Help. I really think I need it...

[terje439]

Ok, so jumped off the fence and bought the game, been trying as the CP against the AI.
Things however are not progressing well. To be honest, it does not feel like they progress at all...
So, thought I would ask a few questions here, and hope for some replies.

1. Should I use focus on research or not? Aka specialize or jack-of-all-trades.
2. How often should I upgrade my units? As soon as one is available, or wait?
3. Keep or disband the navies? Seems like after I tackle the Russian navy with the German navy, there is not much need for them, as I guess bringing them out to tackle the RN is suicide.
4. Is building an arty for A/H a good choice? If so, it seems another armaments factory or two is needed as well?
5. Ok, so I take the two eastern most cities in Belgium, but then I am halted cold by numerous French/British/Belgian forces. Any ideas on how to tackle this? It seems the British and French infantry is superior to the Germans, and I really cannot push through.
6. WTH are they feeding the Russians? I try to build some A/H infantry to support the Germans agains Russia, but a normal projected attack with A/H infantry against Russian infantry spells out 1:3.
7. Serbia...No matter what I do here, I end up taking a few hexes and then it is all a standstill.
8. The OE...Yikes. I wish they did not join the war at all...Fall back and only guard Baghdad or what?
9. When should I stop building units? Does not seem like the enemy faces the problem of lacking resources....EVER!
10. Tried on normal and handicapped AI, nothing helps, so please feel free to give some advice.


Thank you in advance!
Terje

[Orm]

1) I use focus most of the time and I always specialize in the artillery group to minimize research on the rail gun. In my opinion all research on the rail gun is wasted.
2) I upgrade units as soon as possible. Only exception might be naval units since this can cost a lot.
3) I keep the navy. If you scout with your sub against the British navy you can find opportunities to go on attack. Otherwise it is nice to have those ships to defend against British attacks.
4) I built arty as soon as I can afford it with A-H. Maybe I wait one turn. Later on I buy more ammunition production with AH.
5) Use artillery strikes on entrenched enemy positions. Maneuver as much as possible to force the enemy to move from their entrenched positions.
6) Get a defensive line dug in against the Russians. AH is very vulnerable until they research the machine gun. Only attack Russia when you have local superiority and only after outflanking.
7) Outflank Serbians. Leave Belgrade until the art arrive. Push for the cities behind the front. Do not attack entrenched units without art support.
8) Buy infantry research and upgrade the OE. Get an entrenched defense line. Use Infantry (or cav) only in their defense line in Sinai versus the British land attack. Consider disbanding a garrison or two.
9) I prefer to have an income of 15 to 20 per turn with most nation. Around 10 with OE. British and France exempt since they have colonial convoy income.
10) Rest troops and try to only attack with units who has an efficiency level of nine or ten. Maneuver around entrenched defenses or use artillery to soften them up. Try to get three units to attack the same enemy unit during the same turn. If you begin with an artillery strike against it as well you might eliminate the enemy unit.

I hope some of the suggestions helps you get some success. This is a really fun game. I am winning to play netplay with you when you feel ready.

Edit: As Germany try to focus your offence on one front. Use art and air on that front. So transfer them to the active front. On the passive front get dug in as soon as possible and counter attack aggressively.

Edit 2: Look for enemy troops with reduced efficiency when considering where to attack. Use air to reduce efficiency before attacking.

[Myrddraal]

Make sure you download the patches. Handicapped AI is broken in the vanilla build.

[terje439]

Ok, so after try #8...
(game installed itself with v 1.2.0 btw)

I knock out Belgium, then I run into a solid line of French infantry which is soon replaced by the BEF, freing the French to shift regular infantry to attack my garrisons at the "Maginot Line" (yes, I know that one is not around yet [:D]).
This front then stabilizes with me repairing my garrison units constantly since the French are armed with AK-47s compared to my troops Loafs of Wet Bread [:(]

Against Russia, I am able to form some sort of front, but this means that the German economy is struggling, as I need to build as many infantry units as possible just to hold. The Russians then dig in for a while, before they too start using AK-47s and force the Germans to rotate their units.

Against Serbia, the "rush the interior cities" must be a joke, right? I destroy the northern most unit on T1, then the Serbs are dug in in a continous line along their entire border. If I buy an artillery unit on T1, that means that by the time the Russians go to war, the Russian border is FUBAR. If I do not buy the artillery, I lose ground to the Serbs which are more or less always reinforced by one French and one British garrison. If I try to sink them as they arrive, I lose the navy...

