I just don't understand supply.

[Cromagnonman]

How do you know thery are in steady state?

Same supply every turn. A 14-element division with 4 supply elements; several turns in a row the pot icon was half green, half red, with tooltip reading "you have 60 supply and use 32/ turn." It was like that for a few months, in winter, in the wilderness.

[GraniteStater]

* 2-3 Wagons per column - well, ya can't fault the kid. He's on the right track. Three may be a tad unnecessary for a small or medium column. A good rule of thumb is what is shown by initial formations in various game starts - two Wagons to a real live, full Corps. One is usually enough for a lone Division that's truly independent and is looking to Make Trouble Somewhere. Three - I've never really done three, but it can't hurt - it's your army, you're the general, have fun. Bear in mind there's a possibility that an excess Wagon could get a bit more easily captured if your force were walloped by an unexpectedly strong oppo force.

@Mickey3D and others:

The GS Conjecture: W + (T) = Requestor

I think have a clue to the "Wagon question". Start in 61. Take Rolla with a two Bde force, say, three to four Regmts with maybe a Cav Regmt, too.

Rolla is a size 2 town. Using my previous notation, it is not a DFT+. Let's call it a (T), i. e., Podunkville. Rolla is a (T) with no Depot. Rolla is a terminal point for a RR.

Your force that took Rolla will be hurtin' fer certain fairly quickly, because of the condition mentioned - it is a (T). Now, push a Wagon to Rolla - almost certainly, it will have two Barrels and two Crates in the icon, be in good shape. Your troops are now happy because of the Wagon and will continue to be in Supply.

Why, GS asked himself, why? Now, let's clarify - a lone Division or three Bde force sitting on the RR tracks, not proximate to a DFT+ or a (T), with a Wagon, will go into 'the red' eventually - because Wagons are not direct targets for the System. I would testify in AACW court that the observation is correct. I believe the conclusion I just mentioned is true.

But, but...Rolla is being supplied!, he said to himself.

(T)s produce modest amount of supplies. They do not request Supplies. Wagons do have a pull, a request vector, locally, at least. My conclusion is that:

W + (T) = Supply Requestor

I would be hard put to give you the proof; in this case, call it the "GS Conjecture". I hope a better AACW physicist than I can furnish a proof or iron out some of these wrinkles.

N. B.: I don't think the conjecture is applicable to TPs - I know from experience in the "Burnside dilemma" (see above), it doesn't work, possibly because of Overseas mechanics. From my experience with Vicksburg, I hazard that it is inapplicable to River Supply, also.

[hgilmer]

seems a lot to me !

2 or 3 wagons with a force that will try to move behind ennemy lines, ok. But for a force that is connected to your supply network...

I meant to say I WOULD have 2-3 with every column.

[Mickey3D]

Rolla is a size 2 town. Using my previous notation, it is not a DFT+.

But Rolla has a depot at game's beginning


Now have a look at the Snowman experiment :

You'll find attached game files of a test I've just conducted.

Look at Kentucky near Bowling Green. An union force will stay through all the winter in front of the city with only a wagon (city is occupied by CSA). Guess what...supply will not decrease (except once due to the fact that wagon takes hits for winter damage, but they are recovered the next turn).

The only point is that the wagon will not be refilled up to 100% of its capacity. My guess is because it's not a strong enough "magnet".

So : W = Supply Requestor

quod erat demonstrandum

[GraniteStater]

But Rolla [U]has a depot at game's beginning[/U]


Now have a look at the Snowman experiment :

You'll find attached game files of a test I've just conducted.

Look at Kentucky near Bowling Green. An union force will stay through all the winter in front of the city with only a wagon (city is occupied by CSA). Guess what...supply will not decrease (except once due to the fact that wagon takes hits for winter damage, but they are recovered the next turn).

The only point is that the wagon will not be refilled up to 100% of its capacity. My guess is because it's not a strong enough "magnet".

So : W = Supply Requestor

quod erat demonstrandum

Duh. should've launched the app.


"Never mind."

I'll check out the rest of your assertion.

[hgilmer]

I just wish, and I know, the game isn't going to get this update, just wishing... that we could do a lot like games like War in the Pacific. You could "load" a wagon or groups of wagons, and then "unload" them at a destination.

That way, I could have a little more control over my supply situation. I could set up a supply chain to move supply from big citties toward the front in an overlapping supply chain.

[GraniteStater]

You can. Park Wagons, or TPs, where they can replenish and bring them to a destination. The troops will draw on the replenished W&TP.

[hgilmer]

You can. Park Wagons, or TPs, where they can replenish and bring them to a destination. The troops will draw on the replenished W&TP.

Not really the same as I want. I wanted to be able to build supply even in cities where no wagon or anything. Right now, it seems, and forgive me if I'm inaccurate, but it seems there is some randomness in cities/depots, etc. in getting supply even if they are on the rail and have a depot. Maybe there is the ownership issue, but some ARE getting supply, but it is never as much as I want.

[GraniteStater]

Join the club. At a certain point, the USA, Industry or not, is awash in everything, except Men. The USA takes some time to ramp up, say mid-62, but after that it's ridiculous. My game against P. Cleburne is challenging, cuz it's a 61 start and that's the whole ball game - the South needs to win early.

I'll bet most CSA players wouldn't agree to, in the following order: a 64 start (Union: I WIN), a 63 start (8-3, US, in the bottom of the sixth), a 62 start (3-3 in the second), a June61 start (bottom of the first with two on and none out for the Union). April 61 against a human, and quite possibly the AI, is where it's at for the South.

The South has Issues with Stuff - the whole game. The North has much fewer concerns with Stuff, especially as time goes by. That's why the Political concerns are so important - that's how the South may win.

[hgilmer]

You guys laughed, but in this game, most columns have multiple wagons. I'm playing an easy game, but I'm keeping the supply wagons available.

[GraniteStater]

Hey, I wouldn't disparage your approach - it's your war, do what you want. Note that although I do understand Supply to some degree, I overkill - when in doubt, bring a Wagon! When in doubt, build a Depot!

Mostly works for me.

[Cromagnonman]

Noticed recently that there are 6 empty regions between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, so I buit a depot in between. Also in Allegany, to connect Harpers Ferry with Grafton. However, I bever noticed any issues with supply conduction here before. Anyone else discover similar bottlenecks/impasses in the start-up set-up?

[hgilmer]

Yes, it is hinted somewhere that there may be bottlenecks from the major cities to the front line. Does anyone know of any specific bottleneck or city that needs help like that?