Matrix Games Forums

hi!
I am new to WIR, and there are a few questions I have. I was reading the manual but I have not found the answers to my questions there. They might be there though. But English is not my first language...I´d really appreciate you answering my questions.

1) Where can I see how many new squads are produced each turn?
2) Replacements - why is it not senseful to set every HQ to a replacement level of 100 or 90 % - thus they would always be very strong?!?
3) Is there any way to influence replacements?
4) Can I ADD tanks to PanzerDivisons? I know how to CHANGE tanks. But can I just say like 50 tanks from the POOL add to say 8th Panzer Divison additionally? (same goes for planes)
5) If not, what is the POOL with tanks (planes) for Just for changing? It bugs me to see so many unused tanks in there.
6) How can I see where the enemy has his Heavy Industry/Oil/Resources so I can issue Strategic Bombing. Is there any sense in Bombing a city without Industry/Oil/Resources?
7) How do I guard against partisan attacks? (I am just in 2nd turn, they haven´t started yet but I wish to be prepared.)

Regards, Christian

More questions I have:
a) Does it make sense to directly attact an enemy HQ? What are the benefits/risks?
b) Is there a way to see the total losses in MEN instead of squads. The total losses display at end of turn is nice, but squads are too abstract. I would like to see how many of my brave men have died.
c) How do I know how strong an enemy unit is. When I klick on it, I can see a CV displayed. But when Playing the enemy as well the CV of this unit never is the same that is displayed to me as Axis? Can I somehow see the relative strength of an enemy before attacking?


Thanks

even more:
aa) should I place all Fighters in Germany and West Front on CAP instead of Escort to counter the Bombing of my Reich?

bb) Does it make ANY sense at all to have a HQ in Romania or Hungary with troops and Fighters in it when the front is in Russia?

I'm pretty much a rookie myself but I'll answer what I can.
1. In pool there is a manpower pool.
3. You can change the production of tanks and aircrat if that's what you mean.
4. No
5. Yes
6. Read the manual and other documentation that comes with the game. there's a list of cities and everything in them. or press alt-R and read the report.
7. I wouldn't do anything about them if I were you. It seems they're just in the game to make it seem more real. In reality they don't cause any damage as far as I saw.

a) Makes very good sense. If there aren't any forces or just small forces in it it would be shattered along with whatever planes were there. also the units it's responsible for will be left without supply and quickly surrender to you.
b) every squad is 100 men, every gun is 5, every tank is 3 I think. do the math.

aa) the bombing begins only in late 42. when it begins you can do that. unless there's ground fighting on that front.

bb) No. maybe late in the game when there will be fighting there. I never got to that point. I won in early 43.

Thanks a lot for replying so quickly! You really helped me? Is there any way to bomb Ural? (I guess not *sigh*)

Regarding 3) - no I know how to change the types. I would rather to know if I am abtle to influence WHERE my 30 new Tigers go (which unit receives them)

Originally posted by c.topfer:
hi!
I am new to WIR, and there are a few questions I have. I was reading the manual but I have not found the answers to my questions there. They might be there though. But English is not my first language...I´d really appreciate you answering my questions.

1) Where can I see how many new squads are produced each turn?
2) Replacements - why is it not senseful to set every HQ to a replacement level of 100 or 90 % - thus they would always be very strong?!?
3) Is there any way to influence replacements?
4) Can I ADD tanks to PanzerDivisons? I know how to CHANGE tanks. But can I just say like 50 tanks from the POOL add to say 8th Panzer Divison additionally? (same goes for planes)
5) If not, what is the POOL with tanks (planes) for Just for changing? It bugs me to see so many unused tanks in there.
6) How can I see where the enemy has his Heavy Industry/Oil/Resources so I can issue Strategic Bombing. Is there any sense in Bombing a city without Industry/Oil/Resources?
7) How do I guard against partisan attacks? (I am just in 2nd turn, they haven´t started yet but I wish to be prepared.)

Regards, Christian

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1. You can't. The squads are, however, a multiple of your population levels, which you can see by going to Utils-Industry-Manpower.

2. By keeping some HQs replacement level low that are in battle as the Soviets you can increase the chances of high experience, which leads to Guards status. Also, you may want to force replacements to go to more important areas of the front, or units, by setting some HQs low.

