Quick Question - GC 1st Turn against AI - How Long to resolve?

[rsallen64]

I am getting ready to start my first turn in my first GC game ever against the AI, with me playing as the Allies. It took me more than a week to plan and set up the first turn. I am playing Da Babes light 8th December 1st turn to start. My question is: how long does the turn take to resolve once I run it? I am asking because I don't have that much time at night after work until the weekend starts, and considering how long it took to set up, I don't want to be up at 3 a.m. running the turn. (Give me a break, I am an O.G. and I need my rest before work in the morning!)[:D] Thanks for your help!

[BBfanboy]

It depends on the settings you have for how much of the action you want to watch. Find the Preferences button on the top left of the game screen and open the menu. The animations you choose to watch must had a time delay setting of .5 second or more. The longer the delay for you to read messages during combat, the longer it will take to get through the reports.
To a certain extent the music and sound files also eat up computer processing either by needing to find the file on the hard drive or play the sound while processing actual results.
Another factor is the speed of your computer processor, video card and amount of memory.

And most importantly is having the game switches set in your shortcut to the game (NOT THE GAME/EDITOR/UPDATE MENU!). If you have not worked this out already things can run very slowly.

[InfiniteMonkey]

You can, and probably should, run your turn periodically as you enter it to verify your forces do what you thought you told them to do... especially on your first turn of the GC ever. You will invest hundreds of hours of your life into one GC game. Running and re-running the GC first turn was one of the ways I tested for gaps between what I wanted forces to do and what they actually did. Save your game (I presume you already did this) and run it. I can understand a desire to just run it once if that is what affects your choices here. However, your first time out against the AI, you should recognize that you will make mistakes that are of a "I thought it would do this, but it did this other thing and now I'm screwed" variety as opposed to the "that was a huge strategic FUBAR... what was I thinking?" variety. It is worth testing things out a bit.

As for how long it takes, that is entirely dependent upon your delays, settings, etc. I have taken 5 hours to replay a single first turn because I read and watched every battle report, took notes, paused to go get a drink, etc. I've also run test turns with all the messages and delays set to 0 in less than 5 minutes.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: InfiniteMonkey

.... paused to go get a drink, .....

When you add pizza, a date (with a girl), more drink, another date, more drink, marriage, a child, baptism, school, soccer Dad, swim Dad, graduation, college tuition ...

yeah, that first turn can take a LONG time. [:D][:D][:D]

[Kursk1943]

Maybe as a comfort: once you'll be over the first few turns, it'll be really fast. With animations turned off it takes me 20-30 min to watch the execution phase, then 1 to 1 1/2 hours to do my turn.

[Lokasenna]

You don't need to do everything on turn 1. The game is extremely long. If you're playing as the Allies, this especially applies: do the really important stuff, try to get a handle on some of the other stuff, but you don't need to begin executing your entire plan on turn 1. You can split it among other turns.

Of course, if you DO begin everything on turn 1, your next turns should be shorter. I've done it both ways. It just depends on how I feel like spending my time: advancing the game date while doing the important things vs. taking care of every detail right away.

[rsallen64]

Thanks for all the replies, which are really helpful. I have had the game for a long time, and have played the shorter scenarios many times, and have lurked on here since 2009, but haven't yet attempted a full campaign game. I have the switches set appropriately, and the settings for delays, etc., set right. I did the initial setup following Kull's fantastic spreadsheet, for which I am much obliged, [&o] with a few of my own variations. So I am ready to take the plunge. I am also using Tracker and Combat Reporter, and I am ready to go![:D]

[BBfanboy]

Nice to see that you have done your research already! You should do well in the GC, after the usual initial drubbing of course.

[CaptBeefheart]

My turns take about five minutes to resolve with all replay settings at the minimum level. During turn resolution I surf the net or play World of Tanks and I get what I need to know from the combat, ops and intel reports.

That said, you might want to run a few turns in the beginning showing each combat in order to get a better feel for how the game works.

Cheers,
CC

[rustysi]

Running a turn only takes a few minutes, if you're computer is up to snuff. What extends that time is watching the replays. I prefer to do so, but that's me. If there are large numbers of units/planes/ships it can take quite a bit of time to get through these, extend the delay time and it can take a long time to get through a turn. The beauty is you can turn on/off the option at your whim. So for those times when you just want to 'get through it' turn the replays off, and when time is sufficient turn replays on and watch the destruction.

P.S. Should have been a bit more specific. 'Replays' should read as 'combat animations'.

[rsallen64]

One of the great things about this game is this forum, and the people on it. That's why I have lurked for so long and check it every day, and why I have learned so much. I am on vacation next week, so I am ready to get my GC started beginning this weekend.

