manual AD's or auto? (Full Version)

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bairdlander2 -> manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 8:05:46 AM)

Do you find it better to use manual AD's or auto?Air Directives.



LiquidSky -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 8:13:13 AM)



I see the air war and the ground war as two separate games. I spend a fair bit of time on the air war, probably more then I spend on the ground war. I try to max out my AD's per HQ in an effort to wear down the Luftwaffe...by trying to draw them into my boxes of Air Superiority.

Having said that, I think the computer is smarter then me, and does a better job at interdiction and recon.



Devonport -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 8:17:09 AM)

The auto directives work pretty well against the AI in my experience, and are great to use whilst you learn other aspects of the game. Now I always use manual, it's still easy to use, but it enables me to target particular troop concentrations or vary the intensity (e.g. in Normandy to facilitate a breakout regardless of air cost).



jnpoint -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 9:55:03 AM)

I'm in the middle of a new scenario 'breakout and pursuit' and right now the auto AD is attacking the ground units the wrong places, so I have to do it manually. Otherwise I have experienced from the few hours I have played that the auto AD is quite good.



ByTheNumbers -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 11:31:43 AM)

If I choose to have the AI choose, I'll always check what it does before committing to it if it needs tweaked. I don't always like the targets the AI chooses and sometimes the AI makes some odd decisions. For example, in my current game, when Italian units defect in Sardinia and Corsica, my Mediterranean air forces decided to set up all its AD's in the middle of the Tyrrhenian Sea. That sure as heck made me scratch my head as that would have been a waste of air power for that turn.



carlkay58 -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 1:27:44 PM)

I tend to manually setting up my ADs. Once you get the hang of it, you find that it is quite easy to do and maintain.



Banquet -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 1:37:17 PM)

I don't know if there's a way to start from nothing when creating ADs? What I tend to do is let the AI create ADs and then look at all of them and adjust if necessary. At this stage I'm not interfering with the Strat bombing but often amend the ground attack ADs to target one particular hex that I'm trying to break through on. Often the auto ADs will target an area and I just amend the hex and set the area to 0 to get concentration of fire.

Another nice option to have (unless I'm missing it) would be to let the AI do auto on the strategic bombing ADs and leave tactical on manual (or vica versa)

Also, a suggested UI improvement would be to allow each screen button (i.e ground attack, ground support, etc) to toggle open AND close the window, rather than having to hit the X top right. That way we could easily tab through all the screens with much less mouse movement.



carlkay58 -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 1:43:46 PM)

Yes there is a way to create ADs. I think the one page aid does a good job of explaining it and the manual does too. If you need help doing it, let me know and I will put something together about it. It really is quite easy to do (at least after you have done it a few hundred times).



Banquet -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 1:53:51 PM)

Thanks, I'll check the one page guide again. When I close the Auto AD Screen without clicking 'set air directive' they still seem to be created anyway but I need to RTFM

edit: think I've found the answer - just need to set all ADs to none and then run them - that removes them all for manual set-up from scratch



Massattack -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 4:02:47 PM)

Playing Italy 43-45, as WA against AXI computer. Used the auto AD's with no complaints until I set up the follow up invasions, one at Salerno, the other near Taranto. After Italian surrender, I found I did not need the Taranto invasion, as I could just ship my troops directly to the ports (albeit unloading a bit slow due lack of port capacity). However when I commenced the Salerno invasion, and turned the support amhib invasion to on in the AD, I found it centred all the planned aerial action around the Taranto site, even though the amphib HQ's for there had insufficient prep points and no ground forces at all in prep with them. At that point I just manually adjusted all the zones to the Salerno site. Could be something I am still ignorant about in connection with amphib HQ setups?
Regards.



marion61 -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 4:21:27 PM)

Using the AI for the air war and making adjustments is a good way to learn. To become proficient and to actually win the campaign against a human, manual is important to learn. I've been playing WitW for 7 months now and I'm still finding new things out about the air war, and you can pursue different strategies and still get VP's enough to win so it's flexible. My advice is to learn manual creation, because the AI will never make a Naval Interdiction AD, and if you want to really control the seas around an invasion, Naval Interdiction AD's are the way to go. Your auto naval patrol's do okay, but if the axis want to take your beaches away, they can. Also you can use several of your Air HQ's to do superiority and ground attack AD's that you normally may not use and the AI sure won't use them that way. My two and a half cents [8D] .



cfulbright -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 4:40:06 PM)

I absolutely use Manual AD's only. Once you set them up in turn 1, they're easy to maintain. The only thing is shifting targets for Strategic recon and heavy bombers every turn, and possibly implementing a "creeping barrage" on ground attacks.

