Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

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Zovs
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by Zovs »

Gandalf, thank you and keep up the errata and I'll post a final version later on.
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Gandalf
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by Gandalf »

Cool. [:)]

More errata:



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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by RobertWevodau »

dlazov66 -

I asked this question in the General Discussion forum several days ago and never got a response. Maybe the answer is obvious, but I don't see it. Could you - or anyone - please help? Thanks.

First of all, thanks to Don for the great tutorial with the Leningrad scenario (Operation Boot Camp). This has been a huge help to learn the game. I do have a question regarding victory point totals. On page 75 of the Boot Camp pdf, there is a paragraph describing the victory screen after a few bombing runs on Turn 1:

So far all we have done is run Air Recon and bombed a few airbases, but as you can see we already have scored 18 points to the Soviet's 1 victory point. Essentially the way this works is for each side the scenario designer setup the losses per victory points, so in this screen we can see that for the Axis to gain a victory point they need to cause 1000 men to be lost, or for every 100 guns destroyed they gain a victory point, for every 10 AFV eliminated the Axis gains a victory point. and finally for every 5 aircraft destroyed a victory point is achieved. Now look to the right and view what the Soviets gain for causing Axis casualties, it's pretty even for this scenario but others may have victory points assigned per loss.

Looking at the Victory screen, we see that the Axis has destroyed 458 SU aircraft. At 5 points per aircraft (see above) that should be 91 VP, but there are only 18 VP on the screen shot. What am I missing here?

Thanks for your help,

Robert
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Zovs
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by Zovs »

Robert,

What is happening is that the value is multplied by the modifier on the left (SU 20 or AX 40) so that the 458 does yield 91 points but then you multiple that by the modifier (in this case 20%) which yields 18.2 (FRU) or 18 VP for air losses. Applying the same logic the Soviets have cause the Axis to lose 19 planes which yield 3 points but then you multiply this value by 40% and then get 1.2% (FRU) or 1 VP.

From the manual:
However, this is further modified by the number in parentheses located next to the “LOST” header, which is the percentage actual losses are multiplied by to arrive at the VP loss rate.
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by RobertWevodau »

OK. Thanks. I missed that part about the 20% multiplier at the top of the table. Again - great job on the Boot Camp Tutorial. I'm really enjoying working through it.
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by Zovs »

Your welcome and no problem, I missed putting in it the tut, there is so much to cover that I was bound to miss something.
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by jjdenver »

Any word on the strategy guide you were compiling dlazov?
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by leehunt27@bloomberg.net »

wow thanks dlazov for this great walkthrough
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Zovs
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by Zovs »

Your welcome Leehunt27.

jjdenver, I sort of put the 'strategy guide' on hold, I was/am working on two new scenarios for the team and play-testing a third new one for Trey.

I could post it as is but it's not complete and not near finished...?...?...!..IDK
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by heliodorus04 »

Dlazov66, I wouldn't be enjoying the game so much right now (and I love it) were it not for your beginner's guide. 

I wouldn't sweat the strategy guide!  I know how hard the work you've already done was.  Enjoy life/family/the game itself!

(and if you possibly have time/interest, enjoy my AAR here! It's where I took your tutorial and went out on my own with it).
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by Zovs »

Thanks heliodorus04 I pop in on the AAR's from time to time and I saw parts of yours that you posted I loved:

"God where do you start?"

That is the ultimate question, sometimes you have to just dive in and say uck it and go for it...lol
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by heliodorus04 »

You know Dlazov66, there's something you wrote in your guide that I wanted to ask if you would expand on.

You talked about how you have a sequence of play that you've developed, starting with checking your mode and such, and that you go North to South (I think you said that).

For me, I divide my turn into 4 basic phases right now:

Phase 1:  Stuff you HAVE to do first (air resupply, recon)

Phase 2:  Move ground elements EXCEPT motorized

Phase 3:  Move motorized elements

Phase 4:  Move HQs/Airbases

Then there is rail re-construction, which I'll do when I have to.

If you could expand on the phases you try to keep track of, that would be great, and if you could tell us what screens you look at to get better details/grasp on the mechanics you need to know.  For example, you looked at the Supply Details screen a lot, but I'm not really sure what I'm looking for, or how to identify a problem from those screens.

As a tip to newbs, SAVE!  I save after each "phase" so that if I make a dumb mistake (like forgetting that I have an infantry unit AND its HQ selected at the same time) and I make a move that screws up my earlier work (like the time I moved an HQ 30 hexes AWAY from its subordinates by accident) at least I can re-load it and not have to re-do ALL the work.

