There used to be a single Research Chit limit to certain critical Techs like Infantry Weapons. I preferred that restriction. But that was changed in beta testing for reasons that I didn't understand.
Maybe after that change some costs got reduced and this wasn't revisited? I don't know, but it does seem a little off balance:
Investing 100MPP in Armored Warfare *vs*
Investing 200MPP with a 50MPP refund for 2x speed
Basically for the cost of a single Garrison unit you can get a crucial tech twice as fast. Moves like that are almost so paramount it just forces you to do them. I hate when things are so optimal you actually handicap yourself by nature of just not doing them. Meta kills games
I've played a couple of PBEM games as Axis, and yup, rolled up China and Russia. So I tried as Axis against AI. I was able to defeat the axis by 1944. How?
as suggested above, double chit inf. But don't forget Command and Control. level one at least.
Your HQ's build up experience, which makes the units under them better. while not as important as inf level, it becomes so later. When German inf at level 2 fights Russian at level 2, being led by a leader with 3 experience stars, they will wipe you out...
For the russians, don't bother with any upgrades to aircraft, etc, save that for once your inf front stalemates (in 1943 for me). once you have inf research, and command and control, arty is your next priority. The US and Brits holding and pushing into north africa and then italy is what turns it around for the russias, as german strength bleeds out.
So how to survive till 1943? Dig.
I pull back and make a line around Smolensk and Leningrad. Make sure you have both engineer units making fortresses. And make sure you have Arty (I like rockets) and a general at the heart of it. replace and reinforce, holding on. If your fortress gets close to finishing, then start in front of Moscow (though I never needed to).
In the south, you CAN counter attack the allied Romanian, Italian and Hungarian units. they are typically pretty weak and a Russian Army at level 2, or in winter will do lots of damage.
They are also more expensive for the AI to replace, so if you can, knock them down.
In China, do similar, keep your units in fortresses, behind rivers, with a leader, and dig around chungking. If you can get some arty do so. later, when india is in, I found I had enough str to move into china, and take back burma/thailand.
I agree with Mineral that C&C shouldn't be underestimated.
Suppose you have 5 HQ's as Russia or China (China gets 5 for free, Russia 4). You could buy another at 400 MPP to put another 5 units under control. Or you could pay 150 for another level of C&C, which puts 5 extra units under the control of the existing HQ's. The extra level will also improve the HQ's range, command rating and speed.
The Strategic Command World War II is an ambitious game. It is a good game. It could be much better. The designers did about 2000 things right, however, unfortunately they did about 100 things wrong. I will try to list a few mistakes.
1. Axis supply advances too quickly. It should take months to advance not weeks.
2. The Russian first winter should cripple the German army. Their efficiency should fall by about 50%. The German army should lose about 10% of army units north of the Kiev.
3. Morale should have no effect on combat.
4. Armor should not as effective against infantry.
5. Air units should not be able to reduce land units by more than 10% a turn, their main effect was to slow movement. A heavy air attack should prevent a unit from moving.
6. Allied Supply should advance very quickly. The allies should be able to designate some secondary supply locations to primary supply.
7. Units should be able to reinforce and upgrade in the same turn.
8. Allied heavy bombers should have their range doubled.
9. Carriers should not be able to attack land units.
10. The cost of research for the Russians should be reduced.
I am sure there are things I have missed, but this is a good start.
The Strategic Command World War II is an ambitious game. It is a good game. It could be much better. The designers did about 2000 things right, however, unfortunately they did about 100 things wrong. I will try to list a few mistakes.
1. Axis supply advances too quickly. It should take months to advance not weeks.
2. The Russian first winter should cripple the German army. Their efficiency should fall by about 50%. The German army should lose about 10% of army units north of the Kiev.
3. Morale should have no effect on combat.
4. Armor should not as effective against infantry.
5. Air units should not be able to reduce land units by more than 10% a turn, their main effect was to slow movement. A heavy air attack should prevent a unit from moving.
