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Now that I'm using the Tracker and the Combat Report tool and can really use all the Intel that comes in I wonder if what comes in isn't a bit too good.
Detecting radio traffic is one thing but things like where an attack is planed seem a bit too good, although I don't have a clue of how the intel was in the Pacific theater.
So how does the community handle this, do you use all the intel that comes in?

Yes. But FYI, the intel in the game is not nearly as good as the intel was IRL!

The more I play the game, the more enjoyable I find intel and information gathering.

...and the more useful I find that information - critical even.

...and the more I learn how the other side can use it to create misinformation.

Man, it's a blast and it's rich and it adds an incredible element to the game (and I don't even use Tracker or any other device).

witpqs is right - the Allies get much less useful information in the game than they got in real life. In real life, they usually knew where the KB was, or at least where it wasn't, for instance. You don't get that very often in the game, unless your opponent discloses his carriers through ignorance or an important mission.

Intel for the IJ forces stinks. It's almost entirely worthless. About the same as IRL...[:(]

No. Never. Waste of time. Don´t read it. It clogs your brain.

I try to use it when playing as the Allies, although has to be take with a grain of salt.  For every correct piece of intel, there is probably just as much, if not more, incorrect reports, not all of which are obvious.  I check it each day and tend to look for the intel that is reported repeatedly for several days and which seems like a reasonable move for the opposing side, in which case it usually turns out to be correct.  The reports of unit xyz being loaded onto transports, probably tend to be the most useful or accurate I think, but the biggest problem I have, is that often the intel does not give sufficient time to do much about it and might only give a few days warning about an impending invasion or enemy action.

Ask my opponent if Japanese RDF intel is worthless.
 
Cheers,
 
d0mbo.
 
 

Sigint sometimes shows where carrier groups are - for both sides

By boss and my wife both say that I seldom use my intelligence.

ORIGINAL: bjmorgan

By boss and my wife both say that I seldom use my intelligence.

And that wraps up this thread! [:D]

You get a nugget now and then. I have had a few key intercepts due to it. Once it saved my butt by locating a Japanese carrier ambush off of Exmouth.

ORIGINAL: crsutton

You get a nugget now and then. I have had a few key intercepts due to it. Once it saved my butt by locating a Japanese carrier ambush off of Exmouth.

Man oh man...enjoy it, that's some sweet intel, crsutton. Typical IJ intel consists of 4 lines of text-different cities where radio broadcasts were identified. Rarely, one sees an ocean hex with radio broadcasts. Even more rarely it's one of your opponent's TFs with the poor radio discipline.

No troop levels, certainly no CV moving to XX,XX position. [8|]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

You get a nugget now and then. I have had a few key intercepts due to it. Once it saved my butt by locating a Japanese carrier ambush off of Exmouth.

Wow! Do the Japs ever get this kind of intel? I've never seen it through my three campaigns.

As the Allied player (The Japanese sigint is near-useless.) you have to gather a long list of sigint events in Tracker. Then you save it as a ".CSV", convert that to Excel, and then sort and manipulate the data to arrive at a sensible picture . . . mostly about Japanese LCU locations for invasion purposes. Beware: There are no guarantees. I found that out the hard way. [:(]

Short-term uses for sigint are more limited, and I use it mostly to vector subs.

 Sometimes you can get a real nugget for instance, two times in '42 in my last PBEM I got tipped off on the location of enemy carriers and one was a big intel coup because I had a large landing force 3 cruise speed days south .

I only use mine, not the computers, and depending on how late it is, and how hard I worked that day, it might not be so good.[;)]

(Culling thru those intel reports is a job of its' own merits. I do not need to know "Radio signals have been detected in Tokyo").

ORIGINAL: m10bob

I only use mine, not the computers, and depending on how late it is, and how hard I worked that day, it might not be so good.[;)]

(Culling thru those intel reports is a job of its' own merits. I do not need to know "Radio signals have been detected in Tokyo").

Agreed. I use Tracker, set it to current turn, and sort on the location column. That way TF's at sea are at the top (and maybe a land unit or two not at a base), plus the bases are alphabetical. I find it much easier to then just do a quick scan down the middle column than if I was looking at the raw file. Then I look at the left column - just a quick scan - for trigger words like "planning for", "loaded on Transport", "moving to", etc. Quick and easy.

In the second week of the war, intelligence indicated that a transport TF was heading for one of the ports in the Philippines. I focused my aircraft there and severely damaged the TF. Not a big blow to the Imperial Japanese juggernaut, but satisfying nonetheless. I'm a believer in intelligence.

FYI, I'm a newbie, having a great time finding my way through the labyrinth.

Is everybody impressed? Juggernaut and labyrinth in one post.

You're half way to impressing. To get all the way, you also have to use "curmudgeon" and "isentropic."

ORIGINAL: Bald Michael

Is everybody impressed? Juggernaut and labyrinth in one post.

Yes, yes! But these guys are a tough crowd - they want to see you sail the juggernaut through the labyrinth.

Welcome!