War in the East Q&A

Gary Grigsby’s War in the East: The German-Soviet War 1941-1945 is a turn-based World War II strategy game stretching across the entire Eastern Front. Gamers can engage in an epic campaign, including division-sized battles with realistic and historical terrain, weather, orders of battle, logistics and combat results.

The critically and fan-acclaimed Eastern Front mega-game Gary Grigsby’s War in the East just got bigger and better with Gary Grigsby’s War in the East: Don to the Danube! This expansion to the award-winning War in the East comes with a wide array of later war scenarios ranging from short but intense 6 turn bouts like the Battle for Kharkov (1942) to immense 37-turn engagements taking place across multiple nations like Drama on the Danube (Summer 1944 – Spring 1945).

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cpt flam
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RE: War in the East Q&A

Post by cpt flam »

being in rail mode
you click on the city and then on the name of the city
uper part of the square
hope it will help you
Baloun
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RE: War in the East Q&A

Post by Baloun »

Thank you for quick answer. Homewer it is exactly what is in the manual... And I tryied that many times and in many forms - but still I cant seem to acces it. I even checked if the city is really mine, I tryied to move units out... I tried (i guess) everything but I still dont see the menu with moving factories.

Now dont get me wrong - I have my experience with user-enemy interface (I like wargames, and it is standard :) ), but I really cant get how to do this...
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Seminole
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RE: War in the East Q&A

Post by Seminole »

Click on the city hex, then click on the city name in the upper right hand corner.  When you're in rail mode that text name should be a link to open the factory screen so you can move them.
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Baloun
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RE: Kharkov

Post by Baloun »

So I tried it again in 1944 scenario - and it worked. But when I am trying this in 1941 - it just dont work (I was doing it right evidently, since it is working in 44), so isnt it some blocking? Like you cant move your industry until some time? I have not read in manual about this...
randallw
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RE: Kharkov

Post by randallw »

You cannot move a factory on the first turn.
Baloun
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RE: Kharkov

Post by Baloun »

Great! Thats the problem then... It is actually good idea from designers... Ok - thank you for help :)
zanekin
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RE: Kharkov

Post by zanekin »

I know that this question has been already asked here and there but no complete answer has been found.

So.

Except by tracking every turn the factory display, how do you know (as axis player) that a factory has been evacuated before you captured it AND more important, can you track the number of factories that you've destroyed ?
It's just bullshit !
rchora
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RE: Kharkov

Post by rchora »

I haven't been able to play WitE in the last 6 month or so. Several game game updates have been released and now I have started playing in 1.04.39 version.

I tried to check all the changes I could before posting, however one new feature I couldn't find.

I mean I saw that in some battles a percentage appears next to a Corps or Army name in the combat screen. I believe its always a penalty, I saw a minus sign next to it. I have highlighted it in red.

Can someone please help me and tell me what these percentages mean. Thank you.



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Mike13z50
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RE: Kharkov

Post by Mike13z50 »

It is caused by combat involving more than one formation. In your case you have elements of XXXXI Pnz Corp and L Corps. The defender has 10 Corps and NW Front units stacked.

To avoid penalty don't stack units from different HQ.
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Balou
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RE: Kharkov

Post by Balou »

What's this ?
A series of dark brown hexes, looks like a path. Saw it a couple of times during the Sov turn (as Axis against the AI). Please enlighten me.

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sillyflower
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RE: Kharkov

Post by sillyflower »

ORIGINAL: zanekin

I can you track the number of factories that you've destroyed ?
only by keeping a written record I believe (and I do)
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karonagames
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RE: Kharkov

Post by karonagames »

What's this ?

That is the evil witch, GAIA, plotting to encircle your forces. She has seen 2 weak points in the line and will try to send units along the path of least resistance behind the lines.
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Balou
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RE: Kharkov

Post by Balou »

Thanks for the reply. One more question:
Support level og HQs: how much counts 1/3 of a unit (eg artillery)? As 1/3 or as 1?
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Shupov
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Urban and Swamp CV - Section 15.6.2.3

Post by Shupov »

The manual section 15.6.2.3 says infantry CV is doubled in urban hexes and AFV units are reduced by half. I have an armor and infantry unit in Kiev but both CV's appear to be multiplied by a factor of about 12. The infantry CV goes from 4 to 49 and the Panzer CV goes from 7 to 89. Do these CV modifications only take place during combat?

The same question for Swamps. I seem to recall the AFV CV in swamps changed in an early version. Please confirm the manual is correct.

