Matrix Games Forums

According to 5.11.5.11 of the manual, there is an order of priority for logistics point usage, with SHQ > Zone ranking 1/4 and Repl > Unit 4/4. However, the manual says you can specify the maximum percentage each category can use, presumably so that one of them doesn't take the lot. It doesn't seem to be working that way in my game, with higher ranking categories exceeding their allowance leaving nothing for replacements however I change the categories.

In context, I am involved in two never ending wars against other majors with the fighting happening a long way from my SHQ and on widely separated fronts. I have what looks like a decent logistics network with sealed roads, truck stops and supply bases and recently extended the rail link from my capital close to the main front, where it reaches a railhead and a truck stop. There is plentiful food, ammo and fuel at SHQ and a mass of replacements waiting to be shipped out.

However, the front line troops are stuck perpetually in a black supply state, with very little food and fuel getting through to them and no replacements. Some units are wasting away for lack of food even when not in combat. Over several turns, I began reducing the logistics allotted to non-combat uses (SHQ > Zone and vice versa) and increasing the combat related ones (SHQ > Unit and Repl > Unit) without much changing at the front (meagre fuel and food, but still no replacements). Having tried everything else, I took non-combat use down to zero% and increased SHQ > Unit to 60% and Repl > Unit to 80% to try to get things moving. And I remembered to hit update after making the changes!

Last turn's SHQ logistics report for used/maximum allowed was as follows:

SHQ > Zone 0/0
SHQ > Unit 1943/2354
Zone to SHQ 1662/0
Repl > Unit 0/3140

So, Zone > SHQ consumed 1662 logistics points even though none were allocated, and again nothing went on Repl > Unit even though it could use up to 80% of the total. Yes there are some bottlenecks in the network, but I cannot see how that explains what is happening in practice.

I do not know whether or not this is a bug. If not, does anyone have any ideas what is going wrong?

It is possible that if the SHQ still got Logistics points left over after "Reinforcements", it just goes down the list again, this time ignoring caps. Better then letting stuff go to waste!

Clearly there is a delivery connection to units. That is why you even got "SHQ > Unit 1943/2354". But clearly the connection on some point is not nearly strong enough. And if it could not deliver all food, ammo and fuel, there is no way it can also move Replacements over that same connection!

I got 3 questions for debugging supply useage:
a. Do I have enough resources in the Operatonal Base (SHQ) when I hit end turn*?
b. Do I have a strong enough connection between the Operation Base and Strategic Base (the truck stop closest to the troops)?
c. Do I have a strong enough connection between the Strategic base and the troops.
No order is implied. One of them seems most definetly not true. And I doubt it is A.

*Production comes between Unit deliveries and Zone Collection, no way it is around

Some helpful ideas, thanks, but I am pretty sure that none of A, B or C applies in my case. But if it goes round again to avoid wasting unused points (which makes sense), I am puzzled why SHQ > Zone (top priority) still shows 0 used. I am now wondering if it might be due to worker shortages at the rail head/truck stop - the zone it is in has a large unemployed population, decent public wages but a lot of unfilled public jobs. It may be that is the issue, but in what is a wargame after all, it ought to be possible to ensure troops get what they need to fight rather than watch them waste away. Maybe Repl > Units would be better as priority 1/4, not 4/4?

ORIGINAL: Laguna

Some helpful ideas, thanks, but I am pretty sure that none of A, B or C applies in my case. But if it goes round again to avoid wasting unused points (which makes sense), I am puzzled why SHQ > Zone (top priority) still shows 0 used. I am now wondering if it might be due to worker shortages at the rail head/truck stop - the zone it is in has a large unemployed population, decent public wages but a lot of unfilled public jobs. It may be that is the issue, but in what is a wargame after all, it ought to be possible to ensure troops get what they need to fight rather than watch them waste away. Maybe Repl > Units would be better as priority 1/4, not 4/4?

Fuel, Water, Power and Emergency food do not consume logistics capacity.
Neither do assets for that mater, they just need a "proof they could have gotten enough" from a passing truck line.
So unless you are building or have damaged local private farms, that should always be 0.

It is possible the that maximums of the SHQ only apply to the theoretical maximum of the Logistics System.
It is also poissible, the Zone Retreivement may be using another Road (with a different sum of remaining logistics).