Choosing Targets for the Floatplane Fighter

[Procrastes]

I have three questions concerning the little floatplane fighter, that a lot ships are equipped with.

 

1. Does the effect of disrupting the accuracy of torpedo spreads and bomb drops affect all enemy squadrons within AA range, or just the squadron that is currently under attack from the floatplane?
2. If there are more than one enemy plane squadron within range, how does the floatplane decide which one to attack? And if I have two floatplanes active, will they always attack the same target?
3. Is it possible to order the float plane to attack a certain enemy squadron, for example by Crtl-clicking on it and thus focus AA on it? And if this works, will it also make the fighter switch targets if it is already engaged?

 

I ask this because I was only this morning attacked by two enemy squadrons, one dive bomber group and one with torpedo bombers. I was in my Kuma, and I had deployed my fighters, so I was a little surprised when the torpedo bombers managed to deploy a perfect spread; it very nearly sank me. Then it occurred to me that my fighters might have attacked the dive bombers instead, and I started wondering...

[mtm78]

1 minute ago, Procrastes said:

• Does the effect of disrupting the accuracy of torpedo spreads and bomb drops affect all enemy squadrons within AA range, or just the squadron that is currently under attack from the floatplane?
• If there are more than one enemy plane squadron within range, how does the floatplane decide which one to attack?
• Is it possible to order the float plane to attack a certain squadron, for example by Crtl-clicking on it and thus focus AA on it? And if this works, will it also make the fighter switch targets if it is already engaged?

 

1. Just the one under attack

2. proximity

3. no

 

 

[Procrastes]

Thanks, mtm78, you're always swiftly there with an answer!

You answered so quickly, in fact, that you managed to do so in between my first posting and my addition to the second question: If I have two floatplanes active, will they always attack the same target?

[mtm78]

No they don't they choose based on individual proximity, sorry to have missed that part. Due to their flight pattern you might still get them to often attack the same squad. 

 

2 minutes ago, Procrastes said:

you're always swiftly there

 

I should change my nick to ISpamALot  

 

[aboomination]

4 minutes ago, mtm78 said:

No they don't they choose based on individual proximity, sorry to have missed that part. Due to their flight pattern you might still get them to often attack the same squad. 

 

 

I should change my nick to ISpamALot  

 

No - I spam a lot. You aren't spamming anymore, you've become the spam 

[Procrastes]

7 minutes ago, mtm78 said:

No they don't they choose based on individual proximity, sorry to have missed that part. Due to their flight pattern you might still get them to often attack the same squad. 

 

 

I should change my nick to ISpamALot  

 

 

Thanks again!

And I would protest the descriptor "spam" on your behalf; it applies to junkmail and the like. Your contributions to this forum are anything but that.

 

Edited. Dang, ninjaed by abomination.

[mtm78]

Just now, Procrastes said:

Your contributions to this forum are anything but that.

 

It actually does me good to read this, I usually only get feedback by those I highly annoy   

 

Anyway manual target selection for float planes was deemed to much of a 'pro' feature, and in a sense that's correct. The 30% dps boost is already quite large, and not many people seem to know about it for some reason ( WG tutorials seem to be 404 not found ). This also means defending against planes still does scale with skill ( through this manual selection boost ) and is not just a button press, so I like this aspect and I would rather see it made more effective ( 50% ) while DFAA consumable effectiveness should be lower. But since WG liked catering to average player this would never happen. 

 

 

[__Helmut_Kohl__]

On 6.10.2017 at 3:50 PM, mtm78 said:

The 30% dps boost is already quite large, and not many people seem to know about it for some reason

 

Do you know if the 1.3 factor (priority target) stacks with Manual-AA skill, resulting in a factor of 2.3 or even 2.6 ? 

 

(Was thinking that if it doesn't, the skill will only offer a 0.7 benefit...)

I only know that it stacks with Def-AA.

[22cm]

3 hours ago, _Helmut_Kohl_ said:

 

Do you know if the 1.3 factor (priority target) stacks with Manual-AA skill, resulting in a factor of 2.3 or even 2.6 ? 

 

 

They stack, but  Manual AA works only for big AA guns.

[__Helmut_Kohl__]

5 hours ago, 22cm said:

They stack, but  Manual AA works only for big AA guns.

 

Haha, thx. But that should be clear by now. 

 

How do you know that they stack ?

Is the combined factor 2.3 or 2.6 ? 

[mtm78]

Quote

Although the AA guns are assigned DPS values, it does not represent the amount of damage it can deal to enemy planes. Similarly, the survivability statistic for planes do not represent its hit points. The guns do not deal any actual damage, while the planes have no hit point pool. Instead, DPS and survivability are used to calculate the chances of shooting down a plane in a squadron. Due to this, AA guns can sometimes seem to do no damage to enemy planes, while other times they can appear to do massive damage.

 

Using the previously mentioned Pensacola as an example, a squadron of enemy Martin T4M torpedo bombers (800 survivability) enters the range of its 40 mm Bofors and 127 mm DP guns (total DPS of 153). Every second the bomber stays in the AA aura, a roll is made to determine whether the squadron loses a plane. In this case, the probability of shooting down a plane would be equal to 153/800 = 0.191 = 19.1%/sec. If the Pensacola set the squadron as a priority target using CTRL + LMB and activated its Defensive Fire consumable, the DPS of its 40 mm Bofors against the target would increase to 370.5 (95*1.3*3), while the DPS for 127 mm guns would increase to 226.2 (58*1.3*3). The probability for shooting down a plane would now be 46.3% for the 40mm Bofors and 28.3% for the 127mm dual purpose guns, operating simultaneously.

