War in the East Q&A

[lbadal99]

From previous questions about small battalion units that are typically found at HQ level - are the German Heavy Artillery Units modeled in WiTE?  Specifically the heavy Mortar units that fired the 54cm/60cm mortars and the massive 80cm (Dora/Gustav gun used at Sevastopol.  I understand these are not game changers, but they should have impacts on sieges such as Sevastopol, Leningrad, etc..... 
 
Also what about rail artillery - the germans had their own heavy artillery rail units plus a number of french guns captured from the french campaign that they used against Leningrad - are any of these modelled as units in the game.
 
My point is that when you get into siege situations in this game can yopu bring up the siege artillery train to blow down the fortifications?
 
 

[jaw]

The Gustav is not in the game; the Karl siege mortar is. There are various calibers of heavy artillery ranging from 170mm up to 600mm but every possible gun that could have been available is not modelled.

[jaw]

I should add that getting the heavy artillery in the right place at the right time is not easy and usually not worth the time. At this scale these guns are nice to have but hardly decisive and probably barely noticeable.

[lbadal99]

JAW, many thanks agree that it is petty at this scale - but would you expect anything less from a grognard?  Thanks for answering. 
 
Another question I posted on a different form and PyleDriver told me to send it to you - on the tabs in the toolbar screen shots, I see an aircraft tab with a parachute - is that for dropping supplies, dropping paratroopers or both?  If you can drop paratroopers, do you need to entrain a parachute division to a HQ unit that has the planes?  I see this valuable if you wanted to capture a key crossing or rail junction by surprise - understand in Russia that paratroopers were not real effective in their trained role, but pretty effective as elite infantry at least in 41/42 - so just a question regarding operations capability of the game.
 
It seemed the the Russians actually tried a bunch of small to brigade level jumps but they typically ended in disaster appreciate you taking time to answer.     

[jaw]

ORIGINAL: lbadal99

JAW, many thanks agree that it is petty at this scale - but would you expect anything less from a grognard?  Thanks for answering. 

Another question I posted on a different form and PyleDriver told me to send it to you - on the tabs in the toolbar screen shots, I see an aircraft tab with a parachute - is that for dropping supplies, dropping paratroopers or both?  If you can drop paratroopers, do you need to entrain a parachute division to a HQ unit that has the planes?  I see this valuable if you wanted to capture a key crossing or rail junction by surprise - understand in Russia that paratroopers were not real effective in their trained role, but pretty effective as elite infantry at least in 41/42 - so just a question regarding operations capability of the game.

It seemed the the Russians actually tried a bunch of small to brigade level jumps but they typically ended in disaster appreciate you taking time to answer.     

I saw your question but didn't answer it because Jon (PyleDriver) gets very upset when people hijack his AAR for game questions/answers. I'm glad to answer it here.

Yes, the button is used both for air supply drops and air transport but there are special rules/restrictions for transporting units by air and for making actual air assaults. To conduct either air transport or air assault the unit must be stacked with the air base whose planes will be conducting the transport/assault. For the Germans, the air assault capability only exists briefly when their only air assault capable unit (7th Flieger Division) is on the Eastern Front. They can transport other non-motorized units by air anytime they want but its not usually worth the effort. By contrast the Soviets have lots of airborne brigades throughout the War but attempting air assault while the Germans have air superiority can be suicidal.

I, personally, have never attempted an airborne assault because it is so difficult to get all the necessary units together at the right time to do one and the potential payoff never seems to be worth the effort to try. Like my historical counterparts, I tend to just use the airborne units as elite infantry.

[PyleDriver]

I will add that air dropping supplies is the main use with the tab. As you pull further from railheads its very importiant to remember to supply by air our you can be looking at PzD's with less than 10 MP's the next turn...

[notenome]

Hey, so game is looking great and all that, glad y'all in beta.

One question: In TOAW, when one unit tried to disengage from an enemy stack (move away from), there was a chance that the unit would get engaged, sometimes even evaporate. I know there's a movement cost penalty, but is there something else as well in WiTE?

For example, if a soviet division was almost sorrounded by german divs

x x
xSx
xxx

as long as that div had movement points, would it be guaranteed to make it out?

