Dumb questions thread

[Ubercat]

(1)OK, I've searched all the manual PDF's with only limited success. I'm trying to understand the very basic concept of unit disruption which doesn't appear to be described anywhere. If it were, a search for the root word "disrupt" should have turned something up.

Is a disrupted unit merely one that can no longer move in a turn unless it is reorganized? Are there any other benefits to disrupting enemy units? I thought I read something about a positive DRM for the attacker on the 2D10 chart when there are disrupted defenders. Are there any benefits on the 1D10 chart?

(2)I'm close to bringing my second monitor out of the basement so I can put the main form and other forms on the second monitor and maximize screen real estate for the map. Is there a way to increase the size of the main form? It's a bit hard to read on my widescreen monitor so I know it will be even more difficult on a smaller one.

Thanks!

[willbowe]

The short answer to your question is that you should be searching for DISORGANIZED rather than DISRUPTED. As far as I'm concerned though, the term is "disrupted". Disrupted land units can't move and can't attack. With 1d10 combat, the attacker gets a +1 bonus on the roll for *each* disrupted unit. With 2d10, it's +2 for face-down corps and +1 for face-down divisions. The real killer is when units are disrupted *and* out-of-supply, in which case they are only worth 1 in defence, or 3 if they're white-print. Face-down air units which are overrun are destroyed instead of being able to rebase. Face-down ships are also in trouble, but that's more complex and you should refer to the rules.

[willbowe]

I find the Word document rules for the board game which you can download from the ADG site to be easier to work with than the PDF that comes with the computer game, notwithstanding that there are a few minor differences (e.g. face-down units are indeed "disrupted" rather than "disorganized").

http://www.a-d-g.com.au/download/WiF-RaW-7-aug-04.zip

[Missouri_Rebel]

Utilizing the advanced search available in your adobe reader can be very helpful.

[brian brian]

I think 'disorganized' is used over 'disrupted' as a pair with the 'reorganize' process. In the paper game, counters are either face-up or face-down to indicate this. The paper game concept of "white-print" units (indicated by white-inked factors on the counters) is replaced in MWiF by "elite" units.

It's worth noting that an extra +2 on the 2d10 table is basically an odds column shift up for the attacker. It is nearly the same with a +1 on the 1d10 table, though that table isn't perfectly symmetrical on every odds column, and there is no 6-1 column. But +1 on the 1d10 is still very good to have. The prime way to disorganize an enemy unit is via the Ground Strike mission; air assets are quite powerful in World in Flames.

Also it is worth noting that using a 5 tactical factor aircraft (Stukas, etc.), to ground-strike and possibly disorganize a single 5 factor defending land unit is not worth an air mission to do it, nor the chance it doesn't work. A 5 factor Ground Strike has a 50% chance of success. Adding 5 factors of Ground Support (which doesn't count against air mission limits, unlike Ground Strike) to an attack on a 5 factor defending ground unit automatically raises the odds level by one column, or +2 on the 2d10 table. It's tricky at times.

[FroBodine]

ORIGINAL: brian brian

Also it is worth noting that using a 5 tactical factor aircraft (Stukas, etc.), to ground-strike and possibly disorganize a single 5 factor defending land unit is not worth an air mission to do it, nor the chance it doesn't work. A 5 factor Ground Strike has a 50% chance of success. Adding 5 factors of Ground Support (which doesn't count against air mission limits, unlike Ground Strike) to an attack on a 5 factor defending ground unit automatically raises the odds level by one column, or +2 on the 2d10 table. It's tricky at times.

Great stuff brian brian, as always! In game, how do you use the UI to differentiate between using an air unit for a ground strike vs. using it for ground support to add to the ground combat odds? Are they different game phases, so just by moving the air unit onto the enemy hex during the appropriate phase, it determines ground stike or ground support?

[Dr. Foo]

Utilizing the advanced search available in your adobe reader can be very helpful.

+1000!

ctrl-F is your friend. [:D]

[Dr. Foo]

ORIGINAL: jglazier


In game, how do you use the UI to differentiate between using an air unit for a ground strike vs. using it for ground support to add to the ground combat odds?

They are different sub-phases. I believe if a unit is used for a ground strike it is not available for ground support. Therefore, some planning is needed to make sure if you are conducting ground attacks you will have available units for ground support. Also, arty may be used for ground attack and does not count as an air mission.

[Joseignacio]

With some very few exceptions where units can do two things in an "impulse" (mini-turn, since a turn is 2 months and composed of several impulses of each side), all the units can only do one attack sub-phase . Either you strat bomb OR you Carpet Bomb OR you ground strike OR you support combat.

The only exception I can think right now of a unit which can take part in 2 subphases would be an HQ in combat, can give HQ support in one subphase and combat along with the others in a later one.

After units are disorganized (in any case) they cannot do anything until they are organized again except defend with penalties. HQs and some ships and planes can reorganize units, and HQs can only be so, by spending O Chits.

And all of them may be at the end of the turn (several impulses).

Fighters can be used only once, like the examples of bombers above.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: konevau

The short answer to your question is that you should be searching for DISORGANIZED rather than DISRUPTED. As far as I'm concerned though, the term is "disrupted". Disrupted land units can't move and can't attack. With 1d10 combat, the attacker gets a +1 bonus on the roll for *each* disrupted unit. With 2d10, it's +2 for face-down corps and +1 for face-down divisions. The real killer is when units are disrupted *and* out-of-supply, in which case they are only worth 1 in defence, or 3 if they're white-print. Face-down air units which are overrun are destroyed instead of being able to rebase. Face-down ships are also in trouble, but that's more complex and you should refer to the rules.

