NOOB to WITPAE - Campaign setup - OMG

[btd64]

Nope. Resources will bring back resources. If you don't have an option for supplies, then send the ship to Sydney and set it up from there....GP

[ago1000]

Thank you again for your quick response.

[Macclan5]

"Don't use Computer controlled or auto convoy systems" early in your first game.

Adopt a more aggressive OCD attitude [8D] LOL

In honesty though - manually setting up cargo runs - tracking - micro managing - for the first year will teach you a lot.

Secondly - it seems to be my particular luck that all those automated tools - are like a homing beacon for the AI Japanese subs - your luck maybe better - but for me its a death warrant. **

Keep a little note pad at your side to jot down reminders about 'important things to check off each turn - important supply runs to hubs - important TFs to check in on'.

Others use "tracker tool" very effectively - although I do not ... however every turn I do spend dedicated review time of list all Task Forces - sorting and resorting the spreadsheet - always focusing in on the red numbers - Air Combat TFs - etc.

Latter in the game i.e late 43 / 44 depending upon how well you have cleared the Japanese submarine threat - you can probably use automated options all you want.


**

You might be reasonably safe with 3 automated CS but even these may be sub attacked

Resources Hilo >> Pearl Harbor

Resources Tasmanian Port >> Melbourne

Resources Columbia Ceylon >> Bombay or Indian mainland west coast. With Oil and a refinery in Ledo - they help 'top up' the fuel situ

[ago1000]

That's not good news for me. Im setting up my first turn still. I'm almost ready though. I used continuous supply (CS) for a lot of my convoys of single ships. I manually set up the routes I wish then move, then I select CS for control. I also use waypoints to refuel my TFs at different ports along the way. Early war its very difficult to get DD or air cover for my routes. I'm trying to move the ships I want in the locations I need them to cover but it's gonna take months.
I haven't even had a chance to look at movement of resources. I didn't even know that I had too. lol.
So Far:
Fuel/Supply routes
SF & LA & SD >>> PH >> Satellite Islands around.
SF & LA >>> Christmas Island or Johnson Island >>> Pago Pago or Suva or Wellington >>> to Sydney or Melbourne (I also have TFs dedicated to providing fuel for these island hops so my TFs can refuel on the way to Australia)
Abadan >>> Karachi or Bombay
Bombay >>> Colombo
Cape Town >>>Diego Garcia >>> Perth

Oil
Abadan >>> Karachi or Bombay
At present moving oil out of Palembang, Soerabeja and Balikpapan to reduce their inventory just in case I lose them. Gonna move it over to Australia and then hopefully to LA. I haven't figure that out yet.

Resources ???? I'll have to look into your advice Macclan5.
Thanks again everyone

[rustysi]

moving oil

to Australia and then hopefully to LA.

OZ, good. Don't bother moving it to LA, it won't be needed there.

[btd64]

ORIGINAL: rustysi

moving oil

to Australia and then hopefully to LA.

OZ, good. Don't bother moving it to LA, it won't be needed there.

I would add fuel to the list....GP

[aphrochine]

ORIGINAL: ago1000

That's not good news for me. Im setting up my first turn still. I'm almost ready though. I used continuous supply (CS) for a lot of my convoys of single ships. I manually set up the routes I wish then move, then I select CS for control. I also use waypoints to refuel my TFs at different ports along the way. Early war its very difficult to get DD or air cover for my routes. I'm trying to move the ships I want in the locations I need them to cover but it's gonna take months.
I haven't even had a chance to look at movement of resources. I didn't even know that I had too. lol.

Subs are a hug problem for your shipping early on, and you can honestly do very little to keep the IJN subs from popping transports and cargo ships via torpedo. I would recommend that you review your convoys and assess the value of the ships within. If you are looking at a bunch of transmarines or low value xAK...you can really skimp on the escorts. For the low convoys, you can live without ASW capabilities in the escorts and settle for a 4" or 5" gun ship. PGs are good for that. You do this to prevent the subs from attacking on the surface. Make them use their torps.