The OE is able to form some sort of standstill against the British, but I am then forced to use all BP on repairs on the units. Which means it takes about 10 turns before the first new OE infantry arrives. Btw, I do disband two garrisons as soon as the OE enters, and build a research facility the same turn.


Frustrated greetings.
Terje

[terje439]

Try #10.
Serbia actually fell. Only to be offset by Italy joining, but that is a different matter.
I do now have a few actual questions again

1. Does the AI cheat in terms of BP?
2. Does the AI cheat in terms of Line of Sight?
3. Is it only me, or is the Russian AI ALWAYS able to inflict higher losses than it takes, even when my infantry is lvl 4 compared to their lvl 2??? Only power in the enemy side that has more casualties inflicted then taken.
4. Will I ever get the green zone of safety off captured ports?
5. How do I cope with enemy bombers? It is not like the CPs can waste BPs to get another aircraft research facility...
6. Is there any way to see National Morale of the enemy?
7. I must be doing something wrong, as my national stockpile of manpower for both Germany and A/H is well into yellow in 1915 . What to do. I tried telling the PC to stop attacking, but it just will not listen


Thanks again.
Terje

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: terje439

Against Serbia, the "rush the interior cities" must be a joke, right? I destroy the northern most unit on T1, then the Serbs are dug in in a continous line along their entire border. If I buy an artillery unit on T1, that means that by the time the Russians go to war, the Russian border is FUBAR. If I do not buy the artillery, I lose ground to the Serbs which are more or less always reinforced by one French and one British garrison. If I try to sink them as they arrive, I lose the navy...

No joke. The Serbians do not have a continuous defense line until later on. In the beginning they have a perfect opening, to the east, for an attack. An intel picture is attached showing the main weakness of the Serbian position.

Edit: Due to the lack of units of the AH army I suggest you relocate the three infantry you have on the NW Serbian border to the NE after the initial attack on the garrison. Remember to guard the supply lines needs to be guarded if you advance as I have suggested.

[terje439]

When I took out Serbia, I did so by attacking north of Cetinje in the gap seen in your screenshot, but guess that takes too long. Will have to run a few more games and see if I can make better use of the economy, as that is my main issue. That, and the fact that Garrision units are useless in the east.


Terje

[terje439]

Sorry Orm, there will be no pbem. I am simply dropping this game. I cannot succeed, only hang on untill the British arrive with their scores of arty and bombers, then the Russians gets a few arty pieces and it all crumbles. And I am only able to attack for a few turns, then all fronts are dug in, and there is nothing to do.

Sorry, not a game for me.


Terje

[Anguille]

I also have problems winning with the Central Powers (didn't try the Allies yet)....so far i loose very often already in 1915. I feel the Eastern front has two few units at the beginning.

[Anguille]

Starts to be really frustrating...not new to strategy games but this bloody thing is too hard on normal...the AI seems to have so much more PPs and seems to have the best odds in each battles...[:(]

[Jonathan Pollard]

ORIGINAL: Anguille

Starts to be really frustrating...not new to strategy games but this bloody thing is too hard on normal...the AI seems to have so much more PPs and seems to have the best odds in each battles...[:(]

Try being the Entente in the 1917 scenario, it's probably the most unbalanced one available. Or if you prefer being the CP, you can get an edge by playing my neutral Belgium/UK/Turkey mod, which can be downloaded here: http://slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=218&t=41850

[Anguille]

I want to play the whole war as the CP. Imho, the problem is the starting positions. The Serbs are too strong, the German positions in the East are more or less ok but the Austrians don't have enougth units on the Russian front to start with. Even if the germans have the right armies on the right spot (there's a horse division missing i think though), the entire eastern front of the CP is so empty that it can be easy for a single russian unit (yes, i look at you armoured train) to take important cities in Germany and even threat Berlin). Afterwards, you're always on the defensive without hopes to win which cannot be the case in 1915 for Germany.

I started a new game yesterday which is looking better.

[BlackKgt]

I’m sorry, but I have to TOTALLY agree with terje439. I have been playing board/table/computer games since back in the days of Strategy Simulations Inc (SSI – early 80s). I have never seen a game with when you run as either Allies or Axis where the AI has such crushing strategy. I have tried many different openings for both, and I have even written down the AI’s moves and attempted to conduct the same. There is NO WAY possible for the player to even think about competing with this games AI. A player cannot even attempt to make the moves the AI does, and for production, there is no match but the AI has the advantage. The AI has units in places that the player cannot get them in the time given to where the AI COMPLETELY has the advantage TOTALLY. For a game, I played the World War One by SSI when you had to make your own over lay and put it on the War in Europe map. Building what is called “Active” units, and then as the war rolls on slowly units turn into reserve status. At least with this game, a player could have a chance to attempt something. Yea, it was moving counters on a map, and having a 40sq foot area for the map setup, but you can play the game with some hope of achieving something.

