10,000 gunners at their places.) you will find that the larger ships BB's,
BC's, have big guns with slow ROF's 20-40 seconds. Plenty of time to work down
the gunline and do each in turn with out pausing. Smaller ships Destroyers,
Cruisers, 4-15 second ROF's, 3 or 4 ships and you can do it with out
wasting shooting time, But having many requires the pause. This results from the
fact that I rarely give the AI control of any of my forces. This gunline
is only ever on a "Plotted" mission. Plotted is closer to reality for me,
mounts are on bow or stern, port or stbd, Mount arcs come into play
here. A ship on an assigned mission will "Magically" spin around 180 degrees to
unmask batteries in a split second (watch the blue course track), On a
plotted mission, should I accidently assign a portside weapon to a
starboard side target, it simply does not fire. Usually I assign everything and
let the arcs determine which of the relevent mounts fire.  Another reason to
not trust or to not use the AI. Now this "wasted shooting time" I mentioned, In a harpoon gunbattle, The AI has the advantage unless you take absolute control. Your ships can/will
target non threatening platforms even tho others are shooting at itself,
example: shooting at a destroyer at 15 mile range, (no threat) when
there is a BB at 18 mile shooting at it. Causes the ship to take unnecessary
damage.  Read your messages as they scroll up,to know which are actually hostile,
Know your battlespace. Watch ammo loads. Good luck.


Any how, Just a shortie... :)


Take care all,
Check out the "Age of Steel" WW2 database and scenarios at
http://www.shoal.net.au/~gib/ageofsteel.html
or at
http://www.foto.infi.net/~edladner/


Best regards
Michael C. Deegan


At the going down of the Sun
And in the morning
We will remember them..
LEST WE FORGET