Lol sweet the AI (Entente) just butchered me

[Pandemic]

Thought I was doing ok, had the Eastern Front under control, with most of Poland captured, but then stalemate. Western Front had gotten into a trench warefare bloodbath then towards the end of 1915 the Italians declared war on me and the British / French launched huge offensives. My Italian front got overun after underestimating the Italians, and the Western Front cracked in 2 places followed by breakthroughs. I ran out of troops to transfer from the East, while the casualties were in my favour (3.3 million to about 6.6 million) I was losing badly.

What a great start

[sol_invictus]

This confirms the beta impressions that an early German drive in the East is more difficult than I had imagined it would be. I am torn on which strategy to pursue first.

[7th Somersets]

As Central Power I always favour smashing up the French first. While the Russians are a huge country and (relatively) easy to defeat - they lack the capacity to sustain large scale offensives. Which is not to say that you don't have to protect that front!
 
 

[ejs6263]

The subtle beauty of Frank's design is that in GOA art very much imitates life. What I learned in multiple campaigns is that Germany must strike fast and furiously in the West before the British start to appear en masse and the French are able to hold off the Germans at the gates of Paris. Too much delay on the part of Germany runs the risk of becoming bogged down in the West, and then in East as the Russians become more numerous.

The best way to go about it is to play a delaying action in the East as the Russians do not have enough activation points to mount anything meaningful right away. Commit your forces (and your activation points) to blowing through Belgium and northern France.

It's also important that AH finishes off Serbia quickly because the longer that front remains open the bigger resource draw it is on AH.

If you're bogged down in trench warfare on both fronts when Italy arrive on the side of TE, you're basically cooked. In many ways that's what actually happened when the Germans resigned to trench warfare following the First Battle of the Marne in September '14.

[sol_invictus]

I agree, the pressure should be on Germany from the word go, and if they can't strike a decisive blow early, their prospects in a long attritional grind are not good. Just like the actual events. This is the sign of a good historical simulation. I can't wait to get my copy.

[TheHellPatrol]

[8D]Hmmm, very compelling post Pandemic, this really piques my interest. I wonder if the hardcopies are anywhere near ready...after all $34 is a steal[;)]. Arinvald my good man(man?)...i will rest my decision in your hands, i have watched you squirm for years here and other forums(shrapnel?)...if you like it i'm in[:)].

[flintlock]

ORIGINAL: Arinvald

I am torn on which strategy to pursue first.

Try diplomacy.

Seriously though, this thread does read as though there are some interesting decisions and challenges to be weighed early on in the game.

[sol_invictus]

TheHellPatrol, squirming seems to be what I do best.[;)] I pre-ordered the game five years ago this week, so you can imagine my anticipation. I hope to get it today. I feel very confident that I will find it an excellent game.

Flintlock, why worry about Diplomacy when I can use a Krupp howitzer.[;)]

[flintlock]

ORIGINAL: Arinvald

why worry about Diplomacy when I can use a Krupp howitzer.[;)]

Ah, a deterrence strategy employing Big Bertha to achive coercive diplomacy. Though in reality I suspect you have something a little more aggressive in mind.

[sol_invictus]

Who me? My armies are only entering Belgium in order to defend her from the evil French.

[7th Somersets]

Who me? My armies are only entering Belgium in order to defend her from the evil French.

 
And no doubt the Alsace was always part of the Fatherland?

[sol_invictus]

But of course.[;)]