How to display hex location numbers?

[Randy Stead]

I am going through the Kull spreadsheet Allied setup turn 1, for the practice of forming the various task forces and setting the assignments for various units.

I am in Alaska and setting up the patrol zones for the ASW craft there. When I go to click on the patrol zone boundaries there is no display of the hex location as I move the cursor over the map. When I am outside the TF assignment screen I can see the hex ID numbers, but not when setting the patrol zone boundaries. Is there a way to get hex location numbers to display when in the screen to set patrol zone boundaries?

My game is running full screen, not in windowed mode.

[RangerJoe]

Look up at the top, it will display the hex numbers.

[Randy Stead]

My problem is that as soon as I click to assign the first patrol zone point the bar at the top of the screen with all the buttons, including hex display, disappears. When I mouse-over a hex there is no location information displayed. I wonder if it is anything to do with my game running full screen as opposed to in windowed mode?

[Randy Stead]

The properties on the AE desktop shortcut says "normal" for window mode. The other two options are maximized and minimized.

[Randy Stead]

I'm using the Kamikaze extended map, for further information. Changing the "run" in the shortcut to normal or maximized makes no difference. As soon as I click set patrol boundary 1, 2 or 3 the top row of buttons, including hex location numbers disappears.

[RangerJoe]

Look up at the top where your industry, intelligence, and other information buttons are displayed. It will show the hex location that the mouse is on.

[BBfanboy]

The hexes you set as patrol zone waypoints will be highlighted when you select that TF after you have finished setting them. It is annoying that the screen to set the waypoints pops up over top of the TF but you can move the pop-up window aside or you can hold the cursor against the map edge to get it to slowly shift away while the pop-up remains centered.

Setting the PZ waypoints is a visual exercise - no need to know hex coordinates. You can see all your patrol zones on the map by pressing the 6 key.

[Randy Stead]

The reason I wanted to know the hex coordinates is because I am following Kull's spreadsheet. I wanted to follow his orders so I could look at the patrol zone patterns and examine what he did and why he did it that way. At first I was thinking maybe my map mods messed things up, but apparently not. When in the general map view I can access all the buttons at the top, but when setting each patrol boundary all that info at the top disappears. I have figured out a way, sort of, to see them. I find the hex coordinates Kull suggests then I make a note of them [such as: 1 hex west of DH, the hex NW of a word, etc.] Fidgety, but it does work after a fashion. I'm also following along with the "Let's Play" videos. He explains why Kull makes suggestions and once in a while he digresses and explains why. All of this is giving me a flavour of the game, and of course I am making save intervals; when finally done I will have reproduced Kull's turn 1 and will make backup copies so as to be able to revert if/when I wish to restart.

Thanks for all suggestions.

[InfiniteMonkey]

Go to https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

There is a map mod there that puts hex coordinates on the map on every 10 hexes horizontally / vertically. You just take those images and save them to C:\Matrix Games\witpae\ART. (your path will differ from mine since I renamed the directory)

I have a program that can label hex locations on the map. You can contact me on XTRG's discord if you want it labelled differently (font, color, vertical/horizontal spacing). A vertical / horizontal spacing of 1 labels every hex.

[Kull]

ORIGINAL: Randy Stead

The reason I wanted to know the hex coordinates is because I am following Kull's spreadsheet. I wanted to follow his orders so I could look at the patrol zone patterns and examine what he did and why he did it that way. At first I was thinking maybe my map mods messed things up, but apparently not. When in the general map view I can access all the buttons at the top, but when setting each patrol boundary all that info at the top disappears. I have figured out a way, sort of, to see them. I find the hex coordinates Kull suggests then I make a note of them [such as: 1 hex west of DH, the hex NW of a word, etc.] Fidgety, but it does work after a fashion. I'm also following along with the "Let's Play" videos. He explains why Kull makes suggestions and once in a while he digresses and explains why. All of this is giving me a flavour of the game, and of course I am making save intervals; when finally done I will have reproduced Kull's turn 1 and will make backup copies so as to be able to revert if/when I wish to restart.

Thanks for all suggestions.

This is one area where I almost regret being so prescriptive. There isn't a "magic sauce" formula which you'll decipher by identifying every one of the patrol locations and linger times. For submarine patrols, the "patrol around" button is your friend. Just look at the title of the patrol (I tell you roughly where each one will be located), and then - after clicking "patrol around", select a hex somewhere in that region (but NOT a land hex, or you'll only get 2 patrol points). Usually I'll pick a location near a major port or a choke point.

