War in the East Q&A

[Smirfy]

Some form of unit ID on the counters would be nice

[SGHunt]

I agree, especially at zoom levels 1 and 2 - nothing fancy, just numbers (1/1Pz, 2/1Pz etc for regiments would do it, wouldn't it?).   In another post someone suggested up the left side of the unit icon?

[jaw]

ORIGINAL: von Jaeger

I agree, especially at zoom levels 1 and 2 - nothing fancy, just numbers (1/1Pz, 2/1Pz etc for regiments would do it, wouldn't it?).   In another post someone suggested up the left side of the unit icon?

You probably can't tell this from the AARs but you see the unit names when you scroll over the unit.

[SGHunt]

That'll do nicely, thanks!

[Capt Cliff]

ORIGINAL: jaw

ORIGINAL: von Jaeger

I agree, especially at zoom levels 1 and 2 - nothing fancy, just numbers (1/1Pz, 2/1Pz etc for regiments would do it, wouldn't it?).   In another post someone suggested up the left side of the unit icon?

You probably can't tell this from the AARs but you see the unit names when you scroll over the unit.

I assume jaw you mean a pop-up window appears? If so this is a pet peave of mine. In GGWbtS some of the pop-up windows are a pain in the butt. They pop-up an you have to go back an close them then they pop-up again, shssst!! I know there's a place you can set the duration of the pop-up but sometime you actually need the pop-up. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. ID on the chit face might be better for a quick scan of units to see who belongs to who.

[Hard Sarge]

this is a mouse over, mouse over, if you move it, it goes away, also, you can set where you want the info box to show up on the screen

[lparkh]

The 1942 AAR mentioned activation points. This is the first mention of activation points I've caught (a search on "activation" and "points" didn't turn up anything either). Would you mind speaking to how they are earned and on what basis used up (i.e. what costs more).
THanks,
Lin

[elmo3]

I'm guessing what was meant was admin points being used for the activation of static units.

[jaw]

ORIGINAL: lparkh

The 1942 AAR mentioned activation points. This is the first mention of activation points I've caught (a search on "activation" and "points" didn't turn up anything either). Would you mind speaking to how they are earned and on what basis used up (i.e. what costs more).
THanks,
Lin

Here's the exact passage from the current version of the rules manual:

Each player starts with a number of administrative (admin) points that varies depending on the scenario. For example, in the 1941-1945 Campaign scenario, the Axis start with 300 admin points and the Soviet player start with 150 admin points. Each player receives additional admin points during their respective logistics phase depending on the scenario. For example, in the 1941-1945 Campaign scenario, the Axis player receives 50 additional admin points per turn and the Soviet player receives 30 additional admin points per turn. Each player may have a maximum of 500 admin points. Any additional admin points are lost during their logistics phase.
Administrative Points are expended for unit transfers between HQs and for transfer of support units between HQ’s, combat units and cities. Admin points are also expended to change the leader of an HQ. The Russian player expends administrative points for creation of combat units, HQs, Fortified Zones and support units, while the Axis player expends points for creating Fortified Zones. One admin point is required to disband a unit.

To this I would add that admin points are used to activate units in static mode at a cost equal to their organic truck requirement divided by 80 (that's in another section of the rules).

I sorry that I can't be more specific than that but as you can tell from the above rules section admin costs vary by the particulars of the situation so it is hard to enumerate them in detail.

[Helpless]

this is a mouse over, mouse over, if you move it, it goes away, also, you can set where you want the info box to show up on the screen

Correction. Not where, but when. I.e. delay or disable mouse over pop-up

[elmo3]

That passage from the manual that Jim quoted will need to be updated.  The Axis and Soviets start with a lot less points in the 41 campaign now.

[Smirfy]

ORIGINAL: von Jaeger

That'll do nicely, thanks!

I would still like to see the id's on the physical counters if possible.

[FM WarB]

re: unit counters. A seperate, legible info box or mouse over of some sort is the way to go, I believe. Try to cram too much info onto a counter and make it legible like a certain Russian Front computer game which will go unnamed and you wind up with such large stacks that you cannot see the underlying terrain.

Runon sentence for emphasis.

[wodin]

I agree about an info pop up box....

[elmo3]

There is a popup box when you mouse over a hex that lists the unit names as well as hex info.  You can also click on any unit and get a separate window at the right of the screen that lists more details.

[Zovs]

AI and reload

Upstream I believe someone asked if you saved or reloaded a game will the AI do the same thing. I just ran 4 late war first turn tests and what was very interesting is that the AI did 4 different things, in two of the tests I did not move any units and the AI attacked in the same general area with different forces and different results. In the other two tests I tried two different strategies and the AI attacked in both cases completely not where I thought he was going to. So no one turn is the same.

Interface

While at first it may 'appear' that the on map units 'need' a unit ID on them, after you get used to the interface you'll find this is not really necessary and will only clutter the map. You can hover over any stack and see what is in each stack (name of units, supply and and support level, hex ID, port status and Fort level - see screen shot 1 below), you can not click on an enemy stack but you can click on your stacks and then further see the details of said stack (see screen shot 2 below). While at first this may seem to those that are use to playing board war games as odd or 'missing' after spending 4-8 hours a day on the game (during the work week and a further 12-24 hours on Sat. & Sun.) - shussh don't tell me wife you get used to it (yeah I think I have been spending about 30-60 hours a week on this game since Feb. testing 1943-44, my god...[X(], okay I do take a break to watch the hockey games and the Stanly Cup will start tonight...).

Screen shot one mouse roll overs


Screen shot two stack click

[SGHunt]

ORIGINAL: Hard Sarge
this is a mouse over, mouse over, if you move it, it goes away, also, you can set where you want the info box to show up on the screen

Designed by the people for the people!!!

[SGHunt]

OK - here's me being good and shifting my question to the Q and A thread.

In Hard Sarge's latest SS in the Detailed Combat Reporting thread, for which much praise and thanks, we see General der Gerbirgstruppe Kubler promoted to Feldmarschal (which strikes me as abig jump for a Corps Commander and which I queried in that thread).

My question here is about the whole 'Event Log' process:

I know there was discussion and rejection of the programmed (or even random) 'political' event coming and disturbing the peace. I wonder if these excellent promotion and demotion (and death, arrest or execution) events provide an opportunity to model at least some 'mad dictator' activity coming down from on high. Triggered by actions on the field, semi-random interventions by Adolf and Uncle Joe could be rolled for and modified by the commander's political and morale rating and their service record. This could involve sacking (or 'resting' as per Guderian and Rommel), retirement or promotion; awarding of medals with morale benefits; removal or addition of generals' ratings points (especially political factors), loss or addition of support units from Corps or Army HQ's, addition or removal of supply points etc etc - I'm just flying a kite here with some of these suggestions, so be gentle!

Maybe this, or some parts of this, is what is being modelled anyway?

Whatever, I think the events log is another great layer of detail and enjoyment.

[SGHunt]

Did I err?

[elmo3]

AFAIK there are no plans to model "mad dictator" behavior.