Right now, a turn takes me a half a day or so.
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by Zovs »

Don's basic turn guide/strategy session (15 minutes to 4 hours depending on scenario or campaign game (CG) testing (I never seem to be out of testing mode, I don't care if I spend 4 hours or 60 hours and then delete all the saves and start all over that is what I don't get paid for...lol)

As a general rule of thumb what I do is (always toggle enemy hexes, unit modes and isolated/supplied on, also I like show combat (attack/defense) values on units, when you click on a unit it always shows the available MP, once you get use to this I think it works best in this mode) :

1. Check the Logistic Phase Event Log
  • Scanning the Refit/Normal Replacement to see if anything jumps out (0 men were returned... or 99 damaged AFVs were not repairable)
  • Check tons of ammo delivered to front line units
  • See if any units were renamed, upgraded or of any leaders were killed, dismissed, promoted or increased in skill
  • Check the status of trucks lost
  • Check the tons of supplies added
  • Check on production values produced and consumed
  • Check manpower added
  • Check on Pilot training
  • Briefly check losses by type
2. Show battle sites (F11)
  • Scan the map to see what the AI or Human player did their turn
  • Hover over icons of interest
  • Click on icons of interest for more details
3. Show losses screen
  • View Axis/Soviet ground losses in men, guns and AFV
  • Check total men KIA, captured and disabled for both sides
  • Perform mental analysis of said losses with the logistic phase in mind
  • View total air losses of both sides
  • Reference total and type of destroyed units thus far
4. Show OOB
  • Quick check of men, guns, AFVs and aircraft by nation
  • Quick check ot see if any HiCom leaders changed (and if so why? Halder, Vatutin, Bock, etc.)
5. Show Victory Points
  • Brief scan to see what it is and where I am at compared to historical commanders
6. Check the Action Point totals and the Motor Pool numbers
  • More/less AP determines if I save or use them for SU attachements, corps build ups or Soviet builds
  • If motor pool is getting low then somebodies need to go into static (sec or non-used rifle)
7. Show the Weather Zones in bad weather
  • Check to see if mud, snow, blizzard, etc., in all zones or only some
8. Show withdrawals/arrivals
  • Make a note of who may be withdrawing
  • Make a note of who arrived
9. Soft Factors check
  • Flip on Supplies and scan map and note who is low, in danger or isolated (both sides)
  • Flip on Fuel and scan map and note which Tank, Mech or Motorized units are low or high on fuel
10. Planning Phase (dynamic, analytical, varied, situation dependant, coffee, wife, children, dog, etc.)
  • Support unit attachment (HQ first then combat units)
  • TOE checks
  • Air Recon
  • Bomb airfield
  • Bomb ground
  • Bomb city
  • Air Supply
  • Implement planned moves (hasty/deliberate attacks)
  • Take advantage of opportunities that arise
  • Rail, Sea or Air Transport
  • Rail Repair
  • Construction
  • Air base movement
11. End turn items
  • Check CR for units too distant from HQ
  • Check/scan map for units out of command radius (same as above but on map may use either or both)
  • Check/scan map for units out of supply range (can also use CR)
  • Check/scan map for units low on fuel
  • Check/scan map for any units not moved
  • Make sure to set modes for units per item 10 above (refit, reserve, etc.)
  • Make sure pockets closes
  • Make sure infiltration is set (pushing/slicing through a line)
  • Make sure air bases in range of front lines
  • Make sure HQs are where they are supposed to be from item 10 above
  • Double check F11
  • Double check losses
  • Double check OOB
That is generally it give or take and as always situation dependent. I am sure I missed something and I am sure there are better more efficient ways of doing things and this may not work for you at all but it is how I do things.

Oh, and test, test, test which basically means explore, learn and grow and then walk away, kiss your wife (or husband) kick your dog and have a glass of scotch (or whatever your poison may be...) go to work, live life, rinse, repeat and modify to suit your tastes.

May you live long and prosper and not take any of this crap too seriously...lol
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by wurger54 »

Very helpful guide. Many thanks for this effort. [&o]
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by Commanderski »

The tutorial and the quick strategy guide are indeed very helpful. Thank you!
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by hgilmer3 »

Thank you for the tutorial/walkthrough.  One thing that it already has helped me on was the support lock/add/subract thing.  Before I just assumed it was on a default of 3 and never looked at it.  I played Road to Smolensk last night and checked all the corps and armies and realized they were all default locked.  I unlocked them and put them at the levels you recommend and did a LOT better than my first try of RTS.  And I actually saw a lot of support being added to the battles which I had not been seeing in any of my games due to ignoring this part of the game.
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Zovs
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by Zovs »

Your welcome. But if you want more control then locking the support levels is the way to go, you'll undoubtedly spend a lot more time setting up and moving your support units around but you'll have far more control over them. Turning off locked allows you to let the system select the pick of SU and it does a fairly decent job. Once you get used to it then you may want to lock formations to prevent them sending out SU, for example if you have corps who mission is to siege a city you may want to move more then 3 artillery units into the HQ. Or if you want to move all the assault guns out of infantry units and put them into security (joking of course) formations to run down partisans you can do that as well by using locking.
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by Navodchik »

Dlazov66, I really must thank you for your absolutely excellent tutorial, it has been really helpful to me, this game is so massive that a novice like me would be totally lost without some extra help. Very good work indeed!
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by jomni »

Finally read the boot camp and it's way better than the stock tutorial.

BTW, noticed the use of the Star of David...[:-]
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Zovs
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RE: Operational Boot Camp (tutorial)

Post by Zovs »

BTW, noticed the use of the Star of David...

In the PDF? Not quite understanding what you mean here?
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