Playing as Soviet

[pad152]

When you start as Soviets in some scenarios you don't get get a chance to preview the order of battle, map, nothing before the action starts. In some scenarios it feels like the battle is over before you even begin, if I'm in command don't start the war without me! The first thing you get to review as the Soviet player is your unit losses, that just doesn't feel right! Would like to some new options here for a Soviet start.

[runyan99]

Relax, it is a long war.

[color]

Half of the fun with the Russians is cleaning up the mess Stalin left you [:)]

Getting the russian act together gives a sense of achievement!

[Aditia]

What will you do when you see the order of battle? Make plans for units that wont exist once you get your turn? =P

[PaulWRoberts]

It's a valid point, though. The Sov player should know how things actually stand at the start of the scenario. As it is, he only gets to see how things stand at the end of the German's first-turn romp.

The solution is to open up the scenario in two-player mode and immediately End the first turn for the Germans. Then you can at least study your opening positions and OOB as the Soviets.

[*Lava*]

ORIGINAL: color

Half of the fun with the Russians is cleaning up the mess Stalin left you [:)]

Getting the russian act together gives a sense of achievement!

I've only nibbled a bit playing the Soviets, but my initial impression is that it is actually a whole lot more difficult than most of the Axis players think.

[color]

ORIGINAL: Lava

I've only nibbled a bit playing the Soviets, but my initial impression is that it is actually a whole lot more difficult than most of the Axis players think.

The challenge is different, and you have to change your mindset.
I don't know enough of the game to try to make a statement about which side would be most difficult.

But it's pretty easy to mess up your game as a soviet as well.
Maybe they have bigger buffer for 'mistakes', but as of yet I still feel I lack a lot of more experience to make an assuring statement regarding that.

[mmarquo]

You can see the OOB, even before you move - there button on the Info screen to take you right to it.
 
Marquo

[Zoetermeer]

Playing as the Soviet, it really doesn't matter what you have to start with before June 22. All that matters is what you have left after the initial Axis heave. Plus, even with all of your destroyed units you'll have plenty of micromanaging to do.

To me, both sides are unique and have different problems to deal with which make them fun. But look at it this way: as the Axis, in the best case, you may have 30-40 turns of real offensive warfare; as the Soviets, you have well over 150 turns where you have the initiative. I'd rather spend most of the game advancing than fighting for my life as the Axis. Just personal preference.

[pad152]

I don't know of any war game where you can't review (map, forces, placement, etc.) before the shooting starts. WITP/AE allows the allied player to do this, there are even options that allows the allied player to move/make changes before the Japanese attack or a chance of having the US carriers at Pearl, I would like to see some options for what if starts.

What would have Stalin have done if he knew of the attack, try to reinforce the front, run away or start building a defensive line elsewhere?

[PyleDriver]

Well you can start a H to H game solo, bypass the Axis move and look at the Soviet OOB, If you really need to know...

[Aditia]

Well, for a 1.1 version, whenever it comes out, I kind of agree it is necessary. Even just for the sole purpose that it gives you a glance at the opponents style of play on turn 1 which should be a part of how you play your own game. In that respect it is probably a good idea to give more of a view of what your oppenent did in his turn, instead of having to deduce from the status of the map a week later as to whatr happened.

That said, thinking about the options and requirements of the soviet player, it is probably the side with the most options to differ style of play, albeit a bit hard on the stomach in the first couple dozen turns XD

[CheerfullyInsane]

ORIGINAL: Aditia

What will you do when you see the order of battle? Make plans for units that wont exist once you get your turn? =P

+1.
While I can see a Russian player might have an interest in viewing the OOB, if he can't do anything about it it seems a little pointless.
Besides, the opening moves for the German are fairly limited in number.
Well.....Technically he could do a surprise-attack on Bulgaria just to try something different, but..... [:D]

ORIGINAL: color

Half of the fun with the Russians is cleaning up the mess Stalin left you

Getting the russian act together gives a sense of achievement!

Very true. It's a right bugger for the first 8-10 turns when you're scrambling to get everything organized, but very satisfying when it comes together.

As to who is the harder side to play, I'd say the Germans are far harder to play *well*.
The point is that everything stands or falls on the '41 offensive. The Germans *have* to cripple the Red Army, or they'll be in a world of hurt even if they get through the blizzard relatively unscathed. The Russian replacement-rate is a deadly beast.
So a German player can't win in '41, but he can surely lose.

That being said, it takes a mental adjustment to play the Red Army in '41.
Just gotten through the '41 summer in two CGs, losing Leningrad in both, and Moscow in one.
What you have to realize is that you can't stop the panzers. Period.
Wherever the Germans decide to go, they can amass enough strength to eventually get through.
So the game for the Russian becomes a task of delay, delay, and more delay.
None of this is news or rocket-science, but it means that it does take a certain psychological fortitude to be used as a punching bag until the blizzard hits.
Especially against a good PBEM player. Having an entire Front surrounded because you missed a small opening in the line is a little disconcerting. [:D]

[randallw]

ORIGINAL: pad152

I don't know of any war game where you can't review (map, forces, placement, etc.) before the shooting starts. WITP/AE allows the allied player to do this, there are even options that allows the allied player to move/make changes before the Japanese attack or a chance of having the US carriers at Pearl, I would like to see some options for what if starts.

What would have Stalin have done if he knew of the attack, try to reinforce the front, run away or start building a defensive line elsewhere?

Oh boy, talking about what Stalin knew, or did not know, would be a thread by itself. [:D]