Your first game of GGWAW will be...

[bmodified]

Played as what country/bloc? Axis or Allies? US/UK, Germany, etc? Any reason for your choice?

Will it be solitaire or PBEM?

Does anybody read the manual first or do you jump right in and only break open the manual if something stumps you?

I admit this thread is sort of a blatant effort to kill time before the game is released, but I am curious to see if there is a general consensus on what country will get played first.

[WanderingHead]

First: I might just let the AI play every Power and see what happens.

First game: Axis against AI.

First game against a human: 1 on 1 hotseat, any side I have to be to play the game.

I will read the manual in minute detail, but it seems like it will be easy enough to dive in without it, and I doubt I'll be able to resist that for long.

Somewhere I read that there are some important smallprint things to keep in mind, like if Italy falls the Axis Mediterranean fleet suddenly disappears or some such thing. It will be vital not to be surprised by these sorts of things.

Pardon me if I am spreading inaccurate rumors about the rules, I don't even recall where I read that.

[Drax Kramer]

ORIGINAL: bmodified

Played as what country/bloc? Axis or Allies? US/UK, Germany, etc? Any reason for your choice?

Will it be solitaire or PBEM?

I'll play as Axis against AI. I'll challenge Oleg to PBEM match, with me playing Allies, as soon as I'll be ready. [:D]

Does anybody read the manual first or do you jump right in and only break open the manual if something stumps you?

I'll skim the manual first. I hope it would be in some sort of printable file.


Drax

[Station]

If I first play alone, I will probably be Germany or USSR. Particular reason? They're my two of my favorite historical nations.

Japan is too, but after Axis & Allies, I've come to not really like the kind of hardships you can face as them.

Western Allies I feel I'd be bored with and be sitting on my keester most of the game.

China sounds like a challenge, that will probably be the next I play after my favorites.

In my first game with friends, I will probably be USSR since none of my friends never want to play as them. They always get frustrated in Axis & Allies and I'm sure they'll feel the same way in this.

I plan to skim the manual. I'm not expecting it to be as hard to learn as Hearts of Iron though (which I can't play anymore because it blows my mind)

[Becket]

You'll hardly be bored playing as Western Allies - most games the Japanese just can't afford to wait very long before attacking. In the early turns, you'll have your hands full desperately defending UK possessions against the Axis and keeping supply lines open. Later, you'll have to manage a two front war and keep track of a lot of forces, supplies and research.

That said, as an OstFront buff myself, I tend to play as either Germany or USSR (usually USSR), and I can tell you that you should really enjoy it. IMO the Soviets are the most fun to play, as you try to stave off disaster in the early turns, then gear up to race west.

[Grotius]

I'm a Pacific War buff, so I'll probably play my first game as Japan. My impression is that Japan is tough to play, which is fine with me.

[CPTBrown]

I'm a Pacific War buff, too. I'll play China first, as they seem to be a pretty simple first game. That way, I can watch the other powers play with the fog of war turned off. I'm also one of those people who reads every letter of every page of the manual, especially when I get engrossed in a game. If it's not going to be printed, I'll just print it off myself a little at a time and read it when I have time.

CPT B
FLY ARMY!

[Joel Billings]

There will be a printed manual with this game.

[Station]

ORIGINAL: Becket

In the early turns, you'll have your hands full desperately defending UK possessions against the Axis and keeping supply lines open.

You know, I totally forgot that WA encompasses that too.

I'll still go with Germany or USSR first game though

[ravinhood]

There will be a printed manual with this game.

OMG I'm gonna have a heart attack (faints instead). A real live paper bound manual? No kidding? Oh thank you thank you thank you Joel Finally some good reading in bed for a change and relaxing also instead of having my monitor sitting on my belly and my key board on my chest.

[Hanal]

ORIGINAL: ravinhood

There will be a printed manual with this game.

OMG I'm gonna have a heart attack (faints instead). A real live paper bound manual? No kidding? Oh thank you thank you thank you Joel Finally some good reading in bed for a change and relaxing also instead of having my monitor sitting on my belly and my key board on my chest.

I find manuals make great bathroom reading!

