Questions about production

[Grotius]

Great game! But I have questions about production:

1. Why is it that some provinces -- even those with available resources, factories, and manpower -- have fewer unit-build options than others? E.g., I can generally build anything in Western Germany, but not in Northern Italy. And I can't build anything but supply or research in captured France.

2. The production resource-flow screen tells us how many unconnected resources we have, but it doesn't tell us *where* they are. Is there any info on this, or do we just have to figure it out for ourselves by looking at the map? I know that one of mine was in Africa, but for a while I had another unconnected one, and I never figured out where.

3. Is there any way to increase manpower? Just conquer tons of provinces?

4. Any general advice for managing production? As Germany, it seems I built too many factories; I lack the manpower to run them.

[Barthheart]

Production is probably the hardest thing in this game. It takes lots of trial and error to get the balance right.
1. The Italians can only build certain units to represent their limited military ability. Captured provences only build supplies and research to simulate that their people won't help your war effort.
2. I have a hard time finding unconnected resources also, but you eventually find them. German has two, East Africa, and Sardinia.
3. Manpower can not be increased. This is very troublesome for the Germans.
4. First adivce, don't build factories! You need every production point to build armies and research. If late in the game you are getting near to the 70 auto win point build a factory then.

[Grotius]

Thanks for your reply! One further question about population: so capturing population centers doesn't increase your available manpower? I guess that makes sense: Germany is not going to recruit many useful infantry units from Eastern European conquests (though the Germans did try historically). So a neutral province that has population but no resources or factories is a worthless target?

[Barthheart]

Worthless from the stand point of production yes.