Quick question for owners of GoA

[SMK-at-work]

ORIGINAL: justaguy93

So would it be correct to say that countries joining the war (when they join, not who) and surrender both have some randomness figured in, and aren't events that you can predict with 100% accuracy before they occur?

Each neutral country has 1 of 3 positions - they will either join the TE, or they will join the CP, or they will never join either. You can vary this with some setup options ....eg you can set Italy to join the CP instead of the TE.

Each is then on a count down - AFAIK the entry date for each country is fixed.

However each side can invest production into diplomatic influence to try to speed up the joining if it's going to join you, or to slow it down if its going to join the other guy.

Countries that are never going to join either side cannot be influenced - the only way to get them in the war is to declare on them. And of course you're perfectly free to declare war on anyone who is currently neutral...regardless of which side they'er going to join.....but you wouldn't normally declare war on a potential ally (but I did see it done once!!)

so there's no randomness, but there can be considerable variation.

[Walloc]

ORIGINAL: justaguy93

Opening setups of the AI countries is different most times, as are their objectives, and placing the main strength of their reinforcements. Each campaign evolves differently.

Then there are the main strategies of: France first, Russia first, even Italy first, for the CP player.
I haven't even gotten to playing the Entente yet, and I've played the game since September.
Not to mention the spending choices in the Strat Phase: ie: spend more on research, on replacements, arty, diplomacy, etc.

My opinion: if you like the subject matter, then buy the game.
Simple as that.

That's pretty much what I was hoping to hear.  If you've played the game for a couple of months without even switching sides and still not know exactly how it's going to play out from game to game I think that's about all you can ask for.  I guess I'll have to go ahead and make the purchase. 

Thanks to everyone for the replies.

-justaguy93

ill be the voice that differs some what with kcole4000.
First of vs AI. Yes u have many strategies u, ur self can chose from when playing either ET or CP. Do i do france first, russia first and so on. That will naturally make for different campaigns.
As to the AI im not as posetive tho. Is not bad, but my experience in 15 vs AI finnished campaign is that the AI very predicteble especially the ET AI.
If a campaign has evolved differently, its only cuz i "forced" that by insisting on my particular strategy. The AI reacted pretty much the same to my setups and in the same way every time. i've not seen that the AI makes choices that makes the campaigns evolve notebly different, unless i make changes.

Pbems. Cant say i ever got to play them much but i see many more possibiities for variations on that. Not some thing to be exhaused in a few games, but much more long term replaybility. Not that its supprising in it self.

Kind regards,

Rasmus

P.S i still think its a buy espcially considering the price.

[justaguy93]

However each side can invest production into diplomatic influence to try to speed up the joining if it's going to join you, or to slow it down if its going to join the other guy.

... so there's no randomness, but there can be considerable variation.

I see.  That might be enough to keep things interesting.  Especially if I don't know for sure how much diplomatic capital the other side will have or where they will choose to use it. 

[justaguy93]

my experience in 15 vs AI finnished campaign is that the AI very predicteble

I can't say that's a huge surprise.  Every time I hear people say that computers will be thinking in a few years I think back to all the PC wargames I've played.  [8|]

Computers are great at calculation but I've never seen one even remotely close to thinking.

[Franck]

About country joining and surrendering, you can have a pretty good idea of when a country will join by looking at the dipliomatic screen... But as was said you can move this faster or slower by your decision.

About surrender, Most country you can mostly guess when they will be near surrender ( ie: when there moral gets to 0 ) unfortunetely, you don't see there actual moral. You see there moral as Excellent, strong, weak, wavering and I believe there is one other but I don't remenber what it is. Each level correspond to some amount of moral ( excelent is 100% to 80%, Strong is 80 to 60% ) There is also exhaustion wich happens once you used up a portion of a countries manpower ( I believe ) and when this happens you drop one level in moral. There is 3 possible phase of exhaution, every one of them makes a drop of one level in national moral + some other adverse effect on your military units. You also drop one point in moral for every point of food you don't have to feed your population.

Russia is a bit different. I believe when it gets below a certain level ( I believe it is weak or wavering ), there is a random chance of revolution, kerensky governement and bolshevik revolution happening so russian collapse is more of a gamble but a little bit quicker. You can be sure it will happen, but not as fast as you would like.

France is probably the simpliest to know ( not always ) but most of the time once you took paris and you kept him from liberating anything on the next turn, France collapse. This makes for some climatic battles around Paris...

[gothfather]

ORIGINAL: Bismarck

@gothfather:

So OK, we're asking.  Send the save game files to Frank Hunter.  Let's see what you have.

I'm not sending them to him until HE ASKS for them. But if you want them I will send them to YOU.

[wurger54]

I'm not sending them to him until HE ASKS for them. But if you want them I will send them to YOU.
[/quote]


Just curious, how old are you? [&:]

Anyway, I may have an example of the flying RR. Had a Romanian corps out in the middle of Russia when it surrendered. After a turn it was gone, maybe back to Romania via Flying Dracul RR. If somebody would assist me in how/where to send a file on this board I would be glad to without undue begging. [;)] I can't seem to attach a game save file to this post. [:(]

I also can't move into Romania, even though I'm at war with it and expended some HQ refits to do so. Has anybody seen this? [X(]

[gothfather]

ORIGINAL: wurger54
Just curious, how old are you? [&:]

Anyway, I may have an example of the flying RR. Had a Romanian corps out in the middle of Russia when it surrendered. After a turn it was gone, maybe back to Romania via Flying Dracul RR. If somebody would assist me in how/where to send a file on this board I would be glad to without undue begging. [;)] I can't seem to attach a game save file to this post. [:(]

I also can't move into Romania, even though I'm at war with it and expended some HQ refits to do so. Has anybody seen this? [X(]

I do not think its proper for someone to make a request for a third party especially where I have no way of knowing if Mr. Hunter would welcome me sending him files without asking him. If Bismarck wants them I'm more than willing to send them to him or anyone else that wants them. I think its perfectly reasonable not to send them to someone unless they ask, given that files, especially from a stranger, could contain a virus.

