Allies Set-up Spreadsheet for AE

[Kull]

ORIGINAL: Alfred

You would be lucky if I restricted myself to being so merciful as to use a hacksaw.

First you would be subjected to watching THAT movie in order to, ahem, learn the "true history" of what should have transpired. Only when you could repeat from memory every line of THAT movie from memory would we proceed to stage two.

Next you would be kept back at school to write out, in long hand, 100 times the entire AE manual. Any misspellings or inaccuracies would result in immediate decapitation using a fish knife.

Having successfully completed stage two, you would be required to compile the updated manual, incorporating all the changes introduced through the various patches. Once that was completed, your access to post in the forum would be reinstated.

Alfred

Hacksaw is startin' to look mighty appealing! [X(]

[98ZJUSMC]

Day 2 nightmare. [:D] That's a good way to put it.

[Knucles2]

Hi Kull,
Thanx for the work you put into this lil gem I find myself almost looking forward to starting a new game . Still a lot of clicking ahead but at least I know I wont be screwing it up too badly.
One question- in the comments collum, where it says,"create cargo TF(#)-what is the # in quotes referring to?

Thanx again for this,
Bob S

[Kull]

ORIGINAL: Knucles2

Hi Kull,
Thanx for the work you put into this lil gem I find myself almost looking forward to starting a new game . Still a lot of clicking ahead but at least I know I wont be screwing it up too badly.
One question- in the comments collum, where it says,"create cargo TF(#)-what is the # in quotes referring to?

Thanx again for this,
Bob S

Hi Bob - Hope this helps get you started with a little less agita!

As for the "TF#" designation, it's a way to easily distinguish which TF a given ship is supposed to join. For example, let's say you are creating TFs in Los Angeles. You filter location name to "Los Angeles", Type to "Ship", and (for example) Comments to "Create Tanker TF (1) etc". That will reduce the list to six Tankers and an AO. Now go into the LA port and and create the Tanker TF and add all seven of these ships and give them the mission listed in the rest of the Comments section (in this case, Dock, Load Fuel, Set destination to Pearl Harbor). Next do the same with "Create Cargo TF (2)", and rinse repeat until all TFs in that city have been created and and then move on to the next city. It really does help to have the game on one PC and the spreadsheet on another as you can really fly through the process without lots of toggling.

Any other questions, please feel free to ask. Regards, Kull

[Knucles2]

Hi Kull,
OK, the TF(#) makes sense now I'm using this to set up a new game. Once I'm done I intend to protect the 'save' with deadly force if need be [8D]

Re; the second pc. Can't do it right now and my printer chose this week to go TU t'boot.

I'll click thru it somehow tho

Thanx again

Bob S

[Kull]

When both applications are running on the same PC, the toggling is a little quicker if you have AE playing in "window mode". Also provides the option of having both apps on two monitors, even if using only one system. And yes, save often! Losing hours of changes to a system crash or power outtage - though rare - is teeth grindingly frustrating. Regards, Kull

[BlitzimX]

Hello there Kull

Thanks for that awsome spreadheet i'm following to get a better set up of the first turn. I'm barely a quarter in but i have a question about something:

Among the first actions of the ships, you have some cargo leaving from Australia to Los Angeles, with a waypoint somewhere in the ocean. However, LA is much behond their fuel capacity (almost twice the amount). Will the problem be solved if we set a replenishment at sea, even if it's not precised, or is it something brought by a recent patch which reduced the cargos endurance?

Thanks!

[nashvillen]

Set the home port of those ships to LA, then, once you have a fuel CS TF set to keep fuel at Pearl, set the convoys assembled from those ships to waypoint Pearl with full refuel and sent them to Sydney that way.

[Kull]

ORIGINAL: BlitzX

Hello there Kull

Thanks for that awsome spreadheet i'm following to get a better set up of the first turn. I'm barely a quarter in but i have a question about something:

Among the first actions of the ships, you have some cargo leaving from Australia to Los Angeles, with a waypoint somewhere in the ocean. However, LA is much behond their fuel capacity (almost twice the amount). Will the problem be solved if we set a replenishment at sea, even if it's not precised, or is it something brought by a recent patch which reduced the cargos endurance?

Thanks!

