💥 1941 Global Command Decision - Official Thread

[TheDog]

@johnnycat said
So I’m onto the user manual. But I will take my time for that one.

Thanks for volunteering to do a manual.

My original documents are located here
triplea\downloadedMaps\1941_global_command_decision\map\doc\images\Originals

On a windows PC here (just paste the link below into Windows Explorer)
C:\Users\%USERNAME%\triplea\downloadedMaps\1941_global_command_decision\map\doc\images\Originals

The files are in Open Document format, I use Libre Office, its free and very similar to Microsoft Office.
https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download-libreoffice/

There will be a September release, with cosmetic changes, minor game play changes and a new page for Politics in the manual.

[JohnnyCat]

@thedog ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!! I recently switched all my open office stuff to libre office

And I just completed a 150 page manual for another game using Libre.

Thanks for the links !!!

[JohnnyCat]

Here is the game where German 8 - all of a sudden a bunch of Chinese units populated India.

This is very weird.CHINESE POPPED UP IN INDIA G8.tsvg

[JohnnyCat]

@wc_sumpton I just posted the game save that shows all these random Chinese units popping into India...

Oh and THEY ARE NOT REALLY THERE - of course. Its just some sort of graphics bug

[TheDog]

@johnnycat
No they are there, fleeing from your Imperial Japanese advance. So all good.

.
Turn 5 - fleeing

.
Turn 6 - Scattering

[wc_sumpton]

@thedog

Nice catch, this is why save games help when answering these types of questions.

Cheers...

[Black_Elk]

Right on. That makes a bit more sense then, especially since China moves last in the turn order sequence. If they got a move in when the player wasn't looking, it could easily seem like they just appeared randomly. Although not a bug, it's potentially still a source of confusion for the newer player, esp. if one is used to China rules in v3 or Global, where the Chinese can only operate in specific territories. I'm not sure if the open/closed borders concept was introduced into TripleA specifically to accommodate the way China and Pro-Side Neutrals work in G40, but seems likely.

@johnnycat I was referring to the situation in Classic Axis and Allies, where the UK player would purchase an Industrial Complex in India and the USA player would then purchase a second Factory in Sinkiang (team Allies would then use the 'double factory' buy in Mainland Asia as a way to Kill or Contain Japan) for a Kill Japan First game. I was not referring to GCD 1941 there, but rather a standard opening buy from Allies in the A&A game from 1984. Alternative openers might be the British player buying an Industrial Complex in South Africa, or a Carrier build where the USA flies in support in that game.

I worry that I'm not really the best person to describe the nuts and bolts on some of this stuff for the GCD. I don't want to confuse anyone, or speak for TheDog in terms of the design intention. A lot of times I will be critical of the way a particular unit works here or suggest an alternative approach, but I don't want my opinions on how a given thing might work to be conflated with the explanation of how it's currently set up. I also have pretty hardcore dyslexia too when typing, so there's that as well hehe. I was trying to respond to your Qs regarding bombers and factories by highlighting where the AI is deficient, since it just can't really do the sort of stuff to us, that we can do to them. It's relevant to the extent that the game is framed as a single player experience rather than a PvP one. Meaning that you're supposed to play it basically vs the computer. This came up very early on when deciding how the challenge for the single player should be approached, with the TheDog deciding on set bonuses awarded to the computer when they are being played by the AI. I think there are different ways to frame the bonuses if the idea is to play as the entire team vs the computer, rather than a single nation vs computer, both of which will be different than a PvP where two players go head to head, each controlling the entire team/side, Axis or Allies. Right now that last option seems the most fraught, since a lot of the design thus far is trying to push the behavior of the FastAI. For example there are hidden capitals and things like that are used to 'persuade' the computer player to adopt certain play patterns on the first turn, or in the midgame, where they are propped up with bonuses. In the same way, when the FastAI is controlling a teammate nation, those bonuses will stabilize the fronts a bit so that it's not a blowout when the AI is fighting itself (other computer players) rather than the lone human.

[JohnnyCat]

@black_elk much appreciated content. Thx

But back to teleporting Chinese troops circa 1944: why are there a bunch of Chinese in India ?

