I have been struggling much with the game, especially production and factories and convoys, so to help myself (or rather, force myself) to learn beyond the basics, I decided to play solitaire with some house rules that limit movement and combat whilst focusing on trying to understand the logistics of resources and factories.
With that in mind, I am hoping some kind souls might give me advice re: how to overcome the stumbling blocks in my thought processes so that I can get more than just a neophyte or “patzer” enjoyment of the game.
Background: I’m an old grognard, and I really like the Global War scene (that’s why I bought the game!) I cut my teeth on titles like The Next War, Wacht am Rhein, and other monster titles back in the 70s, always wanted to try WiF, so this is really a dream come true to be able to play such a monster without taking over the space we needed back then for maps and counters. Anyway:
Global War Turn 1 again, this time I just concentrated on setting up CW convoys for production, and did much better than my first few times setting up. If I can understand how to get CW’s resources and convoys to set sail, that’s really my major stumbling block.
So, to move the game along, in turn 1: Poland / Czech / Austria all surrender to Germany. France / CW declare war on Germany, Rumania surrenders to Sovs after some back and forth over Bessarabia. Hungary and Italy remain neutral just to keep it interesting, Sino-Japanese front I leave to future considerations, and the “phony war” begins:
It is CW turn, and here is where I need some help on getting the convoys and production sorted out. Here are some screens for background on the CW situation in November 1939, Turn 2 Impulse 1, CW turn to move:
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My question here is, where am I going wrong with these convoys? I have three oil in Venezuela that are not reaching home, and I need the two in Australia, but wouldn’t those go to production down under? I also need the Canadian resources. Any help on how to unravel the CW pipeline is greatly appreciated.
Thank you, that helps (I did finally figure out the US convoys, at least enough to appease the Emperor’s oil cravings….but I will need to re-address that issue in light of the Imperial Marine’s nastiness in Canton this last impulse, be that as it may, dhucul had the same question--:)
"dhucul
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This thread [is] great. Can we get someone to post a global screenshot of what the CW should do to maximize initial convoy routes? "
Dhucul, that was my exact question…trying to maximize the initial CW convoys / production. Seems like there would be a “magic number” for each convoy zone and # of convoys for each, while I ponder that I will press on with my effort to maximize production and convoys.)
Thank you for the link and answer, any other insights are much appreciated. Now that I think about it, couldn't the resources up in Canada go through the Eastern Seaboard (not Hudson Bay) and save a few convoy points?
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Sorry if these are stupid questions, or already answered. Just trying to understand. Thanks again.
Yes, the Canadian resources should go through the East Coast. See my example initial convoy route in the thread I referred to.
Other things: the Algerian resource needs no convoys. It is connected to France by rail. For that matter, if the CW is giving France resources (not legal on the first turn, but should be done after that), all you need to do is get them to Cape St. Vincent, and then route them through Spain. This applies to resources from Africa in particular. The Cyprus resource should be given to France, as it uses 2 CPs that probably are there anyway (if you are using limited overseas supply).
Oil can be saved at a nearby location. The Port of Spain oil, for example, can be saved in Port of Spain. The Venezuelan oil can be shipped through the Caribbean and the US to Canada. The far eastern oil can go to some safe CW country. The Persian oil can be railed to Egypt, and the Persian oil railed to Syria; no CPs needed. Some oil has to be shipped to England to be used in production, but not all of it.
Do not ship large quantities of resources through the Mediterranean. It takes more CPs to ship resources around Africa, but the Mediterranean routes will almost certainly be cut at times by Italy. Don't bother trying.
Initially some CPs are saved by going through the Bay of Biscay, but be ready to abandon the Bay as soon as France looks like it is danger of falling.
Don't worry about the Australian resources; in my opinion, they are too far to be worth transporting.
Personally, I like to set up to bring two Australian resources to Canada via a rail line from Mexico (since you can ship resources through neutral countries). And then ship two more Canadian resources to the UK.
