Why I love this game

Adanac's Strategic level World War I grand campaign game designed by Frank Hunter

Moderator: SeanD

Post Reply
sbaxter1
Posts: 53
Joined: Sat Dec 25, 2010 8:46 am

Why I love this game

Post by sbaxter1 »

Okay, so I have lost one game, am losing another and the third is questionable, but I still enjoy this game because...

GOA and the principles of war

From Clausewitz, there are nine principles of war and playing GOA without adhering to those principles is likely to result in failure:

Objective – Set your sights on some achievable objective and allocate your forces to do that. It could be (for TE) to capture German food hexes in and near East Prussia or, for the CP, to destroy French or Russian industrial production.

Offensive – Seize and retain the initiative. Although offensives are expensive, you cannot win by staying on the defensive.

Mass – Overwhelm the enemy. ‘Nough said.

Maneuver – Maneuvering can be difficult in GOA, given the slow, one hex movement. Strategic movement is faster, but can be stopped by attacks on the destination hex. Still, you can move your forces around, rather than through, the opposing force and gain an advantage, particularly if the move cuts the opponent off from supply. Against AI, I have managed a double envelopment. I could have done that against my human opponents, if they were not as bright as they are.

Surprise – Attack the enemy where he is weak and when he does not expect an attack. I surprised an opponent with amphibious attacks on unguarded ports. He did the same to me. The next game, I took care to guard the ports. I assume he did the same.

Security – See “Surprise.” Do not let the enemy do that to you.

Economy of force – Guard your self with only the minimum forces needed. Cavalry can fill this role, but if you have a valuable place that can be attacked, then infantry will be needed.

Simplicity – Plans are ruined by the first shots in battle. The more you depend upon units moving to replace units that follow those attacking the enemy, the more you added to the complexity of the plan and the likelihood of something going wrong (like an enemy attack on the third unit, freezing it in place and leaving one and two isolated, out of supply and likely to go away).

Unity of command – It is a given, with one player on each side, that there will be unity of command for everything. A multiplayer game would change that, particularly if the different players were rewarded based upon national objectives (i.e., the British were more interested in keeping the BEF intact than fighting the Germans in the first couple of months of the war and the French could do nothing about it).

As a note to the comment about unity of command, a multi-player game is possible even without revisions. Say three players take the TE side (French, British and Russian&Serb -- keep the Slavs together) vs two CP players (Germany, Austria + Turkey + Bulgaria). Each individual player orchestrates his/her forces and economy with some regard for the objective of winning the war.
Alan Sharif
Posts: 1129
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2001 8:00 am
Location: UK.
Contact:

RE: Why I love this game

Post by Alan Sharif »

Excellent post :)
A Sharif
User avatar
Matto
Posts: 1150
Joined: Fri Nov 24, 2000 10:00 am
Location: Czech Republic
Contact:

RE: Why I love this game

Post by Matto »

It is really great game, each one half of year I'm returning to it and playing again ... AI is really competent and PBEM game is great.
Excuse my English ... I hope is better then Your Czech ... 8-)
My MatrixGames: WitP, WitP AE, WPO, JTCS, P&S, CoGEE, ATG, GoA, B.Academy, C-GW, OoB all DLCs, all SC, FoG2/E, most AGEOD games ...

Image
SMK-at-work
Posts: 3396
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2000 8:00 am
Location: New Zealand

RE: Why I love this game

Post by SMK-at-work »

For me it just captures the "essence" if WW1 - huge offensives that have to be planned and cost massive casualties for a hex or 2.  Forays into side shows where supply is low and you can get massive losses just from your corps shrinking away.  The cost of offensives, the gas, tanks & shock troops not so much but a little, the effectiveness of the U-boat war if it works, raiders, the Grand Fleet & High Seas fleet in the Nth Sea - it all just "works".

Now if we could persuade him to fix a couple of bugs & improve the interface.....:)
Meum est propisitum in taberna mori
User avatar
Templer_12
Posts: 1710
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2009 11:29 am
Location: Germany
Contact:

RE: Why I love this game

Post by Templer_12 »

I love this game because it is intellectually challenging, and above all because the time during the AI turns do not take in, as in so many games, for ever. [:)]

It may take a few turns of Guns of August 1914-1918 comfortable even play times in between!
For example, during the coffee break, or while waiting until your woman leaves the bathroom [:D] or, or, or.

A little more support (ERIK!!! ) would be desirable and perhaps a small price cut. [;)]

Who still need/search a challenging and fast-paced game with short waiting times should buying.
SMK-at-work
Posts: 3396
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2000 8:00 am
Location: New Zealand

RE: Why I love this game

Post by SMK-at-work »

How often do you think Matrix staff read this forum??[:(]
Meum est propisitum in taberna mori
AnnieBerries
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:27 am
Contact:

RE: Why I love this game

Post by AnnieBerries »

Hi...

I played this game six months back and i liked this game. Now i am thinking to start this game again.

Thanks!!!

girls free games | play dress up games online for free
User avatar
Templer_12
Posts: 1710
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2009 11:29 am
Location: Germany
Contact:

RE: Why I love this game

Post by Templer_12 »

ORIGINAL: SMK-at-work

How often do you think Matrix staff read this forum??[:(]
I think far too rare!
I feel let down here by matrix. [:(]
SMK-at-work
Posts: 3396
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2000 8:00 am
Location: New Zealand

RE: Why I love this game

Post by SMK-at-work »

Yes it is very disappointing that it is only an old beta that was never finished -  it's really obvious that hte game would be brilliant if it was finished
Meum est propisitum in taberna mori
Post Reply

Return to “Guns of August 1914 - 1918”