Advanced Supply

[JagdFlanker]

out of curiosity, does everybody usually play with advanced supply? are there actually people out there ballsy enough who play all their games without auto supply? does auto supply do the job good enough so that there is never any need for the player to have to 'finish the job'?

just curious!

[christian brown]

If you want the job done right, gotta do it yourself[;)].

[GKar]

To be honest, I never even tried auto supply.

[JanSorensen]

The supply system is what makes the game elegant to me - so I vastly prefer controlling supply myself.

[Avatar47]

Played with auto supply a couple times. You get much more efficiency if you just plan and move the supply yourself.

[JagdFlanker]

so auto supply sorta stinks? i guess i'm not too surprised, especially if you want to stockpile it somewhere and the 'auto' keeps moving it on you. the manual sorta makes it look like it's a big deal to move it around yourself. i'd almost rather play without advanced supply, but i have the feeling i have to learn how just to play PBEM with most of you guys so i decided to throw it in the learning curve with the rest of the game.

the manual doesn't make clear how encircled units keep supply - if i stockpile 4 supply in a territory and it gets surrounded next turn, does that mean the surrounded units are supplied for 3 turns after, they can defend from 3 attacks/on the next friendly turn 3 units can attack their way out? (i'm assuming 1 supply gets expended per turn regardless, but mabe not)

[Avatar47]

1 supply is needed for any defending region when attacked. If not attacked, then it does not use 1 supply. If its not there, then -1 evasion for all units there. That said, 4 supply stockpiled on that square could either be, yes, 4 turns of pure defence, or perhaps 1 turn defence, and next turn 3 units attack with the 3 supply leftover.
 
Be aware that advanced supply makes for a totally different game. Much more realistic too imo, because supply for offensives not only have to be built, but they have to be stockpiled in the right theater! Basic supply means you just have to build it, and don't have to worry about shifting it between various theaters. Very different game as you see. I suggest to any newbie to not even bother looking at no or basic supply. Just start with Advanced Supply and go from there.

[Joel Billings]

ORIGINAL: Avatar47

1 supply is needed for any defending region when attacked. If not attacked, then it does not use 1 supply. If its not there, then -1 evasion for all units there. That said, 4 supply stockpiled on that square could either be, yes, 4 turns of pure defence, or perhaps 1 turn defence, and next turn 3 units attack with the 3 supply leftover.

Just to clarify, it takes 1 to defend for the entire stack, but 1 supply for each attacking unit. So in the example above if you attacked with 3 units you would use up your remaining 3 supply units.

[WanderingHead]

ORIGINAL: Flanker Leader
out of curiosity, does everybody usually play with advanced supply? are there actually people out there ballsy enough who play all their games without auto supply? does auto supply do the job good enough so that there is never any need for the player to have to 'finish the job'?

IMO there is no reason to play the game without advanced supply.

And IMO auto-supply removes half of the fun, which is planning and implementing the supply, and it is also awful. It really messes you up.

I had autosupply on once by accident. I thought there was a weird bug of some sort, because I kept finding supply where I didn't put it. Then one turn I saw my chance for Sea Lion, but DOH!, the computer had put a supply on my German transport in the prior turn and left it there and stuck it in place!

So never never never use auto supply, unless it is in the early learning stages of the game.

[Joel Billings]

I find auto supply to be fine against the AI and speeds play quite a bit. I wouldn't rule it out as it's a great way to play when first using Advanced Supply. It does make a few blunders, but for me vs. the AI the speed is worth it.

[WanderingHead]

Also, I believe that auto-supply has been improved since the days when it consistently left supplies on transports. So presumably autosupply preventing amphib ops by freezing transports in place would no longer happen.

[MrQuiet]

the manual doesn't make clear how encircled units keep supply - if i stockpile 4 supply in a territory and it gets surrounded next turn, does that mean the surrounded units are supplied for 3 turns after, they can defend from 3 attacks/on the next friendly turn 3 units can attack their way out? (i'm assuming 1 supply gets expended per turn regardless, but mabe not)

Great Question Flanker Leader.
The answers above are correct.

I just wanted to add that having a couple friendly Heavy Bombers within range of that encircled stack sitting on supply can make that encircled stack a very leathal surprise.

[invernomuto]

I use adv. supply. Auto supply is good for beginner.