Difficult

[mbar]

ORIGINAL: Myrddraal

I can only explain it as psychological effect. I promise I'm not lying to you. In certain difficulty levels the AI gets some advantages, but never in stats or lucky rolls.

It says a great deal about the AI for TGW when the developer needs to reassure people the AI is not cheating in so many threads. I know the Handicapped setting needs a patch. That said, well done! I can't wait to pick this up.

[Gilmer]

I have played 3 games as the Entente. Well, I started 3 games. The first game, well, that was just a learning phase. The 2nd game, I took some of the advice and tips I learned from the Forum and made it all the way to pretty much the end of 1916 and I think I might have done OK if I had not made some errors in decision making. It really encouraged me. Things collapsed soon after Bulgaria entered the war and Romania after. I think I got to the point of getting impatient and realized I had not really been doing anything for Russia, even though I had stabilized all fronts right before the Bulgaria/Romania entry points. Made it over halfway through 118 turns. And thought I was making some really good progress in the West. I kind of got annoyed when the Germans two-shotted one of my tank British tank units though. Still not sure how that happened and the tank units didn't do much. Once the Germans get into Antwerp, they won't leave. I made some mistakes on ammunition, too. I had two French artillery and never had enough ammo for any kind of offensive.

My 3rd game was a disaster. Seemed like the AI was getting kills on units with 2 shots. Seemed like they just went through the Russian units and nothing seemed to stop them. Getting -6 in one shot, even with attacking across rivers. I think I can stabilize the West as Entente, pretty much every time. Rush all your regular infantry North unless he keeps regular infantry on the Alsace/Lorraine like in front of Strassburg. I decided to stop that game. The Russian front collapsed almost from the beginning of them entering the war. Not sure why.

I will say that everything people tell you as tips that help you survive, the AI doesn't fight that way at all. Everything that you would do that should end in disaster, the AI seems to be able to do fairly easily, such as attacking where I've been told you need to just entrench and defend.

[Major Bong]

Ultimate Victory for the Central Powers in April 1918 on balanced. Great Britain surrendered when I inflicted over 600 MP losses on them and destroyed their last armies at Suez. This was fun, the AI is good on a tactical level and will exploit your mistakes, on the other hand there are some issues when it comes to the global strategy. Britain concentrates way too much on Suez and Turkey in the early game, when those units could actually save France, I have seen this in several games by now. It's futile what Britain does. Even if they take Jerusalem they usually get bogged down in the rough terrain around Damascus and then sit there doing nothing.

My current strategy all rests on a 1915 victory in Serbia and on Bulgaria. Once Bulgaria joins the CP, you use their armies for a preemptive strike vs Romania. Take Bukarest in 1 round, then push all the way north into the soft underbelly of Russia. Bulgaria can easily support 6 corps which can steamroll all the way to Petrograd. If you have a well manned frontline around Lemberg, Warsaw, Königsberg then the Russians won't have enough units to stall you and the Romanians can't help them after losing Bukarest.

[Bossy573]

ORIGINAL: Major Bong
Ultimate Victory for the Central Powers in April 1918 on balanced. Great Britain surrendered when I inflicted over 600 MP losses on them and destroyed their last armies at Suez. This was fun, the AI is good on a tactical level and will exploit your mistakes, on the other hand there are some issues when it comes to the global strategy. Britain concentrates way too much on Suez and Turkey in the early game, when those units could actually save France, I have seen this in several games by now. It's futile what Britain does. Even if they take Jerusalem they usually get bogged down in the rough terrain around Damascus and then sit there doing nothing.

My current strategy all rests on a 1915 victory in Serbia and on Bulgaria. Once Bulgaria joins the CP, you use their armies for a preemptive strike vs Romania. Take Bukarest in 1 round, then push all the way north into the soft underbelly of Russia. Bulgaria can easily support 6 corps which can steamroll all the way to Petrograd. If you have a well manned frontline around Lemberg, Warsaw, Königsberg then the Russians won't have enough units to stall you and the Romanians can't help them after losing Bukarest.

Thanks for this post. Last couple of games I had Serbia taken care of by the time the Bulgarians came in, and kinda just sat there saying well now what. I left 2 corps near the Romanian border and sent the others to the Italian and Russian fronts. The Russian line you mentioned is exactly that which I held through 1915. Never really considered knocking out Romania straight away as the last thing I wanted to see was a hoard of Russians plunging down through Romania and Bulgaria, threatening whatever they feel like threatening.