[vonRocko]

ORIGINAL: BlackKgt

I’m sorry, but I have to TOTALLY agree with terje439. I have been playing board/table/computer games since back in the days of Strategy Simulations Inc (SSI – early 80s). I have never seen a game with when you run as either Allies or Axis where the AI has such crushing strategy. I have tried many different openings for both, and I have even written down the AI’s moves and attempted to conduct the same. There is NO WAY possible for the player to even think about competing with this games AI. A player cannot even attempt to make the moves the AI does, and for production, there is no match but the AI has the advantage. The AI has units in places that the player cannot get them in the time given to where the AI COMPLETELY has the advantage TOTALLY. For a game, I played the World War One by SSI when you had to make your own over lay and put it on the War in Europe map. Building what is called “Active” units, and then as the war rolls on slowly units turn into reserve status. At least with this game, a player could have a chance to attempt something. Yea, it was moving counters on a map, and having a 40sq foot area for the map setup, but you can play the game with some hope of achieving something.

Sorry you're wrong. I have never lost a game against the AI.

[Anguille]

ORIGINAL: vonRocko

ORIGINAL: BlackKgt

I’m sorry, but I have to TOTALLY agree with terje439. I have been playing board/table/computer games since back in the days of Strategy Simulations Inc (SSI – early 80s). I have never seen a game with when you run as either Allies or Axis where the AI has such crushing strategy. I have tried many different openings for both, and I have even written down the AI’s moves and attempted to conduct the same. There is NO WAY possible for the player to even think about competing with this games AI. A player cannot even attempt to make the moves the AI does, and for production, there is no match but the AI has the advantage. The AI has units in places that the player cannot get them in the time given to where the AI COMPLETELY has the advantage TOTALLY. For a game, I played the World War One by SSI when you had to make your own over lay and put it on the War in Europe map. Building what is called “Active” units, and then as the war rolls on slowly units turn into reserve status. At least with this game, a player could have a chance to attempt something. Yea, it was moving counters on a map, and having a 40sq foot area for the map setup, but you can play the game with some hope of achieving something.

Sorry you're wrong. I have never lost a game against the AI.

I won once so far. The beginning of the game is crucial in order to win imho. If you don't play the right moves, invest in the right techs etc, you're going to lose the game. The time i won, once i had made the right opening moves, the end was "fairly" easy (taking out Russia, France and Italy). Some people make the right moves because this is how they play...it's part of luck and experience. I for myself have played tons of strategy games but obviously didn't play the way this has to be played (opening moves). It can be really frustrating and i almost gave up.

[operating]

Anguille

I lost my first couple of games. Yes, the AI was formidable (even in handicap), however, after getting familiar with game rules and learning the characterists of the AI, the game was rather predictable, hence, I could prepare for the twists and turns, on either side, as the game(s) progressed. Never again lost afterwards, none-the-less, the AI was challanging every step of the way.

[BlackKgt]

Yes,
There are very valid statements. In gaming the opening moves and mean victory or loss. And then pending on your stratigic outlook on how you conduct your productions of new units will effect during the time to get them into play. BUT - if you have game version 1.1.2, this version is a nightmare to play. After posting, I found the two updates in the downloads. I loaded them, updated 1.1.4 and then 1.3. Load them in order (load both, not just 1.3), and now the very next game I played, the Western Front the French and British are barley holding the line along Belguim and France. Eaastern Front Russia is on the delay tactic as they are slowly being moved back. Turkey you can hold against the British barley ... But now that these two updates have been loaded, the game is a more balanced. I do not cee the units the previos AI had in places and do not see the pruduction out the AI had before the updates. So I HIGHLY reccomend poeple using the updates.

[shanehoggard]

I apologize for such a basic question but how do you load your troops onto a transport ship. Any help is appreciated.

[freeboy]

ok.. the ai, and FOW make this a great fun beer and Pretzels type game.. took me forever to figure out the system of how to win again the ai...
The game can be challenging, I would not recommend playing only one side.. play the same scenario from each an you'll learn quicker imo
and good luck
I do sympathize as its frustrating getting squashed like a bug by the ai... and thats this games best side!!!

[BlackKgt]

No question is ever to basic. It is those that are not ask and then we wonder how to get it done. To :Load on transport: all you do is have the unit next to a port sysmbol and then click the unit, then for te move, click on the port symbol and the unit is now on the transport. Hope this helps you.