[Joel Billings]

Yes, pays more MPs, but there is no opportunity fire (except from air units which may launch an interdiction mission and bomb the moving unit). Also, units can always move 1 hex no matter the MP cost.

[Naughteous Maximus]

This is looking to be an awesome game! Now for the question! I was wondering in regards to the editor if you can make multiple changes through out game play, ie. adding new divisions, air units or creating hypothical situations?

[lbadal99]

This question is for JAW as a follow-up regarding airborne drops.  You indicated that the germans could only use the 7th Fleiger Div for airdrops in the game - why couldn't you use 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Parachute also?  I know 1st Parachute could have historically jumped through at least 42 - is it possible to have the game updated in case you want bto do something audacious? 
 
Thanks len

[jaw]

In the game the Fallschirmjager, with the exception of a kampfgruppe of the 2nd, are configured for ground combat only and cannot be used for air assault. With the editor you can do all kinds of things that did not happen in reality.

[Schmart]

In some screenshots I sometimes see a german unit or two who's background colour is half black half grey. What does this signify?

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: Schmart

In some screenshots I sometimes see a german unit or two who's background colour is half black half grey. What does this signify?

Non-elite SS units.

[Eambar]

A couple of questions on elite status:

What are the advantages of an elite unit?

Can elite status be earned, or is the status pre-programmed?

Are there non-SS elite units (such as Großdeutschland) on the Axis side?

Are all Soviet Guard units elite, and are there any elite Soviet non-Guard units ?

Thanks for taking the time to answer these and all questions, the game is looking awesome!

Cheers

[jomni]

Can production be ignored and keep automated and still win the game as either German or Soviet?
I didn't like the detailed production aspect of Japan in WITP:AE and also Germany in Bombing of the Reich.
It gives me the idea that I if don't tweek it, I don't have a chance of winning or at least get historical results.

[randallw]

This is partly a generic question about big strategic wargames in general.
 
In OPART, waypoints are a big, even important thing; without them, computer controlled units are sort of without orders on where to go.  I suppose WitE has this built in?  And games like this pretty much demand it, in some form?
 
Now, if there are waypoints, will the computer send it's units along the way even if most of formation has been destroyed, making the current ones liable to be smashed?
 
In OPART you could load a scenario in the editor, see the waypoints, then play the computer, kind of knowing where it's trying to go.  I suppose this kind of 'cheating' is unavailable here, with no editor to pook around in?

[paullus99]

I don't believe production can be changed in WiTE - you play with what was historically available (unless you change things in the editor).

There is an editor - but I'm sure the AI subroutines can't be altered.

[traubi]

oh boy i dont got the time to read all of these.
just one simple question:
how much hex a unit can move in one turn? in wir it was 5/2 but there were much bigger hexes.
thx!

[jaw]

ORIGINAL: Doggie3

A couple of questions on elite status:

What are the advantages of an elite unit?

Can elite status be earned, or is the status pre-programmed?

Are there non-SS elite units (such as Großdeutschland) on the Axis side?

Are all Soviet Guard units elite, and are there any elite Soviet non-Guard units ?

Thanks for taking the time to answer these and all questions, the game is looking awesome!

Cheers

Axis elite units get a 15 point bonus in national morale, Soviet units a 10 point bonus.

Axis elite units come that way, Soviet elite status (Guards units) is earned in battle.

Yes, there are both SS and non-SS elite units.

Normally elite Soviet units are guards units but Soviet Ski units receive a special morale bonus so they are sort of elite even if not guards. Some Soviet units begin the game with higher than normal morale (NKVD, airborne) but are not technically elite (i.e their morale will drop when they take casualties and receive replacements).

[jaw]

ORIGINAL: jomni

Can production be ignored and keep automated and still win the game as either German or Soviet?
I didn't like the detailed production aspect of Japan in WITP:AE and also Germany in Bombing of the Reich.
It gives me the idea that I if don't tweek it, I don't have a chance of winning or at least get historical results.

All production is automated in WitE. You can only change production (and then AFVs and aircraft only) using the editor and you cannot make those changes to an on-going game (e.g you can't switch all tank production to Panthers in the course of a scenario).