[AcePylut]

During the Combat Replay - press the space bar to advance past whatever notification came up. Press the ESC button to speed past ALL notifications until you get to a combat animation (not recommended). During the combat animations, press the "esc" button to fast track past that particular.

During the replay, I have my notification set to "2 seconds" before it advances to the next notification. I'll space bar past the "unimportant" notifications, and for the important animations I'll spend the 2 seconds to let it "set" into my memory.

During the combat animations, if it's an air-to-air, after the first ocuple of plane combats (to get vital data) I'll esc it. If it's naval to naval and a "given" result (i.e. 6 DD vs. 1 xAKL - that's pretty much an auto-sinkage) I esc. If it's a combat animation that could determine the course of the war (CV vs CV) - I watch it because that's usually the result on a hundred hours or more's worth of game time. If it's a big naval combat (BB's vs. BB's) I'll watch it so I can see how many of those "Shell hits" on the enemy BB's are ".50 caliber" and how many are "14" penetrates and magazine explosion!".

[Yaab]

Takes me about 15 minutes with combat animations/report ON. Big naval/air battles can add several minutes though.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: rustysi

Running a turn only takes a few minutes, if you're computer is up to snuff. What extends that time is watching the replays. ...

There is a LOT more data displayed in watching the replays. Against the AI, well ... but in a PBEM, you really need to watch them.

- you will be able to see opponent air mission profile in far greater detail
- you will see naval commander effectiveness and TF size impact
- you will see LCU details

these are in priority order for me ... particularly as there are so many choices in setting CAP ...

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: rustysi

Running a turn only takes a few minutes, if you're computer is up to snuff. What extends that time is watching the replays. ...

There is a LOT more data displayed in watching the replays. Against the AI, well ... but in a PBEM, you really need to watch them.

- you will be able to see opponent air mission profile in far greater detail
- you will see naval commander effectiveness and TF size impact
- you will see LCU details

these are in priority order for me ... particularly as there are so many choices in setting CAP ...

There are also sound cues, especially sinkings out of your view. The Morse code sound effect indicates important sigint as well. And the sightings radio calls can cue you to check DLs on enemy TFs, especially carriers.

[rsallen64]

I appreciate all the feedback, which has been immensely helpful. I am about two weeks in now and completely absorbed, spending several hours a night learning as I go and setting up turns. Most of the time spent is running convoys for logistical purposes, which as I understand is the bulk of the game. I am aware of the old adage about logistics and professionals versus tactics and amateurs. No major mistakes yet, but I am concerned that I still have not had a sighting of the KB at this point, outside of a possible sighting near the PI.

[Yaab]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: rustysi

Running a turn only takes a few minutes, if you're computer is up to snuff. What extends that time is watching the replays. ...

There is a LOT more data displayed in watching the replays. Against the AI, well ... but in a PBEM, you really need to watch them.

- you will be able to see opponent air mission profile in far greater detail
- you will see naval commander effectiveness and TF size impact
- you will see LCU details

these are in priority order for me ... particularly as there are so many choices in setting CAP ...

There are also sound cues, especially sinkings out of your view. The Morse code sound effect indicates important sigint as well. And the sightings radio calls can cue you to check DLs on enemy TFs, especially carriers.

Those CINCUS cues...

[LeeChard]

ORIGINAL: rsallen64

I appreciate all the feedback, which has been immensely helpful. I am about two weeks in now and completely absorbed, spending several hours a night learning as I go and setting up turns. Most of the time spent is running convoys for logistical purposes, which as I understand is the bulk of the game. I am aware of the old adage about logistics and professionals versus tactics and amateurs. No major mistakes yet, but I am concerned that I still have not had a sighting of the KB at this point, outside of a possible sighting near the PI.

I think the Allies were pretty much 'learning as you go' in real life [:D]

[rustysi]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: rustysi

Running a turn only takes a few minutes, if you're computer is up to snuff. What extends that time is watching the replays. ...

There is a LOT more data displayed in watching the replays. Against the AI, well ... but in a PBEM, you really need to watch them.

- you will be able to see opponent air mission profile in far greater detail
- you will see naval commander effectiveness and TF size impact
- you will see LCU details

these are in priority order for me ... particularly as there are so many choices in setting CAP ...

There are also sound cues, especially sinkings out of your view. The Morse code sound effect indicates important sigint as well. And the sightings radio calls can cue you to check DLs on enemy TFs, especially carriers.

Don't disagree, and I usually watch and listen, but there are times when sleep just takes priority.[>:]