Please don't.

[HOTEC]

By blocking the FBD units from being able to be temporarily motorized yields less chance to achieve a German decisive victory in 1941. Should it be made as an option. Please do not limit the number of damaged railways to be repaired like WitE.

[AlbertN]

I believe Axis currently needs a lot of help for the health of the game balance - BUT this is not something I'd provide in general, the limit is the hard work of labourers, not the trucking around for them.

A handful of extra RAD battallions for single hex, semi randomized (or partially controlled) rail repairs? Possibly, I'd take that as extra.
Motorized FBD - no way. They'd break the game in favor of Germans that could have depots about the frontlines pretty quickly - it would be a denial of logistic system.

[RedJohn]

Would it, though? You're still getting the freight penalties and you'll never fill up your supplies as the axis even when the railhead is a few hexes from the front.

[Joel Billings]

There's no way they should be able to motorize. Never intended in the design and balance. There are arguements re balance, with some good players coming around to the view that as players gain experience the balance shifts in the German favor. There are many changes that have been made, including some in an imminent 1.01.15 beta release. I'd look for other ways to change balance if it is off, but an easy way to balance 2 player games is to simply bid for side using German morale help level as the leveler. That could be something that 2 very competitive players might consider using, although I realize most players will play it without making an adjustment.

[GibsonPete]

I do not think it should be an option to Temp motorize the FBDs. At the same time I understand a player's desire to 'test' a playthrough by using what many consider an exploit. My suggestion to them is use the editor to temp motorize the FBDs in your game verses the AI. If you are seeking approval, I do not believe you will not find from the community.[;)]

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: RedJohn

Would it, though? You're still getting the freight penalties and you'll never fill up your supplies as the axis even when the railhead is a few hexes from the front.

this looks fairly full to me (& note its not configured as a 'super-depot'). So yes motorising the FBD is utterly game breaking.

[DeletedUser1769703214]

I don't support motorization of FBD at all and why I brought it to the forefront awhile back in a post so people would know for their H2H games.

Now having said that, rail conversion is the single most important item to study the most for the Germans above all else. If the Germans had another FBD the game would wholly tip the balance to the German side 100%. As such you have to study every turn your conversion plan & if you do not you will suffer the consequences. Also, get your RAD/OT battalions into a Corps HQ to dictate where they go for the Germans. In a Corps HQ they have a 5 Hex range to repair, in an Army HQ 15. To pick up the RAD/OT battalions you can move your Corps HQ to within 10 hexes to pickup those battalions, then press "U" to undo the move to move back to where you were but the battalion will now be assigned to that Corps. I don't know if that is WAD but you can do it. Maybe I should bring it out in a post.

Also note that you want to do your conversions of rail as the first item in your turn before any other movement. In my practice games if you wait till later in the turn some of the 1 point conversions turn to 2 point conversion at the end of said conversion if waiting after all or most of the movement has been done by other units on the map. I have no idea why nor am I going to find out why but it 100% happens and has happened since BETA. Thus, I always do my rail conversions first now no matter what.

ALSO, if your FBD does a few hex conversion then moves 4-5 hexes skipping some hexes that already have been converted the conversion rate will go to 2. Know this and you can plan accordingly.

[DeletedUser1769703214]

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain

I don't support motorization of FBD at all and why I brought it to the forefront awhile back in a post so people would know for their H2H games.

Now having said that, rail conversion is the single most important item to study the most for the Germans above all else. If the Germans had another FBD the game would wholly tip the balance to the German side 100%. As such you have to study every turn your conversion plan & if you do not you will suffer the consequences. Also, get your RAD/OT battalions into a Corps HQ to dictate where they go for the Germans. In a Corps HQ they have a 5 Hex range to repair, in an Army HQ 15. To pick up the RAD/OT battalions you can move your Corps HQ to within 10 hexes to pickup those battalions, then press "U" to undo the move to move back to where you were but the battalion will now be assigned to that Corps. I don't know if that is WAD but you can do it. Maybe I should bring it out in a post.

Also note that you want to do your conversions of rail as the first item in your turn before any other movement. In my practice games if you wait till later in the turn some of the 1 point conversions turn to 2 point conversion at the end of said conversion if waiting after all or most of the movement has been done by other units on the map. I have no idea why nor am I going to find out why but it 100% happens and has happened since BETA. Thus, I always do my rail conversions first now no matter what.

ALSO, if your FBD does a few hex conversion then moves 4-5 hexes skipping some hexes that already have been converted the conversion rate will go to 2. Know this and you can plan accordingly.

I may not know the manual rules but I study what happens in the game big time ;-P These little items add up.