This will free up A LOT of your DDs to escort more valuable convoys with your bigger auxillary ships, especially if they have a good conversion later.

Be careful of the early war AMCs. Use cruisers and/or put the Saratoga to work addressing that.

So Far:
Fuel/Supply routes
SF & LA & SD >>> PH >> Satellite Islands around.
SF & LA >>> Christmas Island or Johnson Island >>> Pago Pago or Suva or Wellington >>> to Sydney or Melbourne (I also have TFs dedicated to providing fuel for these island hops so my TFs can refuel on the way to Australia)
Abadan >>> Karachi or Bombay
Bombay >>> Colombo
Cape Town >>>Diego Garcia >>> Perth

A focus for me in the first couple of turns of the game are getting engineers and supply/fuel headed to my forward depots. A south pacific depot is a huge priority. Tahiti is a good "deep south" depot which can easily be moved up to Pago once the threat to Samoa plays out. Christmas Island is good, but with deep ocean all around, subs can very easily make a living off that island as a depot.

[rockmedic109]

My first game took 12 hours. It now takes about 6. Simply learning the map will drastically decrease the time. Go through everything the first couple of turns just to get familiar with the map.

Don't worry about missing something.....it's a long war.....and the turns are only 1 day each. Relax and have another donut.

Yeah, I am OCD. I move all the Indian Ocean USN freighters to Cape Town, load them, send them to Sydney and then back home to San Francisco.

Discover how you will give your orders. Develop a "style" you use for it. You will be less likely to miss something. I start at Pearl go to Midway, up to Alaska, down the west coast, back across to Marshall, Noumea, Australia, DEI/India, China and finally the Philippines. I take notes during the computer running the turn for things that I need to check and do it before starting orders at Pearl.

Early war, you can have almost all of your supply convoys run out of SF. Might be congested at times, but it will work for at least a year. But you will want a couple of DDs each in Bremerton, SD and Panama. You do not want to have a high value reinforcement ship waiting for an escort to go to Pearl. You REALLY don't want to send said high value ship unescorted to Pearl.

And if it takes a long time, don't sweat it. This is not a short game, it's a lifestyle.

[ago1000]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm well over 12 hours setting up my first turn in the game. I have created a Basic Startup Save when I play the game again. That should reduce setup time next time a start a new campaign. I enjoy all aspects of this game. It's funny but I often think that the amount of work required to move supplies/fuel/oil/resources could be a game in itself. Can you support the fleets in the pacific?
Overall, I must admit the IJN side is all over me. The Enterprise has taken a hit and I'm heading back to LA with it. I'm learning more about political points, building a good supply depot and upgrading bases along the way. I too seem to be moving most of my supply across from LA to Oz. For my first campaign game I tried to follow Sardaukar's Newbie strategy for the most part. However, short of a miracle, I will probably lose the Philippines-->Malaya-->Borneo-->Sumatra and Java. Also I am totally at a loss with China. Really, troops are all over the place. I'm just trying them to fight in the forests and slow the Japanese progression.
My strategy for this game is to take a stance in Rangoon and Rabaul. if Rabaul falls I will fall back to PM which I'm also trying to build up. If Rangoon falls, I will lose my shirt and need to fall back to Chittagang.
I'm also trying to figure out how to make a stand in Soerabaja if I can to protect Darwin. I have not adapted the Sir Robin strategy and my men were left their to fight against all odds. I may pull out MacCarther though. Just listening to Tokyo Rose, when Guam fell was enough for me think about pulling just MacCarther out of the Philippines. I'm hoping when i do, I will hear his "I shall return" speech. lol. Yes, it is Time for a Tim Horton's donut and a couple more turns tonight. Thanks again everyone.

[rustysi]

I have created a Basic Startup Save when I play the game again.

A nice idea, but by the time you've played through you'll have so many changes to make, it may not be valid.[:D]

I may pull out MacCarther though.

Doesn't matter, he'll just reappear in OZ if you don't. So save the PP's.

[greenmoray1]

Hello Macclan 5

I appreciate the advice on the beginning of this WITPAE game.

I'm very new to the game but I still love playing.

