Against Entente AI

[Metalist]

Nice AAR!

Do you find the game sluggish on modern hardware?

Thanks!

Well I run the game on a Linux Mint, 2018 model, average laptop, so I do not know how it would run a brand new Windows 11 one. The game experience is pretty good for me, it rarely crashes and scrolling, alt-tabbing, interface are all fine. I'd recommend to pick CE version to test it yourself, as it is currently under 2$: https://www.gamersgate.com/product/worl ... l-edition/

[Metalist]

Germany is able to acquire the "heavy or massive bombardment" tactic. This enables preliminary bombardment with extra damage in exchange for a higher MUN cost. In addition, it reduces the enemy trench level by one. In this case, it did not matter since the Russians did not have any trench value.

Note that there are also battle tactics to choose from; I picked "hammering," which increases the efficiency of preliminary bombardment even more.

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The Russians opted for spot defense, which provides +1 to their morale checks.

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Despite this effort, the Germans failed to achieve victory. Next turn, another attempt will definitely be made.

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[Metalist]

"There lived a certain man in Russia long ago
He was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow
Most people look at him with terror and with fear
But to Moscow chicks, he was such a lovely dear
He could preach the Bible like a preacher
Full of ecstasy and fire
But he also was the kind of teacher
Women would desire

Ra-Ra-Rasputin, lover of the Russian Queen
There was a cat that really was gone
Ra-Ra-Rasputin, Russia's greatest love machine
It was a shame how he carried on"

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Our Muslim brothers have been tricked into rebellion by the evil French.

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They are not doing so well either, though. "Colonial Uprising" is a random event that can hit Russia, France and Britain. Once it occurs, the CP player picks a location out of three options (for France, these are Indochina, French Africa, and Morocco) for a rebellion to occur.

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Meanwhile, the embassy corridors in Rome are pretty busy.

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[Metalist]

Now that the Serbian army is mostly gone, the Bulgarian and Austrian armies can march toward Romania.

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The German fighters intercepted the French air squadrons in the skies above Chalons sur Marne.

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It was a heavy defeat for the French, but...

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An ace, Georges Guynemer, emerged and joined their ranks. Aces randomly appear in the game and attach to a fighter wing until they die. They provide +1 bonus to their fighter's combat rolls, and -1 penalty to their opponents. Moreover, their emergence provides +1 NW to their nation, while their death gives a -1 hit, and the opponent receives +1.

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[Metalist]

The Russians failed to reinforce, and the Germans succeeded in their attack this time. This led to a considerable number of Russian troops being encircled. Leaving enough forces to guard them until their surrender, the Germans are continuing their push towards Warsaw.

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Meanwhile, the Austrians and Bulgarians keep destroying the remnants of the Serbian army while advancing towards Romania.

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The Turks are trying to maneuver in the Caucasus, benefiting from the impassable mountains.

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Unfortunately, the Entente got rid of Rasputin rather quickly.

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[Metalist]

During the August interphase, Great Britain decided to increase the effects of the blockade by including neutral countries. In fact, so far no member of the CP has been hurt by the blockade, but this is expected. The manual indicates that negative effects can only begin in the winter of 1915, again dependent on die rolls.

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Meanwhile, our U-boats continue their operations. The UK lost 34 EPs and 2 NW points while sinking 2 U-boats. Below is the abstracted submarine warfare box.

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I decided to boost Austria-Hungary's income by moving it more towards wartime economy. Yes, the empire is fragile, but as the war goes on, so are the expenses.

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Italy is moving closer and closer to joining the war.

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[Metalist]

Almost all Russian troops in the pocket surrendered. One corps was not in isolated status during the previous turn (don't know why), but now it is, so it is not really an issue. Now that the German troops are freed, they can join the advance. I could have preferred laying siege to Warsaw, but I think it might be more beneficial in the long run if I could reach the Wisla (Vistula) River.

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The Romanians will face a combined offensive by the Austrians, Bulgarians, and Turks.

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The Caucasus appears to be undefended, so the Turkish army will attempt to advance a bit further.

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The reinforcements arriving in Palestine managed to hold off the British, but Arabia is still lost.

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[Metalist]

There were many battles, but a few stand out.

The costly victory in Piotrków signals that the German offensive is losing steam.

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The remnants of the Serbian Army are still causing considerable losses on the Romanian border.

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The British fail to break through Turkish lines.

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[Metalist]

The Entente was more successful in influencing the Italian attitude; the latter may join the war at any time now.

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The Germans move in Poland. Note that the Entente has the initiative, so they can block my moves by attacking first.

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In the West, I want to test the French with a limited attack. Note that the French parliament is no longer fully committed to the war. This may shift, however, if there is a change of government during the interphase.

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The Romanians are in trouble.

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[Randomizer]

Looks like Italy is getting ready to join the Entente. This might be just in time for France, whose National Will in September is in the danger zone.

-C

[jcrohio]

Enjoying this. Using it as a model to get back into the game.

[Metalist]

During an air duel with the Russians, a German ace appeared on the field and—yes, you guessed it—it’s Manfred von Richthofen!!! He is distinct from other aces, as he provides a +2 bonus to combat rolls, while others provide only +1.

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The attack on Val de Moselle resulted in an easy victory. The French did not commit any reserves. I do not know if this was a conscious decision or just a lack of forces, but targeting the French for the next grand offensive could be considered.

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The advance in Romania generally faces little resistance, but there are still cases where defeats occur:

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There were many other battles initiated by the Entente, but they were usually small probing attacks.

Enjoying this. Using it as a model to get back into the game.

Welcome back, feel free to ask if you need help.

Looks like Italy is getting ready to join the Entente. This might be just in time for France, whose National Will in September is in the danger zone.

-C

Indeed, but still delaying their entrance until winter is nice as the weather conditions won't let them gain much before I transfer reinforcements.

[Metalist]

At the end of October 1915, Belgium surrendered. This made little difference in Europe, as they had no remaining forces there; however, in Africa, they will no longer support the Entente once the colonial battles begin.

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Regarding the final situation in Poland: The Germans failed to reach the Wisla (Vistula) River, but since the initial objectives of the grand offensive were achieved, Germany will be rewarded in terms of National Will.

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The Austrians and Bulgarians have begun occupying Romanian territory, but I decided to pull back the Turks for the defense of the straits.

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[Metalist]

The Entente was once again more successful in negotiating with the Italians; Italy has now joined the war.

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The French and Austrian armies bordering them are now free to move.

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A US ship was sunk by our boys—oops!

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A few battles occurred, but nothing that stands out. In winter, military operations are fewer in number and low in intensity.

[Randomizer]

Italian entry plus a quiet winter campaigning season should help French National Will bounce back a bit. What is the plan for 1916?

-C

[Metalist]

At the end of the quiet months of November and December there was another interphase. Turkey is the first to suffer from the effects of blockade, while the UK suffers from the submarine warfare. What goes around comes around, eh?

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The French are receiving some blows on the home front:

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Germany earns some NW points thanks to her successful grand offensive, while Russia suffers a bit.

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Below is the state of the major nations as we welcome 1916. As you can see, France is the weakest among them with fairly low National Will (1). All the other nations are still in good shape, so the war will definitely last some time. Another noteworthy detail is the low amount of replacement points Germany has (6.0). This is because, apart from battle losses, I overdid building new corps, which not only costs EPs but also decreases the replacement point flow.

Note that it is possible to include enemy values in the fog of war, but I like to track how AI is doing.

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Italian entry plus a quiet winter campaigning season should help French National Will bounce back a bit. What is the plan for 1916?

-C

I was planning another grand offensive in Russia, but considering that France is in such bad shape, maybe I should target them instead. A successful blow may knock them out of the war. Admittedly, level 4 for aggressiveness seems to be a bit too high: earlier in the war, the French launched too many attacks, which might explain their state right now.

[Randomizer]

Admittedly, level 4 for aggressiveness seems to be a bit too high: earlier in the war, the French launched too many attacks, which might explain their state right now.

It's worth recalling that between 10 August and 31 December 1914, the French Army suffered some 250,000 dead and about one out of every three French soldiers on the Western Front had been wounded at least once. This was kept secret by Joffre but the Army managed to maintain it's cohesion and spirit in spite of the catastrophic losses. Of course things might have been very different and had the truth been known, a collapse of civilian or military morale might have been decisive. WW1G actually portrays these factors pretty well.

They're on the ropes now so destroy them in 1916. That would be my call.

Good luck!

-C

[jcrohio]

I have a question for you. I have been reading the manual and following your AAR. You commented a while back on the German Agricultural Shortage possibility. It all made sense but is there any way you can actually see what Germany's Agricultural level is? I understand influencing minors to get Agricultural support. I just cannot find if there is an indicator somewhere of Germany's actual level.

Thanks for any help
Jack

[Metalist]

The new year begins with a declaration of war as Brazil joins the Entente via an event. There won't be a direct military effect; instead, they will provide economic support.

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And we need to prepare a funeral because Franz Joseph dies, earlier than historical.

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Only two battles are worth mentioning. The Entente has finally begun its offensive in the colonies, capturing Kamerun. Meanwhile, after a long hiatus, the Russians attacked Turkish positions in the East. They failed, but this may be a warning sign of battles to come.

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France changed its government to considerably boost national will, though it paid a price in parliamentary mood.

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On the diplomatic front, the Entente managed to swing the Dutch slightly in their favor, causing the Netherlands to decrease economic support to the Central Powers. I also targeted China, because if she becomes pro-Central Powers, the UK and France will need to deploy forces to their adjacent colonies. However, I failed to change her status.

It's worth recalling that between 10 August and 31 December 1914, the French Army suffered some 250,000 dead and about one out of every three French soldiers on the Western Front had been wounded at least once. This was kept secret by Joffre but the Army managed to maintain it's cohesion and spirit in spite of the catastrophic losses. WW1G actually portrays these factors pretty well.

Thanks for the historical info. It portrays it well, but I still find it hard to narrate the relationship between parliamentary mood and national will. They appear to represent something similar, yet they can still move in opposite directions. For instance, how could we narrate the French case that happened this turn? Is it that thanks to the government change, people felt a 'last push' was near (hence the upsurge of national will), but the new government is more eager to negotiate a peace settlement, hence the move from war-mongering to pacifism?

I have a question for you. I have been reading the manual and following your AAR. You commented a while back on the German Agricultural Shortage possibility. It all made sense but is there any way you can actually see what Germany's Agricultural level is? I understand influencing minors to get Agricultural support. I just cannot find if there is an indicator somewhere of Germany's actual level.

Thanks for any help
Jack

I had the same concern and looked it up in the forums but couldn't find an answer. I guess there is simply no indicator of the agricultural situation; one has to calculate it for themselves.

[Randomizer]

but I still find it hard to narrate the relationship between parliamentary mood and national will. They appear to represent something similar, yet they can still move in opposite directions.

Yes and no. Recall that by 1916 there was a huge gulf in the support for the war and the attitude of the general population towards the war in Czarist Russia. In 1917 Britain, the Army needed to be called out in London to keep workers at their jobs when panic caused by German bombing raids caused a major exodus of workers. At the same time, Parliament was almost unanimous in refusal to negotiate an end to hostilities. The people, roughly analogous to NW in the game, often become at odds with their governments during long wars with limited battlefield successes.

-C