New to the game - Basic Questions

[paulderynck]

But the screen shot says the CW is deciding, which is probably why. Can you switch to France doing the deciding?

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

But the screen shot says the CW is deciding, which is probably why. Can you switch to France doing the deciding?

That did it! Now, when I click initiate combat I get a naval battle.

[rkr1958]

In my current version of history (i.e., my play of the Global War Scenario), there was no debacle in Norway to bring down the Chamberlain government. But, I think this would have done it. I lost the entire BEF and the island of Malta this impulse. At this point in the game could I be playing the CW any worse than how I'm playing them now!?

[paulderynck]

I would prefer to focus on your great Axis play!

[composer99]

Losing the BEF, in part or in whole, is often part of the game. It's not necessarily bad play if the BEF is getting crushed, as long as the Germans had to work at it. Putting the BEF in harm's way is part of the job in the West in 1940.

[Joseignacio]

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

ORIGINAL: Centuur

Can you upload a zipped saved game here? If so, we can investigate what is happening here...

I had saved the game at that point for just such a request. Before uploading it, I always reload the saved game to make sure it's the correct save and I still see the bug. It's the correct save, but now I can disembark the CW corps into France. Apparently the save and reload did the trick? Do you still want the saved game?

MAybe you were not disembarking the unit but rather moving the ship into Rouen? In this case you wouldn't have enough FTC... I am saying this because this passed before to other players, because it's not happening to you anymore, and because in your screen I cannot see but one transport at sea although you were moving two land units...

[rkr1958]

Why are the 2 Italian and 2 CW units out of supply in Egypt?

Why are the 2 Italian units on the coast in Egypt in Supply?

[Centuur]

The Italian HQ and the INF are out of supply, since they are not in a coastal hex. They therefore need to trace to a port (or railline). In Desert (and desert mountain) to be in supply you only have a supply path of two hexes. Would Balbo have been positioned on a coastal hex, the INF would be in supply.

The other two Italian units can trace overseas supply through the port they are adjacent to (or in).

For the CW units, I haven't got enough information. My best guess is that Wavell can't trace a supply path to a CW country home city...

[paulderynck]

Assuming the standard supply rules (not LOS):

The two Italian units on the coast can trace through the Eastern Med direct to a primary source in Italy. Units on the coast can always trace a basic supply path overseas, providing supply can be traced by sea. The two Italian units that are inland do not have a basic supply path that's long enough because desert hexes cost two each and the HQ can't trace a path to a port that's in range.

The two CW units can't trace though the Eastern Med because subs don't enable supply overseas, you need a surface naval unit or an air unit with air-to-sea factors, if in the presence of the same kind of enemy units. What is not shown in the screen shot is why they can't trace to the HQ, then to Cairo by RR, then out through Suez to the Red Sea and onward. What is the state of the Red Sea sea zone?

[rkr1958]

@Centuur & @paulderynck -- Thanks!

"What is the state of the Red Sea sea zone?" -- @paulderynck

Only convoys are at sea for the CW in the Red Sea.

So if I understand both your posts:

The CW units are out of supply because I don't have CW surface combat ships (SCS?) in either the Eastern Med or Red Sea?

Well, in the Eastern Med I need CW SCS because the axis have combat ships at sea there?

What about the Red Sea? There are not axis SCS there?

The Italian corps and HQ are out of supply because they aren't on the coast and are too far (i.e., > 2 hexes in the desert) from a primary or secondary supply source?

[rkr1958]

Hey -- I just noticed something in the second screen cap. The CW units are now in supply. That shot is from two impulses later than the first one. However; they both were taken on the same turn.

Why are the CW units in Egypt now in supply?

I did make two CW naval moves in 1 or 2 of the Pacific sea areas in an impulse in between. I don't remember the specific details; but could that have done it?

Just to be clear, changed in the Red Sea though.

[paulderynck]

Two possibilities. One is that somewhere along the line you did something to enable a sea supply line. But with basic supply and (I suspect) the Japanese still neutral, then you don't need anything in a sea zone to trace supply as long as no enemy SCS/A2S are there. So it could be a save and reload fixed what should have been there already because there's likely no way the axis can interdict a supply path to India at this stage of the war.

If repeatable and fixed with save and reload and you are using the latest version, then it should be reported as a bug in the Tech Support threads, along with a saved game that demonstrates it (which, unfortunately, is impossible when the fix is save and reload).

[rkr1958]

O.K. - I can repeat it; but it's resolved by a reload. In the screen cap below the 2 CW units in Egypt attacking the Italian 4-5 corps appear to be out of supply. An if I try to execute the attack the game won't carry out the attack.

Now, if you reload the saved game I have for this situation, the 2 CW units are in supply and can carry out the attack. However; this feature can be reproduced by clicking undo on the attack for both CW units and then selecting them both again to attack.

