How to use the Forces Screen effectively?

[Pitbull]

I'm this has been addressed somewhere:

I'm assuming that there is a way to filter out the new units/fresh recruits that are being trained up. All I'd like to see are my "available" units. I am having to go stack by stack on the map, which seems rather inefficient use of time.
Thanks for the ideas.

[ArmChairGeneral]

Unfortunately I think this screen is unwieldy and hard to use. I typically only use it to find where I have stashed wagons and if I have any spare corps commanders.

[GraniteStater]

Unfortunately I think this screen is unwieldy and hard to use. I typically only use it to find where I have stashed wagons and if I have any spare corps commanders.

Oh yeah, a CSA player has to take a lotta time to find them.

[minipol]

If you hit the recruitement screen (i think it's f1 of f2) you'll see the units being built.
on the main screen, you have the messages each turn. With the buttons you can further filter out the messages.
if you hit the buttons with the soldiers on, you'll see only the messages regarding training.
There are messages regarding training of existing troops, which you can ignore.
You'll also notice messages which end with "finished building". Those are the new units.
Click the book icon at the beginning of that message, and it will take you to the region.

[ArmChairGeneral]

Pitbull,
You are talking about the Forces Screen in the Ledger right? What you want to do is filter out building forces so as not to clutter up the forces screen?

GS

Yeah, once per game, spring of 62, so I can make sure I send them all to where their new Corps are going to form; sometimes they are scattered about. I also use the Forces ledger to try to keep an eye on what my best 1*s are doing. I actually DO have trouble keeping track of all of THEM.

[Pocus]

Did you activate the fixed filter or sorted by number of turns fixed?

[Pitbull]

Thanks for the suggestions. I am still a nubie with the game so I am still experimenting with the forces ledger and how to use it to best advantage. I'd also like to find a way to sort my generals by rank. It's not as intuitive as I need it to be.

[Pitbull]

To the best of my knowledge, I used the fixed filter.

[Pitbull]

Pitbull,
You are talking about the Forces Screen in the Ledger right? What you want to do is filter out building forces so as not to clutter up the forces screen?

GS

Yeah, once per game, spring of 62, so I can make sure I send them all to where their new Corps are going to form; sometimes they are scattered about. I also use the Forces ledger to try to keep an eye on what my best 1*s are doing. I actually DO have trouble keeping track of all of THEM.

That sounds like what I want to do. So how is it done?

[GraniteStater]

The filter icons are obvious and need little comment (tooltips are your friend). Check out the horizontal arrow, though - it switches between Stacks & Units, or sumptin' like that.

I rarely, rarely use the Forces screen, usually just the first few Turns. I usually have a pretty good handle from the messages.

[GraniteStater]

Thanks for the suggestions. I am still a nubie with the game so I am still experimenting with the forces ledger and how to use it to best advantage. I'd also like to find a way to sort my generals by rank. It's not as intuitive as I need it to be.

I don't know if you can in CW2. It will sort Leaders by Awesomeness, but haven't figured out a Star Search (*, **, ***) yet.

[ArmChairGeneral]

The problem you are having with the generals is that instead of sorting by rank, the column sorts by quality, a combined measure of the ratings and special abilities for each of your generals. You still have to scroll through the list looking for the rank you want, which is something you will want to remember to do prior to Corp formation in spring of 62; the symbol in the column shows the rank, just scan your eyes down the column as you scroll through. Although I was initially annoyed that I couldn't sort by rank, I found in practice that I am only rarely looking for a specific rank, but am often looking for the best available general for a new division.

Not sure what the problem is with the filters for you. The tooltip wording is a little tricky, try filtering the opposite way to see if that works. When the far right column (# of turns fixed) shows all zeros that is the filter combo you are looking for.

A side tip that is extremely useful for managing you forces: use the E and R hotkeys to cycle between land units without orders. This makes sure that you have not forgotten anyone. T and Y does the same for naval units. Press spaceber to tell the E and R keys that you do not wish to give the unit orders this turn. Press S to tell it to stay put until further notice. You can still issue orders to these unit by selecting them on the map, spacebar and S just mean the hotkeys won't jump to them anymore.

Edit: cross post

[GraniteStater]

You're just awesome, dude.

[planefinder]

I honestly have just stopped using it. Ever since they implemented the spacebar command to cycle units/engage sentry mode, I've stopped doing specific queries but rather cycle through every unit every turn to ensure that I don't have untapped forces that I'm forgetting about.

Btw, have any Union players other than me noticed that for whatever reason, the last unit in cycle is Fort Popham Garrison, which is actually a fixed unit?

[GraniteStater]

Mainiacs.

Just 'cuz you can fit all the rest of New England into Maine...

but they gotta pay the toll in NH on I-95 to get to Boston. Gotcha!

[minipol]

I find the cycling slow. I just use the message filter to see the troop messages of new troops finished building.
I know where my stacks are. No need to cycle through the gazillion units (i know about sentry, but that's a pain too)

[ArmChairGeneral]

Off-Topic:

minipol,
Interesting. How long does it take you to play a typical turn (mid-game) in the full scenarios? Mine take 30-60 minutes, but I get distracted a lot by little details.

I use the E R keys until I am in a theater where I need to coordinate everything, make all the moves there and then E R through the strays until I get to another area that I have a lot of stacks in.

I have lost scout stacks and riverboats by forgetting them and leaving them unsupplied, so I use the E R and T Y crutches. E R cycling often leads to me entering uncoordinated orders because I am bouncing around the map so much. I try to keep things in as few stacks as possible just to speed up turn entry.

I always forget to sell my cotton too.