Various questions & advice needed

[pcoud]

Still trying to grasp the mechanics of this (very good) game. I have played small scenarios (Arracourt, Crete), and I am currently trying Market Garden. I have gathered some questions ( I'm playing 3.4.0.202) on which I'd appreciate some help:
1) I sometimes get friendly units supporting an adjacent attack while they don't have any attack order and are neither in tactical nor local reserve mode (they actually are in mobile or moving deployment): is that working as intended? If yes, what is the use of the local/tactical reserve deployment modes then?
2) In the attack planner, units that have been given attack orders sometimes have the little orange triangle pointing towards the attacked hex, and sometimes don't. Any particular reason why?
3) Is there any mean to tell a long range fire unit to NOT supporting an attack (other than changing its deployment mode)?
4) Is there any reason to NOT digging in each and every unit at the end of a turn (I find it actually a bit tedious to do that but I can't see why I wouldn't do it)?
5) I have played the Crete41 scenario (as the Germans) 6 times in a row, with very poor results. I still don't have a clue how I could merely make a draw... Any advice from veterans on this one?
6) I have seen mention of "refugees" in some hexes (I think it was in the France40 scenario). Is that to simulate people fleeing on the roads in front of ennemy advance? I seemed to notice that it was more costly movement wise to enter into these hexes: is that correct? "Traffic jams" due to all these people on the roads?

Many thanks !

[Oberst_Klink]

Quick answers...

1) tactical reserve = unit will attempt to react to enemy attacks into adjacent locations
local reserve = unit will attempt to react to enemy attacks into locations within movement radius defined by the unit's remaining movement allowance; artillery units/tubes in range will support the attack/defence.
2) depends if the unit(s) is/are assigned to the attack *screenshot please*
3) as far as I know... nope *but some of the lads might prove otherwise*
4) OK, that's a tricky one and yes/no. depends if you need those units in t&l reserve and want to keep the movement points for the same.
5) Crete '41 is a tough one (especially from the original scenario bundle). Try the 1km version from Erik instead.
6) yes, this is triggered by certain events and the civies clog your roads. solution: use HQs with MP or MP units to negate this penalty.

Hope that helped. The other lads might post a more detailed answer though.

kLiNk, Oberst

P.S. Also see Silvanski's link collection of several articles http://sites.google.com/site/toawredux/ ... w-articles

[pcoud]

Thanks a lot, it does helps.

I will however come back on 1) with an example, because I'm afraid I was not clear enough. Have a look at the herebelow combat report:

I have ordered an attack on location 27,37 with 2 units, the 2nd Irish/5GD and the 3rd Irish/5GD. A lot of long range artillery and planes were also supporting this attack. What I don't understand on the combat report, is: "Allies 5th GD Armored, B-2HCC supports the attack". This B-2HCC actually was on an adjacent hex, but had absolutely NO combat orders. It was not on tactical reserve and it was not on local reserve either. It was with the "mobile" deployment. This B-2HCC unit has zero artillery capability. Why did it come in support of this attack? Another weird thing is that after this attack, the B-2HCC unit still has 100% readiness and 100% supply.

So, to summarize:
1) I think that this unit shouldn't have participated or supported the attack since it had no orders to do so, and was not in tactical or local reserve mode.
2) The combat report says it has supported the attack.
3) Its readiness and supply levels after the attack say it has not.

So, is this a small glitch/bug or am I missing something?

[pcoud]

And now quickly coming back on 2). I am not sure if it will be really visible, but please have a look on the herebelow screenshot of the combat planner. Both allied units (one south of target and the other south west) have been ordered to attack. On the unit south of target we can see the small orange triangle (pointing towards the target), but we can't see any orange triangle on the unit south west despite it also has attack orders. This happens all the time, sometimes I can see the triangle sometimes it is not there (I am only speaking of units to which I have actually given attack or limited attack orders), and I don't understand why. Maybe it has a meaning unknown to me?

