Beginners Introduction

[wargamer123]

Alright, the interface is hell-oh-clunky but the base and the idea is very very original, stuck with the simple CP to begin as they are less naval and amphibious and more land operational

I finally have managed after being hit by a car throwing in the towel in 1917 to the AI to learn some of the interface, I'd almost call that game a historical recreation of WW1. 2nd game vs the AI, 1915 Win, the AI isn't very good at protecting strong Points nor launching offensives.. More or less a Schlieffen Plan but a little slower, Paris ended up with 1 French Corps and 2 Artillery on it. The AI uses way too much artillery, I followed history but encircled Paris 4 directions, used Poison Gas to suffocate the poor frogs in their little Jar

I am still confused sometimes, I learned to my surprise that Strategic Operations of units is a real bad idea directly to the frontlines. Seems it takes little or nothing to repulse and eat your rail movements. OE is as weak as Bulgaria! Probably weaker than Serbia, I wonder if this will be covered in a future patch as that is not quite historical.

I can't figure out how to maintain Transports in the North Atlantic or Baltic and keep them alive long enough to make them of any value. Set on Shipping, they get eaten within a turn of being placed there by the RN. So as far as I can tell if the TE doesn't want you to, trading is all but impossible?

I still cannot figure the value of Cav... 1 or 2 Xs in a game so far have I even deployed them, not sure if I'm wrong but sometimes they cannot move into an unocuppied enemy hex? Is this due to terrain? People spoke on her about Screens of them, alternative to airpower.. SO their sacrifical warning devices?

On top of it all the allocation of resources, WHOA! As CP I closely examined things, they are short in every arena. Buying Diplomatic Points or Research Points is hard enough. Reinforcing your HQs and lost Strength Points is also hard to mantain and manage to do much in the field. You have to be very successful or very limited in what you do. I can see just how difficult it is setup anything like a Trenchworks, or a gas attack or reinforce and get your Navy back up again and do anything else... For the CP there are huge Holes in Italy-Prussia...and her Allies are easily threatened... On top of it, Serbia never surrenders, no matter how many times you kick her... [&o] I executed every Serb Officer and they just promoted their Sgts and Privates

So Serbian surrender is way jinxed... She may have run to Albania in WW1 but technically she should be some designation like: Out of Action

Well, I do realize a few things here or there.. It's hard to know exactly the tactical aspects of this game until I spread my wings a little further. Any advice to a newbie to keep me on track in the proper learning direction? Thanks

[hjaco]

ORIGINAL: wargamer123

Any advice to a newbie to keep me on track in the proper learning direction? Thanks

IMO you learn most by playing PBEM, sure you get thrashed in the beginning but you will adapt - or continue getting thrashed[:D]

By the way forget about trading in the Atlantic until you are very experienced. Just remember to patrol the Baltic with at least a PD.

[boogada]

ORIGINAL: wargamer123

I finally have managed after being hit by a car throwing in the towel in 1917 to the AI to learn some of the interface, I'd almost call that game a historical recreation of WW1. 2nd game vs the AI, 1915 Win, the AI isn't very good at protecting strong Points nor launching offensives.. More or less a Schlieffen Plan but a little slower, Paris ended up with 1 French Corps and 2 Artillery on it. The AI uses way too much artillery, I followed history but encircled Paris 4 directions, used Poison Gas to suffocate the poor frogs in their little Jar.

After I few games I got very familiar to the interface. And I have no problems with it any longer.
You are right about the AI though. Once you figure out how to do the game, you can exploit any big mistakes the AI does from time to time.

I am still confused sometimes, I learned to my surprise that Strategic Operations of units is a real bad idea directly to the frontlines. Seems it takes little or nothing to repulse and eat your rail movements.

Strat move better not directly to a front hex, the probabily of a failure is quite high, if the front is active. Also strat move still seems to have a few minor bugs.

OE is as weak as Bulgaria! Probably weaker than Serbia, I wonder if this will be covered in a future patch as that is not quite historical.

Hmm I dunno. If you gather the troops that are deployed all over the OE you've got quite a force. They are fighting on all sides though.

I can't figure out how to maintain Transports in the North Atlantic or Baltic and keep them alive long enough to make them of any value. Set on Shipping, they get eaten within a turn of being placed there by the RN. So as far as I can tell if the TE doesn't want you to, trading is all but impossible?

