Beginner's enquiries

[Emp_Palpatine]

Hello there,

Just started to get into this game.

Of course, I have some questions.

I start with BoB RAF long campaign, as I prefer strategic/long term things & planning.
Here are my questions:

-> Is there a way to see the range of a selected flight?
Side question, is there a way to know when a unit is bingo?

-> Is there a way to control AA production? Or at least to know how many guns are produced each turn? It would help me in order to plan the redeployment of guns towards attacked sites.

-> any advice on production? Things seem not very user-friendly.

-> Do you suggest "big" patrols or scramble to intercept raids? In my short experience, patrols are somewhat touchy as sometimes fuel seems to run out (I guess that's why my flights are going home, hence my first question) when the enemy raid is approaching.

Thanks in advance!

[Emp_Palpatine]

-> Also, is there a way to know which squadron will get a newer plane?

For instance, if I prioritize Hurricaine II and Beaufighters, will they be automatically allowed to replace first gen Hurricanes and Blenheim?

[simovitch]

Hi, hopefully these answers help:

1. You can stop the game and select a flight, then the flight button at the bottom, to see the remaining fuel (i.e. how many minutes it has left to fly). A plane will bingo when that value is 1/2 it's endurance.
You can also check on the group's status as they go from ready to takeoff to flying status.

2. AA production is automated. The total number of guns being produced each turn is listed at the bottom of the "Armaments factory" location listing.

3.Have you read the Production Manual in the Manuals folder?

4. I use small, 4 plane picket patrols to expose the details of a raid, and get the bigger patrols up over the closer airfields so I am not caught on the ground. It's a combination of defensive tactics that work but it takes practice to get the timing right. Changing your alert radius in the Doctrine tab might help with reaction times but could impact fatigue. Recall a patrol to preserve fatigue if it's just up in the air spinning it's wheels.

5. You will need to upgrade your groups manually by changing the aircraft type in the movement phase as new types are produced, if enough are available in the pool.

There is a new patch coming out soon that (among other things) changes the timing of how your planes will progress through the alert status. You may want to practice on the one month campaign for now and wait to do the full campaign when the patch comes out. Either way you can use your old saves with the new patch.

[Emp_Palpatine]

Thanks for these advices!

Regarding the patch, what would be a tentative ETA?
Are we talking months, couple of weeks or days? Just to decide wether I invest some time in a campaign or just wait for it.

Thanks!

[simovitch]

I would say within the next 2 weeks, depending on where we are in the Matrix queue.

[Emp_Palpatine]

Thanks for the intel!

[Emp_Palpatine]

So it seems I am not particulary efficient...

Which workflow do you advice?

-> small patrols when radio traffic is detected?
(how can I set the altitude of a patrol?)

-> Launch fulls squads at selected raids? I guess trying to get everything is useless...
It seems my scramble are way to late. Should I launch big patrols when raids are detected and launch interception when raid seems juicy?

[simovitch]

It sounds like you are figuring it out. An attack from a well placed patrol near the coast can cause the main escorts to jettison their tanks, and then you can effectively bounce the bombers with the FW's and Me410's deeper into Germany. That said, don't be too concerned about industry damage in France and Belgium, you will eventually lose that anyway after the Allies invade Normandy. Defending German industry is paramount.

When you set the location of the patrol you set the altitude on the UI before selecting the patrolling aircraft. I moved the altitude section bar to the lower screen for 1.06.91, otherwise it's located in the upper menu area.

Try increasing your alert radius for the Luft Reich and Luft 3 so that your fighters are at 5 minute alert status when the Allies reach the coast. This causes more fatigue though, while they sit on the tarmac so it's a balancing act.

You can disrupt bomber formations if you can just break through the escort screen and firing off some shots which can reduce the accuracy of the raid by disruption.

There is a good discussion on LW tactics going on in the EDBTR Discord channel right now: https://discord.com/channels/9966751807 ... 1504760974

Playing against the Allied AI you should be able to get a sudden death victory before September 1944 if you can minimize the damage to your industry by foiling the raids by the Allied heavies.

[Emp_Palpatine]

Thanks for the answers.
I forgot to say that I am playing as RAF in BoB, but the general idea is the same.

Could you send me or write here an invitation to the discord channel? I can't access using the link you gave.

Thanks!

[simovitch]

Try this:

https://discord.gg/vDWPUz3P