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freeboy
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RE: Urban and Swamp CV - Section 15.6.2.3

Post by freeboy »

afv not panzer division.. so the vehicles are reducd and infantry components expanded in their respective powers...
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HITMAN202
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RE: War in the East Q&A

Post by HITMAN202 »

Question about corp HQ. For the GER s the most divisions that can be attached effectively is 4 (8 point capacity.. 2 points per division) so is it best to assign 4 divisions to a corp ..ie, transferring divisions from corp with 1-2 divisions.. or are their advantages of having corp with few divisions (or other units.) ??? I've read how Q-Ball likes to put his best div in the same corp, but it seems best to stack the weak with the strong so their experience can grow when participating in attacks (at least early in the game.) ??? Like at the start in the game 4th Army (navy blue) has 2 corp with only 1 and 2 divisions. Do you consolidate them, add other div over time (like those attached to OKH or other army units) ??? Give me some insight.
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schmolywar
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RE: War in the East Q&A

Post by schmolywar »

Hi,

Is there a way to see the killcount of individual ground units like you can with the air units?
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The Red Baron
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RE: War in the East Q&A

Post by The Red Baron »

No, but you can get an idea of how successful the ground element is by checking its experience in the unit detail window.
sajer
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RE: War in the East Q&A

Post by sajer »

I have been playing games for a very long time - going back to board games. I think what is being discussed here is very important. It hits right at the core of what is wrong with large strategic computer based simulations. As it always happens, players at some point discover that by playing any side that they can "game" the system. This is based on rigid rules of what really happened.

This where all creators of theatre-wide simulations go horribly wrong in their thinking.

I think the post by Big Anorak hits the nails on the head - right from the manual:

quote:

The game is an “Alternate History Creator” that focuses
on simulating the logistic and command and control problems that the historical commanders
on the Eastern Front had to deal with. It will allow players to explore many of the strategic and
operational “What ifs” that have been discussed by historians and armchair strategists for
many years. As such, economic and research based “what ifs” are not the focus."


First of all it is NOT an alternate history creator - it is to a very small degree - but no matter what the Axis does, unless he gets an auto-victory - he is basically screwed. The Soviets will build up and eventually overrun him.

This is why no games are running (human to human) past early 1942.

Also by not having the what-if's imbedded in the game it does not take into consideration the most important part of the human vs human or human vs AI overall strategy - there is too much rigidity in the game. You KNOW that the Germans will have this much production in this year or that. You KNOW what replacments or units will be transferred to the front and when. You KNOW that the SU will eventually build into this big juggernaut that is unstoppable starting in the late summer of '42 or early '43.

I recently wrote a long post about this exact problem. It was blown off by a few people than got thrown into the trash of other posts - and lost.

I introduced the idea of creating a simple creation of out of theatre (and in) "what-if's". I made the mistake of listing ten or twenty of them. It was then shot down by certain posters, saying that "Ohhh.. that would have never happened". You see that was never my point. The idea put forth is WHAT IF ONE OR MORE OF THEM DID!! And they were always questionable to happen till the end of the war (i.e. simulation).

These variables would keep players playing the game to the end to my estimation.

The most important part of a strategy simulation that should be implemented is the "fog of war". I always play my games with it fully implemented. The problem is that there is not enough of a fog of war. Do you really think that the Soviets or even the Germans had the capability to "see" through the eyes of recon planes "everything" that was going on at the front - through hundreds of recon sorties. It's almost as if the Soviets and Germans had spy sattelites for pete's sake.

You know why the Ardennes Offensive (or Battle of the Bulge, if you wish) was a surprise to the Americans? Hell, they had plenty of recon planes, didn't they? It was because of the art of deception. Complete radio silence, hiding tanks in forests, moving units at night. A pretty good job by the Germans, I might say. To hide 26 Divisions and all that armor and to attack the Allies with total surprise.

I remember reading a book on the Battle of Kursk - and Zhukov heaviliy fortified his flanks and eventually defeated the massive attacks on his northern and southern flanks by SS panzers armies - bacause he said - that is what I would have done.

Also I am reminded by Hitler's quote on the Soviet Army: "All you have to do is kick in the door, and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down".

Would he would have attempted the invasion if he had known that the Soviets would get American/British help via the Murmansk port? Or had the capacity to "move" factories east behind the Urals?

I'm getting away now from my main point. I also don't want to bore you with hundreds of "what-if's". But hopefully you get my drift.

The main thing wrong with big intricate simulations like this if that we all plunk down $60 to $80 because are intrigued by the thought of a huge intricate model of the greatest battle ever fought - the Russo-German war in the East. It is fun for awhile, but then a strategy arises from constant play by smart players to "game" the system. I am not blaming them at all. They after all find the flaws in the game - as to almost make it unplayable.

In the end I am only saying that if this game could be modeled to include historical variants it would keep the players- playing the game to the bitter end. Also it would give the players the ultimate satisfaction - "FUN".

But, companies spew out these games, like War in the Pacific (where you just move pieces around a board for MONTHS - knowing the U.S. will win the end.) Then moving on from WiTe ( after getting thier money) to designing WiTw - where again they will again get paid. With the deep design flaw is still present. After you slap down big cash for War in the West - players will eventually find a way to "game" that computer simulation. But by then they will be on to their next project..and so on..and so on.....

The thing is you don't really "fix" a game by creating dozens of patches. You don't stop the blood from severed arm with a band-aid (I know what that is all about - because I have seen it up close). You have to fix the root problem. Until that is done - I will keep my money in my pocket.

You can poo-poo my post - but in my heart and in my opinion I know I'm right.

Keep up the good fight men!
randallw
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RE: War in the East Q&A

Post by randallw »

You aren't saying the game company is purposely taking advantage of people, are you?
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