Quick Questions Thread

[pookiebear]

guys what does rtr mean in the combat resolution window

[EddyBear81]

RTR stands for "Retreat". It measures the number of ground elements and men lost to retreat (ie. the losing side)

[pookiebear]

ty bro

[Veterin]

I understand there's no one size fits all but what's a general guide to the minimum amount of recon per hex needed to reasonably identify where soviet units are (even without getting any detail on those units)

[loki100]

if its clear weather (certainly no worse than light rain) and all I want is location, perhaps a hint of type, then #5-#9 gives you that:



the problem is this escalates rapidly as the terrain worsens, rough or heavy woods really knocks down effective recon or if the weather flips to heavy rain.

There is also the problem of estimating what level of effort gets you a given output. I got that off:



(also remember that recon works on the entry and exit route so you can (as I did) set up those paths to give you a wider coverage.

All of which is a way of saying its not easy to work out, Zovs' T1 air guide has a useful technical discussion on how to set up recon and that might be worth a read. As with a lot in the game, you can get 'good enough' relatively easily, if you really work the options, then it can be a lot better.

[Stamb]

I understand there's no one size fits all but what's a general guide to the minimum amount of recon per hex needed to reasonably identify where soviet units are (even without getting any detail on those units)

i am using methods that i described here, with a great success
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 1&t=383142

[Veterin]

Thanks Loki and Stamb. Always so helpful

[Stamb]

somewhere in that section of the manual it sets the criteria. If I recall its if the air unit's avg experience < air NM then it trains, unless you set it to rest.
...

just tested it
units get exp even if set to rest
(tested with Soviet planes only)

[loki100]

sounds right, I may have been mis-remembering an older iteration (or how it works in WiTW). Since I never used 'rest' to stop training, I never double checked. All I tend to do with the Soviets is try and flip low experience airgroups to I-series. At one stage this stopped them crashing newer stuff but it seems that training losses are minimal now. So the advantage is it frees up the better planes to replenish losses in the active airgroups.

I often then disband the I-series airgroups when they reach NM experience as the extra pilots are often of more use than yet another fighter group

[DrHiramTemple]

somewhere in that section of the manual it sets the criteria. If I recall its if the air unit's avg experience < air NM then it trains, unless you set it to rest.
...

just tested it
units get exp even if set to rest
(tested with Soviet planes only)

Was that on or off map? I'm wondering if the rest stipulation only applies on map, and is irrelevant in the reserve (would make sense with the fact that the rest/day/night status is unlisted in the CR for units in theater boxes)

[loki100]

I have to confess thats me mixing things up - many apologies. I usually remember to check first but I was recalling the way it worked early in development.

So rest (on map), essentially stops the air group flying, speeds up morale recovery (and clears any fatigue).

There are 2 routes to build experience. One is in the reserve (as you say no status applies) and simply if exp<NM (adjusted for Gds status) then the unit gains experience but may trash a few planes. On map the only way to gain is via combat wins. its possible that rest has a minimal impact here.

For Soviet fighter pilots till 44, that is near impossible. My current Soviet opponent says his U2 formations have exp around 60+ simply as he uses them for harrassment GA and they steadily win - not least as I really am not prepared to go chasing them.

So the overall impact is the VVS flies/dies till about 44 when the LW is weakened enough for there to be sectors they can dominate, then the turn around is surprisingly fast.

[Stamb]

somewhere in that section of the manual it sets the criteria. If I recall its if the air unit's avg experience < air NM then it trains, unless you set it to rest.
...

just tested it
units get exp even if set to rest
(tested with Soviet planes only)

Was that on or off map? I'm wondering if the rest stipulation only applies on map, and is irrelevant in the reserve (would make sense with the fact that the rest/day/night status is unlisted in the CR for units in theater boxes)

its for the units in Soviet Reserve(off map)
i also did a test some time ago with a rest for a units on map and they do not get any exp
nor close to a front, nor far from it

these is what i was proposing some time ago, would be really nice to have it
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 9&t=378599

[Hardradi]

There are 2 routes to build experience. One is in the reserve (as you say no status applies) and simply if exp<NM (adjusted for Gds status) then the unit gains experience but may trash a few planes. On map the only way to gain is via combat wins. its possible that rest has a minimal impact here.

