prepping units help

[Phoenix100]

Another beginner query, if anyone could help, please: I can find very little in the manual to help with preparing units for action. I'm playing the 1000 mile war scenario and I have units getting ready for amphibious assault. How do I find out how long it will take to get them up to 100% readiness, and what can I do to speed this up? For instance, does it make a difference if I set them to 'rest/training' rather than combat, whilst they are preparing?

Many thanks.

[geofflambert]

I've been playing the Japanese for some years now, and I never prep for an amphib operation because about half the time US Intel picks up that such and such a unit is preparing for such and such a target. I begin prep for a base once I'm there, mainly so I'll be better at defending it once I've occupied it. Seems like it usually takes a couple of weeks and it will continue once the troops are loaded on ships, so if they're coming from the West Coast they may be most of the way prepared once they reach the theatre of operations. The Japanese, on the other hand, have lousy intel and never see it coming.

[HansBolter]

Preparation for an objective has always been a bit mystically defined with regard to how quickly it progresses.

It also doesn't reset to zero for all units when a new objective is chosen.
Some units will start with 25 or even 33 points based on the experience level of the unit.

I have never tracked how quickly it progresses because I have never played limited duration scenarios.
I can see where there would be a level of anxiety over how fast it progresses in a limited duration scenario.

I can safely state that it doesn't take 100 days to get from 0 to 100. It seems to take about 30-50 days to get to 100 so it seems to progress at a rate of 2-3 points per day, but I have never engaged in a study or test to monitor it.

One other tip I can give is not to change your mind or make an immediate correction if you make the wrong choice for an experienced unit that goes to 25 or 33 after making the choice. If you make a new choice the same turn, it will drop to zero.
Wait till the next turn to try resetting that unit.

Maybe Alfred will spot this thread and offer some of his deep game code knowledge to enlighten us.

[dasboot1960]

I initially tended towards GeoffLambert's response when I first started as IJ. It probably not good if company comes to your amphibious assault. I have since adopt the knowledge expressed in HansBolter's post. I plan for something plausible, and then switch to my true objective shortly before execution, I think I ready somewhere that the minimum effective prep is '30' so not sure its any great help. I wonder if the difference of 25 or 33 when changing objectives is tied to unit experience? Oh well peanuts from an imperial gallery.

[Mike Solli]

In my PBEM, I have a Naval Guard that was 100% prepped for the base where it was located. I changed it to an enemy controlled base and it became 33%. Its experience is 62, ok, but not great. I haven't kept close track either, but seem to think if it's 100% prepped and is changed then sometimes it changes to 25 or 33%. Just what seems to be the case. I'll play around and see what I can find out.

[Mike Solli]

I just learned some interesting things. If you change a prepped unit to prep for a friendly base, it always sets to 0. I just tried about 30 units. Every time.

Then I tried changing prepped units from a friendly base to an enemy base. I tried about 30 of these. I never got 33. Curious. But if the unit was prepped at 100%, I got 25%. If it was something lower than 100%, I got 25% of the original percentage. So, if it started at 80%, it changed to 20% for the new enemy base.

[Phoenix100]

Very helpful, guys, thanks. So, all in all, the process seems to be a little mysterious, or, at least, not very well documented, but I can work on it taking a couple of weeks to get 50% units up to a reasonable level, I guess.

BUT. What about the issue of what stance they are in? Should I set them to 'combat' to get their prep up? Or set them to 'Train/rest'? Does it make a difference?

Thanks

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Phoenix100

Very helpful, guys, thanks. So, all in all, the process seems to be a little mysterious, or, at least, not very well documented, but I can work on it taking a couple of weeks to get 50% units up to a reasonable level, I guess.

BUT. What about the issue of what stance they are in? Should I set them to 'combat' to get their prep up? Or set them to 'Train/rest'? Does it make a difference?

Thanks

I have been observing the prep factors for a while and Alfred did weigh in on one discussion a while back. I believe the original game did not allow any carry-over points when a new prep target was set, but one of the patches established the maximum of 33 points. Here are some of the things that seem to affect the change and the prep points per turn:

- unit experience and morale
- unit leader stats (not sure if it is the Leadership, Inspiration or maybe Admin. stat affecting it)
- fatigue and disruption
- similarity of new target to the old target (terrain/island/atoll/urban/monsoon zone/cold zone)
- proximity of the new target
- HQ prepped for the same target in range
- enough supply at the base or in the unit in the field
- if less than 100% prepped before the change, you get a fraction of the 33 or 25 points (all other factors being good). I have seen units with prep in the low 50s get only 6 points on change of target. Below 50 I do not recall getting any carry-over prep at all.

