Matrix Games Forums

Started a new game, 1st serious Wite2.
Its going well - going to have a difficult winter - but the air control is causing problems.

I made the mistake of making it automated, and now I can't de-automate. Its pretty bad as it is.

0 - on the theater boxes, can I throw the bombers in there and get some fighters out? Is there some simulated combat going on, or do I just need to mind the percentage in status?

1 - can I force de-automate it, even if I have to write some game file? I prefer to have bad air than air that doesn't obey.

2 - does it even obey any of my commands? I add directives, and it does seem to do recce, but nothing else.
It doesn't patrol.
I forced the ostsee down to Odessa and it just popped back up north.

When I give it orders to go to new fields, it seems to feel free to relocate them at will.

With the bad weather, I got rid of the air force and sent it to reserve, and some started to come back.

3 - Are there ways to force a unit to stay on a place, do a mission, and not be overtaken by the AI?

4 - is there any penalty to breakup the air units like I/JG 51, II/JG 51 and so on? Those small ones are a bother, thinking of just throwing them to a theater box and forget about them.

5 - do empty airfields consume resources/personnel? Can I get rid of excess ones? What about air groups?

6 - if I disband units are they gone for good? Can't I remake them at a later date?

7 - planned and immediate transfer - when I give such an order and force it, will the AI immediately change them? Or set them to no supply and restricted pilots so the ones that die are not replaced?

8 - it does excess recon and spends a lot of planes. Should I just disband some units so there will be less missions and more planes left?

Thanks all

Alix2040 wrote: Wed Apr 26, 2023 1:22 pm 0 - on the theater boxes, can I throw the bombers in there and get some fighters out? Is there some simulated combat going on, or do I just need to mind the percentage in status?

The bombers may help a bit with the ground value but won't do much for Air Day or Air Night. If you have open TBs, you can throw your old fighters in there (Bf 109E) and bring the newer fighters to the front (Bf 109F, FW190A). This is not very historical, as the Luftwaffe felt much more threatened by the Western Allies. But if you just care about the win, the game does not penalize you for it.

Alix2040 wrote: Wed Apr 26, 2023 1:22 pm 3 - Are there ways to force a unit to stay on a place, do a mission, and not be overtaken by the AI?

I don't have a lot of experience with the AI Air Assist as I stopped using it after it sent all my units to reserve in a scenario and refused to ever bring them back. Just by reading the manual, you may get it to be less active by setting your air HQs to a hold stance and not following any ground HQs.

Alix2040 wrote: Wed Apr 26, 2023 1:22 pm 4 - is there any penalty to breakup the air units like I/JG 51, II/JG 51 and so on? Those small ones are a bother, thinking of just throwing them to a theater box and forget about them.

No penalty.

Alix2040 wrote: Wed Apr 26, 2023 1:22 pm 5 - do empty airfields consume resources/personnel? Can I get rid of excess ones? What about air groups?

Empty airfields don't consume anything and will automatically return their personnel to pool. Air groups sitting idle will not directly consume any resources, although the air supply squads supporting them may consume a bit of supply.