Italy is a royal pain in the ass.

Actually had one game where I had the British knocked clean out of Egypt by mid-1915. I have not been able to replicate that as the line usually stabilizes just where you said - north of Jerusalem. It is difficult to hold that line as the last couple of games the British have put air and artillery units there.

[lparkh]

More data points from my experience. 3 games against AI on normal settings. I played as CP. 2nd game I was able to get adjacent to Paris by winter and I think take it but gave up shortly thereafter because East Front was a debacle. Second game I took Paris in winter 1914 and surrendered France in 1915. AH took Serbia about the same time. Turkey got beatup pretty badly (British AI played very well). I blew the naval game. Italy is causing problems but I am now primarily concentrated against the Russians and am encircling them in 1916 on a large scale. I believe I will be able to beat them now with a one front war.
If you are struggling with beating the French here are my suggestions:
1) Schwerpunkt -- I gave maybe a garrison unit to the German east front (lost Danzig but was able to hold west of there). I focused all German attention on quickly conquering Belgium and then driving to Paris via Calais.
2) Parisian focus -- I ignored the Brits in Rheims (or whatever next city after calais is. I encircled her by bypassing her on the West (forcing the Seine). Having 3 or 4 units next to her by winter with artillery behind meant pretty certain to take.
3) AH - they foucs on holding off Russians with Garrisons ( I lost one or two cities) and otherwise taking out Serbia.

HOpe that helps .The AI is quite talented but taking out France I think is doable more often than not.

Next time I play CP I might start in 1915 to force me into a more troublesome two front war situation which should be interesting. Or maybe I will try out Entente.

[lparkh]

Major Bong I al doing the same knock out Romanian preemptively. I agree with ur analysis about UK.they could save France instead

[lparkh]

Another interesting update. The AI has sent British units to support Italy! IMpressive. I figured they'd be passive outside of ME for the rest of the game after I knocked out France. Well played AI! Nor was I able to knock out Romania in one round. And now I notice they have two capitals. On the other hand I am smashing up the Russkies pretty good right now
Update 7/1916. Russia surrendered. Rather early I thought but Russian Revolution it seems. Must have been the casualty rate. Going to call the game at this point. If the Brits had reinforced France more heavily this would have been a more interesting game.

[Major Bong]

I even saw the AI sending a British garrison to Serbia in 1914, in 2 different games. Also French artillery in Italy, but no French arti on the West front where it was needed a lot more. Some of the decisions are weird. I think the AI would be more effective if it prioritized a bit more - why have 3 French units in Italy and several Italians in France when these units should be on their homefront.

About the Russians: I have seen both so far: a tame circus bear and a rabid monster-bear. In some games the Russians just dig in and are content, but then again I had a game where the Russians started a summer offensive in 1915, smashed several German corps and were only stopped by luck and some rapid force transfers from other fronts. This offense made me play my last CP game very cautiously, probably placing too much emphasis on Russia. This in turn led to having too few units in the West front, where I took Paris and then engaged in a trench warfare until I finally felt safe enough in the east around early 1917.

[Bossy573]

Hey, another thing I just realized reading through a few AARs, do you folks usually play with FOW on or off? I have always played with it on.

[Myrddraal]

It isn't possible to turn off FOW. It is too integral to the game design.

[jack54]

Ahh I thought the AI was cheating (attacking and moving)... but then I did it by 'accident'. I hadn't realize you could attack and then 'occupy' the abandoned hex. This changes everything for me. It's probably in the manual...lol

[catwhoorg]

It is.

You can only do it before moving any other unit.

[Bossy573]

ORIGINAL: Myrddraal
It isn't possible to turn off FOW. It is too integral to the game design.

I kinda figured that out yesterday after I posted. I was hoping there was an explanation as to why I can't get to Paris besides I kinda still suck at the game. [:(]

[Gilmer]

ORIGINAL: Bossy573

ORIGINAL: Myrddraal
It isn't possible to turn off FOW. It is too integral to the game design.

I kinda figured that out yesterday after I posted. I was hoping there was an explanation as to why I can't get to Paris besides I kinda still suck at the game. [:(]

Me too, on kind of still sucking at game.

[Bossy573]

ORIGINAL: H Gilmer
Me too, on kind of still sucking at game.

