Well, seeing event always bring out the worse CV of all, i decided to share my CV tactics i have learn during 6 years of on and off NF play. This is just my 2 cents and i would like to think of myself as a good CV player, well, at least not a crappy one, if this guide helps you, that's great, if you think i am full of it, well, then okay too, it's just a discussion.
Start out with load out
Load Out
Base on IJN CV6
The best load out you got is 1x Scout (or 2 if you don't bomb), 6x FP and 1x Dive Bomber (0 if you don't plan on bombing just credit racking)
reason behind this is, with 1 or 2 scout, it give you better scouting area and range, scout always scout better than FP, 6 FP you would be able to sent in groups of 3 and gain round the clock air superiority. Again, the bomber is just satisifing your destruction need.
I would load 20 Scout, 10 DB and the rest T4 Fighter.
Tactics
Unlike real Naval engagment, where CV reign supreme, this game is within Visual Range where any BB can and will catch up with your CV and pound the heck out of you, so your main task is to provide fighter cover. Some player agrue that if you loaded with 6 or more Bomber it will be effective as Bomber load faster than FP and hence more sortie. Well, don't forget most good BB player are good at dodging DB and then you got smoke and crap like that, Dive bombing is just not as usful as they were suppose to be, and a decent CV will just load FP and round the clock camp your CV you are just either giving them hack a lot of Credit or you are doing nothing at all.
So, best approach is to let the SS5 and BB5/6 Slug it out, what you do is to provide fighter cover at best.
Do remember, FP only job is to gain air superiority, that is, shoot down enemy scout, bombers and fighter so to prevent your own scout get shot down, you don't use them to scout continously, hence the RF arrangement.
As you may know, Scout can stay in an area longer, take IJN for an example, a T5 Scout have almost 4 times as much fuel than a T4 Fighter (438 vs 110) what you do, is to send 3 group of 4 fighter out, move forward, load a single group of 2 or 2 group of 2 of scout, launch them, then load another 3 group of 4 FP and move back, by the time you launch your second group FP, you are closer to your group 1 as you move forward and your 2nd Group will be on station just about your first group to go back.
What you achieve is you make the other side Blinded so your BB and SS can move in without detection.
But that's only good IF you can gain air superiority, and that's a big if. What if you can't?
If you can't then forget about the scout, use your fighter to drag and scout, if you drag your fighter, unless you are several class away, you will retain some considerable force on enemy area. And usually if you are on a weaker CV side, that mean you are on a Better BB side. (Bravo is always gonna have the Best CV and Alpha is always balanced with the best BB) You drag and scout and play the attrition game and hope your BB and SS finish the other side off before you ran out.
What to avoid?
Worse thing you can do playing CV is mixing up Fighter and Bomber Sqn. Either you launch all fighter or all bomber, you don't do it half half.
Also, i have seen this time and again, don't load super group on either your bomber or fighter. Like 8 9 or 10 planes with one pilot, i have see this happen a lot
avoid getting an odd number of fighter pilot. Always choose a number that can be divided by 2, since you can have at most 8 fighter pilot in use, if you get an odd number you will have an odd man out.
Always avoid default ceiling. that's easy prey for enemy AAs.
What's always do?
Always drag and micro your fighter, drag them and you will survive longer.
Do move your mouse around to seek potential threat to you and your squad of ship.
Always CHECK FOR SUB.
Always scout and mark your BB, keep track on whose is dead and who's still in the field. You need to know where is the enemy BB on your AO at all time. You don't just send scout randomly.
It's good to priority threats for scouting (Like scouting a BB6 is more important than Scouting a BB4)
This is my two cents, hope this help :)
Edit : Catch some of the typo