| S3 #74 - Carrier Captains; PTO 1942 Game Settings
Basic Rules Initial Format - subject to change before the first frame. Start Times - each frame uses the following schedule;
Operational Restrictions - each side may only conduct operations in the area outlined in the game map. There is a no fly zone in the northwest and a/c may not enter this area at anytime. Player navigated ships may not travel off map at anytime. Country Colour - make sure you have the right colour selected before logging into the arena. There will be a 30min delay in side switching during the frame. Log in at T-15 incase you have to be switched to the proper side by the CM. Carrier Teams - there are four carrier teams, two for each side. CarDiv 1 and 2 for the Japanese and TF-11 and TF-16 for the Americans. The team with the highest score at the end of the series is declared the winner. Each team may choose a carrier to begin play and outfit it with a selection of a/c up to its capacity as shown in the following chart. All three types of a/c must be used to outfit the carrier based upon the a/c min for each type. Once this initial mix of a/c is decided upon there can be no changes and any losses during play are removed from the carriers inventory. If a teams carrier is sunk then a new carrier must be choosen from those still available along with a new a/c inventory. If a carrier team has its a/c numbers reduced to below their turnout number they may top-up their numbers by 12 a/c. If this still leaves them short of their turnout number they must aquire a new air group for their carrier. Both options causes their team to loose points. CarDiv1 and TF-11 may choose carriers first to start frame 1, each team alternating in subsequent frames if both carrier teams need to choose a CV. USN Carrier Table
IJN Carrier Table
Example - CarDiv 1 chooses Akagi and decides to outfit its 91 a/c with 36 A6M3s, 43 Kates and 12 Vals. After Frame 1 they have lost 12 A6M3s and 21 Kates so for Frame 2 they have 24 A6M3s, 22 Kates and 12 Vals to use. After Frame 2 they have lost a further 8 A6M3s and 18 Kates leaving them with 16 A6M3s, 4 Kates and 12 Vals. This leaves them with 32 a/c, 9 short of their turnout number so they must top-up with 12 a/c and choose 6 A6M3s and 6 Kates. In Frame 3 the Akagi is sunk and CarDiv1 must choose another carrier and outfit it for Frame 4 like they did to start Frame 1. Carrier Operations - all a/c types may be used by a squad regardless of its designation. With a limited inventory there will have to be some flexibility and teamwork to get the job done. There are no ord restrictions on any a/c and scouts may be armed in that role. Scout, CAP and Strike a/c may be any type a carrier team has available and are only limited by the max numbers of each type. Flight will not always be enabled to represent the limited capablity of carrier deck operations. After scouts are launched the decks will be shutdown until the CAP launches at T+15. After the CAP launches it will be shutdown until the Strike is launched. After the strike is launched flight will be shutdown and opened on a limited basis. Discos or mishaps will not be allowed to replane until after the Strike launches.
Carrier A/C Totals - it is best to allocate a set amount of a/c to a squad on a carrier before the frame begins. It is up to the squad to make sure they dont fly more than this. If more than expected show up it is important to check with the Frame CO or deck officer to see if there are any extra planes available before flying one. Ship Nav - only designated players may nav the ships of a carrier group. Players done for the night and/or active Players may switch off but only if approved by the Frame CO or Deck Officer. Speed cannot be altered during play, it is set at 30mph and that is what all four ships of the carrier group must move at. All ships of a carrier group start at a set heading and go straight on that heading so all four have to be naved together if they want to stay together. There is the option to not nav the ships if the heading looks to be beneficial. To avoid any confusion the ships for each carrier team will always be given the following numbers in the gunner tab and on the map. Players cannot Nav another ships as these will AI controlled. The exception to this is if a new carrier groups is spawn in the sunk box. They will have different numbers than these as they are created after.
Ship Gunning - do not do this! You will get a penalty plane. AI flak is much more accurate than a player will ever be so you are only hurting your side by grabbing a gun. Damaged Ships - ships are ruled damaged if they are unloaded at the end of the night and a kill credit occurs, they are obviously burning and issuing smoke for a prolonged period during the night or a perfect torpedo hit does not register. This is difficult and requires a screenshot or a CM witness. Ship Settings - the settings for the ships have been tested and these are the approximate goals for damage using the specific S3 settings for ships, bombs and torps. For bombs you have to hit the exact sweet spot for full damage otherwise you will have to hit with many more bombs than necessary. Carriers have a very limited hit box in the middle of the ship near their exhast stacks, the rest of the ships are dead centre. Torpedos if they hit do full damage anywhere along the waterline.
Landing airfields or other carriers - individual pilots who are damaged or low on fuel may land another carrier or airfields and must replane from there. Remember deck operations are complicated so you may not be able to replane right away. This does not mean squad operations can be planned to take advantage of this. Sunk Carriers - if a team's carrier is sunk they may land at another CV or shorebase. If it is after T+90 when their CV was sunk they are done for the night. If it is before T+90 they may then teleport to a new carrier located in the sunk box on the map. Carrier Groups - Carrier groups have a random start up location based upon the grid and dierolls. Each carrier team is positioned by random roll in either 6 grids they have exclusive ownership or the 4 grids they share with the enemy. Every carrier group will have a carrier, two destroyers and a freighter and will be set at 30 mph on a random heading. Players may nav the carrier group but cannot change the speed of the 4 ships in the group. It is possible for enemy carriers to be put in the same 80mile x 80 mile grid as friendly carriers but this can only happen in the four centre grids indicated on the map(G,H,K,L). If a carrier is sunk before T+90 a replacement carrier group will be put in the sunk box for use by that carrier team for the remainder of the frame. 50% of that teams a/c losses will be deducted from the new carriers inventory for next frame. A loss of a CV after T+90 means the carrier team is done for the night. Merchant Shipping - Each side has a shipping lane that will have a random number of ships with escort moving back and forth near the site indicated on the game map. There is also the chance of anchored or offshore ships indicated in or near the area on the map for both sides. These ships are AI driven and players may not nav them during a frame. Penalty Planes - players that commit errors in basic rules and do not attempt to correct the error during play will have a penalty plane assigned to their squad. Examples include flying different a/c during a frame, teleporting fields when not allowed by special rules, gunning from ships or flak positions.
Squad Penalty Plane Tallies are kept in the PPlist. It is up to each squad to fly their penalty a/c and let the CM know how many have been flown after a frame so he can remove them from the list. These carry over to the next series so cannot be escaped. Victory Points - are based upon ships damaged and sunk, planes lost to all causes and pilots KIA. Flying more a/c than you have available, Topping-up a/c and getting a new air group will deduct points from a team. See the scoring summary for details. Victory Conditions - Victory conditions are slightly different this series. Both the side and the carrier team with the most cumulative points at the end of the series are declared the winners. S3 Clarifications - the S3 staff reserves the right to make a ruling on questions or game situations not answered completely or missed by the rules. For further clarification please post on the S3 forum or email Jabo. [ Aircraft - Series Map - Player Rules ] |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||