Played to mid-1915 tonight and success! FINALLY took Paris in early 1915 and the French are on the ropes. Verdun is surrounded, the line is based on Paris and I think I can knock them out tomorrow. Serbia smashed early and I had 5 Austrian corps waiting on the Italian border for when those idiots joined the Entente. Attacked immediately and they were routed.
The Russian front has been a struggle but I hope it can hold until I get rid of France and Italy. Likewise Palestine where the British just forced me to retreat north, probably beyond Damascus. I may send some Bulgarian units down there when they join in.

I have played probably a dozen + games and have lost every one. So let's hope this finishes well.

[Empire101]

ORIGINAL: H Gilmer

ORIGINAL: Bossy573

ORIGINAL: Myrddraal
It isn't possible to turn off FOW. It is too integral to the game design.

I kinda figured that out yesterday after I posted. I was hoping there was an explanation as to why I can't get to Paris besides I kinda still suck at the game. [:(]

Me too, on kind of still sucking at game.

In my opinion guys, one of the central concepts of the game is ' strategic balance'.

Getting your build strategy right and matching that to R&D results is of vital importance.

Plan your ammunition factory upgrades in advance, as more and more ammo is required to service the Artillery/Bomber units.

Artillery is King in WWI. With the huge amount of production points coming in through convoy, it is a temptation for the Allied player to over expand. Don't.
The British unit overhead could potentially cripple the British. The Germans can also fall into this trap.

Hoard those PP's and save up for the good stuff, an extra Artillery unit, Research lab or ammunition factory can always be utilised.

Remember with Ammo factories that the upper ceiling for storing ammo is 50, so its a good idea to plan your expansions when you need to build up stocks ( say over the winter ).

[Gilmer]

Empire, although I did mess up on the balance the first few games, I believe my weakness is not being able to conduct the type of fights the AI seems to be capable of. I know I'm "biased" in that I see things that probably are not true, but it seems like their units kill my units a lot easier. Are they always ahead of me in research for infantry? I focus immediately on upgrading the combat and then the entrench, then back to combat, because I usually go for the ones that seem the closest to completion. It "seems" like the AI is able to conduct battles over rivers a lot easier than I am and they take big chunks out of my units no matter what the entrench level or advantage in placing such as rivers.

I have not played as many games as Bossy, though. I tend to get frustrated and go off and do something else for awhile.

[Bossy573]

ORIGINAL: H Gilmer
I have not played as many games as Bossy, though. I tend to get frustrated and go off and do something else for awhile.

I just continued my game from last night and it was ugly. To make the story very short, I thought I had France cold and the next thing I know the AI had 3 artillery units, with plentiful ammunition and that's all she wrote. When I gave up, what remained of the German army was retreating beyond Brussels with no hope of ever going back. The Russians were slowly pressing Westward and the situation was hopeless. The Turks were completely out of Palestine, Syria and back in Turkey proper. Only in Italy did success continue. I took Rome and all of Northern Italy but so what? The war was over by then. Oh, and I attacked Romania straight away when Bulgaria came in. The Bulgarians were crushed. [:@]

It IS frustrating but a blast at the same time.

Make sure you are playing on balanced - that was the first lesson I learned.

Empire is right. The AI really takes advantage of its production strategy. Artillery is king, as I just found out. I did not have near enough, and not even enough ammo for the limited artillery I had. Just churning out units is not enough. Poor initial strategy killed me in the end.

Let's face it, this game is brilliant - with an AI to match.

[Myrddraal]

Easy AI is fixed in the upcoming patch. Hopefully that will help you guys who are struggling to have an AI you can learn against.

[Empire101]

If I'm faced with a defensive R&D tech or an offensive R&D tech, I will always give precedence to the defensive tech first.

Getting those Barbed wire/Concrete Pillbox/Concrete dugouts as early as possible is my major R&D priority. Then Counter-Battery Fire.

This is for whatever side I play.

Of course there is pressure especially early game for the CP player to let offensive techs take precedence over defensive techs. This is a mistake.

If you look at WWI in the West the Germans conducted a mostly defensive strategy after the failure of the Schlieffen Plan, and apart from Verdun ( no one was thinking straight in my opinion ), and Michael in 1918 the Germans gave offensive priority in the East rather than the West .

Most CP players will not get to Paris in 1914, so the Western Front has to be turned into a giant fortress.
Wherever the enemy can attack on a three hex front must be evaluated in terms of its worth.
If you are gaining no strategic benefit from its occupation, or it is not to be used in future offensive ops, consider withdrawal.

And always maintain a strategic reserve.!!