Convoy mechanics

[conao]

Hi all,

I have read a lot about strategies for convoys in this forum and guides, but what I don't understand well enough yet are the convoy mechanics in the game. Before knowing what convoys to build and where to send them, I need to know how to control them, if this is at all necessary. I'd really appreciate it if someone could post some details about it so that I can then execute whatever strategy I choose in the right way.

Here is what I think I understood so far:
. Unless micro-managed, convoys will automatically resupply themselves and deliver it to ports according to their priorities.
. I can use convoy waypoints to avoid risky areas.

And here comes several questions:
. How do I create a new convoy? I cannot see a way to assign a role to non-TF fleets, such as convoys and coastal defense. Is every fleet with a cargo ship assigned as a convoy?
. Is the AI management of convoys good enough or should we micro-manage them?
. Are they smart enough to create a network for distribution, e.g. making Hawaii a distribution center (large convoys supplying Hawaii from the mainland for smaller ones to distribute the supplies to the front line)? I think this would be faster than having long convoys going everywhere, wouldn't it?
. If I manually set a new destination for a convoy, will it return to auto mode after that order is completed or should I now keep micro-managing that specific convoy for the rest of the campaign?
. Do they use only the surplus ports for resupply? If not, there's probably a risk they take too many resources from a port where I need them, isn't it? How do you prevent this? Or is the priority system enough to take care of this?
. Do they visit several ports in one trip, unloading part of the cargo in each port, proportionally to the priorities, or do they make only back and forth trips? For instance, if I want to supply the Aleutians with one convoy dropping part of the cargo in each port, how do I do it? If I manually set multiple destinations with Shift+Unload orders, will it proportionally distribute the cargo among them or will it fill up the first port before going to the next until it's out of cargo?

Sorry for the long list of questions, but I feel that this is a gap in the manual, tutorials, guides, etc. I'm ok to learn what strategies work and what not by playing, but I at least need to know how to properly give orders and how they will be executed, without waiting 2-3 months for a convoy to arrive at its destination just to realize it won't do what I expected/needed it to do. It would be great if one of you experts could create a YouTube video about the theme, longer and more detailed than the one-minute tutorial, with a focus on convoy mechanics, not convoy strategies. Or add this info to the convoys chapter of the very helpful guide by Squad.

[fragile]

I can try to answer some of what you are asking.

Just build convoy type ships and when they are done you will have a new convoy made up of those ships. I mean if you build several ships of the same type like tankers, they all will complete at the same time and get formed into a convoy.

You can take that convoy and order it to collect supplies and it will go on its merry way. You could take it and tell it to repair/resupply and it will sit there and wait for you to tell it something else to do.

You can add more ships to a waiting convoy, any type of ship really, and make convoys of whatever size/composition you want. I typically end up splitting up the campaign starting convoys at some point, or splitting up many of them. You find the convoys able to unload most if not all their fuel, but most times alot of AV fuel remains and bases can use it up fast sometimes so I end up docking some convoy ships at bases to keep an extra supply of AV gas and also torpedoes. Torps also can run low quickly if you have to resupply a TF that just shot many of their torps. So i might break up a large convoy to leave my extra supply ships docked and send some back to the home ports.

I personally micromanage the convoys. For a few reasons. One being what I explained above about having extra supply docked at a base besides whats on the base. Also the automated system is not agile enough to respond to changing strategic situations. It might get convoys at least moving in the right direction and then you should take over and redirect it where its most needed. Sometimes a convoy might end up going towards a contested base/area so you want to redirect it away or else it could some under attack.

It is not smart enough to get things from other bases besides home ports. But it is something that I do manually. As you mentioned I will send some convoys to Hawaii in order to shorten the distance. You just have to watch that you dont empty out Hawaii accidentally. Sometimes you might even send some small convoys to just another base fairly nearby to take supplies from it because said base has alot and the front lines have now moved and left that base in the rear and those supplies are not needed back there.

Yes once manual orders are completed by a convoy, it will just return to the automated system control. Even if you just tell a convoy to move a small distance , once it goes that little distance, it will revert back to the convoy system control. I think alot of times because of the large amount of time it takes for them to traverse from the west coast.hawaii all the way to the Solomons or whatever, you dont really have to spend that much time fussing with them.

