WitW: The Big Differences from WitE - Part 2 - The Air Phase

[RedLancer]

WitW has a completely new system for controlling and implementing air combat.

In WitE air combat took place during the ground movement phase and was mission focused. Each mission was related to a single hex related command: for example if you wanted to attack a unit counter you clicked on the target hex to launch the mission. If you wanted to repeat the mission you had to click on the hex a second time. Whilst in WitW this is still the procedure for resupplying units by air for the other air missions things are very different.

Firstly in WitW there is a separate Air Phase which takes place as the first half of a player's turn. Secondly the control of air groups is based upon Air Directives. An Air Directive is an order given to an Air HQ. In meeting the demands of the Directive a number of air missions can be flown which can vary in time and cover an area of many hexes.

There are six different Air Directives: Ground Support, Ground Attack, Strategic Bombing (Bomb City), Air Recon, Air Superiority and Naval Patrol. Other than Ground Support all of the missions fly during the Air Phase. The defensive interception of enemy Air Directives is automatic.

The screenshot shows the setup of Allied Air Directives in preparation for D-Day using the Air Directive Target map view. You are also able to see at the top the Air Phase Toolbar. The next post will look at an Air Directive in more detail.

[zakblood]

looking good so far, can any of this be controlled by the AI?

or is it all upto you?

only ask as i always found WITE a bit too in depth for quick play, so unless i had the time to spend a few hours on it, never really got into it, and still have it loaded but never really play it,

so what i'm asking it, do the player ie ME have to control everything or can any of it be put under the AI control?

thanks,

i only ask as i like the format, but not that bothered about supply and air or sea for that matter, so land combat controlled by me and the rest by the AI would be great, not that i won't be getting it either way, as it's a must buy anyway and look forward to it[:D]

[RedLancer]

Yes it can be controlled by the AI but the player has to set the priorities using this screen. Hopefully clicking radio buttons isn't too much of a chore. The air war is a much larger part of WitW than WitE.

[tiger111]

Looking good so far.

In the Air Directives table what do the letters N.L.M.H. represent (night.low activity.medium and hard ?????)

What is meant by Amphib support north/south.?

What do the Germans get by way of directives.
Thanks

[RedLancer]

N=None, then Low, Medium and High.

When you are a turn away from launching an invasion turning Amphib Support ON tells the system to assign ADs in the vicinity of the invasion target hexes. North is for invasions from UK and South the Med.

Germans get exactly the same ADs although there is no option for Strategic Air setting via the Auto AD Creation functionality - this is because this system is linked to specific Air HQs and unlike the Allies the Axis don't have an Air HQ in game equivalent to Bomber Command or 8th USAAF.

[gravyhair]

This seems much more elegant and realistic, IMHO. I like it.

[Balou]

We all know about the possible impact of damaging railyards, rail lines, railway bridges etc. to logistics. To what extent will WitW take account of that ? The more since railyards seem - as in WitE - to be a substitute for all targets related to rail transport.

[RedLancer]

ORIGINAL: Balou
We all know about the possible impact of damaging railyards, rail lines, railway bridges etc. to logistics. To what extent will WitW take account of that ? The more since railyards seem - as in WitE - to be a substitute for all targets related to rail transport.

You are in for a treat as the system is much more developed than WitE.

There are two complementary costs for rail movement - rail capacity (i.e. the rolling stock available) and rail usage (i.e. the space and time available on the tracks in a turn).

Railyards produce rail capacity which is tracked and consumed by the loading and unloading of units as well as moving freight. If you load or unload a unit it costs both rail capacity and SMPs. The further you are from a railyard the more it costs to move/load/unload a unit in SMPs. In addition rail lines track usage and get congested. Congested rail lines cost more SMPs to transit. Partisan attacks have the same effect.

You can bomb and damage railyards so they produce less capacity - this will reduce the ability of your opponent to move units and freight. You can also target railway hexes leading to further increases in movement and supply costs. Finally your air directives can impose interdiction points on hexes. Moving a unit through a hex with a high interdiction level, especially by rail, leads to significant attrition on that unit.

[zakblood]

sounds very in depth indeed[;)]

[Balou]

Perfect, I like the idea to improve the logistics factor.

[RealChuckB]

Just posted in the the other thread before seeing this here - I REALLY like the directive/priorities settings. I feel this is exactly the level of involvement that would fit the size of the theater and level of command.

I'm getting excited for December!