Questions:

1.What do the numbers/ letters in RED (instead of green) mean? My suspicion is something to do with weight and or distance not allowed. I get this often when doing cargo...

2.I understand how to basically form a TF but when you say get your carriers to safety.....I went to the the all active ships screen and I see all the carriers listed ...but I didn't see where it says they are based. Also when I did find where carriers were, I could not make a TF for them or just to get them to move like I would planes. What are the steps I take to go about gathering my carriers and getting them to safety...in the first turn (I'm doing Dec 8 full campaign)in specific places to go to and click this and that?

3.I cannot always get access to the form a new task force button....and I want to use it and it isn't there.Can you clarify the access to this task force...I know certain places to go to find it ....but not other screens?

4. When I am just sending my air units out to do recon, sweep etc. ....is it a requirement to set these clockwise parameters to specific levels, for search etc.....in other words...if I just choose to select the hex will my plane still go there even if I don't mess with the patrol settings?

5. About ground units: When I push end turn and my ground units are attacking. Can I stop the animations and then go to my units and switch my combat orders from defensive to deliberate or do I have to wait until the turn ends. I know I can push esp. to go faster in the animations...how do I change my combat orders if I can and WHEN?

I'm doing like you advised....saving specific regions

So here is what I've done:

Actions from Pearl harbor dec 8 1st turn

I sent a TF bunch of subs on patrol between Hawaii & Midway
Sent out TF ASW patrol- sent out 4 destroyers


Actions from San Diego and SF, CA

TF sent several troops + amph to Pearl harbor and Johnston island
TF sent CV ...but could not send the destroyers with it without red letters showing up when I picked Pearl harbor as a destination. ...I'm confused....destroyers cannot go that far I suspect...so I sent Saratoga to Johnston island...not pearl harbor.
TF sub patrol towards Pearl and Midway
TF Cargo supplies to Pearl harbor ...a lot.
TF air transport to Pearl
TF fuel sent by AXp type ships
tried to send escort .....don't really get how to do this. Usually when I click on form new TF and then click done I get a list to choose from after I click like cargo etc. but escort ...it doesn't show.

Singapore

sent out planes on patrol individually....just search and recon

Darwin

same as Singapore

SAVED AS PACIFIC: Took along time 4 hrs. to do this...I'M NEW.....

People say ...well check out the forums....but it is hard to pinpoint things. I learn best by doing with these kinds of games...and by copying what others do....that's why I like step by step instructions.....once I get the patterns of memorized actions down then I can tweak a lot more but at first it is rote method.

G Rader and the guy Pete on you tube ...G. Rader....helped me A LOT....on explaining the basics in PLAYING the game...the manual is more of a reference guide ...not how to play guide.

Knowing where to go and what to click on is key for me rather than a basic explanation in broad terms.

So that's where I'm at.

But still...I am so attracted to this game..

The more I learn the more I will get my money's worth.

I'm willing to learn....

Anyone else out there please give me the steps/ screens ....I realize that things depend on the situation but there are many things in this game that are just protocol ...do this do that....Ex. pilots, generals,

Last thing: What I want is to eventually move my defensive barrier starting from Fiji to hold my troops there and in Tahiti and other nearby islands....troops..lots of them ...then transfer my air as well and my subs....etc etc. to bring my strength across the pacific ......but right now ...most places ...no units, no planes ie; phillpines, malaysia ....got to be patient right? But the how to of this would help a lot. (Dec.8 campaign)

I'm done

[mind_messing]

greenmoray1,

Rather than an extensive step-by-step guide here, you may find it more useful to go to Youtube and watch some of the excellent videos created by any number of players.

While I can't speak for the strategic aspects of their play, it will give you a solid grounding in the basic mechanics of inputting your orders (managing task forces etc) far better than reading instructions on the forum will.

[GetAssista]

greenmoray1, given your questions, you would benefit from looking up a youtube video on how people play. Type in the game name and look for tutorials, there are some

[PaxMondo]

or simply read Sarduakar's AAR's. He is on his 3rd one I believe. He goes all through the setup and all typically items with lots of screenshots ...