Matrix Games Forums

Does anyone use a pen and paper, Windows notepad, or any other tool for keeping track of game information that's not handled well by the current WitP interface?

If so, what is the information you track?

I use the wordpad to keep the combat results from each turn along with the operational report and intel. Will add to that any notes about last combat phase, how many a/c for both sides were lost and track how many Japanese trained pilots I have left. I use a reporters notebook to write in production changes and some other thoughts about the turn or planning for upcoming ops.

I maintain a three ring binder for each game. I break the map down into regions. Each region has a "Task/To Do" list like you would find in a day organizer. I track the task number, progress indicator, Date assigned, what the task is and Assigned units. I also try to maintain a TF register that tracks ships assigned to a TF and what task in each region the TF is assigned. Hope that all made sense.

I prefer the paper method so that I'm not constantly alt-Tab out of the game to check something.

I use 3-subject spiral notebooks to track important combat results, ongoing operations and future planning. I also use it to track spotted units so as to develop an idea of where my opponent likes to route his shippng. Also gives an operating history for important enemy units.

Chez

I use a hard cover 3 ring binder here too. I mostly keep track of my production/upgrade plans, which units I've designated as training groups for pilots, and then I have pages sectioned off for each main area, ie - Burma, Malaya, Wake/Midway, Marsalls, etc, etc. In each of those sections I do my operational planning, which units are tasked with what, what the timetable is, etc.

All my productions, resources, oil, shipyard accel/halt type stuff I do in Excel.

I also printed the map into quadrants and laminated those, and I use dry erase markers to occasionally make plans when I need to get a better idea of how it all looks "big picture" style.

My sister-in-law works at a clinic and brings me home all sorts of note pads, Im curently using premarin vaginal cream [:'(]

Ron

Yep. Lots of notes.

a. Copies of all combat and sigint reports.
b. One report with "Hits by day". A long list of what ship(s) got hit by what, on each day.
c. One report with "Hits by type". Lists all ships by type, what they got hit with, and when. (like above, just organized by type). This can give a very good idea of what ships are availale, who is probably sitting in the yards somewhere, and who is due out on parole soon.
d. Report of supplies/fuel at bases that care to keep track of.
e. A "tranlated" reinforcement schedule. So instead of of "arriving in 49 days", I have my list that says a MSW will show up in Vancover on August 12th. THis report for Land/Air/Sea.
f. Notes on current and future ops. What need to be where and when. Can I use this TF after this op is done, and have it perform a secondary role in 2nd operation (because I can plan the two be sequential).
g. Notes on what I intend to be doing 4 - 6 months from now.
h. One very important report of [censored] that normally paints a very accurate picture of enemy intentions.

-F-

Notes? Are we supposed to be keeping notes? [:(]

Now you tell me. [:-]

Mostly in my head, I only have a couple of games going.

I keep it all in my head. I pay particular attention to combat results, task force and land base details, and intel. I have about 10 games going against the computer, so I am not overloaded. LOL

I didn't know we got home work too.
I check nearly every unit and base each turn though.
And make adjustments.

ORIGINAL: Feinder

h. One very important report of [censored] that normally paints a very accurate picture of enemy intentions.

-F-

Feinder,

Your 'h.' was garbled. Please resend.

I play Japan ... I track

1. Everything on the next to last report on the Intel Screen ...
2. Spots on enemy carriers ( or other units that might be important at the moment ).
3. Resources by base ( the base report, with the resources option ... sorted by resources and then sorted by oil ) this tells me where I need to go pick up oil and resources.
4. Air losses by day ( I save these off for important days ) ...

Also it is a PITA to have to click through all/most of the Japanese cities to review what is turned on and whata is turned off from a production perspective ... augmenting the base report to show this would be very useful ... I only do exhaustive Home Islands review about "weekly" maybe even less ... but could react more quickly if it wasn't so time consuming.

I'd really like to know stuff like

How many resources & oil and supply did I eat, by hex ( for production ) and be able to track that day by day ...

Maybe having a production cities report - separate from the base report is the way to go ..

HAHA, no crap - my wife works in a urologist's office and I use all these post-it notes she brings home. Viagra, Cialis, bladder control stuff... [:D]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Bodhi

Does anyone use a pen and paper, Windows notepad, or any other tool for keeping track of game information that's not handled well by the current WitP interface?

If so, what is the information you track?

I use your most excellent utility! [:D]

BTW, I do track some other stuff on paper (pencil / eraser /paper) - mostly my strategy / planning regarding industry (including supply calculations)...


Leo "Apollo11"

Thanks for the replies, and keep 'em coming. I'm very interested in what people track. I'm currently toying with redoing the ship tracker to make it easier to use and also implementing some sort of LCU tracker.

In the meantime, it's nice to know that my suspicions on the shipping lanes being used was correct. [:D]

Nope I don't make any notes whatsoever [X(]

Me neither. You guys are too extreme for me![X(]

I use excel for operational planning, keeping a note of task forces, etc and a note pad for general day to day stuff.

ORIGINAL: Bodhi

Does anyone use a pen and paper, Windows notepad, or any other tool for keeping track of game information that's not handled well by the current WitP interface?

If so, what is the information you track?

I routinely track all AAR, all sigint and ops reports. I load the reports into Wordperfect, review/edit and have a running account of stuff, since Dec 7. I also make notes in a spiral-bound notebook for stuff not covered in the reports (stuff like "need to do", unit strengths in selected units, etc.)

I tried getting your utility to work, but can't get very far (i.e. past the first screen) and haven't sat down to take the time to troubleshoot it.

Umm notes ?? should i be keeping notes .. and ring binders ?? [&:]

wow I keep stuff in my head , but If i was playing Japan I'd keep production notes handy and i really cant seem to get my brain round that at all.

frankly I really should make more use of your (Bhodi's) marvelous tool especially for intel ( which i frequently forget to look at) .

I am constanty amazed by the dedication some people put into this game [:D]

I am just writing a list of people i don't want to fight PBEM with though, sorry chaps but anyone that keen scares me [:D][&o]