Matrix Games Forums

NON-Jap Economy Time savers and organizational techniques

I would propose a thread for the aid of newbies and "old" newbies - I think I am not the only person who coming back to the WITP with AE after a hiatus. It's newbie time all over again.

Although I never felt the need to auto-convoy in stock and don't even remember my experiments with it, I have found the first turn daunting - even for the US - more than I remember for stock - I was younger then perhaps.

Could some of the testers who do at least some auto-convoying (hi, Erik) give some parameters for its effective use. Some specific questions:

1. So you turn on auto-convoy for the bases you want supplied by the computer? what else? I assume you need to keep SF and Karachi well supplied with long-range AK's and xAK's. Any advice on how much?

2. How does the AI handle escorts?

3. How long does it take to kick into gear?

4. How to decide how much supply and fuel to leave for the computer?

5. Anybody se a nodal system with the auto convoy - only some ports on auto convoy, distribute from them on?

6. I saw reference to an auto-convoy screen in a forum showing what ports need supply - what is this?

What other techniques are used to make the work of churning out individual turns manageable? I had a sense in stock, but there seems like a lot more to lose track of here. And you beta testers much be developing techniques for pilot training management which keep you on target. And without auto convoy how do you tackle spreading the supplies around and keeping track of all the ships and ports.

Any time management technique or just keeping track of what needs doing and what's been done (that doesn't relate solely to the Japanese economy) would be the type of comment I hope to generate in this thread.

Dont forget the new western hub is colombo.
 
OK a few tips
 
You have 3 types of convoy
 
Autoconvoy
CS Convoys
bespoke Convoys
 
Of the three the single biggest and most important group are CS Convoys,
 
For stockpiling supplies and fuel you use CS NOT autoconvoy.
 
Early on you want long range xAK's on the Capetown - Colombo route (if using smaller xAK's you will need a refueling stop at Diego Garcia
 
You may want to base a couple of ASW Groups eventually at DG anyway or Addu so build them up a little.
 
Fuel CS should run from Abadan - Colombo
 
OK assume Colombo and say Bombay are both recieving CS convoys so you are accumulating a surplus what next
 
Autoconvoy with a few AKL's and small AK's is good for making sure no base goes under its minimum requirement so you can use it for that.
 
But for nodal distbn to places liek Madras and DH where you will  lots of LCU's needing to build and lots of AF's and Forts to build then I would set up an additonal few CS convoys perhaps 1 or 2 escorts and 3 - 4 AK's set have 1 arrive every 6 - 10 days to maximise unload speed.
 
IF the japanese control Akyab or have lots of Betties at Port Blair I would tend to resupply Calcutta via regular larger but better protected bespoke convoys.
 
Andy

Andy Mac - what is a "CS convoy"? I assume a "Bespoke Convoy" means a player-controlled convoy.

ORIGINAL: cfulbright

Andy Mac - what is a "CS convoy"? I assume a "Bespoke Convoy" means a player-controlled convoy.

CS: continuos supply: the TF load from the start base and unload at destination automatically

about Calcutta Madras: now you can change supply needed in a single base: so i think there is no more need of that: unlaod all in bombay declaring madras/Calcutta main bases

loricas - does this mean you can set up a repeating convoy that sails back and forth between a supply point and a destination? I haven't found anything in the index that mentions this, or in the game interface itself.

Pg 104, [light] rulebook

6.2.11 ROUTINE CONVOYS AND COMPUTER-CONTROLLED
...A Transport Mission that has a destination set can be set to computer control. If this occurs the TF will load its specified materials and move to the Destination Hex selected. At that point it will automatically unload everything and then return to its home port to reload and begin the procedure again In this manner, the TF will enter ’Continuous Supply’ mode and will continue to transport the specified materials until told to do otherwise by the player. ...


I´m a "second time newbie" too, never really mastered (nor trusted) auto-convoy, but CS convoys are my main workhorse not to go crazy with the supply, thanks Andy Mac for the useful ideas

Here is a quick way I use to get the supplies to Australia when I play as Allies.

Let's say I want 10k supply and fuel arriving in Brisbane when the convoy arrives, and I want to bring it in from San Fran. The first thing to do is decide how many legs it will have. I want to do it in say 5 legs by stopping at PH, Canton Island, Suva, Noumea, and finally Brisbane. I will now double the amount of supply at each stop going backwards up the chain.