That will fill in all three locations, to include linger times. Now you could edit those easily enough, but over the years I've learned that's not really necessary - especially against the AI. Relying on the the patrol point algorithm will save you a lot of time.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Kull

ORIGINAL: Randy Stead

The reason I wanted to know the hex coordinates is because I am following Kull's spreadsheet. I wanted to follow his orders so I could look at the patrol zone patterns and examine what he did and why he did it that way. At first I was thinking maybe my map mods messed things up, but apparently not. When in the general map view I can access all the buttons at the top, but when setting each patrol boundary all that info at the top disappears. I have figured out a way, sort of, to see them. I find the hex coordinates Kull suggests then I make a note of them [such as: 1 hex west of DH, the hex NW of a word, etc.] Fidgety, but it does work after a fashion. I'm also following along with the "Let's Play" videos. He explains why Kull makes suggestions and once in a while he digresses and explains why. All of this is giving me a flavour of the game, and of course I am making save intervals; when finally done I will have reproduced Kull's turn 1 and will make backup copies so as to be able to revert if/when I wish to restart.

Thanks for all suggestions.

This is one area where I almost regret being so prescriptive. There isn't a "magic sauce" formula which you'll decipher by identifying every one of the patrol locations and linger times. For submarine patrols, the "patrol around" button is your friend. Just look at the title of the patrol (I tell you roughly where each one will be located), and then - after clicking "patrol around", select a hex somewhere in that region (but NOT a land hex, or you'll only get 2 patrol points). Usually I'll pick a location near a major port or a choke point.

That will fill in all three locations, to include linger times. Now you could edit those easily enough, but over the years I've learned that's not really necessary - especially against the AI. Relying on the the patrol point algorithm will save you a lot of time.

And this does not mean the patrol is an Auto-sub patrol, it is still under human control after you set the waypoints.

[Kull]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

And this does not mean the patrol is an Auto-sub patrol, it is still under human control after you set the waypoints.

Exactly. "Patrol Zones" are kind of the submarine version of the "CS Convoy". The AI operates them in a limited way, based on your instructions. Both are very helpful, and one of the major improvements in AE vs. it's predecessor.

[Randy Stead]

ORIGINAL: InfiniteMonkey

Go to https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

There is a map mod there that puts hex coordinates on the map on every 10 hexes horizontally / vertically. You just take those images and save them to C:\Matrix Games\witpae\ART. (your path will differ from mine since I renamed the directory)

I have a program that can label hex locations on the map. You can contact me on XTRG's discord if you want it labelled differently (font, color, vertical/horizontal spacing). A vertical / horizontal spacing of 1 labels every hex.

That is a great find! Thank you, sir. [&o]

[Randy Stead]

ORIGINAL: Kull

ORIGINAL: Randy Stead

The reason I wanted to know the hex coordinates is because I am following Kull's spreadsheet. I wanted to follow his orders so I could look at the patrol zone patterns and examine what he did and why he did it that way. At first I was thinking maybe my map mods messed things up, but apparently not. When in the general map view I can access all the buttons at the top, but when setting each patrol boundary all that info at the top disappears. I have figured out a way, sort of, to see them. I find the hex coordinates Kull suggests then I make a note of them [such as: 1 hex west of DH, the hex NW of a word, etc.] Fidgety, but it does work after a fashion. I'm also following along with the "Let's Play" videos. He explains why Kull makes suggestions and once in a while he digresses and explains why. All of this is giving me a flavour of the game, and of course I am making save intervals; when finally done I will have reproduced Kull's turn 1 and will make backup copies so as to be able to revert if/when I wish to restart.

Thanks for all suggestions.

This is one area where I almost regret being so prescriptive. There isn't a "magic sauce" formula which you'll decipher by identifying every one of the patrol locations and linger times. For submarine patrols, the "patrol around" button is your friend. Just look at the title of the patrol (I tell you roughly where each one will be located), and then - after clicking "patrol around", select a hex somewhere in that region (but NOT a land hex, or you'll only get 2 patrol points). Usually I'll pick a location near a major port or a choke point.

That will fill in all three locations, to include linger times. Now you could edit those easily enough, but over the years I've learned that's not really necessary - especially against the AI. Relying on the the patrol point algorithm will save you a lot of time.

By no means was I thinking you were so obsequious as to leave magic sauce content in the setup. I simply wished to follow in your footsteps, as it were. I'm certain there are so many variables in this game that each play will be unique unto itself.

After playing with your setup for a while I have come to realize something. By not looking a few lines ahead I stepped on my first mine, or rather sailed into one. When setting up the cargo vessels leaving Adelaide for Los Angeles I thought to myself, "Why does Kull have so many vessels sailing in one-ship TFs? Then I realized that the numbers in brackets [1] meant all of those ships were to be in that particuluar TF. So, back to the setup and move those ships to where they should be. I first noticed when setting up the TFs for the four YPs in Dutch Harbor, "Kull has two sets of two YPs each running the same patrol. It was when I got to the Adelaide setup that I realized the numbers in the brackets meant something.