Supply Guide up in FAQ Section

[Slan]

What about the distance? If you only have one, distance quickly become huge.
With, e.g., one for each theatre, distances are reduced.

Why is the distance from the supply source important? If I understand it correctly, it only determines which units will be prioritized (those that are further away from the center). It is much more important where the supply itself comes from. For example, if you have your industry on the border, on the supply line, it will funnel the stuff directly towards your units, no problem.

Now, I had experiments with this stuff, and I found that if the IC is not directly on the supply line, then it will go back first, and only then go to the units. That is stupid, and I can't imagine why it is so. They should work exactly like ports, sending stuff to the units, and only when noone wants them, send it to the depot. (By the way, in my humble opinion, there's absolutely no need for any supply centers... They do nothing, only serve as a reference point...)

 

[lambrf]

The longer the road is, the bigger the risk is to have bad infra or partisans on the road.

If I understand well, there is also a cost for transporting supply. Do you mean the cost is not distance dependant? It would mean delivering supply 50 km away from the capital would cost the same as delivering it 2000 km away.

 

[Modo]

Now, I had experiments with this stuff, and I found that if the IC is not directly on the supply line, then it will go back first, and only then go to the units. That is stupid, and I can't imagine why it is so.

Because routing sucks. All is based solely on the distances from the supply source, not between any free supplies (or at least some in-between points) and the units. Thus, free supplies often move back home from great distances even if they could reach units nearby. This is why you see major fluctuations—lots of excess supplies moving into the network, and lots getting back in from the network. And presumably lots lost to the supply tax on their useless way.

 

[Slan]

The longer the road is, the bigger the risk is to have bad infra or partisans on the road.

If I understand well, there is also a cost for transporting supply. Do you mean the cost is not distance dependant? It would mean delivering supply 50 km away from the capital would cost the same as delivering it 2000 km away.

But the supplies doesn't come from the supply center, they come from where they are made, ie. the factories, or from where they reach the continent, ie. the ports.
Yes, there's a cost for tranpsorting supplies, but that doesn't rely on distance from the capital, but the distance the supply actually makes. If you put your troops directly on top of a factory, you won't spend anything on transportation.

 

[Modo]

I think the question was: Does the supply tax depend on infrastructure?

 

[Slan]

I think the question was: Does the supply tax depend on infrastructure?

Nope.

 

[Modo]

That's too bad. The parameters that apply to supply throughput seem just as important for the cost of transporting those supplies.

 

[Slan]

That's too bad. The parameters that apply to supply throughput seem just as important for the cost of transporting those supplies.

I guess it is this way to avoid complicating the system even further...

 

[lambrf]

But the supplies doesn't come from the supply center, they come from where they are made, ie. the factories, or from where they reach the continent, ie. the ports.
Yes, there's a cost for tranpsorting supplies, but that doesn't rely on distance from the capital, but the distance the supply actually makes. If you put your troops directly on top of a factory, you won't spend anything on transportation.

It does if factory is not producing enough or if there is no factory. Like in some places in USSR, Africa,...

 

[Sernaton]

The way I understood from the manual (perhaps I misunderstood) is that the supply tax is higher the farther away from the supply center. That is a BAD THING(tm) IMHO. I can understand that moving supplies is more expensive if you have bad infrastructure, or you are logistically overstretched, or no HQ is close, or similar rational reasons, but just because it is far away from an arbitrary set-up provice (the capital usually), is nasty.

I also agree there should be no supply centers at all - the concept is artificial and creates nasty side-effects.

 

[Slan]

The way I understood from the manual (perhaps I misunderstood) is that the supply tax is higher the farther away from the supply center. That is a BAD THING(tm) IMHO. I can understand that moving supplies is more expensive if you have bad infrastructure, or you are logistically overstretched, or no HQ is close, or similar rational reasons, but just because it is far away from an arbitrary set-up provice (the capital usually), is nasty.

I also agree there should be no supply centers at all - the concept is artificial and creates nasty side-effects.

No. Supply tax is not calculated by distance from the supply center. When a unit of supply goes from one province to the other, only 0.9 units of supplies will arrive. That is the supply tax. (And it is lowered by technology, increased by mud.)

 

[lambrf]

No. Supply tax is not calculated by distance from the supply center. When a unit of supply goes from one province to the other, only 0.9 units of supplies will arrive. That is the supply tax. (And it is lowered by technology, increased by mud.)

Same price if province is just the next one or thousands of km away?

 

[Surt]

Same price if province is just the next one or thousands of km away?

From province to province, potential 100's of provinces need to be crossed from Qingdao to Moscow _each_ costing supply tax.
But apparently the tax is independent of how many units supplies travels there, so 3 divisions in Moscow cost the same in supply tax as one, if all can be transported in the same path.

 

[lambrf]

From province to province, potential 100's of provinces need to be crossed from Qingdao to Moscow _each_ costing supply tax.
But apparently the tax is independent of how many units supplies travels there, so 3 divisions in Moscow cost the same in supply tax as one, if all can be transported in the same path.

Then, distance is important, as I said, since tax will add up for each province crossed. It does not seems to be what Slan says.
I really wish Paradox would make a clear, complete, precise guide, not just 1 and 1/2 page, without any detail.

 

[Slan]

Then, distance is important, as I said, since tax will add up for each province crossed. It does not seems to be what Slan says.
I really wish Paradox would make a clear, complete, precise guide, not just 1 and 1/2 page, without any detail.

Distance is important, but not from the supply center. The distance the supplies actually make is what's important. If your units are sitting on top of an industrial province, then your units will get supplies from there directly, without any additional supply tax. Also, if they are closer to a port different from the supply center overseas, they will get their stuff from that port, cheaper.

 

[lambrf]

Distance is important, but not from the supply center. The distance the supplies actually make is what's important. If your units are sitting on top of an industrial province, then your units will get supplies from there directly, without any additional supply tax. Also, if they are closer to a port different from the supply center overseas, they will get their stuff from that port, cheaper.

OK, that is fine. But what happens if the is not enough supplies produced by that industrial provinces? Then the extra supply will come from somewhere, the supply depot, with transport tax, isn't it?

All this is proving that information provided by paradox is not enough. We should not have to beg for explanation, or try to get bits and pieces together from many threads.

 

[Sentinal 6]

Doomdark,
Thanks for the guide - nice work.