SP '41 GC what is your secret?

[MarkShot]

I have seen quite a few people say that they have fought 5-10 full GCs.

In SP fighting doing the '41 GC to '45, what is your secret (no sudden deaths)? How do you manage 5-10 of these? Myself, I think I might manage a turn/day with commitment.

I admit I am aging and not as fast as I once was ..., but still. How do you do it?

Is PC-TB, PC-AIR, PC-Depots, and PC-SU the secret to your speed?

I seriously wish to know. I understand the game, but I don't how it can be done?

Thank you for your time and consideration.

[loki100]

this is meant as a purely vs AI response.

Now according to my notes I've played the GC 30 times (or at least started it 30 times) - there is of course a very specific reason for that. More to point I've completed (with ends in March and May 1945) 2 complete Soviet vs AI games and will soon finish up a complete (prob to the December 44 test), Axis vs AI game.

I don't use the assists.

Ok with the AI you have a lot of micro-control over the settings, so use them, if its getting too easy give the AI more (morale is the obv one but logistics can make quite a difference). You are playing for your fun, if you are the axis and you want to get moving set the AI to 90 for say 3 turns then back to 110 (or where you are comfortable), give it 120 post the initiative change (or if you think its faltering). Or not, go for a win in 1943.

I'm stating the bloody obvious as its important, AI is all about the fun. I like watching the AI shred my lines and responding, others don't.

Game management.

I mostly simplify the air war to GS and recon, using GA as a mission of esoteric purpose (Naval as needed). So the challenge is to get a sensible air-ground OOB and layout in place. Once you have that I start each air phase in the commander's report:

a) anything depleted I review why. Its usually a frame out of production but it can be a global lack of suitable types (say the at-start axis bi plane recon planes). Depending I swap (& if so look for similar), send to the reserve (useless so why not) or scrap (frees the few planes for other units)
b) anything with fatigue > 10 I rest in my phase - I may reset this for the opposing phase
c) anything with morale < 50 I rest (you need to vary this criteria for the axis allies and the VVS to late 42)
d) anything with exp < NM (by a measure), to the reserve. Exp is prob the important air war criteria so best where these can train

Every 4- 6 turns I do a larger review vs production to catch stuff that is not being generated.

I'd say that is 4-5 minutes of a few mouse clicks in the CR. I mostly use the AOG lables to bring new formations from the reserve to the map - this is pretty efficient and the simplest way to do it.

Ground phase starts in the CR (or in other words the CR really matters).

I look for:

a) low TOE, SU back to OKH/Stavka, CU back to a depot to refit (clearly 'low TOE' is a variable judgement)
b) anything unready - ditto
c) doing this I filter the CR by different units so on map (exclude my motorised formations), on (just my motorised formations), SU (& then I sort just by OKH/Stavka to make refit/to reserve decisions), then the reserve (decisions about who gets refit, who gets sent to map).

First thing I then do on map is move the designated refit formations (there is a great map mode for this) to somewhere they can refit.

Review using the battle filter - where did you get attacked etc

From there its again getting your OOB clear and logical.

Once you are past the opening turns the chaos on the Soviet side subsides a bit (at 120 AI morale there is a lot of chaos), on the axis side you are usually executing the big decisions you made earlier.

My view is there a chosen difficulty-demand on your time trade off (with this moderated by experience), so pick what suits you.

With my current vs AI game I can easily play 2 turns in an evening. I've long gone past having any big choices, its all about judging micro-situations - how to hold this hex - and the wider issue of what can I give up this turn to avoid too many AI gains but equally managed my losses.

[MarkShot]

Thanks very much. I had not considered that all those numeric values can be varied during play.

[loki100]

also worth bearing in mind that a lot of people who claim that:

ORIGINAL: MarkShot

I have seen quite a few people say that they have fought 5-10 full GCs.

...

are being a wee bit disengenious. Most will have bailed out of the game when they can't get an early auto-win, so its the GC in a 16 turn framework.

Strong view is the game (assuming not a complete mismatch) has a number of important turning pts, you can read about them, sort of prepare but there is no substitute for actual experience, main ones:

a) obv, first winter (both sides) how to mitigate or make the most of it
b) May-June 42, usually mixed weather but its key to how the Axis player sets the board for 1942
c) something around mid-43, the Soviets are firmly in control, but the logistics demands are very different to the Axis player in 1941
d) sometime around late-44, how the hell to supply the Red Army in Hungary and the Reich

Clearly (c) you can partially explore in the StB scenario, (d) using VtB but neither reflect an ongoing game with its unique dynamics.

There are also resource issues that have long feedback loops - less than in WiTW but they are there. Spotting them and understanding cause-effect takes a go or two.

Now its a pity that the norm, esp in HtH, is T1-16 and end, they miss out on a huge amount of the game design.

Fwiw, as I've argued elsewhere there are 2 real meaningful end pts, an Axis auto-win in late 42 or the HWM test in Dec 44. Most of the rest are there to end an already one sided game or one that is still too close to call at the end of 1944.

[MarkShot]

I am waiting for First Contact Gamer to finish his Battle for Italy series of WITW on YouTube. As I need some experienced tutoring.

Originally, I bought WITE-2, but when I saw that the WITW was very similar, but a full air war --- SALE.

Also, I am under the impression that WITW is complete, and WITE-2 will need a year to have matured. My indicator ... I expect is the release of the DLC pack for WITE-2. I don't think that will be done until the engine is rock solid. After all, you are not Paradox.

But I do like the GC idea of WITE-2 very much. It's like you are at the beach, and the waves and tides are going to be changing throughout the day. You must just go with the flow, since as big as the game is The War is even bigger than that.

It is a very nice concept ... you are playing a game within a game. You give the player the option to interact with the larger World - TB. And you allow the player, to experience being in history, but asserting his/her influence as opposed to just scenarios for points.

It truly is a very nice vision.

Thank you, Roger for all your help with this game!