Matrix Games Forums

Ship distances traveled per game turn approx 20 days, are way out even allowing for game being abstracted?

As an example,lets suppose a merchant convoy or a troop transport travelling at 5 knots, moves approximately 120 miles per day.A game turn = 14 days,so the merchant convoy / troop transport should travel 1,680 miles per turn.The distance between New York & Glasgow is roughly 3,200 miles,so in game terms the convoy should do the journey in no more than 30 days,rounded up to 2 game turns maximum! The main reason for highlighting this problem,is at the present time,a convoy / troop transport takes far to many game turns to cross the Atlantic,with the result that any troops on board, have their efficency stats reduced so much,that it takes them many turns to recover,when they finally reach there destination. The above affects all ships, so I feel that the ships movement per turn, should be doubled at least.[;)]

Also has anyone ever thought, that the time taken to transport troops even on short journeys is nuts? I mean to say, to cross the English channel to France from Britain take's 3 game turns![&:] that equals 42 days approx, 1 turn to load the troop ship,1 turn to cross the channel,and another turn to unload come on that's stupid.[:-]

Possible solution for transporting troops = Transport in step's instead of turns? step one convert from troops to troop ships = load phase, next step move troop ships, if they can reach their destination in one movement, then instead of an action as per ship combat ie battleships / cruisers, troopships get an action where by they can unload any troops, this completes one turn. The cost in reduced troop efficiency = -2 ( one reduction for loading & one reduction for unloading.[;)]

I think it might be 2 weeks a turn, as of yet have not found this info in the manual, I'm not currently playing a game to be absolutely sure.

Also has anyone ever thought, that the time taken to transport troops even on short journeys is nuts? I mean to say, to cross the English channel to France from Britain take's 3 game turns! that equals 60 days approx, 1 turn to load the troop ship,1 turn to cross the channel,and another turn to unload come on that's stupid.

I might be wrong; If you have to move a unit to a port before embarking, would add another turn to crossing the channel, making it 4 turns.

ORIGINAL: operating

I think it might be 2 weeks a turn, as of yet have not found this info in the manual, I'm not currently playing a game to be absolutely sure.

For most of the game period its 2 turns/month

I think that at the very least, ground units that embark should be allowed to move 1 or 2 hexes by sea on the same turn that they embark. This way it would at least make it theoretically possible that the BEF could be intercepted in the middle of the English Channel.

ORIGINAL: Jonathan Pollard

I think that at the very least, ground units that embark should be allowed to move 1 or 2 hexes by sea on the same turn that they embark. This way it would at least make it theoretically possible that the BEF could be intercepted in the middle of the English Channel.

I like this idea also, troop loading + an initial movement allowance.[;)]

NB : I have a query regarding the ( BEF ) why does Britain not have Cavalry as part of its initial land forces ?

ORIGINAL: kirk23
NB : I have a query regarding the ( BEF ) why does Britain not have Cavalry as part of its initial land forces ?

Historically the British sent only one cavalry division to France in 1914, so if the Brits had a cavalry unit it would represent in the game at least a corps. I think the Brits initially sent two infantry corps plus one cavalry division, so in terms of strength a garrison unit is closer to the equivalent strength of a cavalry division than a unit which represents a whole corps or more.

Maybe using an armored car unit instead of a garrison unit to represent the cavalry would make more sense, or maybe you could mod a new type of unit to represent a cavalry division, the "garrison cavalry" unit which would have the approximate strength of a garrison unit but the speed of a cavalry unit.

If the troop embark/disembark method should change, I feel that embarking should also allow full movement points for transport on the same turn, or allow full transport movement points plus disembarking on the same turn

The current method is workable, but kirk23 points out the lack of reality. I'll add, there are alot of aspects of this game that does not match up to reality, what I do like, is to have fun and listen/read about what everybody has to say here, and yes, see the game improve.

I have been experimenting, with all ships having extended movement each turn, and so far its working great, I cannot for the life of me understand, how a merchant convoy only moves 10 hexes in 2 weeks game time, Napoleonic sailing vessels covered more distance, and they were all wind assisted sailing vessels, maybe to save fuel the ship captains have switched off there engines, and are just drifting on the currents across the Atlantic.[&:]

Do know this! My subs love to chew up those slow convoys, plus convoys can be plotted due to the same route they travel or appear on the map.