Matrix Games Forums

Recently purchased the game.

Started playing Guadacanal.

Cannot load troops onto transports. Have tried combinations of combat and strategic move -- and transport and amphibious.
Tried docked and not docked.
At the most it gives me a list of planes to load.

HOW DO I LOAD THE ADDITIONAL TROOPS?

For transport mission convoys, the troops must be set to strat mode. For amphibious mission convoys, troops must be set to combat. They cannot be set to rest/training or move. Make sure you are not selecting air transport mission. Also, what are you trying to load and what is the dock size?

Pictures would be helpful to pinpoint what exactly you are doing.

Also, troops cannot be loaded onto xAKs, they must be loaded onto APs or xAPs. Note troop forces like artillery or AA, however, can be loaded onto xAKs. Check why type of cost the unit you are trying to transport is: troop load or cargo load? Additionally, you cannot load more units on the convoy than you have transports or cargo ships in the task force.

The fact that you can only load planes leads me to think that you are trying to load your troops onto AKs. This isn't possible for the Allies.

Wrong, you can load troops on xAKL, xAK, AK, and AKA ships. Most likely, the troops are assigned to a restricted command and can not be loaded
until they are reassigned to a nonrestricted command.

Bill, I don't know. Maybe that's the case on vanilla, which I don't play, but Allied xAKL, xAK, and AK do not get troop capacity (at least in DBB). This is not the case for Japanese xAKL, AK, etc. You can only load infantry on ships with troop capacity.

However, I think your restricted command supposition is most likely correct. I hadn't thought of it.

So Bill, made me break out the manual and I found this leading me to believe he is correct:



I take this to mean then that xAKs can load, it is just far more inefficient. Here, I am loading marine onto xAKs, according to the image one of them is 100% allocated despite the red text at the bottom decrying the lack of troop capacity. I take it that one unit will fully load? Can this be done for amphibious TFs too and does it have an effect on damage taken during offensive landings?

ORIGINAL: mgoldman

Recently purchased the game.

Started playing Guadacanal.

Cannot load troops onto transports. Have tried combinations of combat and strategic move -- and transport and amphibious.
Tried docked and not docked.
At the most it gives me a list of planes to load.

HOW DO I LOAD THE ADDITIONAL TROOPS?

I suspect these troops are restricted. The key point however is that if a screenshot of them was supplied it would be far easier to tell what the problem is - otherwise you will get vague guesses and generate a lot of replies before you get the right 'guess' that gives you the answer.

Best wishes

Roger

Loading troops onto ships without troop capacity (e.g. xAK or AK) is less efficient and increases the daily disruption accumulated by the troops. Not a good idea for amphib TF if the troops will be loaded for any significant length of time. Other than that (and the efficiency loss)- go for it.

EDIT- by efficiency loss- I mean they'll take up more of the ships load capacity than expected.

ORIGINAL: Anachro

So Bill, made me break out the manual and I found this leading me to believe he is correct:



I take this to mean then that xAKs can load, it is just far more inefficient. Here, I am loading marine onto xAKs, according to the image one of them is 100% allocated despite the red text at the bottom decrying the lack of troop capacity. I take it that one unit will fully load? Can this be done for amphibious TFs too and does it have an effect on damage taken during offensive landings?

The 8th Marine is fully allocated. No problem for it. Why are you trying to load the 2nd Marine on the same ships?

I always form separate TFs for each unit then merge them either once loaded or as soon as troops are allocated to each ship. I've never not used xAKs to move LCUs.

Geo,

I was quickly doing it to see if it worked. If I added more ships I could also load the other regiment. Nice to be taught troops can be loaded on cargo capacity. Can troops loaded in such a way also be used in am amphibious landing? Does it have penalties?

Yes, and there is a penalty, fewer will fit on the ships in amphibious mode.

