German Research Strategies

[Snowbart1943]

I dont have any to offer, but I'd like to hear what some other folks might be doing. I figure you cannot go wrong with trench and arty emphasis, but id really like to go for planes too!

[SMK-at-work]

you can go for wahtever you want to spend points on!
 
IMO air power is a given - the ability to deny your enemy observation of your hexes is very powerful - if you fall behind in air you're in trouble.
Trenches are the 2nd - if you don't get high trench levels you will become vulnerable later in the war.
Artillery is not so important - you do not NEED improved artillery to inflict casualties, but it is good to have.
Gas can substitute for improved artillery and has its own effects, but I find myself unable to justify spending points on it when I've only got 1-2 points to spend per turn and I need spotter planes and deeper trenches - later in the game perhaps.
Assault troops are a must have if you are getting to 1916 and have a few spare points.

[FrankHunter]

For the Entente, ASW is critical.  

[Cyrano~]

ORIGINAL: SMK-at-work

you can go for wahtever you want to spend points on!

IMO air power is a given - the ability to deny your enemy observation of your hexes is very powerful - if you fall behind in air you're in trouble.
Trenches are the 2nd - if you don't get high trench levels you will become vulnerable later in the war.
Artillery is not so important - you do not NEED improved artillery to inflict casualties, but it is good to have.
Gas can substitute for improved artillery and has its own effects, but I find myself unable to justify spending points on it when I've only got 1-2 points to spend per turn and I need spotter planes and deeper trenches - later in the game perhaps.
Assault troops are a must have if you are getting to 1916 and have a few spare points.

That's interesting because in my first real game I focused almost exclusively on Trenches and Artillery while experimenting with Assault (which didn't seem to make much of a difference against subpar Russian units).
I thought those two main research fields made a huge difference since I could exchange art barrages with much greater effect and entrench my supply lines (added safety against counter att) when I made a breakthrough.
I didn't focus on Airpower, in retrospect I think I should have but all in all Artillery and Trenches served me well. Complete Victory by late 17.

[SMK-at-work]

You want a game then?

[Cyrano~]

ORIGINAL: SMK-at-work

You want a game then?

No I trust you know what you're talking about particularly if you were a beta tester. I'm just relating my experiences with my game against the AI and how that might work for someone else.
I would suspect that against the AI there's probably more than one way to win and against a human even more.

[06 Maestro]

As the CP I’ve been concentrating on;
1. Gas-the bang is nice, but the thought of the TE getting it first is frightening,
2. Trenches-added protection should cut losses a significant degree and I thought it had to be researched to level 2 before you can start on assault troops. (Perhaps I need to re-read the manual).
3. Air Power-it does seem that the ability to “see” the enemy is critical to long term success, not to mention more “bang for the buck” with artillery.

Long term investment in more than 3 areas at once does not seem possible-at least in ’14

[Snowbart1943]

Excellent!  I wanted a reason to focus on airpower.  Yes, gas looked fairly cheap (5 for 1st type)so i went for it right off the bat.  Plus, its a WWI game by god and we need some gas!
 
Im curious if perhaps the AI opponent does not focus on airpower, would you eventually wipe his planes out on that front
(assuming you did focus on airpower) and thus the next turn increase your chances for recon missions on that front?   
 
 

[SMK-at-work]

Wiping out the enemy's airpower does not increase your own chances - it just removes all of his.

[Snowbart1943]

I thought killing his planes would increase the chance for air supremacy and therefore increase the chances in receiving support (air recon) missions? 

[SMK-at-work]

This is what Frank answered in response to teh same question elsewhere:
 

[blockquote]quote:

10. 19.0-.1 Airpower: If you obtain air superiority over a front (e.g., successfully winning the air war on a contested front, or having air points present in a region where your opponent has none), is there any effect beyond that of simply having more hexes to do air reece over?[/blockquote]


No, the effect of air superiority is taken into account when computing the amount of air support. So 5 air points with air superiority should usually generate more air support than 5 air points on a still contested front.

 
now I may be being a bit thick, but it seems to me he contradicted himself.
 
"No" is a clear answer, but the rest of it says "yes"!!
 
I don't have teh rules handy so am not sure to check, but I don't recall there being anythign in them about the presence of enemy aircraft changing the chances of getting recce, hence AFAIK ther eis no extra effect beyond the other guy geting less hexes to recce.

[hjaco]

Your research choices should reflect your strategy and which side you are playing.

As the CP i am usually doubling up the stakes or go for broke with my initial offensive so gas is an easy, cheap and quick boost to Germany's offensive capacity.

Similarly having tried to go on unrestricted SUB warfare by early 1915 with 8 SUBS and seen the result, i must really say that ASW is a must - expect otherwise to loose a lot of morale for Britain for missing food from shipping.

Anyway airpower is a must for the reason SMK-at-work mentions and trench must go to level 4 asap to tie up a front defensively (for both sides).

Investment in especially ASW and trench will pay back rather fast in diminished losses. Whether that will be the most important factor on short time in a current game is another question.

One last word. Don't underestimate high level artillery - it's lethal ! But getting to a steady investment in that area will cost you elsewhere in the game so it's a trade off.