Wargame Newbie experience and questions
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2020 9:40 pm
Hello everybody,
after watching lots of let's plays on youtube I eventually opted to get the game. In my Central Powers Campaign I have reached July 1915 where steam shows me 35 hours played (I took my time to think, reloaded sometimes and let the game run in background for some time).
Now I would like to ask a few questions and share my experiences:
How long does ressearch usually take? The first few rounds I invested almost all MPPs into reasarch (Infantry, Infantry Warfare, trenches, Command, Mobility + Submarine/Artillery for the Germans) but so far no new tech is ready.
And should I make another investment before the first level has been ressearched?
On the battlefield, I'm following an min-max strategy. Does this make sense or should I emphasis more to defend the nm points in the east and advance in the west at the expence of losing corps as the enemy appears to be replacing most of these losses rather easily.
I anhilated 25 Corps at the Western front (3 UK, 21 FR, 1 IT). In the East the Russians lost 20 Infantry corps, 2 Mountaineerdivisions, 3 Cav and 1 Art. And finally the Serbians lost 6 Corps and 2 Departments.
My own losses are 2 corps for Germany and 1 for the k.u.k. Empire.
The drawback of this strategy is that I did not gain too much ground. In the West, I took Boulogne, Lille and Nancy but ignored the French fortresses and am still far away from Paris. Most times I clear a hex I do not advance unless I can entrench and I'm not surrounded by more than three sides,
In Eastern Prussia I immeadiately retreated to build a front from Königsberg to Johannisburg and here I am waiting for the Russians to run out of Divisions.
In Galicia I sacrificed Lemberg and the oilfields and took cover in the Przemysl fortress. Whith some deficulties I could hold the line behind the Tyra River and recaptured Tschernowitz. Russian Forces in Galicia have thined so I may well be able to regain Lehmberg and the oilfields.
In Serbia I advanced to Pristina but the Serbians have gathered their forced at Nisch.
Is it common to spend most of your MPP on reinforcing your corps?
What about Italy? I lost Trento in the first attack. Are cities in the mountains treated as normal cities without any terrain specific defense boni? And should I save MPPs to move a commander here? Or should I take one from another front?
Just out of curiosity: Why is there Bruneck the second city in the region? Bozen, Meran and Brixen are all much larger towns in South Tyrol.
AI appeard to do a pretty good job in Land battle so far. When I misposition a corps it is minced in the next turn and it slips through any gap in my defence line. Much better than e.g. the HOI AI.
Nevertheless, I spotted a few glitches: Artillery, Commanders and aiplanes are often left unguarded so I can destroy them without losses. And sometimes attacks on the Western front are done without any chance to succeed, leaving the defence line weakened.
Also the British have some problems with their Navy AI. All their DNs, PDs, and most CCs and CAs are in the North of Scotland for the Blockade. So I am now freely shiping the German Navy through the channel, sinking some DDs, CVLs and CLs.
Before that I fought against the Russian Navy in the Ostsee and they brought in one ship per turn, letting the Germany ships sink them comfortably.
In general, I think Naval battle is the game's biggest weakness. Coast bombardement hurts the ship, but not the infantry, who can even attack a ship on a neighboring country. Big ships like DN, PD, CC & CAs should have a firing range of more than one hex just like artillery. And I do not yet see, that different types of ships have their dedicated roles. Why should I build anything else than SS, DD, DN (Though I can't spare enough MPPs to build anything new).
after watching lots of let's plays on youtube I eventually opted to get the game. In my Central Powers Campaign I have reached July 1915 where steam shows me 35 hours played (I took my time to think, reloaded sometimes and let the game run in background for some time).
Now I would like to ask a few questions and share my experiences:
How long does ressearch usually take? The first few rounds I invested almost all MPPs into reasarch (Infantry, Infantry Warfare, trenches, Command, Mobility + Submarine/Artillery for the Germans) but so far no new tech is ready.
And should I make another investment before the first level has been ressearched?
On the battlefield, I'm following an min-max strategy. Does this make sense or should I emphasis more to defend the nm points in the east and advance in the west at the expence of losing corps as the enemy appears to be replacing most of these losses rather easily.
I anhilated 25 Corps at the Western front (3 UK, 21 FR, 1 IT). In the East the Russians lost 20 Infantry corps, 2 Mountaineerdivisions, 3 Cav and 1 Art. And finally the Serbians lost 6 Corps and 2 Departments.
My own losses are 2 corps for Germany and 1 for the k.u.k. Empire.
The drawback of this strategy is that I did not gain too much ground. In the West, I took Boulogne, Lille and Nancy but ignored the French fortresses and am still far away from Paris. Most times I clear a hex I do not advance unless I can entrench and I'm not surrounded by more than three sides,
In Eastern Prussia I immeadiately retreated to build a front from Königsberg to Johannisburg and here I am waiting for the Russians to run out of Divisions.
In Galicia I sacrificed Lemberg and the oilfields and took cover in the Przemysl fortress. Whith some deficulties I could hold the line behind the Tyra River and recaptured Tschernowitz. Russian Forces in Galicia have thined so I may well be able to regain Lehmberg and the oilfields.
In Serbia I advanced to Pristina but the Serbians have gathered their forced at Nisch.
Is it common to spend most of your MPP on reinforcing your corps?
What about Italy? I lost Trento in the first attack. Are cities in the mountains treated as normal cities without any terrain specific defense boni? And should I save MPPs to move a commander here? Or should I take one from another front?
Just out of curiosity: Why is there Bruneck the second city in the region? Bozen, Meran and Brixen are all much larger towns in South Tyrol.
AI appeard to do a pretty good job in Land battle so far. When I misposition a corps it is minced in the next turn and it slips through any gap in my defence line. Much better than e.g. the HOI AI.
Nevertheless, I spotted a few glitches: Artillery, Commanders and aiplanes are often left unguarded so I can destroy them without losses. And sometimes attacks on the Western front are done without any chance to succeed, leaving the defence line weakened.
Also the British have some problems with their Navy AI. All their DNs, PDs, and most CCs and CAs are in the North of Scotland for the Blockade. So I am now freely shiping the German Navy through the channel, sinking some DDs, CVLs and CLs.
Before that I fought against the Russian Navy in the Ostsee and they brought in one ship per turn, letting the Germany ships sink them comfortably.
In general, I think Naval battle is the game's biggest weakness. Coast bombardement hurts the ship, but not the infantry, who can even attack a ship on a neighboring country. Big ships like DN, PD, CC & CAs should have a firing range of more than one hex just like artillery. And I do not yet see, that different types of ships have their dedicated roles. Why should I build anything else than SS, DD, DN (Though I can't spare enough MPPs to build anything new).