Need opponent or join a GD1938 game

[ironduke1955]

We have 6 Players. Haudrauf1962 has not expressed a preference yet, the Axis line up looks formidable as it should be, but Larry tends to specialize on Japan. So it would mean Larry trying a alternate Major Power, I am Ok with the US or the Soviets. Lets hear from everyone before we hardcode sides, and it would be polite to ask how experienced Haudrauf1962 is as he is entering a fairly unforgiving arena with a very steep learning curb.

No worries Clause just running the idea up the flagpole I like it. But you will have to implement it and it will get done when you are ready to do it, I am sure you could refine and improve on the idea's I have put forward.

[ironduke1955]

Hey, haven't watched this for a couple days. Looks like we have a game. As a newbie for GD 1938, where do I start learning?

pm your e-mail address I will start a game of GD1938 let me know who you want to play and I will give you some in game advice, while playing a opposing player. China and Japan start at war so that would be a good start, let me know who you want to play China or Japan the rest of the Major Powers I will leave to the AI.

[MrLongleg]

Well, Can I play the Brits? If that does not work I'd be Japan. Unforgiving arena is a good thing, learning the hard way

PM'd my email to IronDuke

[MrLongleg]

Do I need to install something? I have installed GD a while ago, but there might be patches out there...

[MrLongleg]

Another thing: occasionally I travel for business for one or two weeks, during that time I will often not be able to send turns...

[baloo7777]

I played Italy one time, but have no problem with playing them. Are we playing with 6 players? I would like to see Germany and the Soviet Union go to experienced players as they are the great balance in the game (I have not played them and don't want to at this time). All that being said, I will play whoever I'm given to my best ability. [8D]

[LJBurstyn]

USA is okay...since Japan is already spoken for. If not USA than Russia.
Of course I prefer Japan.

I prefer playing in Dropbox that way it keeps my email from going over the limits set by my ISP.

[ironduke1955]

You will need to install the latest GD1938 version 2.21v1 and sign up to dropbox its a free and safe file sharing site, the game folder sits in dropbox and files are downloaded and loaded back in to the folder as the game progresses. You can just jump into the game if you like the Brits are not directly threatened but the span the globe have resource points in Canada South Africa and India Oil in several locations naval combat to master the U-Boat threat to deal with, above all you have to make sure you understand the mechanics of moving supply HQ's in coastal cities with Merchant vessels inside the HQ and able to transfer supply back to the UK or any other location, make sure that resource centers are linked to HQ's and all units are linked to HQ's Help the French with supply from the beginning the French have big problems with supply and the longer you can keep the French on their feet the better it is for you, don't forget to pick your victory conditions not that you will ever achieve them we havn't had a British win yet.

[MrLongleg]

I have drop box associated with the email I have sent you. I only have GD v221u and don't know where to find 221v1. If the supply works as in AT I am familiar with the concepts.

Are there formal house rules? What about the comment about not picking a victory condition?

[ironduke1955]

Reading the comment above I think it says 2.21v1 will be added so they may still be working on it.

If you play the British and we don't have 8 players then you will also have the French as well, kind of a buy one get one free. I will start a game playing the Germans the rest will be AI if you have to move the supply from Indo China to France from day one same applies to the British from the first month move the supply from Canada South Africa and India to the HQ in the UK.

Regards Picking sides lets just play the game as is until its actually changed.
So pick a objective for both the French and British. on the first turn. What helps with the British is to get some basics done you can build a chemical factory in the UK,
it will help with supply concentrate on using the cards to develop your economy and focus on using political points,
no British weapon system in 1938 is going to win the British the war so PP for R/D is the priority not lots of low tech units.

The victory choices are under the tab decisions then cards.

[MrLongleg]

@IronDuke, are you proposing a test game? Or is the file in the DropBox our real game?

[ironduke1955]

A test the British and French have a unique set of early problems if you don't get control of them from the beginning it can prove fatal so just a run through the opening few turns

[ironduke1955]

This will work if Larry plays China and USA and Haudrauf plays France and the UK as we currently only have 6 players

Others

cpdeyoung Germany
baloo7777 Italy
Bomber Japan
Ironduke USSR

[MrLongleg]

@IronDuke okay, I am on it

[MrLongleg]

@IronDuke,

Fort the Brits I needed to build a HQ in Halifax, so that I was actually able to ship over the Atlantic, right? I assigned the cargo ships in Halifax to that HQ. Then I was mainly doing economic things and improving French anti armor capabilities.