[bmodified]

Printed manuals are always a good thing, and it looks like GGWAW will have enough detail where it will be a good item to have. I will probably read it after I make a hash of my first effort against the axis AI.

Interesting responses so far. I think there is a preception that trying to take over the world will be more interesting than defending it (at least at the start of the game), but here is where the combination of combining the US and UK makes sense, as the WA player should be busy from the start.

It looks like the only "slow starter" would be Russia, since the game starts with Poland divided. Perhaps there might be action against Finland or Japan, but they probably won't really get involved until Germany attacks or the diplomatic situation allows the Soviets to declare war on Germany.

Japan should be at least a little interesting at start as they try to swallow as much of China as they can. It will be very interesting to see if the Japanese can make enough noise in the Pacific to make the WA player forget the historical strategy of "Germany first".

China will probably not be a barn burner at any point in the game, but I'm increasingly expecting them to be sort of a throway position in what will really be a four player game.

[Hanal]

A single player could play Russia and China...this way, you have something militarily to do (admittedly limited) while Russia is frozen and who knows, during the end game you might be able to launch some multiple offensives against Japan.....

Maybe I should do a Chinese AAR to show that it is not that horrible an experience!......

[Becket]

One thing you aren't considering about USSR is that your early turns have to be very carefully managed. You're trying to research breakthroughs and strengthen your defenses, all on a shoestring budget. That's a tough bill and you will never see me complain when my German opponent takes their own sweet time to invade.

Every turn the Soviets get after Spring 41 only helps them.

[CPTBrown]

And here I was thinking I'm the only one who reads game manuals in the John! Strategy guides are good "thinking" material as well! Only problem is your legs go numb after a while...I guess this is what the conversations have come to while we're all waiting out the big day.

CPT B
FLY ARMY!

[Scott_WAR]

ORIGINAL: J P Falcon

I find manuals make great bathroom reading!

ROFL, reminds me of our early days playing Axis and Allies. The person who owned the game had a habit of taking the manual with him when he went to the bathroom. It never failed that he found something we were doing wrong , which always resulted in an hour long debate on rules and nobody else really wanted to touch the manual at that time.

[HardRock]

I will jump in without reading a thing (I hate reading:). I will take Germany with all realism options on. This will give me a quick test of how much real meat is in this game.

If I conquer the allies with little effort I will be disappointed. Well..there is PBEM.
If I have a hard time at it...AND it is addictive. 5 star game:)


-HR

[Paul Vebber]

I followed the "recommended path" and I think it did me well

Out of the box Play China first, with advnaced supply and auto supply and Fog of War. You try without supply, but its so important i think you just learn bad habits with anyhting but "advanced supply". ASame with FOW as teh Naval powers. Yuo can play Germany or Russia with FOW off and not learn too many bad hapbits. Play Japan or Wa with it off and turning it on makes a BIG diference. I leave area supply off. It autmatically routes 1 supply (ensuring full defense) to every occupied area. i have found this to be a twin edged sword, especially if you try to get by on as few supplies possible in order to max research. This always seesm to take supplies from where I can least afford to send them to podunksvile were no one is going to attack anyway.

Unless you are a logistical masochist, leave auto supply on. Turning it off just adds a HUGE burden of tedium and screwing it up leds to frustration. Wait until you get REALLY good and need the challenge, or for tournament play between experts or the like.

There is not much you can do to screw up China, and its fun to get a good lick in on the Japs. Not much economy and not much to research. But you learn the mechanics. Try it once, then move on.

From China go to Russia. You can hone your research and logistics skills easily, turns go fast once you get into it, and you don't have to worry about naval forces too much (the fleet in Lenningrad can be useful - I usually let Leningrad build the hvy fleet it has a head start on). There are a lot of decisions to make - you can't do everything! You need a good "concept of operations" for running teh war, investing in research that your builds exploit and having a good operations plan for defending, then shifting to the defense. A couple of games as Russia and then go to Germany.