The advantages are:
- the same convoy route (with one extra CP in the Caribbean) allows the New Caledonia resource to go to France in 1939, since one extra resource does not help the CW when its PM is point 5, and
- I use as many of the French CPs as possible (that can return to New Caledonia) because I'm a big believer in a strong FF navy. Those extra CPs can eventually become a "reaction force" to submarine attacks. A force that does not require the expenditure of CW naval moves to put in place.
I now prefer to maximize the French for a few turns, as general CW strategy. All French resources (including New Caledonia) go to France, the CW keeps production up by using oil close to the UK for production rather than saving very much, and loans some resources and BPs to the French, with a good BEF too. An extra French anti-tank asset and their MECH corps and a new 1940 FTR-2 just might cost the Germans a turn in the summer of 1940, or at least lead them to burn an Offensive Chit that summer when they might have other plans. Fight the Germans, fight them. Let the USA do the long-term investing.
So, I have managed to get all the CW factories running, except four, b/c I need non-oil resources that are not being convoyed (yet)?
Not asking whether that is a good idea or not, just that I need those four non-oil resources for factory production, and the oil resources are used for ... advanced rules, something other than factory production. Is that correct?
You can use Oil or Non-oil in any factory, whether you are using the Oil rule or not.
If you use the Oil rule, you need Oil resources to re-organize Oil-dependent units. (Most everything except leg infantry, cavalry, and some artillery). With the Oil optional rule turned on, an on-map Oil resource can be used for units that turn, sent to a factory, or saved for the future.
You can use Oil or Non-oil in any factory, whether you are using the Oil rule or not.
If you use the Oil rule, you need Oil resources to re-organize Oil-dependent units. (Most everything except leg infantry, cavalry, and some artillery). With the Oil optional rule turned on, an on-map Oil resource can be used for units that turn, sent to a factory, or saved for the future.
Thank you, that is very helpful. I think I understand the "rules of the Sea" for CW now. In the below, it is now Feb. 1940, and Germany needs to rail the Turkish resource near Adana (imho). How do you get that Adana resource to Berlin, by rail thru the Baltic States?
There was some hub-bub between Hitler and Stalin about Bessarabia in turn 1. Things were getting ugly when eventually Rumania surrendered to USSR, and later Bulgaria aligned w/ USSR. Hitler wasn't going to take that borscht lying down, so he rolled into Hungary.
I really wasn't thinking much about this aspect of the game (when I was just trying to figure out the CW pipeline, convoys, and production) and with my ad hoc solitaire rules (the primary one being, all countries must choose either "combined" or "pass" each impulse, at least during the phony war.) You should see the Far East. What a mess! US is staying isolationist as long as possible.
Hope you don't mind if I post some AARs as I go along, I'm sure I will have many basic questions about convoys and production, that aspect of the game is really hard for me to understand. Thanks again for your comments and kind help!
Not convoy related, but I get a display glitch every session after about 15 minutes of playing: the map views don't refresh properly after a while, and I get some amusing results, like this view I got of Chinese units suddenly appearing outside Moscow and in Smolensk: [img]
Yesterday, France showed up in India. Of course, changing the map view or refreshing dispels the mirage, but still, it can be a bit jarring and certainly derails a train of thought. I have 16gigs RAM and 2gigs video card, updated drivers. It "feels" like the game starts to bog down, as if there were a memory leak or maybe the video card memory is wonky.
Any ideas as to how to exorcise this video gremlin?
You get enough CP at start to ship nearly everything except for three resources, and still get the full Food in Flames bonus. I run a line of 1 CP from Australia to South Africa for 3 in Mozambique Basin, joining with two coming down along the African coast [Anzanian] from India and Malaya. The other two from India and Malaya go through the Red Sea and the Med, joining the one from Cyprus [and these three are part of the bundle I send to France for trade from Nov/Dec on]. I let the Burmese oil idle, or I lend it to China when I can. The Persian oil can take an overland route to Suez.
The three south African resources have overland routes coming out the Gulf of Guinea, so it is there your three CP in the Cape Basin need to become six. Cape Verde needs seven to accommodate British Guyana, and Cape Verde needs ten since that first turn, there will be three coming through the Med. Same with Bay of Biscay.