I removed face-down and face-up from the Players Manual, and RAC. Instead I used disorganized and organized. I avoided using disrupted, but some of those might have slipped through. The reason I don't like disrupted is the 'rupted' is not a word. Also there are reorganization phases in which disorganized units become organized. So I decided to simply use 'organized' as the base word when discussing unit states.

[willbowe]

Yes, good decision. Though of course, we old hands will be saying "disrupted" till the end of our days!

[Zorachus99]

The real old ones, like me and my associates, actually say that their units are 'flipped' more often than not.

[Dr. Foo]

I have a dumb question.

Are the Rules as Coded, the rules I should be reading in regards to the PC game and the Vol. 1 and 2 are for board play?

Or, should I be reading all three books? [&:]

[SamuraiProgrmmr]

ORIGINAL: brian brian


Also it is worth noting that using a 5 tactical factor aircraft (Stukas, etc.), to ground-strike and possibly disorganize a single 5 factor defending land unit is not worth an air mission to do it, nor the chance it doesn't work. A 5 factor Ground Strike has a 50% chance of success. Adding 5 factors of Ground Support (which doesn't count against air mission limits, unlike Ground Strike) to an attack on a 5 factor defending ground unit automatically raises the odds level by one column, or +2 on the 2d10 table. It's tricky at times.

Tricky is the right word for it! The decisions are deep.

Consider these exceptions...

Unless you are likely to cut off the defender's supply before making the attack, in which case being disorganized AND out of supply reduces their defense value to 1...

Unless it is an elite unit (white print) in which case the defense value will only be reduce to 3...

Unless cutting off their supply before the attack relies upon another attack which fails only on a 1 and that singular number is rolled.

I am not refuting brian brian' point. It is valid. However, with EVERYTHING in this game, the mechanics of how things actually unfold can really give you some interesting things to think about.


Dr Foo...

What I have read of Book 1 will certainly apply to both the computer and board game. It is a very faithful port from cardboard to electrons and the same tactics apply.

[Grotius]

Steve, the only instance in which I see "Disrupted" is when I contemplate moving a unit beyond its movement allowance (e.g., into a Swamp). The cursor then turns into "DISRP" or something like that.

Anyway, I'm glad you went with "organized" and "disorganized." It would not have made sense to carry forward "flipped" and "unflip" to a computer version of WIF.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Dr. Foo

I have a dumb question.

Are the Rules as Coded, the rules I should be reading in regards to the PC game and the Vol. 1 and 2 are for board play?

Or, should I be reading all three books? [&:]

RAC (a modification of Australian Design Group's Rule as Written for the board game) contains the rules that MWIF uses. The other two volumes include most of the ADG Scenario Booklet, which is not part of RAW, but much more importantly describe all the forms that MWIF uses to gather information about the game-in-progress and make decisions. Volumes 1 and 2 also describe the Player Interface in general using a lot of screen shots (205+).

[Ubercat]

ORIGINAL: Missouri_Rebel

Utilizing the advanced search available in your adobe reader can be very helpful.

I did search the PDF's as I mentioned in the OP.

[Ubercat]

ORIGINAL: brian brian

I think 'disorganized' is used over 'disrupted' as a pair with the 'reorganize' process. In the paper game, counters are either face-up or face-down to indicate this. The paper game concept of "white-print" units (indicated by white-inked factors on the counters) is replaced in MWiF by "elite" units.

It's worth noting that an extra +2 on the 2d10 table is basically an odds column shift up for the attacker. It is nearly the same with a +1 on the 1d10 table, though that table isn't perfectly symmetrical on every odds column, and there is no 6-1 column. But +1 on the 1d10 is still very good to have. The prime way to disorganize an enemy unit is via the Ground Strike mission; air assets are quite powerful in World in Flames.

Also it is worth noting that using a 5 tactical factor aircraft (Stukas, etc.), to ground-strike and possibly disorganize a single 5 factor defending land unit is not worth an air mission to do it, nor the chance it doesn't work. A 5 factor Ground Strike has a 50% chance of success. Adding 5 factors of Ground Support (which doesn't count against air mission limits, unlike Ground Strike) to an attack on a 5 factor defending ground unit automatically raises the odds level by one column, or +2 on the 2d10 table. It's tricky at times.

Thanks! Searching for "disorganized" gave me the motherload of results. I didn't realize that "disruption" was either a deprecated or inappropriate term. And thank you also konevau for giving more details.

Does anyone know if there's a way to enlarge the main form and other forms so that they're easier to read?

[Ubercat]

ORIGINAL: Dr. Foo

Utilizing the advanced search available in your adobe reader can be very helpful.

+1000!

ctrl-F is your friend. [:D]

Thanks. I tried CTR-F. The search was equally effective as the one I'd already tried, which for the term "disrupt" was not much.

[Missouri_Rebel]

ORIGINAL: Ubercat

ORIGINAL: Missouri_Rebel

Utilizing the advanced search available in your adobe reader can be very helpful.

I did search the PDF's as I mentioned in the OP.

That was meant for konevau. Sorry I wasnt clear about that.