3. Only throught the HQ settings.

4. Unfortunately you cannot. That is an idea I have been thinking about lately though, but don't know if it will happen.

5. If under computer control, the AI will add or upgrade equipment as it feels is appropriate. Typically, some number is kept in the pools, and if the computer wants to upgrade a large unit it may let it get larger than normal - this normally affects planes as tank units are almost always smaller than the amount kept in the pool.

6. You need to read the manual for where factories are in the game. However, it is slightly out of date now, but only a little so it should give you what you need. If there are no factories or oil, bombing does nothing I believe.

7. Keep small 1 division corps as the German near critical rail junctions and lines, which if cut will cut supply to your frontline if there are no alternative rail paths there. Otherwise, partisans do nothing unfortunately.

Also, except for a bug, keeping your west and German HQ fighters on escort is silly, but I believe the current release has a problem with CAP in some situations and so escort works better, I think, in specific cases.

Take out HQs to leave the units assigned without ops points, and to destroy many aircraft assigned.

Squads are a vague term, and for losses are counted as 50 men right now, but in reality a squad was around 10 or a little more men. The 50 represents support troops, including those supporting the manpower, but also manning other equipment not represented, such as higher level heavy weapons companies.

For CV, you see the enemy CV as an estimate of divisions assigned. As you play, you will get a feel for how strong enemy stacks are, although not exactly, and what to do to win a battle, within the boundaries of variable luck.

AN HQ near Ploesti is critical to protect the oil fields there. Otherwise, you generally don't need them except to cover targets open to bombing without protection for the OKW/OKH/Italy/West front HQ fighters, which cover a large area.

Keep asking if you have more questions.

You guys rock. Thanks a lot. I love this game. I ran about it some time ago, but was too lazy to read the manual. And it was not the graphics that made me not play it but the absolute lack of sound. Kinda frustrating to me. (Now i am playing German March Music in the background mp3s hehehe)I ALWAYS wanted a STRATEGIC (not tactical) game of WW2. I have tried High Command (didn´t really like it.) and Clash of Steel in the past. COS rocked as well, but a)The scale was TOO big, the map TOO small and b) unfortunately I don´t get EMM Memory on my Win98 System so I can´t play it any more. WIR is as close as its get though sadly it is "only" the russian front. WILL THERE EVER BE A FULL SCALE WW2 GAME like WIR??? I have almost given up hope...

Anyway, more questions:
i) Can I influence the number of ARI/AT Guns built?
ii) Can I create Motorized Divisons / Panzer Divisons or Change a regular IN Div to a Motorized Divison?
I just created a new Panzerkorps. Now I wish to add units to it but CRAP I have only normal Infantry Divisons to support my Panzers.

Originally posted by c.topfer:
WILL THERE EVER BE A FULL SCALE WW2 GAME like WIR??? I have almost given up hope...

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Same here.

Anyway, more questions:
i) Can I influence the number of ARI/AT Guns built?

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AT and Flak production is a fixed percentage of Artillery production from artillery factories. You can't influence production because artillery factories are fixed in the scenarios, ie, you can't add more (unless you modify the scenarios).

ii) Can I create Motorized Divisons / Panzer Divisons or Change a regular IN Div to a Motorized Divison?

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Again, you can modify the scenario to do this using editwir but you can't change an inf div to a motorized one from within the game.

I just created a new Panzerkorps. Now I wish to add units to it but CRAP I have only normal Infantry Divisons to support my Panzers.

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In the game the "corps" units are just containers that you fill up. It is possible to fill a panzer korps with inf divs, it is done in some scenarios, but this is considered cheating if you then use that korps to move more than 2 squares a turn in plot movement. The game itself doesn't check for this. See the House Rules list at the WiR download site. You should not use a panzer korps unless you've got real mechanized units to put in it (pz,pzg,mot). Not everyone agrees with this though, some rationalize the use of 1 or 2 infantry divisions in a panzer korps.

[ January 26, 2002: Message edited by: Ed Cogburn ]</p>

Just a hint for garrison troops against partisans :
Use corps equipped with obsolete rumanian Infantry divisions (experience around 30 and lower)commanded by one or two rumanian HQ's and set replacement level to 0(zero) to avoid sending replacements to this awful troops .

