Tips&Tricks

[Karri]

For a tips and tricks forum this one has really few tips and tricks. So let's post few.

HOTKEYS
I'll start with hotkeys, they are there but one either forgets them after reading the manual, or doesn't read the manual at all(or the readme's that come with updates).

Anyways, here's a few very useful ones I use constantly:

A - brings up the Air Unit Report. Really useful when setting up a million bridge attacks. Or changing bombers to interdiction, etc etc.

C - Place the mouse over a stack and press c, brings up the Group Composition view. Very useful when checking those enemy stacks, no need to click through them.

Also, if you have say 3 bomber units on an airfield and decide to use all of them to attack some separate targets, all you need to do is select one of the units, go to the target, set up the attack and then press C. This brings up the group composition in the airfield hex and you can just choose another air unit. Saves a lot fo 'sweat and time' if you are for example attacking 3 bridges that are close to each other.

U - Shows unit report. Faster than right clicking.

F - Shows formation report. Again faster than right clicking. I usually use this to check where the other untis of that formation are. For example if I have a division and on the regiment reconstruct I press F, choose one of the other units and voila there they are, now I now where to move the reconstructed unit.

. - yeah, the dot. A 300x300 map and you have no idea where the units that you embarked on train last turn are now? No problem, press the dot. It will take you to the embarked units. Press it again and the unit disembarks.

D - Personally, I don't use this. It digs in the unit and then moves to the next one...if only it wouldn't move to the next unit it would save a lot of time.

I - toggles counters on/off as well as showing the air and artillery unit ranges. I use it mainly to toggle counters off so I can what the terrain/tailines/bridges look like. Or avoid the range circles altogether by right-clicking on the Unit Icon button - it cycles through the button in reverse order - clears the units, then left-clicking brings them back, without ever seeing a circle.

Artillery&Tactical reserve:
It doesn't really matter whetever the artillery unit is dug in(defending, entreched, fortified) mode ir in tactical reserve mode when defending, it will still support all battles within range. And unlike normal units it won't move to the battle itself when in Tactical Reserve.

However when attacking the artillery is best placed on tactical reserve which means that it will again support all combats in range. This is rather useful when the HQ has expended all it's movement points and you can't use it in 'direct attack'. This way you can move it up as the battle progresses and not waste combat rounds, or attack without artillery support.


Armor on the defence:
One excellent trick for armor on the defence is to use it as a turn burner. Set your armored unit behind the hex you think will be attacked on Tactical Reserve. This naturally means that when the enemy attacks the hex, the armor will join the battle and hopefully burn the enemy turn.
This is even more likely if a strong enemy infantry unit attacks on ignore losses. The infantry unit canno't inflict enough losses to beat the armor nor does it suffer enough losses to break off the attack.

Defence in depth:
When you defend you naturally want to have a line the enemy canno't break through. This can only be achieved by defence in depth. This means that you want to have at least 2 hex deep line. The 2nd line doesn't need to have an unit in every hex, you simply need to position the units in such a way that there isn't a single hex not covered by your Zone of Contol.

[ColinWright]

Thanks. I may try to use some of these. Particularly 'I.' Now I can get through those range circles faster every time I need to clear the units from the view.

[Heldenkaiser]

ORIGINAL: Karri
I - toggles counters on/off as well as showing the ranges. I use it mainly to toggle counters off so I can what the terrain/tailines/bridges look like.

What *are* those ranges? I have never figured out. Thanks. [:)]

[Karri]

ORIGINAL: Heldenkaiser

ORIGINAL: Karri
I - toggles counters on/off as well as showing the ranges. I use it mainly to toggle counters off so I can what the terrain/tailines/bridges look like.

What *are* those ranges? I have never figured out. Thanks. [:)]

Air and artillery unit ranges.

[Curtis Lemay]

ORIGINAL: ColinWright

Thanks. I may try to use some of these. Particularly 'I.' Now I can get through those range circles faster every time I need to clear the units from the view.

Or avoid the range circles altogether by right-clicking on the button - it cycles through the button in reverse order - clears the units, then left-clicking brings them back, without ever seeing a circle.

[Karri]

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

ORIGINAL: ColinWright

Thanks. I may try to use some of these. Particularly 'I.' Now I can get through those range circles faster every time I need to clear the units from the view.

Or avoid the range circles altogether by right-clicking on the button - it cycles through the button in reverse order - clears the units, then left-clicking brings them back, without ever seeing a circle.

Didn't know that, definetly going to use it since I don't need those range circles for anything...added it to the original post.

[JAMiAM]

Yeah...it's amazing. We hide the best tips and tricks in plain sight, within the Whatsnew file. Nobody ever thinks to read that...[;)]

[Karri]

ORIGINAL: JAMiAM

Yeah...it's amazing. We hide the best tips and tricks in plain sight, within the Whatsnew file. Nobody ever thinks to read that...[;)]

Heh, I usually first try to play the game and THEN if I don't figure it out try and read the manual.

[Veers]

ORIGINAL: JAMiAM

Yeah...it's amazing. We hide the best tips and tricks in plain sight, within the Whatsnew file. Nobody ever thinks to read that...[;)]

I always read the what's new (think you commented on how surprised you were abotu this a while back), but I never did catch that right-click, left-click thing. That could be handy. Unfortunately, I always play with the crop circles set to be on the highlighted unit, meaning it's two clicks no matter which way I go!! [:D]

[rhinobones]

Here are a couple of things that may not be widely known:

1) In an aircraft bridge attack, the probability of destroying the bridge is the sum of the individual aircraft unit probabilities.
2) Naval units, just like land units, have their own form of “ant” unit attacks. A single expendable naval unit can be used to attack an enemy naval stack while all of the attack support ships are set to Tactical Reserve. The Tactical Reserve units will respond to the enemy defensive fire but will not themselves be fired upon. This usually results in abnormally heavy defensive losses.