Quote

A particular enemy squadron can be targeted by Ctrl-clicking. This will cause the AA guns to prefer that squadron over all other targets, as well as giving a 30% DPS bonus. The Manual Control for Anti-Aircraft captain skill gives a +100% DPS bonus to AA guns of 85 mm or larger against a manually designated target.

http://wiki.wargaming.net/en/Ship:Aerial_Combat

 

Wiki isn't conclusive but I'm assuming they stack toward 2.3. Might be worth asking WG to clarify the wiki article. 

[__Helmut_Kohl__]

18 minutes ago, mtm78 said:

http://wiki.wargaming.net/en/Ship:Aerial_Combat

 

Wiki isn't conclusive but I'm assuming they stack toward 2.3. Might be worth asking WG to clarify the wiki article. 

 

I have read that, but to my understanding it only states that Defensive AA stacks with the 1.3(*3).

 

And if they do stack the same way, it would be 2.6.

[mtm78]

2.6 that's what I said .... mhmmm ok no I didn't did I :)

 

Anyway: should be base value x 2 x 1.3 no?

[__Helmut_Kohl__]

1 minute ago, mtm78 said:

2.6 that's what I said .... mhmmm ok no I didn't did I :)

 

Anyway: should be base value x 2 x 1.3 no?

 

2.6 would be rather nice, when deciding between AFT and MAA on ships without Def-AA. 

[22cm]

18 minutes ago, _Helmut_Kohl_ said:

 

2.6 would be rather nice, when deciding between AFT and MAA on ships without Def-AA. 

 

No, you decide that based on AA dps. If the big AA guns have more dps then the small one, then Manual AA. If the small ones have more dps, then AFT.

[__Helmut_Kohl__]

20 minutes ago, 22cm said:

 

No, you decide that based on AA dps. If the big AA guns have more dps then the small one, then Manual AA. If the small ones have more dps, then AFT.

 

Not really. 

I will rather invest in a huge DPS on my long range AA, than in a monstrous DPS on short range. 

[PseudoMi]

If the ship has weak long range AA, you won't make "huge DPS" with it by taking MAA => 4 skill points spent without much impact. 

 

Meanwhile a medium range strong AA will become almost long range strong, with AFT. 

[__Helmut_Kohl__]

9 minutes ago, PseudoMi said:

If the ship has weak long range AA, you won't make "huge DPS" with it by taking MAA => 4 skill points spent without much impact. 

 

Meanwhile a medium range strong AA will become almost long range strong, with AFT. 

 

I am talking about Missouri/Alabama here. 

520 DPS @6km is huge. 

Go and take AFT instead, I won't. 

[AnotherDuck]

As a general advice, if you have a floatplane fighter active, and you're attacked by planes, I find it more effective to turn away from them (if you're in a cruiser; doubtful in a battleship). That's because it gives your floatplanes a little more time to engage, and if they do, you can probably avoid them completely, in addition to getting more time to shoot them down before the drop. It depends on the situation, naturally, like how long time to drop you have, and your floatplane's location.

 

If there are two squadrons attacking you from different angles, the best is still usually to focus one squadron and turn into the other.

 

On 06/10/2017 at 3:50 PM, mtm78 said:

I usually only get feedback by those I highly annoy  

 

That's because there are so few people you don't highly annoy.

[22cm]

55 minutes ago, PseudoMi said:

If the ship has weak long range AA, you won't make "huge DPS" with it by taking MAA => 4 skill points spent without much impact. 

 

Meanwhile a medium range strong AA will become almost long range strong, with AFT. 

 

What he said.

[22cm]

50 minutes ago, _Helmut_Kohl_ said:

 

I am talking about Missouri/Alabama here. 

 

 

Nope, now it s the first time you mention those ships. And I think AA specced BBs are no longer the fashion now.

[__Helmut_Kohl__]

1 minute ago, 22cm said:

 

Nope, now it s the first time you mention those ships. 

 

So I cannot be talking about them? Oh boy. 

[Forke]

2 hours ago, _Helmut_Kohl_ said:

 

How do you know that they stack ?

Is the combined factor 2.3 or 2.6 ? 

It depends on which WG employee you ask. The question already came up multiple times in the past.

For example in this Q&A it is 2.0 (second last question):

While the official russian forum article states 1.3*2

https://forum.worldofwarships.ru/index.php?/topic/16696-

Well it is either 2.0 or 2.6 though. Because it either replaces the 1.3 or comes in as an additional factor and they always get multiplied.

 

 

[22cm]

 

6 minutes ago, _Helmut_Kohl_ said:

 

So I cannot be talking about them? Oh boy. 

 

if you already know the answer, why ask on the forum? I would only take at most the range AA module on any BB and no more these days, especially on US BBs.

[darkwingfighter]

Just now, _Helmut_Kohl_ said:

 

I am talking about Missouri/Alabama here. 

520 DPS @6km is huge. 

Go and take AFT instead, I won't. 

Did you also took BFT?