Also was building British Hurricanes to improve air defense.

Any special thing I forgot?

[baloo7777]

Have we started? Didn't get an invite in my email?

[Bombur]

Who will create the folder?

[ironduke1955]

In the Decisions card section you will find upgrades for economy 5% increase per turn and upgrades for cities obviously its best to upgrade London with some factory annex's,
you could increase UK production by 50% plus by the time any actual fighting starts,
regards the Hurricane the Spitfire is better and comes out in 13 turns 1939 if you can hang on its worth the wait.

Might think of night fighters early the Germans may invest in some night bombers so a few around France and the UK,
your day fighters are useless against night bombers.
Germans may not go down that tech road but if they do you will be playing catch up to stop them taking out French or British cities.
You don't need a lot just small groups of two squadrons.

Watch for invasion tanks in the southern ports in the UK are a good idea its hard to launch amphibious assaults against tanks. And Germans will go for ports they will need one.

U-Boats will have to be countered with Naval Patrol Planes you can try using destroyers but its Destroyer II against U-Boat III and will often be expensive in losses of destroyers the Naval Patrol planes never suffer losses and are pretty deadly no other types of planes are any use against subs so don't even bother.

[ernieschwitz]

ORIGINAL: Haudrauf1962

@IronDuke,

Fort the Brits I needed to build a HQ in Halifax, so that I was actually able to ship over the Atlantic, right? I assigned the cargo ships in Halifax to that HQ. Then I was mainly doing economic things and improving French anti armor capabilities.

Also was building British Hurricanes to improve air defense.

Any special thing I forgot?

Actually if you ask me you forgot alot. First of all I would have you think about your diplomatic options. While you perhaps are not the best on the ground, you can force several tense situations for Germany and or Italy simply by taking control of key minor nations (which they are is up to you to find out). You can take control in a two pronged approach, using one nation as a luck of the dice type of thing (where you simply attempt a coup after you have improved your relations alittle with them, maybe even just once), while the other nation will work towards taking over the country with the normal diplomatic mode (hitting 800 relations or above). Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia are all good candidates for this kind of aggressive diplomacy, other countries too...

Another thing of importance is to not simply sit by and watch the french supplies dwindle. There are several options of doing this. One is to hope that war is not declared during the first turn, for Germany, and then using all your ships in indochina to transfer supplies to the Brest HQ. While this type of effort is almost impossible to block, except by an aggressive Germany, you still need to have a plan B, Allying immediately with Britain is the best option, then you can transfer through the Suez Channel to France, in Marseille. Of course, there are other options, like building a supply center (chemical factory) in Britain proper (may come in handy later on too), and then using the extra supplies to transfer to france. Another option that is bad imho is to build a French Supply center...

Of course what works for the French works for the British too. Why not transfer supplies from every place you can world wide to Britain (London), I mean, that would give you enough to last at least 5-6 months of blockade. And Each turn the Germans neglect to intercept it, that is DOW you, is a free 5-6 months more. Making that supply center you were saving up to possibly not that kind of factory at all.

And, I have just started...

[ernieschwitz]

Naval Combat is not completely natural in these games, but in general, if you can surround the ships, they will surrender if you have enough strength to make them retreat. To do this, you need to have many smaller groups of ships. I recommend using submarines for the task of surrounding, and a bigger block of ships (DD groups perhaps) to take care of the subs. I know IronDuke just wrote, that he would recommend naval patrols, and yes they are great at taking out submarines from the air, with no losses... as long as you are not in fighter range of the ships in question.

Speaking of ranges, and ships.. the naval blockade works both ways. If you can block the Germans from moving out into sea, or back into port, those ships will be uselsess. I recommend making "a wall" from Norway to Britain, and "a wall" in the channel. If his ships cannot get out, they cannot get in. And making them fight for every inch of sealane, will put them at great risk, cause .... well.. they run out of APs too trying to get through these kinds of walls. I'd build these walls of 3-6 submarines a counter. Maybe even making it a "double wall". Heavier ships i'd use to fight the real navy (the big boys), and the carriers i would use in uboat location (hunting)... Of course its a losing proposition to hold this stance forever, but as long as you have france, it is a good option to prevent any submarine problems.

Of course, some will slip out of any walls you throw up if the German player is smart, and simply DOWs after he has moved his subs, or waits a while before doing so. But then you did have all that extra supply lying around from the rounds he did not DOW you. As for your ships, avoid putting ships in ungarrisoned ports, avoid putting ships in a place where they are easily surrounded.