4 player E-mail: AAR

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: AllenK

You have 4 oils being saved and every factory producing. I left all the oils as you had set them for saving or production. You didn't specify you wanted to save more and looking at the CP set up you have, I don't think I could get any more non-oil resources to a factory without putting in more CP's.

Your appreciation for help freely given, sir, is duly noted.

I am sorry.

I should have been more clear in my answer. It had nothing to do with your assistance. I truly appreciate it. However, your solution was the same as mine. A solution we shouldn't be forced to make.

You are indeed correct that more CPs are needed to get non-oil resources to factories. But I shouldn't have to do so. You shouldn't have to do so. Now we had to idle the Algeria resource. It costs CPs. The Cyprus resource can not be used because it takes the same route around Africa. It also costs CPs.

Just take a look at this convoy route in the picture below. It can't be changed. Fortunately, this resource doesn't override the others if they use the convoy in Cape Verde. But I have plenty of convoy points in the Caribbean that should be transporting resources that don't. I have to move them to other sea areas. More risky sea areas because the convoy lines can not be changed. During this game CW had to, in my opinion had to, use oil for production instead of resources just because the programmer doesn't see the issue. Or want to fix it. Or for whatever reason I never understood. CW also have had to use a lot more convoy points at sea than they should because the routes have never been as optimal as they should. Because they couldn't be changed that way.

Some of this, I am sure, could have been fixed if I was better at it. But it shouldn't be that hard.

So I am truly sorry, Sir, that I failed to clearly direct my frustration where it belongs.

[AllenK]

Thank you Orm.

I've had another go. I'm not sure if the manual over-ride function for routing is working correctly as it doesn't seem to over-ride and force a route through and take another resource offline if the CP's aren't available. By taking the CP out of the West Med, for which the only purpose it was serving was putting the French sub in supply, I think I've got things about as optimum as they can be.

Note, the Cyprus resource would always have to go the long way around Africa due to the Gibraltar Straits being closed. The other idle resource is in India and I don't think you have the CP's available to form a chain to the UK. You are now saving 5 oils.

If you look around the map you'll see a fair number of CW CP's returned to port, as the US CP's are now shipping the resources.

Edit: If you need to have that CP in the West Med, you could try putting it back now everything's set up. If it all goes pear shaped again, then a workaround is to send the Algeria resource to Canada. Then send a UK resource to Bilbao (using the CP now available in Biscay). You will then need to send a Canadian resource to U.K. You will probably need to put some CP's back to sea for this.

[rkr1958]

It makes no sense to me that your convoy routes can get so screwed up by "adding" a CP to a sea area. I've experienced this countless number of times. My solution, or workaround" is to idle the offending resource that unnecessarily "gobbles" up CP points like PacMan. Then I edit the game file to increase a saved oil by one point near the factory that went idle when I idled the offending resource. I then use that saved oil for production to offset the resource I had to idle. Not elegant but this whole thing takes me less than 5-minutes versus spending 1 or 2, or even more, frustrating hours working on to solve it but never getting solved and giving up!

[brian brian]

that seems like it will be the best solution, going forward. just set up an oil somewhere, say on a non-factory city, that the other side promises not to bomb. Then increase this marker once in a while via editing the game file, and only use the oil when MWiF refuses to allocate convoys the way the players wish. Kind of a way to get a manual override on the production system.

[warspite1]

My solution, or workaround" is to idle the offending resource that unnecessarily "gobbles" up CP points like PacMan. Then I edit the game file to increase a saved oil by one point near the factory that went idle when I idled the offending resource. I then use that saved oil for production to offset the resource I had to idle.

that seems like it will be the best solution, going forward. just set up an oil somewhere, say on a non-factory city, that the other side promises not to bomb. Then increase this marker once in a while via editing the game file, and only use the oil when MWiF refuses to allocate convoys the way the players wish. Kind of a way to get a manual override on the production system.

With the greatest respect (and I am genuinely pleased that you have something that works for you) that is not the best solution. Editing game files? Promises not to do this or that and if a happens put your left leg in and if b occurs you put your left leg out. Right. I don't even know what that means.

A computer game is supposed to make life easier. Well this game is actually much harder and much more complicated than the board game. Why not add an optional override capability? That way, worst case, you still have to do what you would in the board game (so no time saved), but at least you know at the end of it you have the right number of CP's on the board, and you simply insert the number of production points, no. of oil point etc into an override table. These nos. are then used for a) checking trade agreements are met b) checking build points available for production.