German play reminds me of 3R where I had a "script" to remind me of all the things I had to do the first two turns to max my expansion (and resources). You can pretty much 'automatically" take france on teh first turn, but if you want to max your efficiency, sending all 7 tanks on Exploitation to paris may be overkill. "riding teh edge of teh envelope" may invite a chance for disaster in France - I've had as many as 4 armor damaged in France - perhaps not France winning, but at least "dying well"... Teh key to Russia is to try to get teh "monster stacks" teh AI likes to create surrounded and out of supply. Killing a "monster stack" this way is really your only chance in the long run, but its VERY tough.

After Germany I would go to Japan. Some think Japan is the hardest to play - I think the WA are the hardest to PLAY (there is just so much to do and if you want a Decisive victory you can't waste a Single turn), Japan is probably the hardest to WIN WITH. Its a lot like playing germany, but at Sea. You braek out and grap resources and hope you can get the "decisive battle" you need to hold the US back. I never seem to be able to do anything at Pearl harbor so I dont; even try it any more - wastes precious suply (Japans resource situation makes you yearn for the horn of plenty Russia has...). like with Russia, the key is to find the US fleet (that itself can be hard with FOW on).

Like Germany - your key to victory is rapid expansion, and then trying to get the WA to overextend and allow you your "midway moment". Its hard - The AI is pretty conservative, I haven't pulled it off, but come close. Without a major fleet victory, its a matter od "dying well" and "not losing" rather than winning in the end.

AFter a few games as Japan - Now you are ready for the big enchilada - playing the WA well requires juggling a TON of stuf in your head - you need to fight Germany in NA and keep England from being cut off from its overseas resources. you ned to research and staockpile supplies in teh US to fight the war later. Teh seemingly claustrophbic board in Europe now seems hopelessly Huge as you try to get ships built in US east coast ports into teh Pacific in a timely matter (devouring MOUNTAINS fo supply - large fleets can tale 50-75 pupply to move a full move (moving one area costs one per ship - moving GREATER than one can cost as much as 5 for a Hvy flt.

you have to be careful in your quest for a DV as teh Ai WILL manuever to create a "midway moment" and isolate a large fleet and Hammer it 9it did it to me - so I know). Good palnning and logistics can pretty much guarentee it won't happen - but forgetting to move a transport to fill in a gap or bad luck at ASW can leave a seemingly safe fleet hanging out to dry even if you are careful.

Well that is my take on sides and prety much how I've tackled learning the game. I did the WA first and then Japan - in hindsight that casued some frustration I probably would not have had had i palyed Japan (And schooled myself watching the IA play the WA) before I took on that task myself.

[Paul Vebber]

If I conquer the allies with little effort I will be disappointed.

I have yet to be able to win with the Germans on "Challenging" (I started right in on that level skipping normal - I think its the "sweet spot") but I do give myself a 20 point supply crutch. The Russians always get me in the end, one the WA come in. Got a draw, lost 2 mariginals - not a win in 3 games...i think I could do it now that I am better at judiging how much supply to build.

I have never lost vs the AI as the Russians with the same setup - never a decisive though.

My feeling is Germany is a at a disadvatage straight up agaisnt a uman Russia and needs a DRm and a little supply help to even it up.

I'e only got about a dozen games under my belt so I my not have all teh tricks figured out yet.

On normal level (without the supply and transport help to the AI), you might be able to bring Russia to its knees, but ultimately the economic mght of te US at full factory multipier, you just get worn down, Evenif you are doing well in Russia, Once the WA come knocking its "try to hold off for a draw" and if you luck goes bad - avoid a decisive.

[Becket]

ORIGINAL: Paul Vebber
My feeling is Germany is a at a disadvatage straight up agaisnt a uman Russia and needs a DRm and a little supply help to even it up.

I disagree with Paul. Germany isn't at a disadvantage, it's on a timetable. You have 5, maybe six turns to knock out the Soviet ability to make war. A human Germany is a nightmare (paullus and I were regularly able to cripple each other's Soviets early in testing; some minor tweaks have been made to balance it a bit more). Give Germany a die roll modifier and I suspect you'll be fighting Germany alone as the WA.

That said, playing Germany is hard. You are on a timetable and it's extremely challenging to do all the things you need to do. By the same token, I've found it very challenging to beat the Axis on a better than historic timetable.