[Arkady]

ORIGINAL: gothfather



BUT DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. THE GAME ALLOWS ENEMY UNITS THAT ARE ENCIRCLED TO USE RAIL MOVEMENT THROUGH ENEMY UNITS TO ESCAPE.

Are you sure ? DO you have save ?

Because I was just encircled by my opponent and I'm not able strategically (rail) move my units from encirclement...[8D]

[*Lava*]

ORIGINAL: gothfather

ORIGINAL: Bismarck

@gothfather:

So OK, we're asking. Send the save game files to Frank Hunter. Let's see what you have.

I'm not sending them to him until HE ASKS for them. But if you want them I will send them to YOU.

Why should he ask for saves from you?

Just because you're proving yourself to be a flaming asshole?

Ray (alias Lava)

[Hanal]

"Why should he ask for saves from you?

Just because you're proving yourself to be a flaming asshole?"


At my recent venture to a restaurant, I saw an plate of flaming assholes served to the people sitting next to me.  I ordered the steak!

[justaguy93]

Well I got my questions answered fairly well it seems.  Unless there is going to be more discussion on randomness built into the game that affects replayability I think we can let this thread die.  There are already other active threads for the alternate discussions that are taking place here.

Thanks again for all of the information!

-justaguy93

[EUBanana]

The AI kept me going for a while, best part of a month of play I think.

I'm done with it now, though.  It seems very poor as the CPs, it just can't manage offensives very well.  As the TE it does better, due to the bulk of troops it has, but it has a tendency to throw them away like Butcher Haig.

When I got the time I'm eager for pbems still.  You can get through a pbem in a week or so, if you are managing several turns a day, so its eminently doable and doesn't require epic amounts of effort to play.

[Joel Rauber]

ORIGINAL: Franck

. . .

France is probably the simpliest to know ( not always ) but most of the time once you took paris and you kept him from liberating anything on the next turn, France collapse. This makes for some climatic battles around Paris...

France is not quite as simple as taking Paris and holding it for turn. You have to have enough other cities captured as well; and its more than a few.

[Moltke71]

ORIGINAL: gothfather

ORIGINAL: Bismarck

@gothfather:

So OK, we're asking.  Send the save game files to Frank Hunter.  Let's see what you have.

I'm not sending them to him until HE ASKS for them. But if you want them I will send them to YOU.

I have no need for them. People have sent files to Hunter without himing asking. Should he beg you?

Beware the Billy Goats Gruff.

[Franck]

@ Joel Rauber: That is why I said most of the time, if you manage to take paris, you usually managed to take quite alot of city, when I play, it as always been one of the lattest city to fall. Maybe I just always go with the same strat against the AI tough.

[gothfather]

ORIGINAL: Arkady

ORIGINAL: gothfather



BUT DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. THE GAME ALLOWS ENEMY UNITS THAT ARE ENCIRCLED TO USE RAIL MOVEMENT THROUGH ENEMY UNITS TO ESCAPE.

Are you sure ? DO you have save ?

Because I was just encircled by my opponent and I'm not able strategically (rail) move my units from encirclement...[8D]

Yes i have a save on the orders phase I encircle the enemy units and a save of the following orders phase where they rail out and a save on the order phase after they rail out of the pocket. I will send these to anyone who asks for them. It appears that the Ai has the ability to rail out of a pocket and NOT a player.

[TheHellPatrol]

ORIGINAL: Bismarck

People have sent files to Hunter without himing asking. Should he beg you?

Beware the Billy Goats Gruff.

In all fairness gothfather, a good read of the GoA forums and you'll find where Frank has given his email addy to "us" in response to certain bug reports. Of course he'll accept emails from strangers lol, he's the developer of a game on a very public forum and has posted his address here under his own free will. With all the time you've invested in defending your position you could have sent him a bunch of saves where the AI is using its' magic train, hell...he might have been working this into his next patch by now[:)].

[gothfather]

ORIGINAL: Bismarck

ORIGINAL: gothfather

ORIGINAL: Bismarck

@gothfather:

So OK, we're asking.  Send the save game files to Frank Hunter.  Let's see what you have.

I'm not sending them to him until HE ASKS for them. But if you want them I will send them to YOU.

I have no need for them. People have sent files to Hunter without himing asking. Should he beg you?

Beware the Billy Goats Gruff.

It has nothing to do with begging it has to do with security. I would never send a file to someone without their ok especialy a stranger. I think its perfectly reasonable not to send them to someone unless they ask, given that files, especially from a stranger, could contain a virus.

[SMK-at-work]

FFS send them to Frank - he's the only person who can actually say what's going on....anyone else can only nod sagely and agree or disagree.....without being able to do a damned thing about it!