Regards, RhinoBones

[ColinWright]

ORIGINAL: rhinobones

Here are a couple of things that may not be widely known:

1) In an aircraft bridge attack, the probability of destroying the bridge is the sum of the individual aircraft unit probabilities.

This would mean you could guarantee bridge destruction with one air strike. I'm not doubting that it would be so -- just pointing it out.

[ColinWright]

2) Naval units, just like land units, have their own form of “ant” unit attacks. A single expendable naval unit can be used to attack an enemy naval stack while all of the attack support ships are set to Tactical Reserve. The Tactical Reserve units will respond to the enemy defensive fire but will not themselves be fired upon. This usually results in abnormally heavy defensive losses.

Regards, RhinoBones

In my experience, one will get the same effect even if the non-adjacent warships are assigned to the attack. At least, I've blasted coastal defense batteries that should have been able to shoot back with impunity -- and in ship-vs-ship combat, haven't ever noticed losses to the non-adjacent units.

[L`zard]

ORIGINAL: JAMiAM

Yeah...it's amazing. We hide the best tips and tricks in plain sight, within the Whatsnew file. Nobody ever thinks to read that...[;)]

James;

One more reason for a 'NEW' combined 'readme'...........anyone that can type could make this up, eh?

Surely there's at least ONE underemployed secretary in the office!

[:D][:D][:D]

[ColinWright]

ORIGINAL: L`zard

ORIGINAL: JAMiAM

Yeah...it's amazing. We hide the best tips and tricks in plain sight, within the Whatsnew file. Nobody ever thinks to read that...[;)]

James;

One more reason for a 'NEW' combined 'readme'...........anyone that can type could make this up, eh?

Surely there's at least ONE underemployed secretary in the office!

[:D][:D][:D]

What we need is for a benevolent gadzillionaire to take an interest in this game. 'Good God! Look at this! I'll have to add another three people to the 'TOAW documentation and improvement staff.'

[L`zard]

ORIGINAL: ColinWright

ORIGINAL: L`zard

ORIGINAL: JAMiAM

Yeah...it's amazing. We hide the best tips and tricks in plain sight, within the Whatsnew file. Nobody ever thinks to read that...[;)]

James;One more reason for a 'NEW' combined 'readme'...........anyone that can type could make this up, eh?
Surely there's at least ONE underemployed secretary in the office!

][:D][:D]

What we need is for a benevolent gadzillionaire to take an interest in this game. 'Good God! Look at this! I'll have to add another three people to the 'TOAW documentation and improvement staff.'

[&o] LOL!

No effing doubt, Colin!

If I ever hit 'THE BIG ONE' on the lottery, I'll certainly look into buying enough 'shares' of Matrix so that my opinions will become important LOL!

Meanwhile, Like Some Others here, I guess I'll just have to whine lots and see if anyone notices,

[:D][:D][:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

[Deleted by Admins]

[a white rabbit]

ORIGINAL: JAMiAM

Yeah...it's amazing. We hide the best tips and tricks in plain sight, within the Whatsnew file. Nobody ever thinks to read that...[;)]

..are you surprised ? it's so d*mn dry, accurate maybe but if you're not a long-term user it's like reading Mandarin...

..or the latest rules for Advantaged Squid Loader (ASL)...

[Karri]

ORIGINAL: Grognerd

I'm starting to play this game again, want to make sure of something.
Karri, you said that Artillery does not have to be in defensive mode to contribute to the defense of a given hex.
Just needs to be in tac reserve.
The manual states something about artillery needs to be in defensive mode to contribute (dug in )
I'm not seeing in the text combat display any of my artillery helping out, sure see lots of enemy artillery though.
Clarification:
Does defensive art support not display in the combat text?
Do I need to first put the unit in dig in and then on tac reserve?
Obviously my units are in supply and in range (both corp and organic)
I just can't tell if there helping the defense or not.
Thanks for the post too, it was quite good.

If you have the latest patch installed, then simply being in tac reseve should do. HOWEVER, the force support levels may interfene with this. Ie. artillery from different formation/with different background color, might not suppor defence or attack.

[Anonymous]

[Deleted by Admins]

[a white rabbit]

ORIGINAL: L`zard

ORIGINAL: ColinWright

ORIGINAL: L`zard


James;One more reason for a 'NEW' combined 'readme'...........anyone that can type could make this up, eh?
Surely there's at least ONE underemployed secretary in the office!

][:D][:D]

What we need is for a benevolent gadzillionaire to take an interest in this game. 'Good God! Look at this! I'll have to add another three people to the 'TOAW documentation and improvement staff.'

[&o] LOL!

No effing doubt, Colin!

If I ever hit 'THE BIG ONE' on the lottery, I'll certainly look into buying enough 'shares' of Matrix so that my opinions will become important LOL!

Meanwhile, Like Some Others here, I guess I'll just have to whine lots and see if anyone notices,

[:D][:D][:D][:D]

..if you do, you'll not make a profit..

..but your children, and their offspring will..

..mm, maybe Matrix should get thinking about letting us buy shares, game related shares right, ? to help development..

..after all, if you'd been able to invest in iGo or chess.....