Showcasing WitE2 #5 - Air Operational Groups & Air Operations

[ranknfile]

After playing a few tutorials, I intend to not check auto air management at game start, and hit AI Assist then modify various air-related matters.

According to 17.1.2:
" ... be careful as pressing the AI-assist button will over-ride any manual
changes (deployment, air directives etc.) you have made."

My question is: After making changes - specifically, putting a unit to "rest" status - will hitting "AI Assist" the next turn change this "Rest" status?
In other words, if I wish to rest an air unit for several turns, do I need to check on its rest status each subsequent turn I hit "AI Assist"

[loki100]

yes, if you press the AI-assist then it will intervene to re-organise everything. Now its good at resting stuff (& sending it to the reserve), but if you want a mixed approach, then be aware that it doesn't change things marginally, it will review everyting.

However, what you can do is use the assist for a few turns (say sorting out the guddle of the VVS after the axis T1), then revert to manual. Then at a later stage revert to the assist, this can be quite time efficient as the big task with the Soviets on t1 is getting all your depleted formations off the map.

[ranknfile]

Thanks for the reply.

I'm only assuming what I will do when I actually start playing the game; but I suspect I'll use AI Assist each turn, and then maybe leave "as is" or - more likely - make a few changes (not too much, just enough to satisfy my "inner Air Commander!"). Actually, I think I will like doing a few things outside the AI Assist, but not too much.

Come 25 March, I will find out if that's the case or not. I certainly will check auto Air for the first tutorial or two.

[MechFO]

ORIGINAL: Light4bettor

To any,

2 questions.
A) For example, let's say I decide to manually handle air directives on the opening turn of the Grand Campaign as the Germans. I decide to Ground Attack a Soviet Airfield in Lithuania in AGN's sector with some Ju88As from Luftflotte 1. How do I determine what the optimal altitude to use is, the default is 9000 ft. (in order to maximize the raids effect)? Is it aircraft type/class dependent? Or some combination of factors? Is it just a matter of tinkering around to get the best effect?

19.3.2. Altitude effects and antiaircraft
fire
Anti-aircraft guns have two range bands, effective ceiling and
maximum ceiling, which is generally 1.4 times the effective
ceiling. Fire is allowed up to the maximum ceiling, but any
fire above the effective ceiling will be considerably weaker.
When determining the effectiveness of flak, aircraft
speed is more important to aircraft flying at lower
altitudes. At higher altitudes the effectiveness of flak is
most impacted by the altitude itself (i.e. higher is better to
avoid being hit by flak).
In air to ground combat (19.4) it is assumed that fighter
and tactical bombers with a mission altitude over 5,000’
will actually conduct their attacks at 1,000’. This will lead
to additional anti-aircraft fire at the lower altitude as nonspecialist
weapon systems can also be used in an antiaircraft
role.
Air units that fly below 5,000’ for their mission will evade
most conventional anti-aircraft fire but may be vulnerable
to other weapons. In addition, low experience air units
flying at this altitude will suffer higher operational losses
(19.5.2).

So good altitude choice is probably just above effective ceiling of the most common light AA.

What might be interesting, though probably only for high experience Soviets in the late war, is to see what happens if you stick to 4900.

[Light4bettor]

In air to ground combat (19.4) it is assumed that fighter
and tactical bombers with a mission altitude over 5,000’
will actually conduct their attacks at 1,000’. This will lead
to additional anti-aircraft fire at the lower altitude as nonspecialist
weapon systems can also be used in an antiaircraft
role.

I would interpret this to mean that if I set an altitude of 7000 ft. for my Ju88s, then they would fly to the target at that altitude, but would be understood to drop down to 1000 feet during the actual bomb runs on the target (including calculations for Soviet AA fire). Then they would fly back to base climbing back to 7000 for the return trip. Is that what you understand also?

[Joel Billings]

Ju88s are level bombers, so they won't drop down to bomb. Ju87s would dive down to bomb, as would fighter-bombers.

[Arthurius]

What is optimal number of missions for level bombers AOG per week? In WitW I find that after 3-4 weeks my level bombers morale drops to 20-35.

[Repsol]

From the manual:

"Manually assign airgroups or AOGs to a particular Air Directive they are then not avaliable for any other AD in that turn."

I'm sure this will not be a big issiue but i'm kind off curious for the reason for this rule ? If automatically picked airgroups and AOG will be able to participate in multiple ADs...Why not then also manually selected ones ?

Very minor issiue...i know [8D]...Overall i think the airwar part of this upcomming game looks very intresting

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: Repsol

From the manual:

"Manually assign airgroups or AOGs to a particular Air Directive they are then not avaliable for any other AD in that turn."

I'm sure this will not be a big issiue but i'm kind off curious for the reason for this rule ? If automatically picked airgroups and AOG will be able to participate in multiple ADs...Why not then also manually selected ones ?

Very minor issiue...i know [8D]...Overall i think the airwar part of this upcomming game looks very intresting

The concept is from WiTW. I guess its akin to Stalin phoning up the Front Commander and telling him what to do in very precise terms as opposed to more generic instructions.

the other trade off is if you manually assign you know those assets will be available for that mission and not have used up their mileage or been cut up in combat somewhere else.

[Arthurius]

Heve you plans for making some air only scenarios like ,,Weakest Link'' in WiTW? Campaign about VIII Fliegerkorps would be very nice.

[Arthurius]

From manual 19.2.2:

,,Operating beyond the ideal altitude for a plane will
see some degradation of its combat efficiency. The ideal
altitude for each plane can be found in the editor (41) and
the data exported to a spread-sheet.''

Could you make and upload this spread-sheet?

[ranknfile]

Do A/C performing as "partial escorts" provide coverage for the bombers on the return trip from the target as well as the outbound trip to the target?

[Joel Billings]

I'm pretty sure the answer to that is yes.

[Repsol]

One of the Youtubers playing the game mentioned that as a player you are not able to set the supply priority at anything below luftflotte level..
Is this how it works ? What if you for example would like to transfer VIII fliegerkorps to luftflotte 4 for a couple of turns and use that heavely in an anti armour role but not neccesarely want all of luftsflotte 4 to be of highest supply priority.
Can this be done ? Can you limit the high supply setting to VIII fliegerkorps or will you need to up the level for the entire 4th luftflotte ?

[loki100]

yes, if you use the Korps command level then you can set different supply and asset priorities to those that apply a the Air Command level.

for the moment, worth remembering that a lot of the pre-release videos are being done by people who have just got access, so they may miss secondary elements

[Repsol]

ORIGINAL: loki100

yes, if you use the Korps command level then you can set different supply and asset priorities to those that apply a the Air Command level.

Good, thanks [:)]

[Repsol]

ORIGINAL: loki100


for the moment, worth remembering that a lot of the pre-release videos are being done by people who have just got access, so they may miss secondary elements

True...