A Few Thoughts and Observations

[jeffersonvandyck]

I have played as the Germans several times and have a few thoughts I wanted to share.

1. First, my compliments and thanks to the Developers, it's a fantastic game with good replay ability.

2. I like the logistics aspect but it's frustrating at time that some decisions I make early in the game cannot seemingly be reversed, ever. For example, in my current game I chose early on to allow to extra artillery ammo to AGN, which takes up some trains (fair enough). However, by September I've captured Lennigrad yet the 4PG is basically stuck the rest of the game because literally no fuel (or if I am very lucky maybe 1200 bbls) can be transported to the FSB in Lenningrad because of a lack of trains. However, if I could switch out the 8 trains taking extra ammo for fuel, I'd be fine. One would think von Leeb would not want his whole PG just sitting there because of no fuel. Why can I not pay some PP and switch those trains?

3. Rather than query me every turn about moving airbases and FSBs, perhaps toggles could be added where I can, when I want to, choose to move the base and check the box for the desired city? Also, why wouldn't a major city like Moscow or Lennigrad not have an airbase? That seems a bit odd.

4. I seem to have mechanical breakdowns in Panzer and motorized divisions even when they don't move at all. This seems a bit harsh. For example, I did a R&R on 4PG and got some reasonable improvement in the number of runners but then the next few turns those numbers dropped significantly even though I hadn't moved them at all because I had almost no fuel.

Just finishing my first game on normal difficulty, it's been a challenge but fun, I'll try and carve out some time to do a proper after action report someday.

Thanks.

[lancer]

Hi Jefferson,

The trains aspect is a valid point. There should be an option to reverse it. Perhaps not on a whim as there was a lot of inertia involved in reversing such decisions.

The airbase and FSB decisions are repeating ones that are highlighted as such (there in a separate sub secion of the reports) and are designed to be ignored until needed. The toggles would be a better way of doing it but the interface didn't allow it.

Panzers won't breakdown if they don't move. Can't happen. What's possible is that during the enemies turn they were involved in combat which would flip the movement flag at the start of the subsequent turn. Even if they were attacked and didn't leave their hex it would still count as movement as they were assumed to be maneuvring within the 30 km are of their current hex.

Fuel is the deciding element of the game for the Germans. There were many times during '41 when the Panzergruppes were halted for extended periods due to a lack of fuel. If Exxon had franchised their way through Russia prior to WW2 it would have been a short war.

Cheers,
Cameron

[jeffersonvandyck]

Hi Cameron,

I appreciate the response and certainly agree that logistics, especially fuel, was the deciding element of the campaign. Ironically, from what I have read the General Staff logistics staff knew this, predicted it and it pretty much followed the predictions (which were ignored at the top of course).

I'll double check the panzer breakdown thing when I get a chance, I have saved games I can look at. If I see anything that looks like it could be a bug I'll share it.

I'll chalk the trains issue up to a lesson learned. It would be nice to have a bit more flexibility in the game on that but then again perhaps it captures the chaos and lack of planning in logistics on the German side.

Based on Soviet dispositions in late September in my game, it looks like the Soviets want to hold Moscow. I was hoping to free up 4PG to drive down the Lennigrad-Moscow highway but if I have fuel issues so be it. I should have Rostov in a few weeks and can potentially send 1PB North to help then.

Again, great game, really enjoying it.

Cheers,
Jefferson

[sabo10]

Hey Jeffersonandyck, in my current game I was asked if I wanted to get some trains back, I don't know what precipatated it though