[TheDog]

@johnnycat
Because they are moving away from your advances and the AI decided to move them to from N. Burma to Bengal (4 purple conscript and Artillery) on Turn 5 image and then turn 6 they scattered.

Turn 6 image shows some of the history of what happened, they did not teleport there, you just did not notice their retreat/moves to that point.

As seen here in the post above.
https://forums.triplea-game.org/topic/3326/1941-global-command-decision-official-thread/831

[JohnnyCat]

@thedog Thanks.

Learning this game reminds of learning golf. Each (turn of the game)/(swing of the club) has me considering a couple dozen things at once, so Im not surprised that i did not notice them earlier and really felt like they just materialized. lol

[JohnnyCat]

VARIOUS UNIT and PLACEMENT Questions and Observations.

I'd be most grateful if any of you have any information you can give me regarding these things. I just want to know intentions and whatever else you know...

1. noticed that Bunkers and Base-Camps cannot be placed in a marsh tile. Are there any other placement restrictions and/or any docs/rules that specify these sorts of things?

2. German "Early Fighter" What is this unit for and when would it come into play? I have not yet seen it actually offered in play and only notice it when in edit mode.

RELATED NOTE: Most of the nations have units like this - units that I ONLY see in Edit Mode placement.

3. German "Inf-Conscript". What is this unit for and when would it come into play???

4. Why are Oil-Fields offered as units that can be placed in Edit Mode? The TripleA "maps" Iron War and Iron War Europe are extremely fun to play and the only TipleA games that I am aware of that factor in Fuel - and they do so in a very significant manner as I recall many times having everything correct, only to find that I don't have enough fuel to execute my plan, lol...

But I NEVER have found fuel limitation in this GCD game. Are these units solely for PUs per turn?

5. I've never understood the movement rules fully so I am hoping that solving this case will help.

Consider a selection of all types of units in the Upper Volta tile in Africa. I own the Ivory Coast tile and I want to invade/capture Sierra Leone and Liberia.

I cannot do this with an armored infantry unit. But I CAN do this with an armor unit. Why is this the case?

THANK YOU !!!

[JohnnyCat]

MORE MOVEMENT MYSTERIES

I heard the term "blitz" and I see "transport costs" but I don't yet understand any of it.

Here is what I observed:

A. If I move a tank from Upper Volta to Lagos S. Nigeria and then try to move an inf - the inf cannot make it.

If I click on the tank to move it, but then click on the inf, they can then be moved together to the destination.

So where and what are all the facts regarding this? I notice that the halftracks CANNOT transport any other unit. Is that correct?

THX Mates - all your input now will result in a great user manual later.

[TheDog]

@johnnycat
#1 Not sure, there is no quick answer

#2 & #3 From the German start panel When German homeland is invaded it can buy Inf-Conscript and gets free obsolete Armor-Lgt & Fighter-Early

#4 Oil-Fields are offered as a unit, because to TripleA they are a unit. The can be captured and give PU to their owner. I have a feature request in on GitHub to allow the option to not show this type of unit. 1941 GCD is designed so the AI understands most of what the player see/plays/aims for and as Fuel is a Resource that TripleA does not understand it is not used. Yes Oil-Fields are for PUs per turn.

#5 Erm, ah, oh, Im off to bed

[JohnnyCat]

BOMBER FIGHTER MYSTERIES 36

Q1. If a drop some Bombers onto some unsuspecting schmuck out in the open, I can often destroy or sig damage the units.

Same with using Tac-Bombers.

What are the dice rolls here and should the Bomber do better than the Tac-Bomber?

Q2. I want to attack a tile that has a Bunker x2 and some units.

Observation: Often when I do the battle calc and get 78.2 percent, but then throw in 4 Bomber that were lounging around the area, I notice something peculiar: The battle calc does not change. I notice this often actually.

In any case, the point of my question here is when should I have the air units ATTACK and when/where should they Bomb/Escort.