For the CP its almost impossible to maintain transports in the North Atlantic, so forget it. You should be able to have them in the Baltic constantly though. Rebase them to Rostock or any other Baltic Port. And historically correct: The Entente doesn't want you to trade!

I still cannot figure the value of Cav... 1 or 2 Xs in a game so far have I even deployed them, not sure if I'm wrong but sometimes they cannot move into an unocuppied enemy hex? Is this due to terrain? People spoke on her about Screens of them, alternative to airpower.. SO their sacrifical warning devices?

Cavalry can move into an enemy controlled hex, if there is infantry in the starting hex. Cavalry can't enter an enemy city or mountains. You can strat move them to your own mountains though.

On top of it all the allocation of resources, WHOA! As CP I closely examined things, they are short in every arena. Buying Diplomatic Points or Research Points is hard enough. Reinforcing your HQs and lost Strength Points is also hard to mantain and manage to do much in the field. You have to be very successful or very limited in what you do. I can see just how difficult it is setup anything like a Trenchworks, or a gas attack or reinforce and get your Navy back up again and do anything else...

You've got to make some good decisions and set priorities.

For the CP there are huge Holes in Italy-Prussia...and her Allies are easily threatened... On top of it, Serbia never surrenders, no matter how many times you kick her... [&o] I executed every Serb Officer and they just promoted their Sgts and Privates So Serbian surrender is way jinxed... She may have run to Albania in WW1 but technically she should be some designation like: Out of Action

Usually you don't have to have an unbroken line at least not in the East/Balkans. Especially Russia can trade space like they did vs Napoleon and in 1942. Again troop deployment depends on your priorities (do I need to conquer/defend that area?). Remember: usually troop movement is limited or expensive. So if there is nothing to gain/lose, you shouldn't consider spending troops/equipment and resources.
In a current game I got Serbia to surrender in late 1914. Just conquered it all. So its definitely doable!

Well, I do realize a few things here or there.. It's hard to know exactly the tactical aspects of this game until I spread my wings a little further. Any advice to a newbie to keep me on track in the proper learning direction? Thanks

Keep trying, this game is great. And really consider PPEM once you know how to use the interface. You might get beaten the first few times, but you'll see what went wrong and learn. This game is addictive!

[James Ward]

ORIGINAL: boogada

[Usually you don't have to have an unbroken line at least not in the East/Balkans. Especially Russia can trade space like they did vs Napoleon and in 1942. Again troop deployment depends on your priorities (do I need to conquer/defend that area?). Remember: usually troop movement is limited or expensive. So if there is nothing to gain/lose, you shouldn't consider spending troops/equipment and resources.
In a current game I got Serbia to surrender in late 1914. Just conquered it all. So its definitely doable!

Also remember it doesn't cost you any HQ points to move in your own territory so as Russia you can set up 1 or 2 hexes away from the border and move forward to procect your territory or advance to attack without HQ cost while your opponent will be spending HQ points. Since you have no trenchs the first turn you lose nothing by doing this. This can make trading space even more expensive for the CP and you might pop a Cav unit or two inthe process.

[wargamer123]

Thanks guys for the advice, trying to take some. This game is very massive with up to 50-60 Corps for a Major Power like Germany. I have tried to go East now and that is working pretty well... It's a much more difficult situation having to conquor all that territory for the CP but a very doable strategy. Plus very easy to entrench vs the French and blockade the Royal Navy from getting the BEF through... Well, at least vs the AI

Still learning, trying my best.

[wargamer123]

Some more questions if anyone can spare the time. Often playing the game I cannot get a grasp on things, but in hotseat I do a little better.

For the TE:

Amphibious Movement is very tricky, she needs a network of Transports, but once she has that she has a very powerful striking capability with the UK. Perhaps a little too powerful? She has to also give sea supply to her land units, it says in the book %25 per transport, you do not however as I notice need a network of these?

For the CP:

I notice she has a very very hard time keeping the German Industrial Machine moving without Raws, PreProds ones... Seems Austria has an excess, and you can give half of Austria's per turn to German and it's only a plus, a player mentioned this in another thread and a list of some cities that have Raws on them. Very very painful if you are short of raws, but when I went up in production with Germany I noticed I was -1 food... ??? Interesting Perhaps a little too much production for her overspends her food???

Diplomacy:

I notice that I rarely get hits, do you only get 1 hit per turn on any given nation no matter what? I know this is probably covered in the book, but I never see my politicians do their job and it's annoying SO I'm asking