Hmm, I am now experiencing the first snow and I fear I made so many mistakes that my campaign is already doomed. But of course I will continue to fight until the end. Soviet losses are staggering and about the same numbers posted by other players. But my losses are way too high I think, especially my tank losses (why?).
Squads AFVs Gun Planes
German: 04000 1000 00800 00800
Soviet: 48000 4800 15000 10000

Questions:
(s marks soviet troops, x German troops)
sUs
sxs
sssssxs
xxxxxs
xs
xs
Why does the German Panzerkorps (marked U) have a supply of 0? Shouldn´t it be getting supply via the lines of x-es?

There are all the lakes and large rivers, can I plot movement across them? (Ok, the lakes are unlikely, but what about the large rivers?) I plot movement and the unit doesn´t move. Shouldn´t the game tell me if I am not able to plot movement there?

Also I am not able to get a supply line down to Sevastopol? Why? Do the HQs have to be close to give supply? How close should a HQ be to a unit in general?

And last not least - the AI now has a hell of a lot of Tank Divisons attached to his Headquarters. But when flying an Interdiction I can never destroy any of those tanks. How can I destroy them using the Luftwaffe without directly attacking them and using the LW by groundattack mode?


Thanks. I love the game. Looking forward to a defensive war now I think. But I will still try to push forward as long as possible. I will probably be able to take Leningrad from the North.(?)

You need to control the Rail line going to Sevastopol for Supply .
Read the manual how different terrain effects the supply - some terrain types cost 1 supply and some others 2 .

Originally posted by c.topfer:
Questions:
(s marks soviet troops, x German troops)
sUs
sxs
sssssxs
xxxxxs
xs
xs
Why does the German Panzerkorps (marked U) have a supply of 0? Shouldn´t it be getting supply via the lines of x-es?

---

This is a rail line you're talking about right? Supply can not reach everywhere from a rail head (the last square in the rail line that is providing supply - rail lines have to be fixed before they can be used to extend supply and that takes time). With panzers it is easy to get out "ahead" of your supply, you have to wait for the supply line to catch up with your tanks. Look at the supply level in the squares.

There are all the lakes and large rivers, can I plot movement across them? (Ok, the lakes are unlikely, but what about the large rivers?) I plot movement and the unit doesn´t move. Shouldn´t the game tell me if I am not able to plot movement there?

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The game is famous for not telling you why you can't do something. <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> In blizzard turns you can cross a river, as its considered frozen over, but this just removes the normal penalty for crossing a river. The lakes and "large rivers" are unpassable.

Also I am not able to get a supply line down to Sevastopol? Why? Do the HQs have to be close to give supply? How close should a HQ be to a unit in general?

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Supply comes from the rail lines you control (and can trace control back to Berlin), not HQs! This ain't Clash of Steel. <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> You have to go a little north and east to capture the rail line that extends south to Sevastopol. Until you can capture that loop in the rail line, there is no point in sending forces south, as they'll be out of supply.

And last not least - the AI now has a hell of a lot of Tank Divisons attached to his Headquarters. But when flying an Interdiction I can never destroy any of those tanks. How can I destroy them using the Luftwaffe without directly attacking them and using the LW by groundattack mode?

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Interdiction against HQs is supposed to be dissapointing. Those tank divisions aren't literally in one square, the one the HQ is in. Those divisions represent forces in reserve and are considered to be spread out and dispersed. This is somewhat strange to understand when you consider that air operations ARE considered to be in one square (so when you make an airfield attack against an HQ, you are able to inflict damage on all air groups attached to that HQ). So remember, ground units attached to an HQ are dispersed, but air units are effectively all in the square with the HQ. Not necessarily very realistic, but it avoids having to represent air units as physical units on the map, this is a cop-out necessitated by the computer memory restrictions of the time of WiR-II, I hope Gary makes air units separate and independent units on the map in the next WiR.

Again, thanks for answering my questins.

IS there going to be a new WIR? By Grigsby? What is he doing right now?

Originally posted by c.topfer:
Again, thanks for answering my questins.

IS there going to be a new WIR? By Grigsby? What is he doing right now?

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Supposedly there will be one. Its mentioned on Gary's company's website:

http://www.2by3games.com/

For all we know there has been nothing done on it at all. Gary is supposedly working now on War In The Pacific.