Oil Consumption

[baloo7777]

Started playing ATG this past fall (vs AI), and also played a game of AT without using the leader/oil/AI mod too. I was able to use my air and tanks in combined arms better in AT. However, using the ATG v2.15 along with the mods mentioned is just so awesome to play. Is there a way to lessen the consumption of oil or otherwise control the amount of oil available once the random game starts? Can the random scenario generate more oil supply at the start?

[Jeffrey H.]

Use engineers to upgrade the oil facilities from level 1 to level 3.

[baloo7777]

Got a couple oil facilities to level 2. Production up noticeably. Will try scraping together the (expensive) requirements to upgrade to level 3. Good thing the AI isn't making long range bombers to hit my oil production.

[Twotribes]

I don't think the AI uses strategic bombing. I have never seen it do so ever. It also does not use carriers.

[baloo7777]

I get jealous when I look at some of the AAR's with humongous air battles. I think, how did they get so much oil to spend in the first place...and how are they able to build so much air power (very expensive). I feel like such a newbie and I struggle to beat the AI- even.

[baloo7777]

ORIGINAL: Twotribes

I don't think the AI uses strategic bombing. I have never seen it do so ever. It also does not use carriers.

Does the AI make/drop paratroops? Are my garrisons just slackers and a waste of resources?

[Tac2i]

The AI does not use paratroops.

ORIGINAL: baloo7777
Does the AI make/drop paratroops? Are my garrisons just slackers and a waste of resources?

[Veni]

Webizen is correct: no AI paras dropping from the skies!

However, your garrisons are not necessarily "slackers and a waste of resources," at least those guarding ports. What the AI *does* do are seaborne landings targeting your coastal cities, especially in the latest patch. So your garrisons there are performing a critical function of national security!! The inland ones, meh: personal taste/flavor, I'd say. Having an entrenched, defensive garrison to hold the city can be beneficial if a particular sector isn't able to 'hold the line' and needs to fall back ...

[Veni]

Two points regarding oil and the AI, as I recall:
1. Each AI player has a near unlimited fund of oil/raw to ensure they don't run out of resources;
2. Each AI player has a general fund which regularly upgrades oil/raw location types and constructs aircraft, artillery and vehicle factories.

Because of this, I don't bother strategic bombing AI oil/raw locations, and make it a point to capture them after they've upgraded (in addition to upgrading my own, of course).

[Josh]

Veni is right, it's of no use strategic bombing the AI (unfortunately) The AI also almost never uses paradrops [:(] or carriers. It's just too difficult.
Having said that it's *always* a good idea to have at least a token occupying force, that is connected via a railroad (to send reinforcements when necessary). The AI is a...bit lacking when it comes to amphibious assaults, although on the other hand it can be quite stubborn too to do multiple amphibious assaults that end in disaster each and every time.
Because I play with limited supply and oil I sometimes have humongous stretches of land unoccupied [8|], making my front lines very vulnerable to deep amphibous assaults. A human sure would make use of that, the AI less so, but you never know so I always have at strategic points at least an HQ with some small units. So do build garrisons but keep them small.

About the usage of oil...using masses of planes or using lots of tanks uses up your oil supplies *fast*, as in one turn. Sometimes all I have is horsedrawn artillery and Flak but no planes, and but a few tanks that can hardly drive very far. That is part of the fun ( I think). Sometimes the war is not about taking territory, but hunting for oilwells! It can be turn 50 or so before I have some oil, and even then you have to be careful not to burn it all in one strike.