[Joel Billings]

This is a wild guess but the only variable I can think of might be the ability of the FBD unit to secure supplies to do the repair. If units managed to use freight from depots during the turn (it is possible), then the unit might have a hard time getting supplies. I have no knowledge that there is a system that charges more MPs if you have to go further to get supplies, but it is possible. Other than that, no idea. It is what it is. There is much going on under the hood, especially supply costs for all kinds of things.

[loki100]

could be fatigue, if that affects the residual construction value of the unit? There maybe a random interaction as how many elements get damaged across a turn but you do see the Rumanian unit much more likely to pick up extra costs as its marginal in terms of assigned elements.

I've mostly tended to see these inconsistent cost changes in the winter/heavy mud turns which is why I've just assumed its the fatigue move/disrupt systems at work

[DeletedUser1769703214]

ORIGINAL: loki100

could be fatigue, if that affects the residual construction value of the unit? There maybe a random interaction as how many elements get damaged across a turn but you do see the Rumanian unit much more likely to pick up extra costs as its marginal in terms of assigned elements.

I've mostly tended to see these inconsistent cost changes in the winter/heavy mud turns which is why I've just assumed its the fatigue move/disrupt systems at work

That would be my guess too, fatigue. I see it from Turn 2 on. BUT, moving them 1st points to you not having this problem. Moving them late in the turn or last you do. Thus I think it could be a combination of items. I personally don't have the time to research it deeper since I just move them 1st no matter what which alleviates the situation entirely.

[RedJohn]

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: RedJohn

Would it, though? You're still getting the freight penalties and you'll never fill up your supplies as the axis even when the railhead is a few hexes from the front.

this looks fairly full to me (& note its not configured as a 'super-depot'). So yes motorising the FBD is utterly game breaking.

Consider me proven wrong then [:D]

I have no idea how you manage to actually push freight to Smolensk, at most I can manage 3-4k to the forward depots even when I have priorities set (I think) correctly.

How are you managing to get the actual freight forward? Every game, 9 turns out of 10 my rail usage is green and it's only using like 4-5k.

[DeletedUser1769703214]

ORIGINAL: RedJohn

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: RedJohn

Would it, though? You're still getting the freight penalties and you'll never fill up your supplies as the axis even when the railhead is a few hexes from the front.

this looks fairly full to me (& note its not configured as a 'super-depot'). So yes motorising the FBD is utterly game breaking.

Consider me proven wrong then [:D]

I have no idea how you manage to actually push freight to Smolensk, at most I can manage 3-4k to the forward depots even when I have priorities set (I think) correctly.

How are you managing to get the actual freight forward? Every game, 9 turns out of 10 my rail usage is green and it's only using like 4-5k.

I am sure the community can help you out if you start a new thread. That way it won't get buried in this thread and will help others too. In the thread have your depot setup & settings and your port settings would be my suggestion.

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: RedJohn
...

Consider me proven wrong then [:D]

I have no idea how you manage to actually push freight to Smolensk, at most I can manage 3-4k to the forward depots even when I have priorities set (I think) correctly.

How are you managing to get the actual freight forward? Every game, 9 turns out of 10 my rail usage is green and it's only using like 4-5k.

have a look at the vs AI AAR I put up, really just the first couple of pages and Carlkay's most recent AAR.

The key is to set up 3 layers of priority 4 depots behind the front. The first 2 will use all they receive (but they should be receiving 2-4k tonnes of freight) as they directly feed your combat commands. Here Smolensk is not doing that, so freight piles up (at pri #4 it can't send to another depot).

When I want that freight in use, I drop it to pri #1 or 2, the freight then floods into the forward depots and thus into my formations (this works as Smolensk also has a large railyard). On this sector I'm doing the same at Minsk so every 4-5 turns I empty one or the other. If I really want to move over to a major offensive I empty both, reset my combat HQ priorities and its ammunition and schnapps all around.

My rail lines are usually yellow which I think is a good position - they are working hard but not so hard they degrade due to excess usage

[Karri]

ORIGINAL: RedJohn
Consider me proven wrong then [:D]

I have no idea how you manage to actually push freight to Smolensk, at most I can manage 3-4k to the forward depots even when I have priorities set (I think) correctly.

How are you managing to get the actual freight forward? Every game, 9 turns out of 10 my rail usage is green and it's only using like 4-5k.

It's not only rail usage that you need to worry about, but rail capacity (which comes from railyard, and is what actually moves the freight). You might have too many depots as well. Too much freight going to too many locations.

[GibsonPete]

HYLA,
"ALSO, if your FBD does a few hex conversion then moves 4-5 hexes skipping some hexes that already have been converted the conversion rate will go to 2. Know this and you can plan accordingly."

I have also noticed this and found it frustrating. I thought a combat result in the hex made the FBD pay more to repair the rail. I noticed that sometimes if I repeated the combat the repair cost went up or down. I deduced it was a random event. Fatigue makes more sense. Thanks for the tip.