So this is a "reproducible" bug and I'll post in the tech section. By the way, I'm running the latest officially released version 1.2.0.7.

[rkr1958]

I'm starting to gain an appreciation of how difficult it is to play the CW well. Especially, moving oil and resources to maximize production and oil saved. My question concerns the strategies used for "distributing spare" convoys across the globe. For example, I'm finding out the hard way that if I need more convoys in the Far East and my spares are in England, or even Gibraltar, then it's going to take me 2 to 3 turns to get those spares where they're needed. So here are my questions:

Can newly built CW convoys be placed (anywhere) they're needed (e.g., Far East)?

Do you (the experienced) players keep spare convoys?

If so, how do you distributed them?

What strategies (or tricks) do you use to get additional, or replacement, convoys to the sea areas where they're needed most?

[paulderynck]

Can newly built CW convoys be placed (anywhere) they're needed (e.g., Far East)? One new CP per turn can be placed in one CW home country or CW-aligned-minor country port. All majors have this ability, FREX the Germans can build a CP and place it in a Romanian port, once Romania is aligned.) All other CW ones arriving must go to the UK (or - perish the thought - Britains current home country).

Do you (the experienced) players keep spare convoys? Yes, if possible

If so, how do you distributed them? Liverpool and then the Canadian East Coast have first priority in a about a 2:1 ratio of what's spare. If the Netherlands is in the war then you may have some spares to place in India (after setting them up in the NEI), but once Japan is on the hunt, it's best to skeedaddle.

What strategies (or tricks) do you use to get additional, or replacement, convoys to the sea areas where they're needed most? Not much other than keeping a reserve. If the Axis is doing a strong BoA, build Alexander ASAP and put him in Liverpool so he can re-org any aborted CPs from sub attacks.

Edit: Also, any turn your CP lines get busted up, RTB everything you don't need from all the sea zones. The next turn, try to wait as long as possible (although early turn-end could be ugly) before taking a Naval and sailing them out again. Any that RTB can get to any sea zone within 3 sea zones (barring the "in the presence of the enemy" optional and being OOS), so they constitute an effective reserve.

[Courtenay]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

Can newly built CW convoys be placed (anywhere) they're needed (e.g., Far East)? One new CP per turn can be placed in one CW home country or CW-aligned-minor country port. All majors have this ability, FREX the Germans can build a CP and place it in a Romanian port, once Romania is aligned.) All other CW ones arriving must go to the UK (or - perish the thought - Britains current home country).

Do you (the experienced) players keep spare convoys? Yes, if possible

If so, how do you distributed them? Liverpool and then the Canadian East Coast have first priority in a about a 2:1 ratio of what's spare. If the Netherlands is in the war then you may have some spares to place in India (after setting them up in the NEI), but once Japan is on the hunt, it's best to skeedaddle.

I find that a few in Martinique are very useful -- from there they can get to all of the Atlantic convoy routes, and also more of the African west coast routes.

As I am playing with limited overseas supply, a few in the Mediterranean and in the Western Pacific are essential. For that matter, a few in the Indian Ocean are also essential. It is better to have a reserve than to get all convoy points back to the CW. For example (not playing with Food in Flames), at the start of the game I ignore the Australian and Malayan resources. There are enough CPs to get at least one of them back to Britain, but I prefer to have the 8 CPs it would take as a reserve.

What strategies (or tricks) do you use to get additional, or replacement, convoys to the sea areas where they're needed most? Not much other than keeping a reserve. If the Axis is doing a strong BoA, build Alexander ASAP and put him in Liverpool so he can re-org any aborted CPs from sub attacks.

Note that there is currently a bug that means that one does not want to reorganize convoy points, unless one really wants to cheat and get infinite convoy points.

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: CourtenayNote that there is currently a bug that means that one does not want to reorganize convoy points, unless one really wants to cheat and get infinite convoy points.

I've reorganized a handful of convoy points in my current game. Honestly, I hadn't noticed the bug. How man CP's do you get for every one you reorganize?

[Courtenay]

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

ORIGINAL: CourtenayNote that there is currently a bug that means that one does not want to reorganize convoy points, unless one really wants to cheat and get infinite convoy points.

I've reorganized a handful of convoy points in my current game. Honestly, I hadn't noticed the bug. How man CP's do you get for every one you reorganize?

I just tried to recreate the bug, and discovered that the bug no longer exists. This surprised me, because I never saw any indication that it had been fixed. (If you want to see what it was, search for the thread "Infinite convoy points.")

[paulderynck]

ORIGINAL: Courtenay

I find that a few in Martinique are very useful -- from there they can get to all of the Atlantic convoy routes, and also more of the African west coast routes.

Except it usually goes Vichy.

[Centuur]

Freetown is also a good port to put spare CP in at start or if you don't need them after they are build. From there you can almost reach all the Atlantic...