[baloo7777]

I am putting this info to use now! I have stopped producing tanks and bombers so much. Back to infantry and artillery (horses for mobility). I think in terms of saving my oil for a (very desperate) counterattack. I hardly use my airpower and use a couple small units with jeeps to scout behind enemy lines when I can (not air recon). I am still trying to save for an oil level 3 facility (very expensive), but my infantry units are holding their own vs AI units that all seem to have a couple light tanks/armored cars attached. AI has higher level infantry too. As I'm not a good planner, I think I may have made the wrong amount and type units...but thats what experience is good for...teaching what not to do![8|]

[Josh]

That's a typical AI unit; always with some light tanks and armoured cars. That's because they can be very *very* efficient. Light tanks III are a killer, very fast (that is don't combine them with a medium tank because then they will be slowed down considerably). The AI *will* outproduce you in the beginning, where you outsmart the AI is with unit composition and manoevres. The AI has a very Russian wave attack style, and even when things look bleak you can still beat it, with well placed units and good manoevering (manoevre? ... SP? I hate that word always forget how to spell it correctly).

[cpdeyoung]

@Josh,

Light tanks are an excellent investment, and I usually build them as soon as I can. I skip armored cars. I try and remember to use the transport capacity of the light tanks to carry infantry types forward, but do not go into battle with riders aboard. The light tank formations like to have artillery and aircraft around to suppress the AT guns. The AI likes AT guns, and once they appear - Tank destroyers. I hate tank destroyers. They are high value targets for dive bombers.

Chuck

[baloo7777]

Again, as a newb, I've been building Armored and Armored Infantry type units with mixed Light Tanks and Armored Cars and adding a couple Medium Tanks when possible (never thought about the medium tanks slowing the unit down). The Armored Infantry have trucks to allow for a lot of infantry/machine guns/bazookas, but Armor only has as many submachine gun infantry as I can fit on the Tanks. Not able to build many of these units at the moment. Finally built a level 3 oil facility (I think production went up by 1000 oil on this alone)! I have not been adding armored cars or light armor to my (many) Infantry Divisions (like the AI does). Maybe I should start?

[cpdeyoung]

@Baloo7777

I don't find much gain in adding light tanks to infantry formations, but light tanks and halftrack mounted infantry types make a nice mechanized, armored infantry, panzer grenadier, type of unit. Anti-tank guns with halftracks, or even trucks make a good addition, but trucks get vaporized by artillery too much for my taste. Once you have researched them, assault guns and tank destroyers can make an attacking tank-heavy force miserable.

As you will gather from other posts designing unit OOBs is one of the favorite aspects of this game. Great fun.

Chuck

[Josh]

ORIGINAL: cpdeyoung

@Josh,

Light tanks are an excellent investment, and I usually build them as soon as I can. I skip armored cars. I try and remember to use the transport capacity of the light tanks to carry infantry types forward, but do not go into battle with riders aboard. The light tank formations like to have artillery and aircraft around to suppress the AT guns. The AI likes AT guns, and once they appear - Tank destroyers. I hate tank destroyers. They are high value targets for dive bombers.

Chuck

Totally agree. AT guns and TD's are a major PITA, and should be taken care of as soon as possible. Well, armoured cars can always be used as a screening force, reconnoiter the area ahead of you...although the good ol'cavalry does that job equally well or even better.
Concerning "tankriders", it is my understanding that they soak up attacks. Say you have four tanks on each side, and all take shots at each other. Now add some inf (20 max for four tanks), now the opposing side has to take shots at those too, and every shot fired at your Inf is a shot not fired at your more precious tanks...
It is the same when attacking an Inf unit, or even an AT unit with your tanks; Inf combined with your armour "protects" them.

[Josh]

ORIGINAL: baloo7777

Again, as a newb, I've been building Armored and Armored Infantry type units with mixed Light Tanks and Armored Cars and adding a couple Medium Tanks when possible (never thought about the medium tanks slowing the unit down). The Armored Infantry have trucks to allow for a lot of infantry/machine guns/bazookas, but Armor only has as many submachine gun infantry as I can fit on the Tanks. Not able to build many of these units at the moment. Finally built a level 3 oil facility (I think production went up by 1000 oil on this alone)! I have not been adding armored cars or light armor to my (many) Infantry Divisions (like the AI does). Maybe I should start?

