Nomand and slavers got masses, not class. That makes it hard to have a front so wide, they can not encircly you. Against both? Not really a chance. Unless you had a choice not to antagonize one of them.
I had a similar start, close to 2 raiders and a slaver to the south. Managed to make peace with 2 of them and focused on one. It would have been impossible to fight them all at the same time.
What models had you designed? Automatic rifles and padded environment suits generally slaughter all minor regime troops. If you can get a battalion of tanks on the field, there's almost nothing they can do to stop them.
Other than cut your supply, which is happening in your first screenshot. Falling back to protect the city and the assets (like those domes) within 1-hex is what I would have recommended. Territory is useless if it doesn't have resources, no sense fighting on a road to nowhere when you could be fighting fully entrenched elsewhere.
What models had you designed? Automatic rifles and padded environment suits generally slaughter all minor regime troops. If you can get a battalion of tanks on the field, there's almost nothing they can do to stop them.
Other than cut your supply, which is happening in your first screenshot. Falling back to protect the city and the assets (like those domes) within 1-hex is what I would have recommended. Territory is useless if it doesn't have resources, no sense fighting on a road to nowhere when you could be fighting fully entrenched elsewhere.
i see, indeed. i should have retreated. i fought there because it went so well for several rounds..
I had only 5 tanks and no oil to support their movement, so that was kinda hard.
yes automatic rifles and padded suits (almost done with combat amor).
was a great fight tho and i had a blast, hard struggles like that are exactly what iam looking for
Clearly your unit placement are bad see lot of hole remove all unit from the north and just protect 2 hex around your capital city is enough to keep danger low. If you reload early save just put a circle of defense all around your city and entrench.
By turn 50 in my recent game on normal I had about 40 counters worth of units of motorized infantry, tanks, and motorcycles. Upgrades were padded and automatic rifles. The main mistake I think that people make is not making enough units, which in turn is probably due to not building up economy in the first 15 or so turns. This is a game where if you screw up the first dozen or so turns, you will struggle. If you do what you have to do (metal, IP, tech) then the game is almost too easy on normal.
That's a good point, by turn 50 or so I'm usually knee-deep in my first major regime war with at least four brigades out in combat. Looking at that screenshot it looks like it's mostly militia and one brigade of regulars - that's desperately low. Remember that militia kinda suck, you really want to transition to regulars when you can afford to.
As far as minor regimes go, remember that before you sign a peace with them, borders are fluid and you can take their territory just by moving into it and vice versa. However, the important thing to note is that every time you do this, you reduce relations with them and make it more likely that they declare war. If you want peace, try to respect their borders even before signing a peace with them (though early on you really should be driving deep into the nearest minor regime with a city to knock it over and take their stuff.)
Also one way I like to approach the game is that if you're in a stalemate, you're losing. Your goal in every war isn't just to defend your territory, you need to take the fight to them. If you can't do that, come up with a workable plan to do so. If you can't do THAT, sign a peace as soon as you can.
I also note that you seem to have stacked up pretty heavily. That's inefficient - attacking from the same hex CAN work, but it's not nearly as effective as attacking from multiple nearby hexes. It's also not necessary on the defense - infantry is stronger defensively than offensively, and a counter or two holding in place can often hold off many times their number in enemy infantry - and even if they retreat, having your infantry spread out along the line in depth means you can make good the retreat soon enough, perhaps even take advantage of the salient to make a concerted counter-attack.
Your economy also seems to be suffering from some serious production penalties, and with only one city that's a big deal. By this point in the game you really should have gotten yourself a second city by hook or by crook to expand your economic base. Looking at your assets, it seems like the problem is that you had an energy shortage - too many of your buildings were demanding energy and not enough of them were getting it. The issue is probably that heavily upgraded high command structure - that's a bit overambitious when you've got enemies at the gates, and the resources could have been better spent elsewhere - such as, say, an upgraded bureaucratic office, which would have been important for your research. But in general by now you really should have secured some kind of energy source beyond the starting free hex perk. I'll also note that by turn 50 you should really have nationalized your transport hub - relying on just one private transport hub is deeply inefficient and would have led to your being unable to supply yourself enough for offensive operations.
Speaking of research, the main thing I want to point out is the way the tech tree works. See, you can only unlock new discoveries in new boxes when you have researched three techs in the box connected to it - so for instance you need to research one more tech in engineering before you unlock discoveries for Advanced Engineering. This is important, because if you notice the "Ap" tag in techs, that means that Applied Sciences works on those techs. Since you haven't actually unlocked any boxes with Ap techs, the Applied Sciences Council is useless and only serves to drain BP from other departments who need it more. There's nothing inherently wrong with your tech spread, but for how far along you are in the game it could probably stand to have more done - again, likely a result of your low BP generation.
Also a little surprised you weren't able to clear the space just around your city from the very beginning - that should REALLY have been your top priority going out the gate.
That being said, though, I will say this situation does appear kinda tricky because your terrain seems to be all mountains and desert. That is HORRIBLE offensive terrain, absurdly difficult to build roads through and supply and thus deliver a killing blow. However, I note that there IS a road stretching to the southwest through what looks like better terrain - your early game priority beyond clearing the immediate space around your capital should probably have been to explore what's down there and then take it, while doing your best to sign peace with the factions in the hellterrain so that you could leave them alone until you had the industrial capacity to tame the wilderness. It's basically a question of return on investment - conquering swathes of empty desert is expensive and difficult and there didn't seem to be much to gain up there, while flatter terrain leading to some kind of city is easy and brings rich rewards. That should dictate your strategic thinking.
