Changes

[[File:Friend Fleet Button Grey.png|right]]The '''Friend Fleet''' system is a new game mechanic, expected to be introduced to the game after [[Phase 2]] is rolled out.

 

[[File:Friend Fleet Button Grey.png|right]]

While the option has been present in the main menu since the game launched on April 23rd, 2013, no further details about it were released until the Fall 2017 [[KanColle Naval Review]]. During the Naval Review event, it was announced that the Friend Fleet system would be fully implemented once [[Phase 2]] of KanColle was rolled out in 2018. It has since been announced that [[Phase 2]] will be implemented via a three-step process, during the period between the 2018 Spring mini-event and the 2018 Summer event (plus possible delays).

Friend Fleets are an event mechanic that was implemented during the [[Winter 2018 Event]]. They are '''NPC fleets''' that appear to attack the boss during [[Night Battle]] before your fleet engages. Because the exact Friend Fleet details vary from event to event, please refer to the '''current event page''' for more information.

 

As of early 2018, the Friend Fleet system has been temporarily implemented once in-game for testing purposes, in the form of '''NPC Friend Fleets''' during the [[Winter 2018 Event]]. In the [[Kensuke Tanaka Interview: Comptiq Magazine April 2018|April 2018 Issue of Comptiq]], Tanaka revealed that this version of the mechanic was created for testing purposes, and that the final version will be fully implemented by the time [[Phase 2]] begins.

 

[[File:NPC Friend Fleet.png|thumb|right|NPC Friend Fleet mechanic, as seen in map E-7 of the [[Winter 2018 Event#Friend Fleet|Winter 2018 Event]], when the International Fleet makes their entrance into battle.]]

[[File:NPC Friend Fleet.png|thumb|right|NPC Friend Fleet mechanic, as seen in map E-7 of the [[Winter 2018 Event#Friend Fleet|Winter 2018 Event]], when the International Fleet makes their entrance into battle.]]

In the [[Winter 2018 Event#Friend Fleet|Winter 2018 Event]], '''NPC Friend Fleets''' were introduced as a new mechanic. In certain event maps, an additional NPC Friend Fleet would arrive at the beginning of the night battle phase. This fleet would then take turns attacking the enemy fleet (as well as vice versa, as per standard night battle rules) until all combat-capable ships had finished engaging in combat. After this phase was complete, the NPC Friend Fleet would exit the battle, and the player's fleet would then begin attacking the enemy fleet.  

In the [[Winter 2018 Event#Friend Fleet|Winter 2018 Event]]

 

* They are only available on '''specific maps'''.  

'''NPC Friend Fleets''' were influenced by certain factors, including the following:

* Only NPC fleets are available.

** The devs have mentioned that player fleets may be available at a future date.

* They will engage the '''entire enemy fleet'''.

** This means they will fight both fleets of an enemy combined fleet.

* The determination of which fleet of an enemy combined fleet your escort fleet will engage in [[Combined_Fleet#Combined_Fleet_Night_Battle|night battle]] is calculated after the Friend Fleet attack.

* Which Friend Fleet appears is '''random''', but odds can be manipulated.

** By having a member of the Friend Fleet in the sortied fleet, all Friend Fleets that she is a member of will not appear.

* Friend Fleets '''may not be available at the start of the event'''.

** They are typically implemented as the event progresses to give stragglers a leg up.

* Ship girls in Friend Fleets are '''not fully modernised''' and may appear '''already damaged'''.

* '''NPC Friend Fleets''' appeared at random, selected from a pool of preset fleets.

* However, it was possible control which '''NPC Friend Fleets''' appeared by including certain ships in the player's fleet. In most cases, having a ship in the player's sortied fleet that was also a member of a preset NPC Friend Fleet(s) would prevent that/those preset NPC Friend Fleet(s) from appearing.

** For example: If you wanted to prevent the '''4th Cruiser Division NPC Friend Fleet''' (which consisted of [[Takao]], [[Atago]], [[Maya]], and [[Choukai]]) from appearing, you could use a ship from that group (like [[Maya]]) to prevent that fleet from appearing at the beginning of the night battle phase.

# Click on the '''Friend Fleet (友軍艦隊)''' button on the [[Home Port]] screen.

* Nevertheless, some '''NPC Friend Fleets could not be removed''', even with the workaround described above. It was speculated that these might have been set as default fleets in order to ensure that at least one NPC Friend Fleet would appear, regardless of the composition of the player's fleet. (See 19th Destroyer Division in the [[Winter 2018 Event#Friend Fleet|Winter 2018 Event Friend Fleet's Section]])

#* The button will be greyed out if Friend Fleets have not been implemented yet for that event.

# In the menu that pops up, changing the toggle to '''Request "Friend Fleet" (「友軍艦隊」要請)''' will activate Friend Fleets in maps that have them.

#* Take note that you cannot pick and choose which maps where the Friend Fleet appears. You'll need to deactivate Friend Fleets by toggling it to '''Support Unnecessary (支援不要)'''.

# The '''Request Strong Friend Fleets (強力友軍支援要請)''' toggle will activate <span style="color:red">'''Strong'''</span> Friend Fleets.

#* These fleets are tagged as "<span style="color:red">'''Strong'''</span>" in the event pages.

#* They cost 6 Instant Constructions {{IC}} when they appear.

#** The {{IC}} will not be consumed if a <span style="color:green">'''Weak'''</span> Friend Fleet appears.

By using the above factors to help remove certain friend fleets, it was possible to improve the chances of strong '''NPC Friend Fleets''' appearing to aid players. Of course, it was also necessary to balance this against needlessly crippling the player's fleet's composition for the sake of influencing the appearance of the NPC Friend Fleet alone.

=Friend Fleet List=

The '''NPC Friend Fleet''' system was introduced and has showcased how this mechanic might work in terms of combat. However, since [[Tanaka]] confirmed that this was more of a "beta test" of the mechanic, the details of this system are subject to further changes. It is also unclear if the NPC Friend Fleet system will appear again prior to the implementation of the full Friend Fleet system and [[Phase 2]]. More details will follow as more information about this mechanic is revealed over time.

[[Early_Fall_2018_Event#Friend_Fleet|Early Fall 2018]]

[[Winter_2019_Event#Friend_Fleet|Winter 2019]]

[[Summer_2019_Event#Friend_Fleet|Summer 2019]]

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