I am seeking all the information I can get on this Escort/Bomb and Attack options. I still do not have any feel for what to do and usually just have then attack. Bombing seems like such a waste of resources in this game with the one exception being that if you have at least 8 Bombers you might could destroy a heavy factory. That's not guaranteed and, in case case, a stack of that many bombers would seem to be rare, right?

Do the Tac-Bomber also fly as escort?

I have this hunch that I should sprinkle my factories with cheap fighters because, in my hunch, this would help defend against bombers from destroying my factories. But do they? How would I know?

Similarly I have this hunch that I should send figures along with my bombers - but ofc this is not practical as fighters have such poor range. In any case, how would I even know that my fighters are helping?

BTW, I'm trying to address this manual thing in a breadth-first approach so any and all information you guys have would be appropriate. Thanks again.

[JohnnyCat]

@thedog COOL - THANKS FOR THAT. I do now recall seeing that "when Germany is invaded" statement but I cannot recall where I saw it.

I'll have some followups on the oil thing but GOOD NIGHT to you Sir Doggie...lol

[wc_sumpton]

@johnnycat

Armor can transport infantry, when you select the armor and infantry together it is assumed that the armor is carrying the infantry, thus they move together 2 spaces. When selecting infantry alone it may only move 1 space. Even if the armor "traveled" along the same route, by selecting the infantry by itself, it is being move unaided. As to armor-inf, it is designated as a heavy tank, with weak engines, thus can only move 1 space.

@johnnycat said in 1941 Global Command Decision - Official Thread:

I am seeking all the information I can get on this Escort/Bomb and Attack options.

Depends on targets and gameplan. Are you trying to destroy bunkers with bombers then use Escort/Bomb, because bombers cannot attack bunkers. Are you trying to capture an industry, then use attack so you don't damage the industry.

No tac-bombers cannot escort, nor can they scramble.

Most of the time the AI will retreat from an air battle prior to it beginning. Also, most air battles will be between fighters, and if it does happen, can go very quickly because causalities will be just fighter so there is no need to select, so the battle happens quickly. @Black_Elk had this same problem.

[JohnnyCat]

FINAL QUESTIONs FOR TODAY - and an important question at the end to see what you guys want and, specifically, if you like my idea of implementing a new in-game summary manual ASAP...

=================== Q1 =====================

Attached is a game I just started. I call your attention to the British Turn 1 invasion of Normandy. 9 Bombers and 4 fighters and 1 trans with an Army HQ unit (cool) and 2 Inf-Trained invade Normany which Germany defends with 2 Bunkers, 4 Fighters, 1 HQ-Air, 1 Industry-Lgt and 2 Inf-Traineds

As I have said many times earlier I have found the choice of "SCRAMBLE YOUR AIR UNITS TO THEIR CERTAIN DEATH AND IN NO WAY INFLUENCE THE BATTLE" to ALWAYS be best when answered with NO.

In the attached file you can see that the first time I sent 4 fighters and the Nazi Luftwaffe Superhero, TO INTERCEPT THE FLEET which resulted in nothing to stop the invasion. They damaged the BB but that is all. And this is expected.

If I choose to NOT intercept the boats, however, I am given the option to intercept at Normandy. So I selected that and sent in my 4 amazing fighters, all flown by Aces from Richthofen's School of Great Fighter Pilots, as well as the German SuperHero, Van Clauswitz von SuperFlighter.

THE FOLLOWING MUST BE A BUG:

But this time I was ALSO IMMEDIATELY ASKED to Intercept AGAIN - this is very confusing.

So I said NO and I received the best result possible: the Brit air units: 6 Bombers and 3 Fighters win but the territory stays in the hands of the defender.

IN ANY CASE, the notion that 4 fighters ON DEFENSE (which should be an advantage I would think) and an Air HQ unit should have some impact but having run this many times the Germans are lucky to take out 2 or 3 British Air units. This does not feel correct to me but I really don't know. I just wanted to call attention to this so that I can better understand what are reasonable results and/or if there may be some tuning needed here.

I assume that the land battle for Normandy happens NEXT with any surviving British air units pitching in. Is this correct?

And the fact that the land battle is not affected by the air battle is logical because in all cases the Brits end up with air superiority there.

