Matrix Games Forums

I wanted to know if anyone could recommend a good book that tells about the logistics aspect of the war (particularly in the Pacific)?

Thanks in advance,
Bill

ORIGINAL: wgs_explorer

I wanted to know if anyone could recommend a good book that tells about the logistics aspect of the war (particularly in the Pacific)?

Thanks in advance,
Bill

it depends what YOU mean by logistics... i bought a bunch of books on the subject, and a lot of them seem to have little to do with what **i** thought of logistics...

For example: The Big L - (US Logistics in WW2) - is available as a PDF file on the net somewhere (need to do a search) which will save you $$$ (i bought the thing before it came out on the net) - talks about "Logistics" in the broadest sense, with only a chapter or so on actually moving supplies to the front (which is what i normally think of as logistics.)

Give this a read:

"Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil"

ORIGINAL: irrelevant

Give this a read:

"Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil"

Hot d@mn! i hadn't realize this had made it to the web - i've been looking for a (cheap)copy of this for a while!!!

Thanks!!! [&o] [&o] [&o]

ORIGINAL: irrelevant

Give this a read:

"Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil"

WOW, that site ROCKS! [&o]

Looks like lots of productivity lost over the next few days at work. [:D]

Great!!! I found this on Amazon earlier--hadn't bought it yet--for almost $200.00!
 
With reference to what I'm looking for, I had read a comment in relation to WitP about the game's ability (or inability) to simulate properly the logistics of the Pacific War. I'd like to learn more, so I'm looking for something broad, but detailed enough to give me some insight.
 
Thanks again,
Bill

Well, WITP does a better job than most games at simulating the logistics of a big war, but the very nature of a theatre wide game makes it pretty difficult to truly simulate all the problems of logistics in a commercially viable product.

not without making the game more a job than a leisure pursuit. [;)]

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

not without making the game more a job than a leisure pursuit. [;)]

heck, it can already be that... [:'(]

i think they could adjust the logistics model to make it more accurate without making the game more complicated... but then again, maybe not... worth reading up on it in any case.

agreed.

part of why i'm having fun playtesting the guad scenario conversion. It's nice to be able to pump out a turn in under 10 without pulling out the abacus or pocket calculator.

The fact there are few tools to help the player with logistics is more of a problem than the logistics model itself.

I wouldn't haste to agree with that though i will agree that more tools would be helpful.

Understood that the logisitcs model is part of the problem, the player tools for logisitcs are really nonexistant. This hampers any attempts to both fix the model and make it playable at the same time.

what sort to tools?

Here is an idea for a logistics convoy management tool.

Set your supply/fuel sources (SF, LA, Karachi, Tokyo, Sasebo, etc..), resource centers (Palembang/Balikpappan, etc..) and hubs (1 per major command) . Set convoy routes, criteria for running convoys (such as supply or fuel level at hub), composition of convoys (number and capacity of ships, as well as escort requirements), set "outbound" loads from supply center and "inbound" load for return (fuel/oil for example), and locations and status of current cargo and tanker TFs (even better tell player how much of what is inbound to a location).

Something that allows for seeing the important information and the player to input the resulting decisions in a centralized manner.


TRhat would be a good start.

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

what sort to tools?

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

what sort to tools?

First you need to hire a staff, then you need to tell them what you need.

The WitP logisitician version of the microsoft "paper clip"........

ORIGINAL: pbear

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

what sort to tools?

First you need to hire a staff, then you need to tell them what you need.

No, first you have to convince those in charge of the purse strings that you need such a large staff, and the facilities (both ahsore and afloat) in order to perform the task.

from the aforelinked "Beans, Bullets and Black Oil" talking about the developments before the war:

"So the idea of fleet logistics afloat was becoming more and more firmly rooted; only time was needed to make it practical, as our knowledge and experience were still so meager that we had little detailed conception of our logistic needs. Even when someone with a vivid imagination hatched an idea, he frequently was unable to substantiate it to the planning experts and it was likely to be set down as wild exaggeration."

they are good ideas, but would require a major if not completely re-written routine and AI routine. Hence thats why it was never implemented. perhaps in a future game, with a bigger budget one might see such a setup which would also allow an AI to follow such a script.

ORIGINAL: denisonh

The WitP logisitician version of the microsoft "paper clip"........

heh.....[8D]