Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

[Gandalf]

probable errata:

[Encircled]

Managed a minor victory on Normal level on my first go

I think it might be time to read the manual now, as I've still loads to learn

[Jabba]

2. What's the difference between "lock" and "add" support?

Add means to increase the support level, subtract means to subtract the level and lock means to lock it where it's at now. So for example (IIANM) at the start of any scenario/campaign all support levels are locked at either 0 or 3 (they used to be set to 3 IIRC but it seems they are not set to 0). Essentially, this means if you have it set to three (3) then the system will try to send 3 artillery, 3 engineers, 3 AT, 3 Mortar, etc to the HQ.

This makes no sense to me. [&:]

First of all, the manual says that the effect of LOCK is to disable the automatic transfer of support units to that HQ (and all its subordinate units). This sounds like something quite different from fixing the support level at "where it's at now". It implies that the attachment of support units to that HQ is done manually or not at all.

Secondly, I do not understand why one would need to lock the number at it current level. Why would that number ever change, unless you changed it?

So either I have completely misunderstood all this, or the explanation you have provided is wrong.

[Zovs]

Sorry I wrote that part wrong. Lock means to prevent the automatic flow of support units.

[Jabba]

Thanks for clarifying that. Nice work on the "Boot Camp".[:)]

[Zovs]

I may make an update if needed but the piece that Jabba brings up would/should be re-written as:

Add means to increase the support level for this HQ, subtract means to subtract the level from this HQ and lock means to prevent the automatic flow of support units. So for example at the start of any scenario/campaign all support levels are either set to Locked or to 3 (depending on if you selected Locked or unchecked that option at start in the preferences). Essentially, this means if you have the Support Level set to 3 then the auto system will try to send 3 artillery, 3 engineers, 3 AT, 3 Mortar, etc to the HQ. On the other hand if you have the Support Level 0 then that HQ will will send back the support units (back up the chain of command). But if you have the Support Level set to Locked then its up to you the player to move the support units to the HQs (and ultimately to the divisions/corps) you want to move them to.

[strategicu]

Only to tell that your boot camp is very good. A little prayer: can you write something about the mechanism of REFIT (what it means exactly, how works, and so on)? For me, I am italian, the manual is not so clear. Thanks.

[sth1119]

Great walk through!
I just got the game and this information is invaluable. I have been picking at the manual but not digging too deep yet. as has been said it can be overwhelming.

One thing i am having trouble grasping is the logistics aspect. You mentioned keep the PG HQ with in 5 hexes of the advancing panzer divisions. I look forward to your document describing best practices in keeping an offense supplied.

Great job, and thank you!

[henri51]

ORIGINAL: sth0009

Great walk through!
I just got the game and this information is invaluable. I have been picking at the manual but not digging too deep yet. as has been said it can be overwhelming.

One thing i am having trouble grasping is the logistics aspect. You mentioned keep the PG HQ with in 5 hexes of the advancing panzer divisions. I look forward to your document describing best practices in keeping an offense supplied.

Great job, and thank you!

This is true for ANY Corps HQ, otherwise the divisions can sometimes get supplies from a railhead or maybe a city, but the HQ cannot lend them support units if they are more than 5 hexes away.

Henri

[Jabba]

I am going through the opening steps of the Road to Leningrad scenario as detailed in this tutorial.

Why is that when I ask the AI to fly reconnaisance air missions, it says "Recon aircraft unavailable or out of range"?

Is the AI basically telling me that it is not worth carrying out air recon missions? (FOW is off). How come you got a mission and I didn't?

Was the recon mission that you did manually worthwhile, or did you just do it to explain the interface?

[Zovs]

Why is that when I ask the AI to fly reconnaisance air missions, it says "Recon aircraft unavailable or out of range"?

Could be a couple of reasons, I am using the latest testers patch and there is a new feature that allows you to turn on/off ground support and air escort for recon and if you have it off some of the missions may not be flow, we have noticed with patch that AI recon is not flying as many missions as it used to or it does fly them but does not show them. Check the battles tab on the CR and you can also try setting your Air Doctrine to 25%.

Is the AI basically telling me that it is not worth carrying out air recon missions?