Then three in the Carib - let Trinidad idle, since you will be burning oil to the turn of at least two to three per turn as the CW - and add three more for the east coast, then six apiece in the N.Atlantic and Faeroe Gap.
Be aware that your resources from Canada and Venezuela will try to cut through the Bay of Biscay, so you will have to manually force their route. Or put the Faeroe convoys in the Bay of Biscay, but bear in mind they'll be easier targets for the Germans if they relocate their subs to Brest.
Also, the Malayan resources are very fond of trying to exit the Siamese minor port into the S.China Sea, so either manually force their route, or - as Japan - activate Siam to end that problem.
I'd upload a photo, but I'm not the photo-bucket expert, and my wife is still at work.
Not convoy related, but I get a display glitch every session after about 15 minutes of playing: the map views don't refresh properly after a while, and I get some amusing results, like this view I got of Chinese units suddenly appearing outside Moscow and in Smolensk: [img]
Yesterday, France showed up in India. Of course, changing the map view or refreshing dispels the mirage, but still, it can be a bit jarring and certainly derails a train of thought. I have 16gigs RAM and 2gigs video card, updated drivers. It "feels" like the game starts to bog down, as if there were a memory leak or maybe the video card memory is wonky.
Any ideas as to how to exorcise this video gremlin?
Hi,
The Gremlin is a low-priority bug which nags at the background mind processes of us all. The worst appeareance is during naval moves which failed to be intercepted, where there is no clue that the real view is different from the apparent view. I have placed many fleets in sea area's where they didn't want to to. I hope Steve will take this bug and line it up with the other naval bugs after finishing production bugs (which he is currently doing).
Big... but it's readable. It might not be the most efficient use of convoys, but there's less in the Med for Italy to disrupt. If Germany invades Norway and/or The Netherlands, sortie their CP into the North Atlantic and Faeroe Gap to shift the pipeline out of the Bay of Biscay after France falls.
The North Atlantic & Faeroe Gap have 6 each - I just noticed they're fuzzy. Hope this helps.
Thank you, Larry, your example is encouraging, because I have a similar set up, but (in April 1940) I'm still trying to get Australia shipped over. I started off concentrating on getting the Canadian and South American convoys going, and did, now I think I can get everything available shipped to England by summer 1940 with just a few more convoys that are under construction....
Also, if you know, will I be able to use the Yugoslavian convoy that I am hoping to steam into the Med or into an Allied port? Yugoslavia is just now aligned w/ Britain, but is crumbling fast. I just hope that I can get the Yugo convoy out before Italy sinks it while it is in port. It just appeared this last impulse, in which Von Loeb and his army started rolling towards Belgrade...I expect Yugoslavia to fall in the next impulse or two. It is still March/April 1940. Just phony wars in the East and West still, while I try now to get Adolf some more supplies through the Balkans Fun game, hoping to get it moved along more in the next few months. Thanks again for your input! [img]
PS: thanks very much for all of your insights, I do not have the chance to play much and when I do, the complexity of it all is just overwhelming, and makes it that much more needful for me to just ask questions when I can, as I do not even have a lot of time to search for answers in the books or on the forums. I really appreciate everyone's help. [&o]
Here is the state of CW convoys at the start of May / June 1940. It looks to me like I am overloaded in Bay of Biscae / Faroes Gap / St Vincent, so I need to stretch out to the Anzanian area / Indian Ocean, and also toward Australia. Also, I notice Larry, that you leave the Central Atlantic open, so I should move those over toward Indian Ocean / Australia? Does that sound right? [img]
Mine was done at set-up. With the Food in Flames option, it's good to ensure at least one resource from each of India, Malaya and South Africa get to England. The CW has an even number of factories, and the FiF option adds three more, so after that all get's halved - your production multiple in 1939 is 0.5 - the result get's rounded up. Missing out on just one of the FiF bonuses is cheating yourself [as the CW].
