Newbie asking how to get started

[Rekm41]

This game looks awesome albeit slightly complicated. It would be nice if someone could give me a hint as to how to start initial strategies etc, what and where to build. I have read some AAR's but if there is something a bit more general it would be great.

Thanks

[Walloc]

Rekm41,

Could u specify scn, side and difficulty. If u give me those information it will be alot easier to help and ill see if i can give some hints.

Kind regards,

Rasmus

P.S here is a thread where i answered some specific beginner questions through out the thread. Whether any is dirctly link to what u are asking i dont think but it might be usefull to perouse.
tm.asp?m=1433321

[spruce]

ORIGINAL: rekm41

This game looks awesome albeit slightly complicated. It would be nice if someone could give me a hint as to how to start initial strategies etc, what and where to build. I have read some AAR's but if there is something a bit more general it would be great.

Thanks

read the manual - read the manual - read the manual (it might take you 3 days, but it won't make you feel bad when you try to explore this gem).

I'll give a very small helpfull tip =

- the game has resources - you can "tune" your economy, this is the easy part,
- the game has supplies - supplies and money are "convertable" in some way, it has to do with supply settings,
- the game has manpower in your city - that's a burden for the CSA,
- replacements are hardcoded in the easy game settings, in advanced settings, the concept of camps is introduced,
- as the South your generals are one of your key assets, so make nice OOB's where the good generals give their bonuses to the subordinate leaders,
- the game is played quite historically - so beware that the Union will come for Virginia and Tenessee,

[Rekm41]

I prefer the North and it is July 1861. I have read the manual. Love reading them.

Just wondering where first attacks should be made. What should be build etc..

Thanks for your responses

[Walloc]

Ok. That said whether or playing had balanced econmy or historic, makes a world of difference. Notice here that the description in 1.9.16d is reversed in terms of playing the july balanced or historic scn.

In balanced economy u going to need horses. Build some horse farms over time. i'd build at leased 10-15-20 through out 61- 62. Ill convert all the 1 producing iron cities to horses.
Possibly buy a iron work in Harrisburg. 2 irons works and some more mines that will give u the iron u will need. Never buy units or muster in Harrisburg u need the city at full producion. Assuming u playing with population modifier else ignore. Takes a year to build a Iron work so it will take some time to pay off. Start building Mines so they come online at same time as Iron work will.

If u look at ur governous screen u will find some governours supporting Mustering and a single opposing. Use it. Muster in states with supporting Governours. If governours are supporting u dont lose attitude with them and the ql of troops are around 3.2 almost as high as bought inf. This is the way to expand ur army early on. If ur governours arent supporting it will only be 2.2 ql troops btw.
Advanced tip: if u play with population modifer muster in cities and in such a way u dont go below 50% in manpower. I dont wana go into the math but it helps on ur economy to do it in such a way.

These are IMO the essentials in balanced ecomomy for starters. Other things are ofc nice to buy escpcially in balanced scn some mints over time, but exactly what and how is largely depening on playing style. Do u want a navy? wana focus on land, buy accordingly. Some like RR for speed of moving forces around others ignore it, again depence on playing style.


In Historic scn. Only thing that basicly is worth buying are some arsenal and RR. All other resources u get to little in way of return compared to ur economy to make any economic structual investments sound. U will soon find ur stocks of every ting but money,guns and possibly labor will be at full stock.
I would as soon as my stock of labor reaches around 500 start converting in massive style from labor to money. Leaving labor at 100 200 depending on needs and convert rest to money. As US side in all scn the most limiting factor will always be money.

Mustering advice goes for Historic scn too.

Advice for both:

U will need buying lots of containers and soon in both Scn. U might wana buy some barracks in Springfield so u have a town out west that in time can buy all 3 land type of containers. In the historic scn i would but this is my personal prefernce buy 3-4 academies soon. It will get u a 5 star general and will help on QL of ur containers both in the short and the long run. If buy them if u do so u have the online before may 62. Else u miss their training of containers until may 63.
U can now start off with buy military stuff, will be right of the bat in historic scn will be much slower pace in balanced. Since US starts with no field artillery, no siege guns and no Cav that is natural choice to start with. Notice here in balanced scn a way to get early art and cav is to convert inf by buying 2 art of cav attributes and paying a price in lowered ql.
In historic i find this less necesarry, but i know some ppl do here too. Ql will be gain in combat over time.
Naval buys. IIRC u start with 8 ship and 2 fleets. how much ppl put into the naval aspect i find is very different depinging on preference, but minium buy is 1 ship and 1 fleet. That would give you 3 fleets of 3 ship. 3 ship is what it takes to blockade a port so u will be good for 3 ports.


As to attacks. well u start off with First Bull Run/ Manassas so either u will lose or win.
In u a starter tho in personal opinion Frederickburg is hugely importand it might be an idea to withdraw to to DC / Annapolis. If u dont wtihdraw reinforce it heavily. The problem especially in balanced scn of keeping Fredericksburg is in the price of keeping ur troops in supply cuz of no RR. So if u dont plan on waging a Eastern theather war it will help ur economy to withdraw.
Being sucessfull in the eastern theather as a new player is prolly the hardest thing to do.
So until learned the robes i'd suggest making the West ur theather of action. ofc there would be many lessons learn in an active east theather just dont expect to to succesfull in ur first games.

