Really Struggling

[ReconTom]

Have read the manual, looked at the newbies videos, and I still can't figure out how to load infantry on a ship. If I were to put what I think the sequence to do so was in steps, they would be:

1. Create a TF
2. (maybe or not) "DOCK it" in port for faster loading
3. Click on "Load Troops"
4. Up comes a screen showing a half a dozen inf units eligible??? and says at the bottom
"pick a unit."
5. I pick an inf unit that is smaller than the capacity of the only two ships on the list that have a rating for EVEN CARRYING TROOPS.

And then NOTHING!...I go back to the TF, look at the list of all the ships on the TF screen and EVERY SHIP SHOWS zero, 0, nada...in the column "troops loaded"....

I have read and re-read the sections over and over and tried numerous times. IS IT SUPPOSED TO BE THIS DIFFICULT? Why isn't there a simple, NUMBERED sequence of steps making the process a lot easier than trying to ferret out the procedure in the manual which spans several chapters and finding cross-references to find needed little details, like first how to find out the base's size, then the port's SPS, then to another page to find out where the "load troops" button is, and then to yet another page to see the capacities for this or that ship vis a vis the SPS and how many troops it can load in 12 hours. It sure would be nice if one of the VETERANS who have played WITPAE for years, has written up a simple sequence to doing so basic as thing as loading infantry. Pretty maddening. Be different if I was lazy, tried once, and failed coming here whining, but I have spent hours trying to figure this out. Some of the sound or the diction in some of the videos,and the tiny printing on the screens, make following some of the tutorials pretty difficult. At least for the trickier of the operations. Many of the videos are very helpful.

[Chickenboy]

Tom,

There are requirements and restrictions on the movement types allowed onto different TFs. The most flexible is an "Amphibious" TF. When in a decent sized port, they should be able to most effectively 'combat load' your troops. Give that a try.

[jwolf]

ORIGINAL: ReconTom

4. Up comes a screen showing a half a dozen inf units eligible??? and says at the bottom
"pick a unit."

You may be misled here. The menu will show every ground unit in the base but many of them will not actually be available to load. Units must be in combat mode to load in an amph TF, and in strat mode to load in a transport TF. In either case the unit's HQ must be unrestricted as well. What you should see is a column toward the right of your screen that shows, unit by unit, whether or not it can be selected and if so, whether or not it will fit (based on unit size and the ships you have in the TF).

[RogerJNeilson]

Can you post a screenshot of the units please, that would allow us to make useful comments about the specific case in point. Too many variables otherwise.

Roger

[Bullwinkle58]

The two most common reasons troops won't load are:

1) The troops (LCU=Land Combat Unit) are attached to a Restricted HQ. The name of the LCU must be in yellow and it must not have an [R] after its name

2) LCU mode. If the task force is a Transport TF the LCU must be in Strategic mode. If the TF is an Amphibious TF the LCU must be in Combat mode.

Check those two things. If they're correct then screenshots of the TF and the LCU would help.

Edit: note that moving to Strategic mode can take from 1 to 3 days. If you order a Transport load with a non-Strategic-mode LCU the screen will tell you the load is "pending." That just means the Strategic mode change must occur first.

[BattleMoose]

It sounds like you are doing everything correctly. Remember, you are giving orders, and when you run the turn, then those orders are carried out. So you are ordering the ships to load the troops and during the process of the turn, those troops will then load. Try running the turn and see what happens, also, posting screenshots really helps trouble shooting.

Generally, to load units onto a ship.
Create the TF with troop capacity
Select eligible units (unrestricted)
And then select done.

For a TRANSPORT fleet, the units must be in STRATEGIC mode. For an AMPHIBIOUS FLEET units must be in COMBAT mode. Some specific devices can only unload if in a transport fleet and the port is too small. Use amphibious fleets if the destination has no port or a small port. When in amphibious mode troop ships have half the troop capacity.

[Trugrit]

One other factor.

If the task force destination is set to the port where you are loading the troops and the
task force is set to unload, the troops will load and then unload so when you go back
next turn it will look like they have done nothing.

Check your destination and unload settings.

[HansBolter]

Unit take from one to three days to "pack" or "unpack" into or out of strategic mode.

When you assign troops to load on a transport that you just set to strategic mode that turn a very small number of troops (30-40 loading points) is assigned to each ship in the TF as a placeholder until the unit completes it's packing.

On the turn after you do this you can check the load of each ship in the TF and verify this.

The TF will not complete the loading of the troops until the packing delay is over and after loading the troops will fill the rest of the space with supply, unless you set it to not load supply.

Only after the TF is completed loading will it move form the port.

If your troops have been sitting in strat modes for turns waiting to be shipped out, which is what I do with all troops eligible to be shiipped out of CONUS then theu will load the same day you order them to.

If the port is large enough they will load and ship out in the same day. If not it may take several days.

One of the reason I convert all troops I intend to ship out one day to strat mode is that it separates them from the troops who can't ship out due to restricted commands when I use the sort by mode choice in the LCUs at a base interface.

It also means no packing delay on the day I make a TF available to ship them out.

[Dili]

1. Create a TF
2. (maybe or not) "DOCK it" in port for faster loading
3. Click on "Load Troops"
4. Up comes a screen showing a half a dozen inf units eligible??? and says at the bottom
"pick a unit."
5. I pick an inf unit that is smaller than the capacity of the only two ships on the list that have a rating for EVEN CARRYING TROOPS.

Correct. But the unit must available in the operation mode appropriate for the TF mission type.

Unit in Strategic op mode > TF in Transport Mission
Unit in Combat Mode >TF in Amphibious mission/Fast transport

The unit need to not be restricted.

[cohimbra]

ORIGINAL: ReconTom

1. Create a TF
2. (maybe or not) "DOCK it" in port for faster loading
3. Click on "Load Troops"
4. Up comes a screen showing a half a dozen inf units eligible??? and says at the bottom
"pick a unit."
5. I pick an inf unit that is smaller than the capacity of the only two ships on the list that have a rating for EVEN CARRYING TROOPS.

1. Create a TF
2. (maybe or not) "DOCK it" in port for faster loading
3. Click on "Load Troops"
4. Click on "Select Unit" (under status column)
5. Click on "Verify Load"
6. Click on "Accept Load"

[m10bob]

On the screen where you see the list of eligible land units, if you click on the units on the far right of that line, the words "Loading" should appear.

When you return to the ships screen, do not expect to see troops already loaded, especially in smaller ports.
It takes awhile, sometimes days.

As far as which troops are "eligible"...Transport mode will accept any LCU in Strategic mode ONLY..

Amphib mode will only accept LCU's in COMBAT mode.

If you only have a small size 2 or smaller port, you may even get a warning that ships CANNOT "dock".
(This does NOT mean LCU's cannot load.)

If you are in a hurry, hit the button to not load supplies.
Your troops will only take the rations they can carry in their packs.
You can send "amphib cargo" to them later from another port.I find this VERY efficient and effective.