Awesome, I'm going to try again! Thanks for the clarifications and advice. The game gets better and better.

With this option enabled you are under far greater pressure to actually encircle enemy formations to destroy them, rather than purely by pursuit. My understanding is that one of the criticisms of WitE2 has been that the AI can 'teleport' out of encirclements. Will this new morale option end this AI...

Problem solved if the new game has task force counters, and a separate window of some sort for placing ships in a task force.

I wasn't referring to hex-based boardgames, but Matrix's production of digital hex-based games. I just wonder if Matrix/Slitherine is purposely steering away from such production, or there are simply not any viable candidates for them to be interested in producing.

bump; the last year has been very dry for old-style war games here at Matrix/Slitherine

Yes, I started with the PO selected for the Central Powers.

After playing another turn, and then pausing to take a look at the Central Powers position, I've concluded that the TOAW PO system is simply not up to the task of reasonably managing such a big scenario. It's December, Namur is still not taken. No rail repair into Belgium beyond Namur, masses of Ger...

Yes, PO for both sides, but the Central Powers is said to be better. I'm expecting the hammer to come down in the East once the West stabilizes.

Overall, 4 months into the war, the Central Powers PO has done a respectable job in the West, and very poor in the East. I'm guessing the PO tracks will shift to the East at some point soon. One thing I wonder about is the infantry movement points. In a two-week turn, I can move an infantry division...

Along the Austrian frontier, much the same story. The 9th Army has moved impressively towards Lemberg. Elsewhere, border guards are being cleared, and Russian forces are advancing along roads, securing supply lines. [player note: I have used the Russian cavalry to advance deep into enemy territories...

Russian 1st and 2nd Armies are pushing into East Prussia, clearing the frontier defenses. 1st Army has met scattered and unsupported German 8th Army probes. The German PO has yet to organize any discernable offensive strength there.

Serbia continues to entrench, expecting an Austrian offensive. So far there has been no sign of Austrian troop movements towards the border, beyond the initial probes.

British cavalry has quickly advanced to the border of Egypt with Palestine, and into Iran towards Tehran.

The Ottoman Empire declared war against the Entente in late October, and immediately the British Indian 1st Corps began an advance towards Basra.

The BEF established a strong position along the Somme, but the Germans have just pushed across on the left flank.

...

after Central Powers turn 8 Dec 7 The Central Powers PO has exerted it's entire effort in West so far, approaching to within 30 miles of the eastern outskirts of Paris. The French 3rd and 4th Armies were shattered in September, allowing a rapid German cavalry probe towards Paris, but that was beaten...

Eastern Front Mobilization is the keyword in the East. All of August has been taken up mustering troops and moving them primarily by rail to the front. Cavalry probes all along the front, by both sides, little actual combat otherwise. Samsonov's 2nd Army has seen the most action so far, probing into...

On the Serbian front, the Austrians have probed eastward from Loznica, but withdrawn back to their original positions, after meeting resistance from the Serb 2nd Army. The Belgrade front has so far seen only artillery duels.

The French right is in the best order, with the 2nd, 1st and 9th all in danger of being flanked but with somewhat cohesive lines, but will have to fall back to cover the French left, and attempt to plug the growing gaps. Mobilization continues, and 18 more French and 4 British infantry divisions are...