Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: John Lansford

Organization?  What's that?  Every time I start another turn I make sure to look over the entire map to refresh what is going on.  Where TF's are and their destination, what they're loaded with, etc.  Then I look over my forward air bases and check disruption/morale/damage and decide if they need to stand down for a few turns.  Subs get the same treatment, checking for damage and/or low on torpedoes.  Check bases for repair status on ships and if new ones should be sent forward, and any transport TF's that need loading with units or cargo.

Once that's all done I start looking at the strategic picture to see what my next stepping stone will be and what assets (carriers, assault TF's, warships, LCU's) need to be shifted to support that attack.  Then I set the turn in motion and repeat.

quote:

ORIGINAL: mussey

Ignorant question (sorry), but what is 'Tracker' and how do you use it

quote:

ORIGINAL: CaptDave

I have developed several (15, I think) spreadsheets that I use to keep track of things that are also available in Tracker and in the game reports. I do this because that's the way I become aware of things best -- just about the only time I've gone back to review is to the results of previous ground combat (specifically, what was my opponent's strength at the time).

Beyond that, I keep a notebook with a list of all the things to do each turn. This isn't a routine checklist, but rather a list of things I want to do each specific turn. If I don't make a note of something I want to check while I'm reviewing the combat results, I'll forget about it later. This also gives me a list to go back to later to remind myself of what I actually did.

Since my PBEM game is less than one turn per day (a major reason my opponent and I are playing against each other; we both have busy and variable schedules), I do write down outline plans for my major operations, so I won't forget over time what it is I'm planning to do. Doesn't mean I remember to go back and read it, though!

The one thing I don't do, but need to get in the habit of, is recording what my task forces are doing and why. While it's obvious for some of them, it's more nebulous in other cases. For example, I might have a division in Port B that needs to be moved to Port C, but I have no transports in Port B. I form up the TF in the nearest possible location, Port A, and send it off to Port B. But by the time it gets there I'm likely to have forgotten my original plan. This is especially a problem when I'm doing something similar in two different places at the same time (e.g., preparing invasions of Luzon and Mindanao simultaneousy).

Of course, in the end you have to do what benefits you the most. Just as different people learn differently, so do different people remember differently. Whatever you do, I can guarantee you'll end up tweaking it a lot over time (like my spreadsheets, which will need considerable revision for AE, to accommodate additional information that is being presented).

quote:

ORIGINAL: Panther Bait

I used to take a ton of hand notes in various notepads/notebooks and some spreadsheets for Japanese production tracking, but I found that keeping them up to date was just not realistic.

Now I primarily use WitPTracker to keep track of production and resource/oil shipping.  For the rest, I just try to develop a reliable turn pattern (e.g. always reviewing the map in the same pattern) and keep a mental list of pending operations.  I am sure that it makes me less than 100% organized for things like combat planning, but in some ways that isn't a terrible thing.  Operations take longer to arrange, but on the flip side, I think about them more between initial concept and execution.  I am much more likely to use staging areas now for operations, and send all the various components to some nearby large base (e.g. Truk or Rabaul for So Pac), then when the operation goes out, it's a quick load up and move out as opposed to trying to coordinate troops from 5 different locations to all arrive together at/near then objective.

The slow approach has stopped a couple of what would have been mistakes from gaining too much "planning inertia" that might have made me want to press ahead with a bad gamble.  It also typically gives my troops more time to accumulate prep points, rather than my old tendency to rush into attacks unprepared.

quote:

ORIGINAL: mussey

quote:

ORIGINAL: CaptDave

I have developed several (15, I think) spreadsheets that I use to keep track of things that are also available in Tracker and in the game reports. I do this because that's the way I become aware of things best -- just about the only time I've gone back to review is to the results of previous ground combat (specifically, what was my opponent's strength at the time).

Beyond that, I keep a notebook with a list of all the things to do each turn. This isn't a routine checklist, but rather a list of things I want to do each specific turn. If I don't make a note of something I want to check while I'm reviewing the combat results, I'll forget about it later. This also gives me a list to go back to later to remind myself of what I actually did.

Since my PBEM game is less than one turn per day (a major reason my opponent and I are playing against each other; we both have busy and variable schedules), I do write down outline plans for my major operations, so I won't forget over time what it is I'm planning to do. Doesn't mean I remember to go back and read it, though!

The one thing I don't do, but need to get in the habit of, is recording what my task forces are doing and why. While it's obvious for some of them, it's more nebulous in other cases. For example, I might have a division in Port B that needs to be moved to Port C, but I have no transports in Port B. I form up the TF in the nearest possible location, Port A, and send it off to Port B. But by the time it gets there I'm likely to have forgotten my original plan. This is especially a problem when I'm doing something similar in two different places at the same time (e.g., preparing invasions of Luzon and Mindanao simultaneousy).

Of course, in the end you have to do what benefits you the most. Just as different people learn differently, so do different people remember differently. Whatever you do, I can guarantee you'll end up tweaking it a lot over time (like my spreadsheets, which will need considerable revision for AE, to accommodate additional information that is being presented).

Capt. Dave, if I may be so bold - what are the spreadsheets that you have used? May be something I want to try as well. As for the TF's, that occurs frequently with me - not easy to document every one - JeffK mentioned the new feature of naming the TF's which will be a huge help.