It was decided that netplay would be the overriding priority. As has been pointed out repeatedly, what is the point of that when the game is still broken? The game needs fixing in key areas and has been since launch - but those areas are simply ignored and, when whole gaming days are lost like yesterday, the frustration is off the chart.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Override is a great idea. Being able to manually fix production and saved oils would be awesome!

[AllenK]

I'll post this to Tech Support later as it encapsulates convoy problems. An algorithm that picks a route through 11 sea zones over one that takes 2 is in need of some adjustments.

On it's own it would be a nuisance but not being able to change it because manual convoy routing appears to have stopped working is a bit of a killer.

[Nikolai II]

Now that I have reached the end of the thread I thought I should add my appreciation for your work in reporting about the game you played (while also bettering it). It's reminicent of the old WiF annual that could have the occasional AAR as well. Thanks. [:)]

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: Nikolai II

Now that I have reached the end of the thread I thought I should add my appreciation for your work in reporting about the game you played (while also bettering it). It's reminicent of the old WiF annual that could have the occasional AAR as well. Thanks. [:)]

[&o] [:)]

I hope that you continue to follow our war as it unfolds, so that you can see all the dumb moves I make. Hopefully, some of my mistakes can be taken for brilliance when I have luck on my side.

Plenty of fun playing the game. Even more fun that someone takes their time reading it. Thank you.

[Orm]

USSR declared war on Italy.

USA aligns Brazil.

Land: USSR, China
Naval: France, CW, USA

No Port Strikes. No naval air.

Naval Movement:

CW:
One CP is sent to replace each of the convoy points lost in the East Med and the Bay of Bengal. One CP is also sent to West Med.

HMS Furious sail to the 3-box of Arabian Sea.

A couple of British cruisers sail to the Red Sea.

A British cruiser reinforce the 0-box of the Arabian Sea.

HMAS Canberra patrols the Tasman Sea.

France:
The French Submarine begins patrolling the Italian Coast.

US:
The US Marine Corps sail from the West Coast to the Austral Sea area. Escorted by one cruiser.

USS Saratoga and USS Enterprise along with two escorting cruisers raid the Marianas.

Brazil send out their merchant fleet to assist with the convoys to UK. Brazil also begins to patrol the convoy lanes with their fine battleships.

The last submarine in Singapore is sent to China Sea.

The Fleet in India is sent to South China Sea.

USS Wasp sail for Cape Verde.

One TRS in SA load a HQI and sail to the Raid Sea. The second TRS in SA load a INF and sail to the Arabian Sea. Each are escorted by one BB.

USS Lexington sail to the 3-box of Arabian Sea.

Two cruisers patrols the SE Indian Ocean.

Plenty of sea areas available for naval combat.


Picture from Jan/Feb '42 Impulse #13 (Allied) - Naval Combat

[Orm]

France opens up the naval searches with the Italian Coast. Will Italy reinforce the sea area with any aircrafts?


Picture from Jan/Feb '42 Impulse #13 (Allied) - Naval Combat

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Fighter from Sicily to 0 box, thanks.

[Orm]

Allies roll 4 and are close to finding the Italian convoy. But seeing the smoke from the ships is not enough to get into position... (Axis rolled 9).

Next sea area is China Sea. Will Japan add their fighter to the sea area?


Picture from Jan/Feb '42 Impulse #13 (Allied) - Naval Combat

[AllenK]

No thanks.

[Orm]

No combat in China Sea either. (Allies: 9 - Axis: 5)

[Orm]

Next up is the US raid of The Marianas. Will Japan add their naval bomber?


Picture from Jan/Feb '42 Impulse #13 (Allied) - Naval Combat

[AllenK]

No thanks.

[Orm]

The search dies does not favour the Allies. [:(] (Die rolls 7 and 8)



Next search is South China Sea.

[Orm]

And the last search in South China Sea is a failure as well. [:@] *throws dies towards the wall*

Allies rolled 5 and Axis rolled 5 as well.

Note that I mistakenly called the South China Sea for China Sea. But since China Sea already had been rolled for I think there is no need for a re-roll. It should be fairly obvious that I intended to roll for South China Sea.

[AllenK]

I feel your frustration when you make good moves and the dice go against you (although in this instance, am also mightily relieved). Hope your computer has survived its rendezvous with the brickwork.