Some Questions

[Smothmoth]

I've put around 10 hours into a sandbox game as Japan, and had a few questions that I couldn't find answers for in the manual.

1. AI doesn't exploit its resources
I have all of my Uranium deposits maxed out, but still needed a bit more to support the number of nuclear things I wanted to build. Problem is, none of the countries with decent deposits of Uranium are mining it. No one in the world has more than 1-2 thousand units of Uranium, actually leaving me with the most. Its 1957, is the AI ever going to start building mines?

2. Roads vs. Rails
What are the differences, if any, between Roads and Railroads?

3. Super Garrisons
In 1955 I invaded Indonesia, mostly because I wanted to give the military aspect of the game a try. I build up a pretty nice force of marines, artillery, tanks, and supply trucks, but it has been a disaster so far. Indonesia doesn't seem to have anything but garrisons, but I just can't do anything against them in normal combat. It doesn't matter how many units I use, or what kind, they just get completely destroyed by the garrisons. The only way I've been able to do anything is to bombard the area with artillery until the garrisons are dead, and try and take it before another garrison spawns.

What am I doing wrong?

4. Unit Designs
Another problem I've had is simply not having designs for mostly everything. Meaning I have to buy designs from my allies, who never have what I want. There should be more generic unit designs, the current selection is really lacking in most areas.

5. Naval Transports
How do I load units into transports? For my invasion I built nice amphibious assault ships, but I could't get my units to load into them. I tried using the "Load Unit" order, but it didn't do anything.

[tkobo]

Im playing japan in a sandbox right now.

2)Rails help supply spread better,but roads give travel bonus for units

3)Not sure why your having trouble with garrisons,they seem even weaker than 2020.
Are you surrounding them ?
Are you attacking with an equal amount of units ?

4)You'll get enough new unit designs to stay ahead of the AI.SU-60 is an early infantry unit which can do most of what you want.Some tanks will come long also, as will art.They will be slow incoming at first,but you'll get enough choices to match the AI soon enough .Push research as hard as you can.

5)Theres automated,and non-automated.Non-auto is the way to go.

Get some transports,in your case amphibious is what you say you have.
Move the units you want to transport to a pier or port.
Move the transport ships to the pier or port.
Select the ground units,select load into,click on transport ship.

Once the ship is loaded,select it,pick unload and click on the destination hex you want the ground units to unload onto.

Watch the weights,your beginning amphibs can only carry a single infantry or two.So use a few transports unless you want your landing to be crushed.You get some non-amphib transport ships also,capture a pier or port in your initial landing then use those to ferry more units to it.

Protect your transports,escorts of some kind are recommended.Best to send in a naval force to secure the waters in the area you intend to land first,as well as a few with the transports as escorts.

[foothill]

1. I think that I read that the economic AI isn't set up to build new complexes somewhere on the development forum.

2. Ditto.

3. I attack cities with Motorized Infantry. When it comes to urban combat, it's all about the close attack value. My Moto-Inf's tear through garrisons like tissue paper.

4. Not much you can do about that without modding the game files. I have to buy unit designs as well when not playing a superpower.

5. Ditto.

[Smothmoth]

2)Rails help supply spread better,but roads give travel bonus for units

Okay, but it seemed like Rails gave a speed boost too. Is the road boost more or something?

3)Not sure why your having trouble with garrisons,they seem even weaker than 2020.
Are you surrounding them ?
Are you attacking with an equal amount of units ?

I've tried everything, but everything just looses near instantly.

4)You'll get enough new unit designs to stay ahead of the AI.SU-60 is an early infantry unit which can do most of what you want.Some tanks will come long also, as will art.They will be slow incoming at first,but you'll get enough choices to match the AI soon enough .Push research as hard as you can.

I'm incredibly far ahead research wise, but I still have hardly any units to build. The main problem is missiles, the only ones I have available are the air dropped nuclear bombs, which I can't even build because of the Uranium shortages. I wouldn't mind so much if I could just buy some missile designs from America or something, but they don't have any at all.

5)Theres automated,and non-automated.Non-auto is the way to go.

Get some transports,in your case amphibious is what you say you have.
Move the units you want to transport to a pier or port.
Move the transport ships to the pier or port.
Select the ground units,select load into,click on transport ship.

Once the ship is loaded,select it,pick unload and click on the destination hex you want the ground units to unload onto.

