Slitherine

More questions as I'm learning the game:

1) When do units qualify for upgrades? I'm playing the tutorial and its June 1941 and haven't had any upgrades to my units be available yet. I'm still showing the 38t tank unit icon for all my German armor units.

2) I keep getting messages from the game that (e.g.,) "The Germans have had great development in Radar". What can I do with this information?

I did check the manual for explanations of these 2 questions but it really didn't answer them.

FWIW I really dig this game!

upgrades become available after research improvements, which are reliant on the number of labs in that research area
click on the 'beaker' symbol in the bottom right hand corner, this will give you access to the lab area

you buy labs and can apply focus on particular area's - if you click on the tabs at the left they will show you what each progress gives you

the messages are reports about whats happening in your lab area's

In the lower right hand corner panel there is star symbol, which starts 'greyed' out and does not respond to a mouse click (pass your mouse over the symbols and a box appears to tell you what they do). When upgrades become available the star symbol colours green and, if you select it, the mouse cursor changes to upgrade mode and eligible units are highlighted on the map, they show red text (like 4/5 - first number is the level the unit has, second number is the upgrade level available). Click on a unit to apply the upgrade. When you have finished upgrades, click again on the star, or on another button, to leave upgrade mode.

You cannot use, or repair, units in the turn that they have been upgraded, so plan which units you can do without that turn, or plan an upgrade halt in your strategy. You cannot upgrade units that have already moved, or repaired, that turn, or naval units at sea (they have to return to port) and I think units have to be in supply. If you select a unit, have a look at the unit stats, bottom left of the map screen, highlighted/shaded items are those which have upgrades available (useful for units at sea which do not highlight on the map when upgrades are selected). If you check your Lab screen, you can look at the % progress bars on the right and see if any upgrades are about to become completed, you might decide to delay a naval unit leaving port, to hopefully apply the upgrade next turn, you can then send out a more capable unit, depends on the urgency of the mission.

Watch the PP levels, as it costs to apply the upgrades, you can empty your PP pool if you are too free with the upgrades.

Simple game great depth.

Thanks everybody for all your help! Its really appreciated. This is a great and helpful forum and I'm sure I'll be back.