Continuous Play

[Skyros]

I see in the new manual that there is an option for continuous

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play, but I can't seem to find the preference setting for it.

Is this an item that did not make it into the beta?

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[btd64]

I'm not even sure I know where it came from.
Maybe what it's talkin about is head to head....GP

[RangerJoe]

I think that the selection is where you select allied or japanese . . .

[Skyros]

I found it! When you select the turn cycle your choices are 1,2,3,4, and Continuous.

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[Sardaukar]

Quite useful when testing new AI scripts etc.

[Chris21wen]

I wouldn't use it during game play.

[konstpan]

The Continuous option is available only for AI vs AI.

[Skyros]

I was doing testing, all set now.

[CaptBeefheart]

Sometimes I'll do AI vs. AI on continuous until June 1942 and then take over as the Allies. It makes for a more challenging game and you can focus mostly on offense from that point. The funny thing is you'll have a few CONUS perma-restricted units scattered around the map. Since they're still restricted, you won't be able to move them from their islands, so their utility is limited.

Cheers,
CB

[PaxMondo]

I see in the new manual that there is an option for continuous play, but I can't seem to find the preference setting for it.

Been available for a long time ... can't remember when it was added, you will have to check the notes, but like +10 years ago. It is mostly for AI testing, but I also use it for upgrade/conversion testing. Getting all those fields to line up correctly isn't really hard, but it is VERY easy to screw it up. One bit off and POOF! Nothing worse than getting +2 years into a game and finding the upgrade won't work.

Ditto for AI testing.

With a new machine with an SSD and tons of RAM, I can spin about 1 year/hour. Testing goes quite fast now ... when Andy was originally writing all of the AI, the "complex" AI literally stopped after about 6 months. That is partly due to there are just too many logic branches by then to try to account for, BUT it was also due to the fact that it used to take a day to run a year of the game. Testing was just too slow for mid/late game AI. Now, while it is long-ish, it isn't terrible. So, adding mid and late game "surprises" is much easier, keeps the AI game far more interesting. And of course, it allows for MANY more AI variants to be chosen from, again, increasing the AI game play.


ALL HAIL THE ANDY MAC!!!!

[PaxMondo]

Sometimes I'll do AI vs. AI on continuous until June 1942 and then take over as the Allies. It makes for a more challenging game and you can focus mostly on offense from that point. The funny thing is you'll have a few CONUS perma-restricted units scattered around the map. Since they're still restricted, you won't be able to move them from their islands, so their utility is limited.

Cheers,
CB

Yes, the AI can ignore HQ restrictions to meet its LCU requirements in a script. The biggest issue is with air units ... get restricted USAAF air units in India/OZ and they're stuck at that base for the rest of the game. I've actually seen 25% of the air units* of both sides stuck this way after running + 6 month continuous. One way around that is to strip the restrictions from all units before you start the game. Then when you take it up, just impose your own "logical" restrictions, like:

CONUS must have X number of air groups, LCU's and ships in CONUS area for security or IJA must still maintain MAN forces for SOV, etc. Your opponent will continue to have no issues.


This allows your game to move forward without having some key units "lost" for the game.


*Air groups with Mavis or Cats rarely ever get stuck, their range is so long, but short legged units like Spits, you can lose the use of a lot of groups because they can't move until/unless you can upgrade them to something with longer legs like P38's or A6M's.