Because of the long convoy travel times/slow movement, obviously you should try to plan ahead your convoy movement. If you plan to attack an area, try to get some supply moving that way before hand, so you have supply nearby to draw upon, especially so your new airfield will have AV fuel and can begin defending itself right away. As a side note to that, I use carriers to drop off AV fuel sometimes. Usually they can afford to give up some of what they carry as they can quickly move somewhere else and top up.

Unfortunately they do not proportionally unload a certain amount, they drop as much as they fit on a base, then move on. So again i micromanage the drop off at multiple bases. For that, maybe you could break up a large convoy and send a small one to several bases.
Its unfortunate that you cannot specify what things to load or what things to unload. Tankers at least just carry fuel and AV fuel, so at least you know a pure tanker convoy will only take/give fuels.

If you play as Japan, i use Truk similarly to how you envisioned Hawaii. Since its a major base it can hold a ton of supplies and I use it for my convoys to collect from to shorten the distance to the Solomon area/etc.

In summary, you will not be happy if you leave it on auto manage, but it can be kind of fun to direct the supplies as part of your strategy.

[dreadx]

1. Build cargo_ships and/or tankers; game will create a convoy for you on completion.
2. Not good enough to evade you when YOU hunt the enemy convoys. Not good enough to know which port you conquer next, so sending a convoy on its way before the attack is up to you. The AI doesn't know how many supplies are already underway to a port (overfilling it).
3. No, they only collect at 'surplus' and dump at the rest (except 'none'). A network would require Hawaii to be both.
Make Hawaii 'surplus' and the three westcoast ports 'none'. You handle transport with 3 (big) convoys (or a multituple of 3) to Hawaii; the AI handles distribution beyond.
4. After having executed your order it will revert back to the AI for control (takes some time).
5. Yep, you, the player, are the only one who can grab stuff from non-surplus ports (hello, Allies. Nice ports you have there....)
6. Just back&forth. With the waypoints you give they will fill port 1 and visit every port after that whether they have cargo or not. If the convoy was big enough it could serve all; if not, give the combo-order again and agian till all ports are filled.

Supplies move 2-3 times slower across the map (than TF's and the front-line) so if you plan to attack port A, then port B and then port C, while starting the attack on A, you should know where the supplies for B and C are coming from (supply for A should already be in theatre).

Edit: lol, Fragile is faster at typing than I am.

[edg]

agree 100 percent with "fragile" and "dreadx" btw: were do you guys get the patience to write all this stuff down, i'm in my 60s now and my memory just don't work that well anymore, i applaud you for being so helpful ;)

[dreadx]

I'm 48. If I type fast enough, my memory serves me,
if I don't type fast enough, ...............eh, what were we talking about?

The amount of effort in OP (original post) determines the amount of effort for the answer.
But that's just me.

[conao]

53 here and still trying to learn a new strategy game.

I really appreciate your very comprehensive replies, guys, and the time put on them. I certainly got a complete view of the convoys’ mechanics now and can start making my plans.

This is very good stuff. It should all be added to Squad’s guide. Thank you!

[Squadl]

Hi,

I will add this post to the guide. This guide is not completed by now.
I have to find some time to finish it. I will add a seperate, big and fast SSD for my favorite games and MODS and an additional big one for my whole steam libary in the future.
Then I will finish all the unfinished projects after the actual lockdown.

btw. I am 49 :)

best regards and I wish you and your families that you stay healthy.

edit:
The convoy system was subsequently improved in the game. For a long time it was not possible to really influence where the freight would land. It was exhausting when you reached the middle of the map.
Now it's almost perfect. The only thing that is really missing in the game (after you can now approach ports with waypoints and leave them again) is that a kind of final waypoint marking is missing to allow the set waypoints to be repeated in infinity.

[dreadx]

If you make a convoy-way-point route, the convoys will gravitate towards it from all ports close to its nodes.
It sees every node as a possible end-point (or begin-point).
Each Convoy will plot the shortest route using the nodes (so if you make a route in the shape of the letter 'W', the convoy will skip the long way around and go straight from one end to the other).