You might want to rethink about adding SMG's to your armour. They have only a bonus when attacking in cities/forests, and that's exactly the environment you do not want your tanks in. (cheaper) rifles are much more suited for that job, I mean attacking combined with your tanks in tank country. Sure I do have some SMG units but I use them mainly for taking cities and forest hexes.
For sure the Light Tank unit is slowed down by Medium Tanks... even more so with Heavy Tanks. It is the same when you add a Inf gun or AT gun to your Inf unit (foot movement). Foot movement allows for three hexes I think, gun movement only 1 or 2. Light Tanks lvl III or so are like a Porsche on the battlefield. (the sportscar I mean, not the Porsche Ferdinand lol), they race across the open ground whereas the Heavy Tanks are much more like lumbering hulks.

[baloo7777]

ORIGINAL: Josh

ORIGINAL: baloo7777

Again, as a newb, I've been building Armored and Armored Infantry type units with mixed Light Tanks and Armored Cars and adding a couple Medium Tanks when possible (never thought about the medium tanks slowing the unit down). The Armored Infantry have trucks to allow for a lot of infantry/machine guns/bazookas, but Armor only has as many submachine gun infantry as I can fit on the Tanks. Not able to build many of these units at the moment. Finally built a level 3 oil facility (I think production went up by 1000 oil on this alone)! I have not been adding armored cars or light armor to my (many) Infantry Divisions (like the AI does). Maybe I should start?

You might want to rethink about adding SMG's to your armour. They have only a bonus when attacking in cities/forests, and that's exactly the environment you do not want your tanks in. (cheaper) rifles are much more suited for that job, I mean attacking combined with your tanks in tank country. Sure I do have some SMG units but I use them mainly for taking cities and forest hexes.
For sure the Light Tank unit is slowed down by Medium Tanks... even more so with Heavy Tanks. It is the same when you add a Inf gun or AT gun to your Inf unit (foot movement). Foot movement allows for three hexes I think, gun movement only 1 or 2. Light Tanks lvl III or so are like a Porsche on the battlefield. (the sportscar I mean, not the Porsche Ferdinand lol), they race across the open ground whereas the Heavy Tanks are much more like lumbering hulks.

Did not know that about SMG 's. Making changeouts with adjacent Infantry where possible for rifle troops. Finally starting to make headway towards the AI's northern front city (has an oil facility near it too)! My research is very limited...INF2/MG2/Medium Tanks/Heavy Artillery/ and Mortars2. Mostly I was building units and upgrading oil to lvl 2 facilities and some ore lvl 2s. I finally feel like I might be starting to not lose vs AI (as opposed to winning) and for awhile I kept throwing in Infantry divisions to take the brunt of the attacks. Will start again ASAP.

[Josh]

Another hint'artillery is king. *especially* the heavy arty [&o] they need trucks or even better halftracks to move though. Keep them alive behind your front and they will hit the 90 Exp fast. Bomb the opposing units' green "readiness" bar as low as possible. (with said tubes or level bombers...although lvl bombers are oilguzzlers, your fly boys can use up to 10.000 oil per turn). Then encircle the opposing units, or even better cut them off from supply, then attack ...(or maybe wait with that attack a turn or two to get that readiness even lower)... with a couple of units that fall under the same HQ (units under the same HQ have the same HQ coloured band on the counter). By attacking from multiple hexes you get a bonus, the more hexes you attack from the better, but never more than 50 points per added hex.
Oh and a kill gets your unit exp...so say you have an easy kill (like an encircled and depleted enemy unit) and you have the choice which unit to use to make that kill, you then have the option to think about either getting your armour from 65 to 70 exp or that green Inf unit from 40 to 45-50 exp.

Throwing away your grunts WWI style is a last desperate measure, better get fewer but better equiped units so they can survive longer and get higher exp lvl's. Fewer units means more manoevering (sp?) but that is where you outshine the AI. It also can mean more oil usage, and that can be quite harrowing at times because your tanks can be driving on gasfumes at times, but that's part of the fun.

[baloo7777]

Thanks for the info/game advice. I love this game. Will try not to throw away any more grunts! [8|]