Ideas for Version 3.1

[Jeremy Pritchard]

Hi, just got those, they were sitting at Maleoap (SP!!). Thanks!

[vaned]

Just a note:

In the 1942 Guadualcanal scenarios there is no actual path between Kumming and the rest of China. The path displays on the map but does not allow LCU movement.

Otherwise great revisions!

[GET TRANSPT]

I just started playing PBEM and I noticed when one saves unfinished Allied orders in PBEM mode, then reloads the game (after say, a 4th of July picnic) the routine convoys routine maganimously RE- SUPPLIES the Allied bases! The convoy phase is repeated!

In fact, this happens EVERY time one saves and reloads the game, making it impossible for one to play Allies unless one a)Does it in one sitting and forgets about one's non-gaming life or b)Enjoys getting masses of free fuel and supplies.

The ramifications for play are great. This bug in '41, for example, makes bases like Soerabaja Singapore, and Manila, veritable storehouses of infinte supply (ruining players' strategy of "starving" bases) and b) If the Japanese capture them they are regaled with masses of a captured fuel. I have not tried playing the Japanese in PBEM yet, but it would be equally criminal if they received routine supply everytime they resumed working in a save game too!

I recall a similar problem in GG's WAR IN RUSSIA where every time one reloaded a saved game in PBEM mode, all units entrenched one level; it was fixed. Any hope for this bug?


thank you

[Jeremy Pritchard]

There is this and the Allied players ability to have unlimited SIGNIT by reloading their game after testing out the SIGNIT and trying it on other, and even the same target.

I don't think that this (PBEM Supply bug) can be changed, but maybe I am wrong about it! I will see if Mika can find where this is located, and if we can do anything about it.

Jeremy

[showboat1]

Sounds like a couple of good, new scenarios coming up. Can't wait. I STILL like this better than UV!!!

[BillBrown]

also jeremy, when, in the obc41 senario, can the allies select ot produce Spitfire VC, Boomarang I, or Beaufighter X? well into 1944 and i can not select these for production.

[Denniss]

For the Beaufighter set a factory to BeaufortV and let it upgrade after the 4week delay .
For the Boomerang it should be the same thing with Wirraway .
Don't know with SpitfireVC - try it out to set some factories on different UK-planes and run 4-5 turns with zero display level and delay and see which one is the type you need .

[Jeremy Pritchard]

The problem occurs when an airraft costs more then 15 points. When it does, you cannot manually change a factory to produce this type of aircraft. 3.0a and 3.1 will have aircraft limited to costs of 15. You can edit this in yourself in the meantime...

[GET TRANSPT]

I've already mentioned the Allied supply bug that redoes Allied routine convoys following a restart of a saved game in PBEM mode; I now notice another bug: Allied sub refueling.

On resumption of a saved game as the Allies in PBEM mode, any allied subs docked in a port( e.g., the Salmon class boats re -docked from Manila on 12/14/41) get refueled immediately! Interestingly, they still keep their "#" and delay.
***

Which begs a question I've wandered about for 9 + years: what exactly determines the fuel status of subs ? I notice they do not consume base fuel points, but subs DO get differentialy refueled. For the Salmon class, one unit refuels to 66 fuel and another has 36 fuel despite BOTH being based at non-isolated, non-enemy AZOC and EQUAL capacity ports.

I used to keep subs in port 2+ turns to get "full fuel", but as the many PAC WAR versions progressed, most ports simply did not refuel the subs to the fuel fuel "capacity" (like 126) no matter how long I kept them docked there. Instead, one gets numbers like 36 and 66 for eth same class of subs and refueling stops.

Any light on subs' fueling/basing differences? Clearly, not all bases are equal fuelers.

Thank you,

sub fuelish

[BillBrown]

Originally posted by Jeremy Pritchard
The problem occurs when an airraft costs more then 15 points. When it does, you cannot manually change a factory to produce this type of aircraft. 3.0a and 3.1 will have aircraft limited to costs of 15. You can edit this in yourself in the meantime...

jeremy, i tried this with a game in progress, nov-dec 1943. the uk aircraft still would not let me switch the type. by setting factory control to computer, selecting beaufort v and hurricanes. after running one turn the factories upgraged to beaufighters and spitfire viii. still could not select spitfire vc. it seems that if you switch to computer controled factories at the change over date then the factories will upgrade and the ones that upgrade can then select other aircraft. whew. however, i noticed that if you switch the wellington factory, you can not reselect wellingtons. i think i can work around this ok, it causes some extra losses in production for the british but that is what you wanted anyway. BTW, i have never had a problem with american aircraft factories.

i also noticed that you removed the shipyard from PH, excellent move, now repairing those damaged BB's will not cost ship points.

[Denniss]

The Spitfire VC is a carrier based plane so upgrade path should be Fulmar .

Each ship to be repaired costs shipyard points if repaired in a port .
There's a check to repair 1 point at no cost if i remeber the manual correct .

[Mika Väliviita]

Atomic Bomb: You will know when it happens, but only splash screen you get is a few lines of text in the lower left box.