Brisbane = 10k
Noumea = 20k
Canton = 40k
PH = 80k

So I load up a convoy or two at San Fran that will deliver ~80k to PH, from Pearl I will load one that loads ~40k, etc.

Now set these to be CS control and let them do their thing.

By doing it this way I ensure that not only are my tranfer bases always going to have enough to supply to load up for the next stop, I drop off enough supplies for them to fight with as well.

vlcz - Thanks for the quick response, explanation, and pointer to the manual section. This will definitely help alot.

Don't get me wrong, the manual is one of the best that Matrix has put out, and for a Gary Grigsby game also, but there's so much material it has to cover, and I do find that the index doesn't have enough entries (e.g., nothing on "Garrisons").

Hmmm.... interesting approach.

But wouldnt it be easier to just load off halve the supplies instead of the unloading-reloading back routine? Or isnt it an option to select "unload x amount of supplies"?

<But wouldnt it be easier to just load off halve the supplies <instead of the unloading-reloading back routine? Or isnt it an <option to select "unload x amount of supplies"?

As long as I know, there is no such option, he is making separate CS convoys for each "leg" , each one half in size than the previous, in fact they are completely separated TF with different misions each one.

The "partial unload" in each leg of a mega convoy from SF to Oz is another aproach, would mean waiting times in each base or abandoning part of the ships, I feel it is better used when you are carrying a big valuable load , and supplies are only a secondary part of the convoy. In any case it would be a manual affair, you cannot made if auto and repeatable

You can't have a CS convoy that unloads only part of its cargo and then proceeds to another destination.&nbsp; That's too much to ask for a computer controlled TF.&nbsp; If you've got very long range AK's you can send them directly from the West Coast to Australia, but they won't be escorted (long range DD's are too valuable for that job).&nbsp; I tend to follow Shark's method; big convoys from the WC go to Pearl, and then other convoys run from there to Pago Pago, Noumea, Suva and Sydney (not Brisbane).&nbsp; I don't like sending TF's to Brisbane because the direct routes take them north of Noumea and they're harder to screen up there, and supplies move between Sydney and Brisbane well enough.&nbsp; I've shipped so much supplies from the WC in fact that those bases are getting low and need to rebuild before I send more.
&nbsp;
The big deal though is fuel; I've drained Melbourne and Sydney of fuel and am now forced to relocate some of my fuel stockpile at Brisbane and Cairns back south until the fuel TF's show up from Pearl and Surabaya.&nbsp; Ops in the CentPac and SoPac areas have fuel reserves at PagoPago and Noumea fairly low as well, although TF's are unloading at those bases now.&nbsp; Tankers aren't the problem; it's getting the fuel where I need it that is the pain.

I cannot get my convoys to CS, only human control or auto......am i missing something here?

ORIGINAL: Jepo1501

I cannot get my convoys to CS, only human control or auto......am i missing something here?

It is quite direct:

- Create a TF, assign any number of ships (at least one with cargo capacity)
- select the cargo by clicking Load Suplies, resources, fuel or oil as you wish
- Select the destiny port.
- click in the "human control" text, you must do it twice, first click is "computer control", second click will result in CS:

et voila...

ORIGINAL: Jepo1501

I cannot get my convoys to CS, only human control or auto......am i missing something here?

I've noticed this with some task forces, but haven't been annoyed enough to track it down(trying to finish the turn, to send the turn to get the turn) But it just dawned on me that perhaps it is a mission selection issue cargo/transpot or vv

ORIGINAL: d0mbo

Hmmm.... interesting approach.

But wouldnt it be easier to just load off halve the supplies instead of the unloading-reloading back routine? Or isnt it an option to select "unload x amount of supplies"?

The reason I use the method I do is that many of the ships can't make a non-stop trip, plus there is the fact that the bases I use need to be supplied along the way any how. So the option is 1 large convoy for each base or the short leg system. I no doubt suffer some loss along the way, but I also end up building up strategically located supply bases that I can use to supply the other little islands from. From Canton Island for example, I can run single AK supply runs to the little Island outposts in the Gilberts and Marquesas, etc.