I agree that the biggest beginner mistake of any kind is playing on a planet that has more than 10% mountains. I tried that once, and don't plan on doing it again until I master the game. It puts a ton of RNG into your game, and can easily screw you even if you are playing above average.
1) Infantry is very strong defensively (especially with MG), and you should be able to hold a strong enough perimeter to prevent Danger from accumulating. Don't hesitate to call your zone governor and increase recruitment if you have more guns than men.
2) You got kind of unlucky not rolling a Power Plant or Solar Power. That limited you to Industry lvl 1.
3) I usually nationalize the Truck asset in my capitol as soon as possible. You can sell some Rare Earth Metal to raise the money. It's expensive, but the extra logistics points allow you to expand ~15 hexes away from the capitol with only dirt roads.
4) Early offense comes from Buggies, Artillery, or Light Tanks. If I'm really short on fuel, I'll try to get Side Skirts ASAP and build my Light Tanks with the lightest possible equipment.
By turn 50 in my recent game on normal I had about 40 counters worth of units of motorized infantry, tanks, and motorcycles. Upgrades were padded and automatic rifles. The main mistake I think that people make is not making enough units, which in turn is probably due to not building up economy in the first 15 or so turns. This is a game where if you screw up the first dozen or so turns, you will struggle. If you do what you have to do (metal, IP, tech) then the game is almost too easy on normal.
Carefull with Motorized. Right now it doubles the Manpower need.
Clearly that part needs some work/attention by Vic.
Yup, and worth every penny. The only time I ever use units on foot:
1) early in game when I can't afford transport... here I mean the first 15 or so moves I will build infantry that I will later disband and put into trucks.
2) Machine gun units for permanent defense near SHQ, when needed. In current game, I have a major border only 3 hexes from my SHQ in my current game, and you can bet that I have machine guns along that border so I can take the rest of the map. Of course nobody will declare war on me because my military power is so high and I have spies on in his country, but you cannot be too careful in a case like this. If his border was 15+ hexes away I'd not bother with foot machine guns.
So, yes, very expensive and very worth it to be able to get my stuff to where it is needed when it is needed, encircle, etc. When I want cheaper I got for buggies earlier and then motorcycle brigades. There are cheap and still super mobile.
My current game has 5 OHQs of which all are motorized infantry and 2 tanks. Most do not have strategems, but 2 of them have infiltration.
Yup, and worth every penny. The only time I ever use units on foot:
1) early in game when I can't afford transport... here I mean the first 15 or so moves I will build infantry that I will later disband and put into trucks.
2) Machine gun units for permanent defense near SHQ, when needed. In current game, I have a major border only 3 hexes from my SHQ in my current game, and you can bet that I have machine guns along that border so I can take the rest of the map. Of course nobody will declare war on me because my military power is so high and I have spies on in his country, but you cannot be too careful in a case like this. If his border was 15+ hexes away I'd not bother with foot machine guns.
So, yes, very expensive and very worth it to be able to get my stuff to where it is needed when it is needed, encircle, etc. When I want cheaper I got for buggies earlier and then motorcycle brigades. There are cheap and still super mobile.
My current game has 5 OHQs of which all are motorized infantry and 2 tanks. Most do not have strategems, but 2 of them have infiltration.
I'm not entirely convinced of the cost-effectiveness of going all motorized so quickly. I don't doubt that it IS effective, but until you have a fully dominant economy it seems to me like you'd be better off getting twice that number of foot brigades for the manpower, plus a brigade or two of mechanized or light armor to act as your striking force while your foot infantry serve as your wall. Simply being able to field more brigades gives you a lot more strategic flexibility, you don't really need infantry to do that much more than hold a position, and for the cost even a mechanized unit is much more useful on the offensive than a motorized unit - a mechanized and armored brigade working together can perform wonders. It'd also be easier on the supply lines when not every brigade in the field needs a full helping of fuel every turn - I know I've definitely come close to draining my fuel stocks before with only minimal mechanization. Plus, foot infantry is definitely more cost-effective when fighting into mountains and deserts where the mobility of motorized is almost completely negated, eh?
Again, I don't doubt the tactical use of going all motorized, I just figure early on you get more bang for buck with foot infantry. Once you can afford it, by all means motorize, but use foot infantry to lay the necessary groundwork first.
By the way, did you know you don't have to disband infantry units when you want motorized? It should be possible to upgrade them into different OOBs, including motorized OOBs. If I recall correctly it's in the OOB button to the right. Saves your having to reassign the commander and indeed the troops.
ORIGINAL: Tomn
I don't doubt that it IS effective, but until you have a fully dominant economy it seems to me like you'd be better off getting twice that number of foot brigades for the manpower
Foot brigades are using too much readiness (and AP) for every move. They're very unreliable in assault role, especially if you're playing on planet with a lot of raiders (= tons of highly mobile slavers).
Of course in early game you don't have a choice
ORIGINAL: Tomn
By the way, did you know you don't have to disband infantry units when you want motorized? It should be possible to upgrade them into different OOBs, including motorized OOBs.
Currently it's working in a confusing way - sometimes you would need firstly to downgrade unit to basic infantry to be able to upgrade it into motorized/mechanized different OOB.
Foot brigades are using too much readiness (and AP) for every move.
Big time. I am often managing 3 fronts and need to run things back and forth, not to mention the power of encircling or running in to grab a poorly defended city. All of this is very, very much worth the price.