6. Allied Supply should advance very quickly. The allies should be able to designate some secondary supply locations to primary supply.
7. Units should be able to reinforce and upgrade in the same turn.
8. Allied heavy bombers should have their range doubled.
9. Carriers should not be able to attack land units.
10. The cost of research for the Russians should be reduced.
I am sure there are things I have missed, but this is a good start.
Those would all make playing Allied a little more reasonable
I've played a couple of PBEM games as Axis, and yup, rolled up China and Russia. So I tried as Axis against AI. I was able to defeat the axis by 1944. How?
as suggested above, double chit inf. But don't forget Command and Control. level one at least.
Your HQ's build up experience, which makes the units under them better. while not as important as inf level, it becomes so later. When German inf at level 2 fights Russian at level 2, being led by a leader with 3 experience stars, they will wipe you out...
For the russians, don't bother with any upgrades to aircraft, etc, save that for once your inf front stalemates (in 1943 for me). once you have inf research, and command and control, arty is your next priority. The US and Brits holding and pushing into north africa and then italy is what turns it around for the russias, as german strength bleeds out.
So how to survive till 1943? Dig.
I pull back and make a line around Sevastopol and Leningrad. Make sure you have both engineer units making fortresses. And make sure you have Arty (I like rockets) and a general at the heart of it. replace and reinforce, holding on. If your fortress gets close to finishing, then start in front of Moscow (though I never needed to).
In the south, you CAN counter attack the allied Romanian, Italian and Hungarian units. they are typically pretty weak and a Russian Army at level 2, or in winter will do lots of damage.
They are also more expensive for the AI to replace, so if you can, knock them down.
In China, do similar, keep your units in fortresses, behind rivers, with a leader, and dig around chungking. If you can get some arty do so. later, when india is in, I found I had enough str to move into china, and take back burma/thailand.
So you leave Moscow and Stalingrad to their fates? Also, how do you deal with spawned units at start of Barbarossa?
oops! I put meant Smolensk, not sevastapol. With Smolensk units dug in and behind rivers, you don't need to defend at Moscow (against AI).
In the south, the AI never makes it to Stalingrad. Chipping away at hungarians, italians, romanians, etc, and holding near rostov seems to do it.
oops! I put meant Smolensk, not sevastapol. With Smolensk units dug in and behind rivers, you don't need to defend at Moscow (against AI).
In the south, the AI never makes it to Stalingrad. Chipping away at hungarians, italians, romanians, etc, and holding near rostov seems to do it.
Still not holding the line. I'm thinking an early invasion of Italy might draw off some German and Italian units.
Trying a veteran run as Allies and Germany has a crazy number of units. I unfogged in July '42 to see why I keep losing. Germany already maxed out HQs (9), Tanks (7), Tacs (6) and Corps (20+?). There's 20 units at the gates of Moscow already.
Here's what I do as Russia, or at least he general lines:
Research Industry and Production, Infantry Techs (nothing else)
Don't spend any PP on anything but infantry (forget tanks and air until you can hold the line)
All PP go into infantry and infantry weapons, don't upgrade AA or mobility, don't buy anything else
A mix of armies and corps is good
Thanks for the feedback and I'll look to make an adjustment for the Veteran level for WaW. The setup for the various levels is almost identical between WiE and WaW (relatively speaking to scale), however it could be that some of the later AI logic improvements for WaW combined with a smaller map (with as a result the possibility of greater unit density) is creating a situation that is making the Germans stronger than they should be for this new game. I'll adjust as needed.
Here's what I do as Russia, or at least he general lines:
Research Industry and Production, Infantry Techs (nothing else)
Don't spend any PP on anything but infantry (forget tanks and air until you can hold the line)
All PP go into infantry and infantry weapons, don't upgrade AA or mobility, don't buy anything else
A mix of armies and corps is good
This works for intermediate but on veteran I'm getting overrun. Where are you choosing to hold the line? Do you hang onto the big three or fall back? My infantry are getting surrounded and then wiped put by level 4 tanks and air.