Clarification of some game functions

[lodilefty]

There are several things in the game that are subject to misunderstanding or confusion. After consolidating several bug reports and questions from the forum and from messages directly to Hok, we are writing this thread in an effort to help clarify some of these.

I. Supply

Supply in WIA [and BoA ] is much simpler than in other AGEOD games.
An excellect explanation has been posted, but may be overlooked:

http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?p=96360#post96360

In particular, note that the supply filter colors change to shades of red if [color="Red"]NET supply is inadequate for the Total Demand of all your stacks in that region.[/color] To change 'red' to 'green', you must either move some units away, or build a structure that generates supply [depot or fort]

A simple rule of thumb: To have adequate Supply:
[INDENT]The Supply level (as indicated by tooltip) x 5 must be greater that the total required (indicated by selecting each stack and looking at the tooltip hovering over the 'Supply' icon).[/INDENT]

II. Distant Unload

The tooltip for Distant unload doesn't make the procedure clear:
[INDENT]1. Load the land units onto the ships. The ships can either be in port or in a water region adjacent to land.
2. Move the stack to a water region adjacent to the land region you wish to attack.
3. Click on the distant unload button, then on the target region. The target region should then 'pulse' blue to confirm your selection.[/INDENT]

These steps may be done in any order, as long as all 3 steps are done.
The land uit can march a distance, load onto a ship at sea, the loaded ship then moves, and distant unloads. Of course, all this must occur within the length of the turn.


III. Training Officers and Unit/Element upgrades

There was a real bug in the earlier versions of WIA that as been fixed. It has since been tested extensively.
[INDENT]1. The Training Officer no longer must be in command of the stack (changed in patch 1.07a and later)
2. The stack cannot move that turn
3. The region must be at least in 51% Military Control
4. The units must be 'upgradeable': typically Militia, Provincials, Continental Regulars. This is defined in the models database.
5. Then, two elements in that stack will upgrade.
6. As soon as a majority of the elements have upraded, the unit will upgrade, (if a unit upgrade is defined in the units database.). (Example: a unit has 4 elements. 3 must be upgraded for the unit to upgrade)[/INDENT]
Note that any unit that has at least 1 'star' of experience and that meets #2, #3, and #4 has a 5% per star chance to upgrade automatically each turn. This is the most common source of 'bugs' reported with the Training Officer function.

Also note: Training Master [or Drill Master] is a different ability: He does not need to be in command of the stack, he adds 1 'experience point' to each unit in the stack each turn. The number of 'experience points' needed to gain 1 'star' varies by unit type.

IV. General tooltip information on stacks or units

1. The numbers you see on units [your or enemy when close] in the tooltip are representing 'Overall Power' of the units [similar calculations to "Power" of a stack]. These will indicate 'less than full power' when a unit is either missing elements, low in cohesion, or has some existing hits [red coloring in unit elements display]. It is the same number you will see in each unit selected in the unit panel: the small number near the 'status bars'.

Examples:
1st Infantry 33/33 is a fully 'ready to go' unit.
1st Infanrty 15/33 could be either missing elements, low in cohesion, or has existing hits.

2. Transport carrying status is indicated by the tooltp as two numbers: Weight amount used/amount available.
Example: Transport 0/6 means 0 used, 6 available.

Each unit will indicate it's weight if you hover the mouse over it and read the tooltip. A stack will also indicate total weight in it's tooltip panel.

V. AI behavior

Lastly, we all see the AI do 'strange things'. After all, it's an AI.

The only way that Pocus and his team can do anything about AI behavior is to examine situations in the game as they arise. We MUST include savegame files for the turns involve, so that he can look at the 'decisions' the AI is making.

[color="Red"]PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE include savegames with any AI issues reports. [/color]
Nothing much can be done without them....

Thank you!
Please enjoy WIA. I certainly do!

[lodilefty]

To clarify the requirements:

Fort:
1 artillery & 1 supply with each at minimum 50% strength

Depot:
2 supply units [or 2 transport class ships], with each at minimum 50% strength

note: 50% means 50% of the unit design maximum, so that an artillery or supply with 2 full strength elements but it's unit normally has 4 elements meets 50% requirement to build a fort

Note that with patch 1.04 or later, there is no longer a requirement that a fort be built in a city structure. Can be built anywhere.

[lodilefty]

Note: For transport ships loaded in a port and ordered to transport away:
[includes any naval vessel with transport capacity]

The presence of enemy troops, leaders or spies in the port region you are leaving will often force the loaded troops to immediately unload [before transport] to 'deal with the enemy'. Often there are enemy 'stealthy units [raiders, spies] that cannot be seen.

To ensure the troops are transported, you need to click on the 'Evasive Move' icon.

[lodilefty]

There is a chain of events that 'bring on' the French and Spanish forces:

1. A check vs FE value, to see when it reaches 'target': every turn starting January 1778 [Target is set by FE difficulty in Main Options: Easy=75, Normal=100, Hard=125]
2. A French Alliance event that fires when FE >= MAX: announces same, gives USA an arty and supply unit in FWI, disables options that use EP to affect FE
3. A 'dice roll' for FE after the alliance to activate Foreign Entry of troops, etc. Checks every turn after Alliance happens. These rolls are modified adversely by the number of Theaters GBR controls [control = own all Strategic Cities in a Theater, -15% probability for each Theater]. Theaters checked are $New_England, $Middle_States, $South_Central, $Deep_South. The probability of FE increases every 2 months, to a max of 60% less the GBR modifier. Thus, GBR control of all 4 Theaters precludes FE until 1782..
4. Then, in January 1782, the FE must event will fire if the dice rolls have yet to succeed. {again, only if the Alliance has occured, as set by FE level reaching the 'target'}
5. Lastly, a 'timer' event keeps track of how many turns since FE occurs [troops arriving] to set delays, timing, etc. for follow-on reinforcements [and Spanish Troops becoming active]