Bug Ghosts !

Herode · #1 December 21st, 2008, 05:26 PM

Still playing Allies. I had a "patrol" icon set next to Java for a dozen turns nows but no ship patrolling here. I checked several times without being able to spot a single TF patrolling Java. Of course, Java had been patrol before, and some battles took place here. But at this very moment, no patrol.

Right now, July 44, a damaged ship has just appeared in Java (and is set to : Patrol Java in his TF). The ship is in very bad shape and unable to move. Maybe a ghost just awakened out of some previous wrecks.

Or... Oooooooh my !!! In God can we still trust now that the Flying Dutchman has awaken ?

Strider · #2 December 21st, 2008, 06:21 PM

As for the damaged ship, any ship that is damaged too bad to move, will make it's way to the closet island and remain there until the port can get it repaired, instead of returning with the rest of it's task force to their original or major base.

Jankee · #3 December 21st, 2008, 08:12 PM

Also check to see if you have a BB/BC or CV set to patrol. It has to be based at a major port, so it will be at a different base during your turn and patrol Java. It then returns to a major base.

Herode · #4 December 22nd, 2008, 03:59 AM

@Jankee : sure, I checked several times and there were not a single TF on the whole map patrolling Java during all these turns.

@Strider : May this ghost ship be a survivor form a previous battle, so badly wounded that it took him almost a year to complete his way back to the base ?

Hmmmm, and what about those wounded ships ? Do they turn back to their starting base or fo they turn back to the closest available base ?

Anyway,
- if the empty patrol that displayed its icon during all these turns was related to a ship slowly crawling to the base, I guess the icon is wrong : it should not be set as a Patrol icon.
- the ship (in its TF) should have displayed somewhere on the mar during the travel

or do I miss something ?

Strider · #5 December 22nd, 2008, 01:24 PM

Sorry about not commenting on the ghost icon...that's a seperate issue from the damgaged ship (maybe), and it seems to be bug.
hmmm...if I'm understanding you, you're saying there was not a battle that damaged that ship the turn before...it was a Flying Dutchman that suddenly showed up at the base...that might be an indication of the ghost icon, in that the game had the ship stationed there, tho it should not have been patrolling, and wasn't showing it until something kicked in...definatley something for John to take a look at.

JMHawkins · #6 December 22nd, 2008, 05:33 PM

Well, the USS Houston was known as the Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast...

But the patrol icon may be a bug. I'll investigate. Thanks for the report.

As far as damaged ships, if they are badly damaged (over 60% damaged and speed less than 10 knots), they will drop out of their TF and head for the nearest functional friendly base, even if it is too small to normally support them (e.g. a crippled CV could limp into a minor base for temporary repairs). If the ship is badly damaged enough, it may not be able to make it to a larger base until the minor base can patch it up, which may take a while.

John Hawkins
KE Studios