They get experience for flying Missions as well, don't they?

For example, a recon pilot with 50 Missions under their belt could see some experience gain.

[loki100]

yes, very much so, which is why you can build up experience with LW with ease as they fly a lot and win (& survive). In my current game, my Soviet opponent says his U2 formations are all high experience due to constant use more than compensating for relatively high operartional losses.

its just that Soviet fighters die too easily to have any chance of gaining experience from combat

[Hardradi]

Yes I just check a game and the pilots, particularly the most inexperienced ones gained experience just from flying missions.

EDIT: These were fighter pilots flying escorts mission, no combat.

[aMaschina]

it is now april 1942, weather still is somewhat rainy, sometimes still blizzards and snow levels are still moderate. I think the logistics penalty mentioned in the manual has now worn off (?). After the soviets gave me a beating in the winter offensive and pushed me back some 50km along the front, when is the time to regain the initiative for a potential Fall Blau? Historically it started in June, and I dont feel like I am in a strong position right now. Can I take 2 months worth of time to regain strength? This is vs AI.

[loki100]

yes the malus lifts at the start of April but I tend to find it takes a few turns for this to show, not least there is usually a backlog (check the army freight chart).

the second bit is hugely judgemental, but I've had 3 games into this phase (one AI, 2 HtH):

a) if the average MP of the mobile assets on a sector are low (say <30), I'd wait - as ever mobility is the key tool
b) most of the early stage of 1942 is going to be attritional, so localised blows to take this or that building block are a good idea, even in April
c) watch out for localised weather, esp in April-May one hex may be clear and the one next to it deep mud

So I do a map review, if I want something (a rail junction, or a key city) and its close to the front I may well attack early. And perhaps primarily with infantry. There is a huge reward which is that Soviet morale/exp is low till June 42 so retreats escalate to routs and you may as well cash this in as much as you can. If I'm going for Stalingrad, I'd wait till I was sure my supply situation was robust and that as much as possible was refitted

[Veterin]

What determines TB training losses? It's turn 2 as Soviets and i lost 396 aircraft in one week (weather is perfect across the map)

2022-06-09 10_10_14-Window.png (23.06 KiB) Viewed 717 times

[loki100]

units in the reserve will train if their experience is < NM - this is automatic.

Broadly its good news as that formation then has decent pilots, you can commit to the map or scrap and the pilots go into the pool for allocation to on map formations (very useful for the Soviets where losses are often > the trained pilot allocation)

the chance of a crash is basically air plane reliability.

what I do with the Soviets is to try and flip low experience air groups to the I-series stuff (so if it crashes not really important) so as to keep the latest planes for the front line formations - like a lot of managing the Soviets this is a bit fiddly but pays off.

Strong advice - Don't scrap low experience air groups, then the pilots are treated as 'trained' and put in the trained pool when very inexperienced. Since you will be using TPI in an attempt to keep a cluster of fighter formations (again as the Soviets) as high as possible this undermines that effort

[Veterin]

units in the reserve will train if their experience is < NM - this is automatic.

Broadly its good news as that formation then has decent pilots, you can commit to the map or scrap and the pilots go into the pool for allocation to on map formations (very useful for the Soviets where losses are often > the trained pilot allocation)

the chance of a crash is basically air plane reliability.

what I do with the Soviets is to try and flip low experience air groups to the I-series stuff (so if it crashes not really important) so as to keep the latest planes for the front line formations - like a lot of managing the Soviets this is a bit fiddly but pays off.

Strong advice - Don't scrap low experience air groups, then the pilots are treated as 'trained' and put in the trained pool when very inexperienced. Since you will be using TPI in an attempt to keep a cluster of fighter formations (again as the Soviets) as high as possible this undermines that effort

Thanks. I was aware of that mechanic just surprised it was so high. I generally try and keep i-series in the Reserve or TB too.

I never disband any air units. If i have no use for an air unit i send them to the Caucus HQ and leave them on map (restricted, rest and manual upgrade on). For soviet pilots, i thought most put them on IL2s as soviet fighters can't really compete anyway for 1941/1942.