Which port, and which ships? I pulled up an old start game and didn't notice any TFs that looked particularly problematic. If you are talking about some individual ships within a larger TF, the assumption would be that they'd refuel from the other ships with larger capacity (that's often true for long distance TFs that have escorts).

Edit: Pretty sure none of the official patches changed the individual ship fuel capacities, but if you are playing a game using the "Da Babes" mod, that might very well be true.

ORIGINAL: nashvillen

Set the home port of those ships to LA, then, once you have a fuel CS TF set to keep fuel at Pearl, set the convoys assembled from those ships to waypoint Pearl with full refuel and sent them to Sydney that way.

Unless absolutely necessary, the spreadsheet does not send TFs to/from Australia via Pearl Harbor, simply because it's surrounded by a nest of submarines. All things being equal (i.e no additional fuel consumption and ships that can make the full trip without refueling), I avoid the "Pearl"!

[nashvillen]

Kull has a point, after several months, though, the waters around Pearl will be less dense with Subs.

[BlitzimX]

Hi Kull

I'm talking about the Cargo TF created from Adelaide with the xAK Allara,xAK Dundula,xAK Iron Knob and xAK Michael Goulandris .

When i set them as you suggest, their range number is red, and when checking the fuel required it's almost double of their capacity. I haven't tried by setting Los Angeles as their base home though.

[USSAmerica]

ORIGINAL: BlitzX

Hi Kull

I'm talking about the Cargo TF created from Adelaide with the xAK Allara,xAK Dundula,xAK Iron Knob and xAK Michael Goulandris .

When i set them as you suggest, their range number is red, and when checking the fuel required it's almost double of their capacity. I haven't tried by setting Los Angeles as their base home though.

That should do it for you. The normal fuel required is for a round trip, but obviously would be half as much if you set the destination to be the new home port.

[Kull]

ORIGINAL: BlitzX

Hi Kull

I'm talking about the Cargo TF created from Adelaide with the xAK Allara,xAK Dundula,xAK Iron Knob and xAK Michael Goulandris .

When i set them as you suggest, their range number is red, and when checking the fuel required it's almost double of their capacity. I haven't tried by setting Los Angeles as their base home though.

As USS indicates, the one way trip is the way to go, as you'll definitely be refueling in the US. I have a revised version of the spreadsheet that clears up a lot of inconsistencies such as this, and eventually I'm planning to add some of the depth found in the Japan version. But I'm working on a non-AE game-mod project at the moment, so it may be a while before my time frees up and I can revisit this. In the meantime, the vast majority of the recommendations are exactly the same.

The spreadsheet is not a strategy intended to win the war, but just a way to help the new player get through the first few days and weeks without being completely inundated. Hopefully it reduces the initial "shock and awe" ("I have to make how many 1000's of adjustments to how many 1000's of units? Que WHAT!?") and buys you enough time to truly embrace the depth of this fantastic game.

[BlitzimX]

Indeed, it's a formidable tool. When do you plan to release that updated spreadsheet?

[Kull]

ORIGINAL: BlitzX

Indeed, it's a formidable tool. When do you plan to release that updated spreadsheet?

It's probably going to be many months, so please don't wait for an update. There a few generic changes you should make - they are mentioned in this thread - but nothing earth-shatteringly-bad will happen to your game even if you use the current set-up exactly as-is. Again, the spreadsheet is just here to help you get started. All games diverge pretty rapidly from the opening setup, as each person chooses a strategy that appeals to them. Enjoy!

[wegman58]

I've been trying to download said spreadsheet and it gives me an .html file. Am I missing something?

[nashvillen]

Left click on the "Attachment" and then left click on the link, it will be put in your downloads folder under a long funny looking name. To access that download folder click on the "Show all downloads". It will take you to where it is, you can then unzip it from there and give it a name you need to use.

[wegman58]

It was my bad - I have MAX Pop-up blocker settings. Works now!

[Kull]

Hope it helps - any questions, feel free to ask.

[uncivil_servant]

I just wanted to say it was immensely helpful for my first time and I will definitely use it again. I would have remained slack-jawed if without it.

Some things - for convoys would it be helpful/possible to list recommended distance DD capacity? I am still in the game of which types of DD/DE do I assign to which type of convoy. i.e give this LA to Sydney convoy a (4500+) endurance DD when possible.