Cary



NotOneStepBack -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 7:04:48 PM)

Manual is the way to go once you have the game down in terms of interface



Jajusha -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 7:16:36 PM)

Using auto as Axis in the 43-45 campaign is a sure way to have no airframes by early 44. Manual only is what i recomend for Axis.
For allies, the Auto is good to pick strat bombing targets, but i then micro manage air sup, recons, patrols and ground attacks.



Banquet -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 8:07:16 PM)

On the air directives screen are the asterisks to show what air groups are assigned working properly?

Manual says:
the number of total and ready
aircraft by type and model that can be further broken
down by air group unit, which can be selected to show
location and the air group unit detail screen. Air group
units attached to the current air directive will be shown
with the ** symbol in front of their name. Air group
units already assigned to some other air directive have
the * symbol in the front

But on first turn of Italy 43-45 I go into ADs for Malta Air Command and see it is flying an Air Superiority AD with 96ac (out of 128 available) but when I go into the air groups to see which one's aren't assigned, there are no asterisks by any of the air groups. Similar issues with other ADs.



joey -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 8:16:43 PM)

After much review, I have decided on manual. The results tend to be better and the losses a bit less.
Second, manual is not a difficult process. It allows for a air campaign that supports one's ground campaign.



Helpless -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 8:17:23 PM)

There is a check box on the bottom "ASSIGNED AIR GROUPS" which is toggling display for the assigned air groups.



Banquet -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 9:39:49 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Helpless

There is a check box on the bottom "ASSIGNED AIR GROUPS" which is toggling display for the assigned air groups.


I can't see any check boxes on the screen that the part of the manual I quoted is referring to?

For instance, which groups are taking part in the air superiority mission on the screenshot? From the manual there should be a ** by each group taking part.

[image]local://upfiles/7449/4851EEEC7DBB4DE2BA5963BAB17FC1B0.jpg[/image]



Helpless -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 9:57:43 PM)

In this case no groups are assigned as it says AUTO. I was referring to the air groups selection filter.



Banquet -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 10:19:03 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Helpless

In this case no groups are assigned as it says AUTO. I was referring to the air groups selection filter.


How do I find out who is assigned under AUTO(the 104 ac)?



Helpless -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 10:20:17 PM)

Everyone and no one. Each (non assigned to other AD) group under air HQ can fly this AD.

Edit: each eligible to fly (of particular type, in range, enough ammo/fuel, etc.)



Banquet -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 10:22:01 PM)

So there's no way to tell which aircraft aren't assigned, to give them another mission? Or is it just saying it will use 104 free aircraft - so I can assign the other 28 to a manual AD without interfering with the AI AD?

And, if so, what do these asterisk mean? (In relation to the manual quote above)?

[image]local://upfiles/7449/437A35C1808B48919DB9FCE6C7E2274D.jpg[/image]



Helpless -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 10:26:33 PM)

I'm not sure what you referring to other 28, but numbers you see in parenthesis (104) is current estimate if mission would fly into the center of the target box. It can be very different during execution.

If you assign another AD with the same priority they will be executed consequently and the same air group can take participate in there, providing it is still has enough mileage, ready planes, satisfying doctrine settings, etc.



Baelfiin -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 10:27:35 PM)

asterisk is air group assigned to another air directive



Helpless -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 10:31:17 PM)

quote:

And, if so, what do these asterisk mean? (In relation to the manual quote above)?


These groups are assigned to other ADs.
.



Banquet -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 10:32:17 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Baelfiin

asterisk is air group assigned to another air directive


Yes, but manual says 2 asterisk mean assigned to this AD - (one = assigned to another AD) and none of the air groups have 2 asterisk?

I'm just trying to work out what free a/c there are from the AI ADs for me to assign my own ADs



Helpless -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 10:33:02 PM)

quote:

Yes, but manual says 2 askerisk mean assigned to this AD - and none of the air groups have 2 asterisk?


That's right. Since you didn't assign anything to this AD yet.



Banquet -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 10:33:34 PM)

Yes, but the computer has? 104 ac? why aren't they showing up?

edit - just to clarify...

manual says 1 asterisk means asigned to another AD - 2 asterisk assigned to this AD

I haven't assigned any a/c to any AD but some have 1 asterisk - so they are presumably assigned to another AD - that makes sense. Why do none of the a/c have 2 asterisk?

If it only works for manual AD, why do so many have 1 asterisk as I haven't assigned them?

This info is useful to me when browsing AI ADs to see if there are spare ac that I can assign to a manual AD.



Helpless -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 10:38:22 PM)

They do show up with asterisks as I can see.

In case with Malta Air Command 104 are not assigned but available.



Helpless -> RE: manual AD's or auto? (12/20/2014 10:41:25 PM)

quote:

I haven't assigned any a/c to any AD but some have 1 asterisk - so they are presumably assigned to another AD - that makes sense. Why do none of the a/c have 2 asterisk?

If it only works for manual AD, why do so many have 1 asterisk as I haven't assigned them?


One question, did you change air hqs for the air groups recently?



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