However... don't shift the C.Atlantic. When France Falls - and they usually do, because if they don't, Germany will be toast, so the German player will make an all-out effort to knock out France - they'll have access to the Bay of Biscay. They have some Stukas and other LND in 1940 which, if put into the Bay of Biscay, can really hurt the convoys there, especially if Britain is hard pressed to defend her airspace against a potential invasion.
And once Italy is in it, your Med convoys will be vulnerable. Fortunately, you've got just enough there. France needs four resources to fill out it's production, so I always send through the Med what I intend to send to France [as well as one more coming up from South Africa] - they have to pass by regardless, right?
For now, you have two more than you need in the Cape Basin - the South African resources use rail lines and roads to get to ports along the Gulf of Guinea. The Cape Basin should carry no more than the Mozambique Channel, which carries the sum of what you are sending over from Australia and what comes south from India and Southeast Asia. Peel two convoys out of there so they can reorganize at the end of the turn, then with a new convoy put in Australia next turn, you'll have the three points you need to connect Australia.
I see 7 CP in Gulf of Guinea, and unless that includes one for the Belgian Congo resource - and make sure Belgium goes to France, since having a new home country with more than three cities and/or ports increases what the Free French can stockpile and spend - you could peel that out of there, and one or two from Cape Verde [the resource in British Guyana is very fond of heading into the Cape Verde Basin instead taking the more direct route into the Central Atlantic, so either force it to go north, or allow for it] - and if those convoy points are collected at Capetown, you'll have enough to allow the Indian resources to come south instead of the risky route through the Med.
I usually leave the oil in Trinidad for reorganization. So at minimum, 3 CP in the Carib, and 6 at minimum in the East Coast, since I save the Estevan oil for reorg, too. The North Atlantic should at minimum match the East Coast, as the Central Atlantic defaults to St. Vincent, but you could shift some convoys from the Bay of Biscay and Cape Vincent - say two each, and use a Transport to reorg each pair [in a naval move, since it's doubled during a combo move; the CW only have three units on the continent, anyway] so they can be back out and working before the end of the turn.
To figure out your needs, maybe fire up another game and go through the set-up - tedious, but doing is learning - and start from the furthest out. Try and get at least one resource from each of India, Australia, Malaya, South Africa, Canada, Cyprus and British Guyana to England. You don't have to play it through, just use the set-up process to get a feel for what you need, and where. You can just drop the rest of the nations stuff wherever to zip through them.
I see that Siam has been activated by Japan, which helps to keep the Malayan resources from trying to skip out through the nearby Siamese port on the S.China Sea coast [messing up the French needs wrt the resource from Hanoi].
If you had one convoy point to put into the Bay of Bengal, you could get one of the Malayan resources. Or the Burmese oil, but I leave that to be used [the CW tends to use 2 to 3 oil per turn just for reorganization, if you're maintaining your fleets at sea and escorts as well; gets worse when you're Strat bombing Germany].
If Germany invades The Netherlands - and they probably will to get position on Belgium, to invade France - make sure the Dutch INF corps is put east of Amsterdam. The German might get a Blitz with it in the open, but they won't be able to overrun Rotterdam, which is where most if not all of the Dutch shipping will be placed. Then sortie the entire stack of Dutch CP into the bay of Biscay - or into St. Vincent - and have your entire stack of shipping there return to port [which means a naval move if you want to put the Dutch navy on escort duty, and get the sub out]. If you don't move the ships, putting that INF there at least ensures the Dutch ships are not overrun during a surprise impulse.
The Belgian CP can be put into the Belgian Congo, where they will be much more usefull.
Or you could ship an HQ to Capetown, RTB a bunch of convoys - make sure it is a merged force - and then after reorganizing them with the HQ, IMMEDIATELY split the merged unit and you might get a bug exploit! If I do this in Hawaii with Nimitz, I end up with 256 more CP!
I'm joking about doing this, but if you want to try, go ahead. Just save the game before and immediately after so Steve can use the saves for debugging.
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Fun game, hoping to get it moved along more in the next few months. Thanks again for your input!
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