HQ Activation

[bssybeep]

I'm probably missing something simple, but here goes: My offensives (as the Central Powers) keep stalling because eventually I am unable to activate my HQs. After a few activations, why can't I activate my HQs anymore? I've tested it and ran off several turns and still unable to activate HQs and therefore unable to continue attacking.

Thanks in advance

[James Ward]

Are you buying new HQ points? You need to do that when you spend you IP's. You can only give each HQ 1 point per strategic phase so it will take a while to get an HQ from 0 points to 3.
You assign new HQ points on the re-fit screen (the bullet symbol).

[hjaco]

The number in the upper right corner of the HQ is the number of offensive points which James mentions.

That simulates accumulated stockpiles of supplies to launch your attacks.

One activation will cost you one offensive point so make the most out of it.

[bssybeep]

aah, thanks.  That's the part I was missing, the purchase of HQ points.  I'll play around with that.
 
I wonder how you are supposed to sustain an offensive, if you can only have max 3 offensive points?  Once the points are gone, no attacks are allowed.  Playing the 1st scenario and attempting to drive on Paris in a timely manner, I don't see how you are supposed to keep the offensive momemtum going without continually using up offensive points and coming to a dead stop?
 
 

[SteveD64]

It can be done by concentrating your HQ's on a narrow front and rotating them in and out as they get to zero. 

[hjaco]

Most of the time you use 1 maybe 2 activations per impulse.

[James Ward]

ORIGINAL: bssybeep

aah, thanks.  That's the part I was missing, the purchase of HQ points.  I'll play around with that.

I wonder how you are supposed to sustain an offensive, if you can only have max 3 offensive points?  Once the points are gone, no attacks are allowed.  Playing the 1st scenario and attempting to drive on Paris in a timely manner, I don't see how you are supposed to keep the offensive momemtum going without continually using up offensive points and coming to a dead stop?

Definately one of the biggest challenges of the game.
Sometimes it seems like you can activate 3/4 of your army with 2 HQ points and other times you nedd 4-5 to do all the attacks you need to do. It does take some planning and sometimes you need to call off an attack simply becuase you can't afford to waste extra HQ points.
Be careful with them especially HQ's from nations with low production as they can't replace 4-5 points a turn.

[ceyan]

ORIGINAL: bssybeep

aah, thanks. That's the part I was missing, the purchase of HQ points. I'll play around with that.

I wonder how you are supposed to sustain an offensive, if you can only have max 3 offensive points? Once the points are gone, no attacks are allowed. Playing the 1st scenario and attempting to drive on Paris in a timely manner, I don't see how you are supposed to keep the offensive momemtum going without continually using up offensive points and coming to a dead stop?

Sounds like you're wasting Activation points. Remember an HQ that Activates will enable both its own stack and all adjacent stacks (not counting individual HQ units). You usually won't need more than two or three activations to cover the entire West Front. If you consolidate your forces and plan your attacks ahead of time you can make your initial supply last well into 1915.

The other thing to consider is that you're going to have problems maintaining a constant assault, as was historical. Although the game doesn't simulate the constant fighting (other than through Artillery) of the time, the high cost of HQ points does goes a long way to simulating how neither side made much progress without a huge investment.

[Moltke71]

ORIGINAL: bssybeep

aah, thanks.  That's the part I was missing, the purchase of HQ points.  I'll play around with that.

I wonder how you are supposed to sustain an offensive, if you can only have max 3 offensive points?  Once the points are gone, no attacks are allowed.  Playing the 1st scenario and attempting to drive on Paris in a timely manner, I don't see how you are supposed to keep the offensive momemtum going without continually using up offensive points and coming to a dead stop?

I address this in my review at Gamesquad.com.

[bssybeep]

Thanks for all the replies.  My problem was a combination of not purchasing HQ points and wasting activation points.  I thought I should activate all HQ's every impulse, obviously that's wrong.
 
I'll play around with it the next few nights and see how it goes.
 
One quick question, since I don't have the game open in front of me, I don't recall seeing an option to purchase HQ points during the strategy phase.  Do you purchase HQ points in the screen where you make purchases for refit, trenches, naval assets, R&D, etc?
 
Thanks in advance

[James Ward]

ORIGINAL: bssybeep

Thanks for all the replies.  My problem was a combination of not purchasing HQ points and wasting activation points.  I thought I should activate all HQ's every impulse, obviously that's wrong.

I'll play around with it the next few nights and see how it goes.

One quick question, since I don't have the game open in front of me, I don't recall seeing an option to purchase HQ points during the strategy phase.  Do you purchase HQ points in the screen where you make purchases for refit, trenches, naval assets, R&D, etc?

Thanks in advance

Yep. It's at the top of the screen.