which scenario is best?

[training_wheels]

I am relatively new to the game and plan on playing my brothers via PBEM. I am learning the game on the total war scenario and recently downloaded the uncommon valor 2.1 patch. I really like the visual improvements to this patch, but am not versed enough in the basic game yet to appreciate the gameplay and strategic modifications yet. In going forward, what scenario should we focus on playing? total war, uv2.1, or global glory? What are some of the advantages and drawbacks (in a nutshell) of each of these varieties.

[SGT Rice]

I'll offer my recommendation that Global Glory is the best available scenario. It shares a number of elements in common with Uncommon Valor; increased cost for fighters, variable sea transport capacity, no land moves across the interior of Africa, etc., that are all big improvements over the stock Total War scenario IMO.

Having fighters cost 3 build points really forces players to plan ahead and to be more judicious in deployment of their air power. It's not automatic that your entire stack of damaged fighters reappears at the end of the same turn they were damaged, and its harder to stack them as high ... the air component of Total War tends to devolve into massed stacks of 20-30 fighters continually mowing each other down.

The variable transport capacities are good because they force players to plan how to optimize their pipeline cpacity and because they limit some of the excessive capabilities that sea transport has in AWD.

Blocking the interior land connections across Africa is just simple common sense and gets rid of the Risk-like sweeps across the continent that are so common in Total War.

Also, the "Early Italian Entry-Southern France Conquest" gambit which has generated so much angst among some players in recent threads is not possible in Global Glory because the French garrison is beefed up.

Beyond those features, WanderingHead continues to refine GG with a broad range of political events such as Australian, Indian, Soviet surrenders, and a cluster of Balkan political events that add variability and flavor to the game. Even more enhancements are in the pipeline.

Fortunately GG is well documented and many of the implications for play are spelled out in the scenario manual. But the downside to GG is that it requires an extra commitment of time to read through the extra rule sections and then adjust your maneuver, combat and build strategies to the changes. But having crossed that threshold, I have little desire to go back and play Total War.

[training_wheels]

Thanks for your input.  I have been playing uncommon valor 2.1, but will download GG4.0 and give it a whirl.  It appears that most of the people posting are playing this scenario, so it must be for a good reason.

[GKar]

I don't doubt that Global Glory is a great scenario, but I'd say that "normal" Total War is complicated enough to learn the game. Once you feel safe with it, you can still try out GG.

[training_wheels]

There is not much mention of the Uncommon Valor 2.1 being played.  Is there something fundamentally wrong with that scenario? 

[GKar]

Not that I'd know.

[Lebatron]

In defense of my scenario I would have to say that most vet players have moved to GG for two very simple reasons.
1. It is included in all patches. While mine can't be because it's to custom.
2. It has all the latest modding additions, while UV2.1 does not.

UV2.2 was going to add this stuff but I got burned out of gaming for a while. But the good news is that I dusted UV off and will be releasing UV3.0 soon.

I've been thinking of updating the regular old UV that's included in the game to UV3.0 status. While still keeping my map modded version around too. This one could be called deluxe UV3.0 for lack of a better name. I was also thinking of porting over GG over to my deluxe map so players can enjoy both on my new map. However I'd like to have Brian's blessing on that first.

Edit 8/8/09
I did finish UV3.0 recently. Since I redesigned much of the map to improve gameplay, it hardly resembles the initial release anymore. Hence, it's been renamed Deluxe AWD. For more info see the mods section.

[Lucky1]

Nice to see you back!

[rjh1971]

ORIGINAL: Lucky1

Nice to see you back!

Hi Jesse good to see you around again, I do agree with you that your map is superb, wouldn't mind to see it incorporated to Global Glory but then there'd be no difference between your Mod and Brian's. Both are great imho.

Regards.