ORIGINAL: Anachro

So Bill, made me break out the manual and I found this leading me to believe he is correct:



I take this to mean then that xAKs can load, it is just far more inefficient. Here, I am loading marine onto xAKs, according to the image one of them is 100% allocated despite the red text at the bottom decrying the lack of troop capacity. I take it that one unit will fully load? Can this be done for amphibious TFs too and does it have an effect on damage taken during offensive landings?

Way back when I first got the game I remember reading that there must be at least one AP/xAP/APD type in the TF. At that time it was also stated that xAKs cannot load troops without the presence of the AP type, but it was changed not long ago so that xAK types can load a small number of troops. Thus the manual is a bit out of date on this point.

What you are generally seeing is that equipment is loaded on xAKs and the troops that go with the equipment also go aboard the xAK. e.g. if you load an AA gun the crew go with the gun. Even motorized support has drivers and mechanics. But for combat squads you really need an AP type vessel.

Another point - once the load is allocated and accepted you cannot add another unit to the load. You must select all the units you want to board and then check the load.

To calculate the personnel requirements go to the LCU screen and find the Stacking Cost figure at the lower left side. Multiply this time 1.2 to get the Amphib troop loading cost.

For the Amphib Cargo load cost I use the LCU Cargo figure load cost x 3. That is a little high but allows for supply for the unit.

It was never changed. You could always load troops on xAK ships and you did not need an xAP. It is not very efficient but it has always been possible. I base that on the printed manual I got that says you can. the manual is correct on this subject.

Plus I have an install of the original 1179 release. You can create an amphibious TF at San Diego with only xAKs and
load the 8th Marine.

ORIGINAL: BillBrown

It was never changed. You could always load troops on xAK ships and you did not need an xAP. It is not very efficient but it has always been possible. I base that on the printed manual I got that says you can. the manual is correct on this subject.

Plus I have an install of the original 1179 release. You can create an amphibious TF at San Diego with only xAKs and
load the 8th Marine.

News to me. I have distinct memories of trying to load a unit fragment left behind (because I did not allocate enough ships) on xAKs only and being told it would not load. Period. Not that only part of it would load but none of it would load.
I don't know if there was an interim period when the xAP type was made a requirement but that is the only way I can reconcile my experiences with yours (other than early-onset Alzheimer's .... [X(]).

I've been doing what BillBrown has been doing forever.

I have found that in amphib TFs troops will not cross load into cargo space. I have to have enough troops load space or the unit will not load.

This may be unique to DBB as I only play it or mods base on it.

However, in transport TFs I have been cross loading since I started playing the game and have found no difference in DBB scenarios.

Ditto since 2010 at least.

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

I've been doing what BillBrown has been doing forever.

I have found that in amphib TFs troops will not cross load into cargo space. I have to have enough troops load space or the unit will not load.

This may be unique to DBB as I only play it or mods base on it.

However, in transport TFs I have been cross loading since I started playing the game and have found no difference in DBB scenarios.

Scen 033 (updated scen 001), March 2016. Troops loaded into cargo space in an amphibious TF.

ORIGINAL: Yaab

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

I've been doing what BillBrown has been doing forever.

I have found that in amphib TFs troops will not cross load into cargo space. I have to have enough troops load space or the unit will not load.

This may be unique to DBB as I only play it or mods base on it.

However, in transport TFs I have been cross loading since I started playing the game and have found no difference in DBB scenarios.

Scen 033 (updated scen 001), March 2016. Troops loaded into cargo space in an amphibious TF.

Those are all support squads. Can you do that with combat troops?

I vaguely remember the time I noticed that I had to have sufficient troop loading space was when I was using beaching craft for an amphib TF.

It may be that they can't cross load in those types of ship classes.

I'm working off of foggy memory and will need to check in game and get back.

As Yaab illustrated I knew I could cross load troops into cargo space, because I have done it plenty of times. so I was surprised when I encountered difficulties with it.

It was mots likely due to the types of ships I was using.