In the west make 2 armies. 1 going down the Missisippi 1 down TN/KY. I's suggest waiting on invading KY until they have chosen side the norm if left un touched is going to US side.
No need to actually make the oppose u by invading while neutral.

U might be able to invade such at Memphis in 61 but u prolly wont get much futher since u will need some time to assemple ur armies. In spring 62 KY should have chosen side to act accordingly. Attacking KY or through KY into TN.

That should get u started.

Hope it helps,

Rasmus

[Scotters1]

Walloc, thanks for that post. It sounds like good advice. I spent all of yesterday messing around with this game, but it is so hard to figure out how to start and what infrastructure you should build. Your advice has made things much easier.

[Walloc]

Glad, to have helped.

Rasmus

[Rekm41]

Yes thanks a lot for the pointers. They are going to help a great deal I am sure.

[wolflars]

I am also new to this game, I bought it a couple of days ago and am enjoying it so far. One thing that I have found useful for learning the game is to play both sides, at least initially. Not only do you get a fairly good grasp but you never get humiliated because you win in any case.

However, I do have a question regarding the AI. After playing a few turns as both sides I decided to play CSA with most options on (except supply because I haven’t read the manual yet). My first battle (detailed) I annihilated the Union forces near Fredericksburg. They lost 14,000 compared to my 1,700. Then, each following turn the Union sends about 4 brigades into Virginia on what seems like a suicide mission. Usually they rout before any damage is done, but this is making me question the AI.


Also the USA sent a force straight at Memphis and began to siege the area. Since it is a larger force than what I have in the region I tried to break the siege simply by threatening rear areas. I sent a reasonably sized force into Illinois and another into Kentucky. The Union forces at Memphis haven’t budged. I find this curious. If I had the advanced supply settings on, would the AI react to threats to supply lines?

Thanks for any input…

I have a question about leaders but will look in the manual first.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: wolflars
However, I do have a question regarding the AI. After playing a few turns as both sides I decided to play CSA with most options on (except supply because I haven’t read the manual yet). My first battle (detailed) I annihilated the Union forces near Fredericksburg. They lost 14,000 compared to my 1,700. Then, each following turn the Union sends about 4 brigades into Virginia on what seems like a suicide mission. Usually they rout before any damage is done, but this is making me question the AI.

That sounds like an AI bug that was in 1.2.3. Have you upgrade to the latest 1.9.16d public beta yet? It makes a HUGE difference in the AI.

[cesteman]

ORIGINAL: Walloc

U will need buying lots of containers and soon in both Scn. U might wana buy some barracks in Springfield so u have a town out west that in time can buy all 3 land type of containers. In the historic scn i would but this is my personal prefernce buy 3-4 academies soon. It will get u a 5 star general and will help on QL of ur containers both in the short and the long run. If buy them if u do so u have the online before may 62. Else u miss their training of containers until may 63.
U can now start off with buy military stuff, will be right of the bat in historic scn will be much slower pace in balanced. Since US starts with no field artillery, no siege guns and no Cav that is natural choice to start with. Notice here in balanced scn a way to get early art and cav is to convert inf by buying 2 art of cav attributes and paying a price in lowered ql.
In historic i find this less necesarry, but i know some ppl do here too. Ql will be gain in combat over time.

How the heck to you convert them? I can't find anything on how to change them. Thanks.

[cesteman]

Oh, I almost forgot. Thanks for the info on how to play the South. I think it will come in handy!! I'd like to see an AAR tutorial done by someone in the future to help us lost souls out [&o]

[Gil R.]

It's in the manual somewhere: to create instant cavalry or artillery, just buy two brigade cavalry or brigade artillery. Doing so cuts in half that unit's quality, though (if there weren't a penalty, then no one would ever purchase artillery or cavalry).

You lose whatever firearms your infantry has, so never do this to a brigade with Lorenzs!

Also, another tip: try to make such changes to units that have a special ability especially valuable to artillery or cavalry, and conversely, don't do it if the unit has an infantry-oriented special ability. (E.g., don't turn a unit with "Chargers" into artillery, that's just dumb.)

[wolflars]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

ORIGINAL: wolflars
However, I do have a question regarding the AI. After playing a few turns as both sides I decided to play CSA with most options on (except supply because I haven’t read the manual yet). My first battle (detailed) I annihilated the Union forces near Fredericksburg. They lost 14,000 compared to my 1,700. Then, each following turn the Union sends about 4 brigades into Virginia on what seems like a suicide mission. Usually they rout before any damage is done, but this is making me question the AI.

That sounds like an AI bug that was in 1.2.3. Have you upgrade to the latest 1.9.16d public beta yet? It makes a HUGE difference in the AI.

aha...didn't realize there was a beta patch...i will certainly give it a go