No the AI is not that smart, what this normally means is that your air recon units are out of miles that can be flown based on your AD settings.

Was the recon mission that you did manually worthwhile, or did you just do it to explain the interface?

Yes and yes. Its always worthwhile to fly air recon missions, just because you the player sees a hex, your units may not (you'll have to check the detection level of the hex if things get wonky).

[Gandalf]

ORIGINAL: Jabba

I am going through the opening steps of the Road to Leningrad scenario as detailed in this tutorial.

Why is that when I ask the AI to fly reconnaisance air missions, it says "Recon aircraft unavailable or out of range"?

Is the AI basically telling me that it is not worth carrying out air recon missions? (FOW is off). How come you got a mission and I didn't?

Was the recon mission that you did manually worthwhile, or did you just do it to explain the interface?

I didn't have any issues performing the recon missions in the tutorial. Perhaps, you missed something along the way or you have something set differently in the air doctrine screen other than the original default settings.

[Zovs]

One thing i am having trouble grasping is the logistics aspect. You mentioned keep the PG HQ with in 5 hexes of the advancing panzer divisions. I look forward to your document describing best practices in keeping an offense supplied.

You need to keep in mind the dynamic nature of all things, the 5 hex range is the command radius that units must be in in order to receive support units from their HQ, this is important when or if you would like your unit to have artillery assets used if the leader for the HQ can pass his checks. On top of that each HQ Type can use their command range (5, 15, 45 or 90) which can also serve as a supply source to all units that are directly attached to them.

For the Unit Logistics Requirements within each unit these are for the actual supplies, fuel and ammo that the unit will need to function properly and the amounts are listed by type of supply on hand (or in the unit) compared to 100 percent of the amount of that type of supply that is required in the unit for the unit to be at 100 percent for that category. Add to this is the support squads that are built into the unit and what the HQ can try to supply to that unit if they are short of support squads.

Lastly, leaders which are assigned to the HQ use the HQ type command range to influence or help the units assigned to them for combat, supplies and a bunch of other things like morale, fatigue, front line attrition, movement points, etc....

So if your units exceed the command range not only will they not get the combat support units, support squads or supplies during the logistic phase they will also be out of leader range so a lot of bad things can then begin to happen rather quickly.

[Jabba]

Its always worthwhile to fly air recon missions, just because you the player sees a hex, your units may not

So why did you just fly a recon mission to Kaunas, but nowhere else? You bombed several targets but only flew recon over one of them.

[sth1119]

thanks for the feedback henri51-

this is extremely useful information to me...

[Zovs]

ORIGINAL: Jabba

Its always worthwhile to fly air recon missions, just because you the player sees a hex, your units may not

So why did you just fly a recon mission to Kaunas, but nowhere else? You bombed several targets but only flew recon over one of them.

For brevity's sake and demonstration, that is all.

[Jabba]

So you are saying that you should always recon airfields (and every other target?) before bombing them?

If this is true, then why doesn't the AI do this as a matter of course? It is hard to understand why something that is always worthwhile must be done manually.

Sorry for these persistent questions. I am simply struggling as a newbie to understand points such as these.

[Zovs]

It really depends on how much you want to micromanage the game. When playing solo (and even against a live body) I like to run AI Air Recon a few times and let it decide on which hex (some are empty, since I tend to play with all FOW on) the AI will select and then if I am going to bomb an airfield I like to make sure the Detection Level is as high as possible (10). Sometimes when your adjacent to hexes if your recon is not high enough (say a regiment) you won't see what the enemy hex is (fort level how many, etc.) and if you attack it blindly your units may suffer the dreaded 'held' result.

Run a few tests, via the AI and don't move anything and turn the message level up as high as it will go and see what takes place. Or run a test where you split a security division up and move a regiment to a hex (with FOW all on) and then attack the hex without air recon and see what happens, then do the same thing but get the detection level up to 10 and see the result.

You should not have enough air movement to recon every single hex, but in a full CG you should be able to get at least a 100 missions out prior to bombing.

[HappyHedonist]

It's been said but thanks a ton for taking the time to write this.  I've been using the guide for a couple days now and feel so much better about the game.

[Gandalf]

errata: