SC ww1 balance issue with CP's Serbian blitz strategy

[shri]

Ok just for the first 2 turns:

You can move a corps in Przemyl, and you also still have the 3rd cavalary. The first turns you can hold Lemberg, Russia should actually pay a high price to get it.

Without the Flensburg corps you can still put 1-2 corps from the initial mobilization to the east.

As for a game between two strong players you can see the tournament final https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopic.php?t=412154
Entente had no chance, it was only frustrating (at least if I was Entente I would have been frustrated, and I was vs. Fafnir as Entente and vice versa).
In that game Entente had at least a bit of success in Galicia at the beginning, never experienced that, and it was not for long either.

I think Michael (mdsmall) has solved the Serbian gambit (to some extent) by changing the map and spawn points in his ICARUS 7.0 mod. Do let me know if you want to test it.

[hannaj]

the test with shri resulted in serbia surrender in fall and game subsequently conceded by entente. problem not solved.

[shri]

the test with shri resulted in serbia surrender in fall and game subsequently conceded by entente. problem not solved.

Serbia does need help, if Belgrade falls it triggers an avalanche.
Maybe the Serbian armies can all start united up-front or at full strength and lose their chit in Tech to compensate for the MPPs given.

[hannaj]

After more play testing, I would like to reemphasize that I think the game is broken, i.e. out of balance in favor of CP,
so that it is over (or just frustrating) for Entente by mid/end 1915 (if both players are playing similarly good).

To put it in a bit wider perspective this is because of the trinity of

1) Initial advantage of CP troops yields substantial MPP, plunder and Bulgarian troops gain
with Schlieffen plan in Belgium and Serbian Blitz.

2) Experience harvesting for CP generals to lvl 2 and higher will perpetuate the intial advantage.

3) Early advantage in German artillery (research chits/available money) further enhances the imbalance by mid 1915.

Before the better longterm perspectives of the Entente kick in, the game is fully lost already.

Think this needs to be fixed.

hannaj

[BillRunacre]

Thanks, I will be looking into this when I prepare the next patch.