Watch the weights,your beginning amphibs can only carry a single infantry or two.So use a few transports unless you want your landing to be crushed.You get some non-amphib transport ships also,capture a pier or port in your initial landing then use those to ferry more units to it.

Protect your transports,escorts of some kind are recommended.Best to send in a naval force to secure the waters in the area you intend to land first,as well as a few with the transports as escorts.

Maybe I was trying to load too many units at once, I'll give it a try again.

Thanks for the answers.

[Smothmoth]

1. I think that I read that the economic AI isn't set up to build new complexes somewhere on the development forum.

Well, that's a pretty big issue.

3. I attack cities with Motorized Infantry. When it comes to urban combat, it's all about the close attack value. My Moto-Inf's tear through garrisons like tissue paper.

I'll give motorized infantry a try, thanks.

4. Not much you can do about that without modding the game files. I have to buy unit designs as well when not playing a superpower.

I would just buy the designs from a superpower, but they don't have any.

[foothill]

I would just buy the designs from a superpower, but they don't have any.

I have found that the AI doesn't research new unit designs unless actively engaged in a war or are threatened. If you place the world volatility to high and both superpowers are actively fighting something, you'll see new designs more often.

[Barkhauer]

3. When you're taking seemingly absurd levels of casualties, make sure you're using units with a good close attack/close/ground defense values. Also, check your defense minister and make sure that your training and maintenance level is at at least in the middle. If this is too low, your units tend to die in swarms. Finally, I recommend playing with the Supply map filter turned on. This can be simply explained by your having outrun your supply lines, and your units are low, or out, of ammo to shoot at the garrisons. The more solid the color on the map, the more supply you have. The fainter it is, the less you have.

[tkobo]

Are you funding your units ?Make sure your maintenance,salaries,and training are maxed.Skimping on this will get your troops mauled quickly.

I dont see a shortage of unit research choice...

[Sawyer_00]

On your fifth question, I also have the same problem. I tried loading one Infantry onto my beach landing aircraft carrier. The carrier can hold upto 2,200 tonnes and my Infantry was a meer 56t. Used the LOAD UNIT and right clicked onto the carrier...nothing happened. The infantry stayed was in was. The load unit doesn't appear to work

[tkobo]

Im going to go with user error :P

If your keying from the ground unit,the order is " load into",not "load unit".

[Smothmoth]

3. When you're taking seemingly absurd levels of casualties, make sure you're using units with a good close attack/close/ground defense values. Also, check your defense minister and make sure that your training and maintenance level is at at least in the middle. If this is too low, your units tend to die in swarms. Finally, I recommend playing with the Supply map filter turned on. This can be simply explained by your having outrun your supply lines, and your units are low, or out, of ammo to shoot at the garrisons. The more solid the color on the map, the more supply you have. The fainter it is, the less you have.

I'll try increasing my military funding, it was at zero two years before the invasion so maybe I didn't increase it enough. As for supply, I am using the supply filter, and my units are well supplied.

I dont see a shortage of unit research choice...

What country are you playing as, because as Japan this is all I get even though I'm pretty far in the tech tree.
Available for research:

Available for construction:

If your keying from the ground unit,the order is " load into",not "load unit".

I can't believe I missed that one, it worked, thanks!

[Sawyer_00]

Yeah me too, I also have THE carrier now loading units and not units loading thanks for help

[tkobo]

im japan also this game.It looks like your still fairly early in the tech tree.It goes to future units,and you can reach modern units very fast.

[Smothmoth]

im japan also this game.It looks like your still fairly early in the tech tree.It goes to future units,and you can reach modern units very fast.

Hmm, well I'm currently researching High Yield Nuclear Weapons, Military Production IV, and Commercial Satellite Applications. I've research a few Future unit techs, like future helicopters. How far along would you say I am?

[tkobo]

1/5 ? maayyyyybeeeeee 1/4 ?

[Smothmoth]

1/5 ? maayyyyybeeeeee 1/4 ?

Wow, really? Anyway, when will more generic units start appearing?

[tkobo]

Yup.Soon. And for japan,some national units as well.Japan gets access to multi (which covers a lot of units),worldwide (which covers most of the fictional future units),and japanese only produced units.

[tkobo]

To give you an idea,and i still have about 1/4 of the tech tree to go.And of course,this is just stuff i havent researched.