On the daily prep points, being in rest mode definitely helps get more than one point, but even if all factors are good, the extra point is a die roll that may or may not go in your favour. I have never seen three points gained in a single turn, and an average of 75 days for an experienced, rested unit to prep from 0 to 100 is about what I have seen. If you get the 33 or 25 points on change of target, you should be to 100% prep in about two months.

Sometimes it is better not to change the prep for a while because experience gains by the unit are faster when it has 100% prep for any target. The Chinese units at start are desperately in need of experience so if they are not expected to fight in the immediate future, I leave their prep alone.

[Phoenix100]

Thanks BBfanboy. Very useful.

[rustysi]

The manual does address this, but I don't have the time to look up the reference right now.

Prep points are gained at the rate of one or two per day. It doesn't matter what 'stance' they are in (combat/rest/reserve).

The manual also references what % will remain for changes to the units preference, but I don't recall what it says.

I've been playing the Japanese for some years now, and I never prep for an amphib operation because about half the time US Intel picks up that such and such a unit is preparing for such and such a target.

And knowing this Japan can set up a bunch of false targets.[:'(]

[Alfred]

This thread contains both accurate and very inaccurate information.

There are three separate but related issues contained within this thread:

(A) Impact of changing a LCU's Future Objective
(B) LCU gain rate of Planning Points
(C) LCU experience gain rate

There are no die rolls involved in (A) above but they do have a very significant impact on the actual daily gain rates achieved of (B) and (C).  In keeping with standard policy specific details of how the die rolls operate is not provided below.  Assume that the information provided below only discloses in general terms the basic parameters, all subject to passing successfully die rolls, before an increment is possible.

It is also important to note that Patch #7 significantly altered the operation of (A) and (C) above from what is found in the manual.  What follows is the post patch #7 situation.


(A) Impact of changing a LCU's Future Objective (FO)

When AE was released changing the Future Objective (FO) of a LCU always reset the accumulated Planning Points (PP) to zero.  Patch #7 allowed, under certain parameters, for the retention of some of the accumulated PP if the new FO is an enemy base.

(1)  FO is changed to a friendly owned base, the PP is reset to zero.

(2)  FO is changed to an enemy owned base, the PP is reset to:

(a) 1/3 of the current PP if the LCU has both more than 30 accumulated PP and it's experience level is greater than the national army experience training cap level

(b) 1/4 of the current PP if the LCU has both more than 40 accumulated PP and it's experience level is greater than 3/4 of the national army experience training cap level

Where (2)(a) and (2)(b) do not apply the default is to reset the PP to zero.


(B) LCU gain rate of Planning Points (PP)

Subject to die rolls the daily gain rate is 1-2 PP with the caveat that the second PP might be diverted to instead increase the experience level of the LCU.  At no stage does the Operational Mode of the LCU impact on the gain rate.

(1) The base potential daily gain rate is 1 PP.

(2) The potential second point (which is subject to passing die rolls) is more likely to be applied to:

(a) increasing the accumulated PP of a more experienced LCU or

(b) increasing the experience level of a less experienced LCU


(C) LCU experience gain rate

LCUs gain experience from combat (uncapped) and from non combat training up to the capped national army level.  Receipt of non support devices will reduce the experience level.

When AE was released, non combat training only occurred when the LCU's PP level had reached 100.  Patch #7 allowed the possibility of non combat training to occur even if the accumulated PP level is less than 100.

(1) With FO at 100, non combat training provides a chance of an increase of 1 experience point each day until the national army experience level, listed in s.8.2.1.4 of the manual, is reached.  Non combat training will not increase the LCU's experience level beyond the national army experience level, only combat will do so.

(2) With FO less than 100, there is a daily chance the LCU will increase it's experience level if it's PP is greater than 75 and it's current experience level is less than 50% of the national army experience level.



Alfred

[Phoenix100]

Brilliant, Alfred. Many thanks. That clears everything up, definitively. Except - did you also have an answer to the sub-dispute raised above - do aviation points equate to engines or airframes?

[Alfred]

Aviation Support is connect to airframes.
 
Alfred

[Phoenix100]

Thanks.

[rustysi]

Thank you Alfred for another in depth analysis.[&o]