War in the East Q&A

[elmo3]

The AI will not be neglected.  How good we can make it remains to be seen but there is a lot of time left before launch and it will be a priority.

LOL - I see you beat me to it Pyle.

[KarlXII]

Good to hear!

It would be interesting to read a developer diary or something about how the A.I works and what parts the development team are most proud of and what is the easiest vs most difficult aspects in this game to work with. And also if the A.I development has evolved since the SSI/SSG prime times...

Thanks!

[elmo3]

Right now we are focused on squashing bugs, checking every single hex on the map to make sure the artwork matches the database, creating and fine tuning scenarios, making improvements to the interface, building the manual, and improving the AI.  There may be Designer Notes for the game but that is up to 2by3 and not something the testers would do.  I'm sure once the game launches all the testers will be active here supporting it and commenting on all aspects of the game.

[Arstavidios]

hello,
A few questions:

1 - It seems the soviets can build some units in addition to the reinforcements they get. What kind of things can they build?
2 - Support units do not appear on the map how are they handled? I guess there's some kind of general pool.........
3 - what kind of support units are there, I suppose there are corps assets like artillery units, engineers, antitank units, assault gun units.......?
4 - how do airbases work? are there some airstrip or do you suppose it is preexisting wherever the airbase units moves to? Can you attach additional support units to airbase like AA units?
5 - stacking is three units. Do HQS count? Airbases?
6 - Germany cannot create any additional units. This means everything is recieved through production, including airbases, support units and corps army and army group HQ? No possibility to create an additional army HQ for exemple?
7 - Some units have to be withdrawn for vatious reasons. I suppose it's a specific unit at a specific time. what happens when a unit is supposed to withdraw for refit whereas it is in good shape? are the benefits of the rebuild lost?
8 - the german army used large numbers of soviets for various duties like garrison, construction work, cooks, drivers, anti partisan duties....... In all well over 1000000 men. Is this factored into the game and in the TOE of the units like osttruppen support or infantry squads for exemple? ar they just factored into the general replacement rates?
9 - does the production system adjust to produce what is most needed or is there a fixed production of each item like allied production in witp.  For exemple I may be short of 105 mm guns whereas I may have a surplus of 150mm howitzers, or I may need some infantry squads whereas I have plenty of support squads in the pool, what happens then?

[KarlXII]

Hi, another question which I´ve not found here so far (though I apologize if I have missed it)

- Is the enourmous Allied supply to the Soviet modelled in the game ? Or is it just taken into account in the normal production/replacement pool and will the Soviet have American/British vehicles in their pool ?
- Can you capture Murmansk or Archangelsk and deny part of that supply by sea ?

Thanks!

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: Arstavidios

hello,
A few questions:

1 - It seems the soviets can build some units in addition to the reinforcements they get. What kind of things can they build?
2 - Support units do not appear on the map how are they handled? I guess there's some kind of general pool.........
3 - what kind of support units are there, I suppose there are corps assets like artillery units, engineers, antitank units, assault gun units.......?
4 - how do airbases work? are there some airstrip or do you suppose it is preexisting wherever the airbase units moves to? Can you attach additional support units to airbase like AA units?
5 - stacking is three units. Do HQS count? Airbases?
6 - Germany cannot create any additional units. This means everything is recieved through production, including airbases, support units and corps army and army group HQ? No possibility to create an additional army HQ for exemple?
7 - Some units have to be withdrawn for vatious reasons. I suppose it's a specific unit at a specific time. what happens when a unit is supposed to withdraw for refit whereas it is in good shape? are the benefits of the rebuild lost?
8 - the german army used large numbers of soviets for various duties like garrison, construction work, cooks, drivers, anti partisan duties....... In all well over 1000000 men. Is this factored into the game and in the TOE of the units like osttruppen support or infantry squads for exemple? ar they just factored into the general replacement rates?
9 - does the production system adjust to produce what is most needed or is there a fixed production of each item like allied production in witp.  For exemple I may be short of 105 mm guns whereas I may have a surplus of 150mm howitzers, or I may need some infantry squads whereas I have plenty of support squads in the pool, what happens then?

I'm relatively new to the team and can't answer all your questions yet but can help with a few:

Airfields are part of an air unit so they count for stacking as do HQ's (due to support unit attachments).

Support units are generally independent battalions (and Soviet arty regiments) attached to HQ's or division/corp combat units and include some of the types you mentioned.

Units are withdrawn as happened historically. I believe you get some notice before a unit is withdrawn but I've not tested that yet.

I haven't spent any time with production yet so can't answer those questions.

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: karlxii

Hi, another question which I´ve not found here so far (though I apologize if I have missed it)

- Is the enourmous Allied supply to the Soviet modelled in the game ? Or is it just taken into account in the normal production/replacement pool and will the Soviet have American/British vehicles in their pool ?
- Can you capture Murmansk or Archangelsk and deny part of that supply by sea ?

Thanks!

Lend Lease will be modeled. Neither Murmansk nor Arkangelsk are on the map.