EDIT: hmm, hardly visible...

[Telumar]

ORIGINAL: pcoud

Thanks a lot, it does helps.

I will however come back on 1) with an example, because I'm afraid I was not clear enough. Have a look at the herebelow combat report:

I have ordered an attack on location 27,37 with 2 units, the 2nd Irish/5GD and the 3rd Irish/5GD. A lot of long range artillery and planes were also supporting this attack. What I don't understand on the combat report, is: "Allies 5th GD Armored, B-2HCC supports the attack". This B-2HCC actually was on an adjacent hex, but had absolutely NO combat orders. It was not on tactical reserve and it was not on local reserve either. It was with the "mobile" deployment. This B-2HCC unit has zero artillery capability. Why did it come in support of this attack? Another weird thing is that after this attack, the B-2HCC unit still has 100% readiness and 100% supply.

So, to summarize:
1) I think that this unit shouldn't have participated or supported the attack since it had no orders to do so, and was not in tactical or local reserve mode.
2) The combat report says it has supported the attack.
3) Its readiness and supply levels after the attack say it has not.

So, is this a small glitch/bug or am I missing something?

What a unit is this B-2HCC? Is this is a HQ unit? I would have looked in the editor but i can't tell from the screenshot which scenario this is.

And now quickly coming back on 2). I am not sure if it will be really visible, but please have a look on the herebelow screenshot of the combat planner. Both allied units (one south of target and the other south west) have been ordered to attack. On the unit south of target we can see the small orange triangle (pointing towards the target), but we can't see any orange triangle on the unit south west despite it also has attack orders. This happens all the time, sometimes I can see the triangle sometimes it is not there (I am only speaking of units to which I have actually given attack or limited attack orders), and I don't understand why. Maybe it has a meaning unknown to me?

EDIT: hmm, hardly visible...

Don't know. Your screenshot is too small to actually recognize this. Well, maybe it hasn't orders. Or maybe your graphic of arrowheads.bmp or arrowheads.png is corrupted, has errors etc..

How did you give the attack order? Within the combat planer or from the map? Are the triangles visible on the map?

[pcoud]

The scenario is Market Garden, and B-2HCC is a recon unit.

As for the orange arrows, yes they are always visible on the map. I usually start giving orders from the map, then I often open the planner and adjust / give orders from the planner too. This orange arrow issue is not a big one, it's just that when I open the planner I cannot see at a glance who is committed and who's not.





EDIT: sorry, I am still trying to find out how to post bigger and clearer sceenshots...

[Telumar]

ORIGINAL: pcoud

The scenario is Market Garden, and B-2HCC is a recon unit.

As for the orange arrows, yes they are always visible on the map. I usually start giving orders from the map, then I often open the planner and adjust / give orders from the planner too. This orange arrow issue is not a big one, it's just that when I open the planner I cannot see at a glance who is committed and who's not.





EDIT: sorry, I am still trying to find out how to post bigger and clearer sceenshots...

I can reproduce this and i can say it's related to the recon capability of the unit. This also happens with other units that have a high recon and are adjacent, but not participating in the battle. What it means and if this in any kind influences the battle i can't tell.

As for your problem with the triangles (arrowheads). This is related to the Huge 2D view. The arrows in huge 2D view are displayed correctly on the map. But the attack planer uses the normal 2D view for units (certainly due to space limitations) and would require the arrows to be scaled down for normal 2D view (respectively the according graphic should be used: arrowheads.png - instead of h_arrowheads.png). This is not the case, the arrows used for the attack planer are still the huge ones. If you use normal 2D view the arrows will show up correctly in the attack planer. This is certainly a bug, but nothing serious. See also the screenshots.

This is huge 2D mode, note that the unit counters are normal size and the arrows look distorted and misplaced, the graphic for the huge view is used.



Same attack - everything alright in normal 2D view:

[pcoud]

I'm impressed, many thx Telumar, for the answers, ...and your patience!