Ship repairs: Yes, all repairs except that one random chance cost repair points. Shipyards just add more repair points to that port, so more ships can be repaired at the faster rate. When the repair points of that port run out that turn, other damaged ships only get the random chance to repair 1 damage.

Sub fuel: Actually subs don't have fuel as such, the value refers to their patrol range (or something like that, it's been a while since I looked at that).

Sub patrol range: Well, this is weird, there are some bases (Darwin) that make the patrol range go haywire. I have no clue why, the range should be simple algebra.

PBEM supply bug: This is rather complex, all I've been able to do is to remove Allied routine convoys completely... Other option (much more difficult) is to make it happen on Japanese turn before Japanese player saves the files to send. Thus Japanese player would get to see all action live, and Allied would rely on the vcr.

Routine convoys as such: Each base has a set amount of supply it needs, depending on (3.0) airgroups, ships in port, LCUs and HQ presence. Next version changes the airgroup dependence to portsize dependence due to problems with the old method.

Paths: If it shows on map, it is there, but it may be one-way-only.

Planecosts: Actually, if a plane costs 11 or more you can't manually change to that plane. I think this was originally meant to prevent B-24 to B-29 change. 15 is the maximum cost that is used to determine the factory size maximum and growth rate.

Floatplanes: I believe BBs,BCs and CSs (or AVs now) do shortrange searches with their generic floatplanes. As for Rufes, don't they have a short range? The subs would have to be very close to be attacked by them.

Mika

[BillBrown]

I stand corrected, just reread my ver 1.1 printed manual. ships repairing in a port do consume ship construction points even if there is not a shipyard. however, not having a shipyard in PH lessens the effect since there are less repair points now( though the ships now repair slower).

I checked the same manual and the highest aircraft cost was 9 for the B-29, 7 for the B-17 & B-24. the 10 limit probably explains why i had no problems switching american production around.

Thanks mika and jeremy for the extra info. Great work guys, this excellent classic just keeps getting better.

[GET TRANSPT]

Wow, Mika, you really got to work on the problems quickly!

Thank you!

I for one don't mind vcr replay. It works great. I hope you can find an easier way to deal with that PBEM supply bug. Clearly, you've put in a lot of your time into making us gamers happier.

[BillBrown]

Mika, here is a question for you. if you choose yes for historical first turn, are all the TTAs 'off' by 1 week? does the program consider 12/12/41(41 campaign) to be the first turn for purposes of arrival times?

[Mika Väliviita]

No, the arrival times should work normally. Also note that aircraft availability times only consider the month, so they can only become available 1st week of a new month. (Except help assisted planes that have factories doing 'research'.)

Bad news about the PBEM supply bug, I can't fix it. As is said, there is no room to maneuver.

LCU surrender works as is meant, you just need huge odds (25*(terrain+1)) to guarantee surrender of experienced (50+ Allied, 30+ Japanese) units. Other than that, you need to reduce the enemy unit to below 4 squads.

Mika

[Capt. Harlock]

Speaking of LCU's, Japanese LCU's do not surrender unless they cannot retreat, and it takes odds of at least 125:1 to make them retreat. That's a point I'd like to see addressed: if a Japanese LCU has a retreat path, it will fall back, reinforce and restore readiness, and then it can advance back to the same base before the Allies have a chance to move. Thus, a single Japanese LCU can block an Allied advance no matter how badly it is outnumbered. (I am currently seeing a Japanese LCU bouncing back and forth between Bangkok and Pnom Penh for over two months, in spit of odds as high as 2000:1) Is there any way the AI can be prevented from doing this--perhaps cause a Japanese LCU to be annihilated if the odds are, say, 500:1?

[Jeremy Pritchard]

Going before the Allies is both a benefit and a curse in regards to Japanese land forces. You can keep on returning form a base you are kicked from, however, it is easier for the allies to isolate and destroy formations by going 2nd. After moving, the Japanese leave themselves open to being out flanked (i.e., taking the base that these troops just moved from). When you encounter strong land resistence, like was found historically, just do outflanking manoevers by landing troops in the rear areas.

For example, the Bangkok situation...

Although it is difficult to break through, you can do a landing on the Malayan peninsula which usually freaks out the AI, and cause PBEM opponents to panic. If done correctly, you can march up into Bangkok before they can withdraw their forces to stop you. When you reach a roadblock like this in the game you should try to move around it. (for your Phnom Phenn problem, just land at Saigon).

Also, bombing supply depots can lower the supply so low that units cannot reach their required readiness in order to move (50% or greater). Also, in a way this is beneficial, as it really increases the experience of your units at the expense of wearing down one enemy.

Changing the Japanese retreat values would not necessarily fix these situations. Also, Japanese units tended not to surrender/become elimitated unless there was no room to manoever. They did some great retreats over their history (1944 Burma, 1942 New Guinea, 1942 Guadalcanal), rarely did they stand and die unless there was no room to retreat.

[Ranger-75]

Originally posted by Denniss
The Spitfire VC is a carrier based plane so upgrade path should be Fulmar.

Whuy would anyone in their right mind want to "upgrade" from Spitfires / Seafires to Fulmars?

[Jeremy Pritchard]

He meant upgrade path FROM Fulmar TO Spitfire VC.