SUMMARY Q1: I JUST FEEL LIKE THESE INTERCEPTIONS NEVER DO ANYTHING AND I WONDER IF THIS NEEDS TUNING. Maybe the defenders should ALL GET A +1 because they appear to need it.

=================== Q2 =====================
I should ask the following in a separate forum but I don't want to forget so...

I rarely notice any sort of in game announcement simply because I would have to work hard to actually see such announcements in this game - and I am too lazy for that.

But now that I am writing a manual I have to pay attention so please inform me about what is going on here but ALSO what else along these lines I should know about::

AFTER TURN 1, I saw the Allies had won the game via some sort of economic victory condition. Is this correct?

In looking into the game history notes for that victory condition thing I then noticed the following :

"Trigger rolling is a failure (Rolled at 1 out of 3 Result: 3 for Trigger Germany Research Armory-Hvy Chance"

Is there some sort of table of these things and the odds? I assume that this is planned and might go something like: "Germans Get Hvy Armor on Turn 6 or whatever, but Turns 2-5 have an X-percent chance of them getting it earlier."

It would be most beneficial to me to get a complete set of notes/docs on this type of activity. I saw some of this info BY GOING BACK TO THE SELECT GAME MENU but what's there appears way incomplete.

I am referring to the window that shows the following at the top:
The only text is in the beginning :

"Version 1.175 For the latest download and discussion, copy and paste the link below https://forums.triplea-game.org/topic/3326/1941-global-command-decision For tips to improve game speed of bigger maps like 1941 Global Command Descision, 270bc Wars, Gundam, Shogun, Shogun Advanced, Warcraft War Heroes https://forums.triplea-game.org/topic/3133/get-ready-for-our-new-game-the-shogun-coming-soon"

I will call this the SELECT GAME USER MANUAL.

Under the Italy section under the Technology Row, the text says, "Turn 1, Italy can Blitzkrieg, the close interaction of Fighters, Bombers, Armor and Infantry."

Ah, that doesn't even sound like good English. Is that some sort of abbreviation? WHAT IS BLITZKRIEG??? I have asked that question a few times now and still don't feel that I know.

In any case there is much information for our upcoming new manual from this SELECT GAME option under the TripleA window.

I notice that the content here is ALL PICTURES and not text. Was this done to discourage people copying?

After the beginning text which I included above, only images of text on a white background follow. Because of this I cannot search the text. And this is unnerving !!!

So I would love to get the text for this.

SUMMARY Q2

IS THERE AN EASY WAY TO DISPLAY SOMETHING NEW IN GAME?

One of the first things I will want to do before finishing an actual manual is to get some sort of USEFUL but CONCISE in-game manual summary to pop up. WOULD YOU GUYS LIKE TO SEE THAT?

IN ADDITION to the request to show an in-game manual, could I also add various popup windows and such to help further the player's understanding and education?

THANKS AGAIN FOR LETTING ME DO THIS - of course we've yet to see any results but its awesome to me to feel that such a manual would be appreciated ...

Cheers

[JohnnyCat]

@wc_sumpton said in 1941 Global Command Decision - Official Thread:

because bombers cannot attack bunkers.

ARE YOU F KIDDING ME?

That means that myself and friends have been "bombing" things that were completely unaffected by the bombers... FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR, LOL. hahahaha

So please restate this so that it is clear because now I am testing this and just getting confused by the results since I CAN bomb bunkers...
????????

[wc_sumpton]

@johnnycat

You miss quoted me sir... What I said was:

@wc_sumpton said in 1941 Global Command Decision - Official Thread:

Are you trying to destroy bunkers with bombers then use Escort/Bomb, because bombers cannot attack bunkers.

Escort/Bomb vs Attack vs Bunkers = Escort/Bomb, because if you choose to Attack vs Bunkers Bombers cannot hit them. Go ahead and bomb away. Bomb! Bomb!! BOMB!! but don't attack.

Cheers...

[beelee]

@wc_sumpton said in 1941 Global Command Decision - Official Thread:

@johnnycat
You miss quoted me sir.