[jaw]

ORIGINAL: Arstavidios

hello,
A few questions:

1 - It seems the soviets can build some units in addition to the reinforcements they get. What kind of things can they build?
2 - Support units do not appear on the map how are they handled? I guess there's some kind of general pool.........
3 - what kind of support units are there, I suppose there are corps assets like artillery units, engineers, antitank units, assault gun units.......?
4 - how do airbases work? are there some airstrip or do you suppose it is preexisting wherever the airbase units moves to? Can you attach additional support units to airbase like AA units?
5 - stacking is three units. Do HQS count? Airbases?
6 - Germany cannot create any additional units. This means everything is recieved through production, including airbases, support units and corps army and army group HQ? No possibility to create an additional army HQ for exemple?
7 - Some units have to be withdrawn for vatious reasons. I suppose it's a specific unit at a specific time. what happens when a unit is supposed to withdraw for refit whereas it is in good shape? are the benefits of the rebuild lost?
8 - the german army used large numbers of soviets for various duties like garrison, construction work, cooks, drivers, anti partisan duties....... In all well over 1000000 men. Is this factored into the game and in the TOE of the units like osttruppen support or infantry squads for exemple? ar they just factored into the general replacement rates?
9 - does the production system adjust to produce what is most needed or is there a fixed production of each item like allied production in witp.  For exemple I may be short of 105 mm guns whereas I may have a surplus of 150mm howitzers, or I may need some infantry squads whereas I have plenty of support squads in the pool, what happens then?

1. They can build army headquarters, rifle & cavalry divisions, and a variety of brigades. Larger units like rifle, cavalry, tank, and mechanized corps (1942 & later) are built by combining on map units. For example, tank and motorized brigades can be combined to form a tank corps.

2. Support units not attached to on map units at the beginning of a scenario arrive as reinforcements in the OKH and STAVKA headquarters units or attached to headquarters arriving as reinforcements.

3. You got it.

4. Air bases are on map units which can be moved by normal movement or strategic movement (rail & naval). They contain organic anti-aircraft units.

5. Any on map unit counts against stacking. Support units, which are not on the map, do not count.

6. The Axis player only receives new units as reinforcements. He can re-build destroyed units from cadres.

7. Units required to withdraw must be at least a certain minimum strength or they will remain frozen until they re-build to that strength. There is no benefit to trying to "use them up" prior to withdrawal.

8. I cannot answer that question with certainty as those aspects of production have yet to be spelled out in detail in the rules. The TOEs do not make any allowance for "Ost Truppen" and no Russian volunteers exist as a separate nationality in the combat units.

9. Only AFVs and aircraft have fixed production. All other units are produced "on demand".

[Iñaki Harrizabalagatar]

Some more questions
1. Are regions/cities sources of manpower/industrial production?
2. Are strategic resources, like Oil, Tungstene or Manganese, factored in the game?

[Helpless]

1. Are regions/cities sources of manpower/industrial production?

Yes. There are no regions but cities.

2. Are strategic resources, like Oil, Tungstene or Manganese, factored in the game?

There is oil and generic resources. Industry works very similar as in WITP.

[Endsieg]

Looking at the many screenshots, at various zoom levels,  in recent days and prior, I'm wondering if the many rail lines i'm seeing are indeed historical and have been researched by the team?
I realize a lot of time has been spent researching the geo topography of the game map and the developpers have local help in eastern europe. Does the same apply for the rail lines?
Are all those twists and turns and routes through the various cities, towns as close to 1941> historical reality as can be surmised based on the available evidence?

[PyleDriver]

Pavel lives in Latvia and has access to alot of maps of the era. He spent over 4 months redoing the entire map database, so I would say it can't get much better...

[Hard Sarge]

don't you think that is kind of insulting to the guys who did the reseach into that ?

the details in the game are pretty close to what we can find (still disagreements)

over all from the maps shown to us, they look pretty good

[Helpless]

Looking at the many screenshots, at various zoom levels, in recent days and prior, I'm wondering if the many rail lines i'm seeing are indeed historical and have been researched by the team?
I realize a lot of time has been spent researching the geo topography of the game map and the developpers have local help in eastern europe. Does the same apply for the rail lines?
Are all those twists and turns and routes through the various cities, towns as close to 1941> historical reality as can be surmised based on the available evidence?

Most of the rails are based on 41-43 Soviet Atlas, so I'd say they are quite precise at least in the main battle areas, i.e. SU. Otherwise there always can be various interpretation of the same map data, graphically and logically.

[Endsieg]

my post not meant as criticism or disbelief...just thought it wud be kewl to know: ...yes, the rail lines are where they really were, down to the 10 mile mile hexes.

[Lützow]

Two more questions:

Is it possible to post some screens about oob's, statistics and all the spreadsheet stuff, or are those not ready to be shown yet ?

Will there be artwork in WitE ?

[PyleDriver]

Alot of those databases are still under construction (OOB's, production, ect, ect) and would better be held until a later time....We plan to show them but not quite yet...

[Helpless]

Will there be artwork in WitE ?

Yes.

[ComradeP]

9. Only AFVs and aircraft have fixed production. All other units are produced "on demand".

That could be problematic. If the equipment is build "on demand", does that mean the Axis player can never have a surplus of equipment? For example: if all units have more or less their organic artillery, do all the artillery factories in Germany simply stop working?

Heavy losses of a specific kind of equipment would be very hard to replace in that case.

The TOAW/WitP system of a fixed number of equipment arriving at a certain date isn't perfect, but it's preferable over an "on demand" system in my opinion, as an "on demand" has a greater potential to cause unrealistic logistical problems.

[Sentinel Six]

ORIGINAL: ComradeP

9. Only AFVs and aircraft have fixed production. All other units are produced "on demand".

That could be problematic. If the equipment is build "on demand", does that mean the Axis player can never have a surplus of equipment? For example: if all units have more or less their organic artillery, do all the artillery factories in Germany simply stop working?

Heavy losses of a specific kind of equipment would be very hard to replace in that case.

The TOAW/WitP system of a fixed number of equipment arriving at a certain date isn't perfect, but it's preferable over an "on demand" system in my opinion, as an "on demand" has a greater potential to cause unrealistic logistical problems.

I agree it could be a problem but could be worked around if there is a limited pool for equipment which would be filled before production stops, this would smooth out any logistics problems. Maybe it's already in the game?