Best WW1 game out there and the AI is even better!

[Tanaka]

Can you port this AI back to WIE and WAW? It seems to be a lot tougher haha. Loving the game! Best WW1 experience I've had in gaming! Thanks Devs![&o]

[Hubert Cater]

Great to hear and yes all the AI improvements (its core logic), and there were a few that were put into this game, will eventually make it back into WiE and WaW for their next updates.

[Tanaka]

ORIGINAL: Hubert Cater

Great to hear and yes all the AI improvements (its core logic), and there were a few that were put into this game, will eventually make it back into WiE and WaW for their next updates.

Fantastic thanks!

[dhucul2011]

Yep, it’s the best SC yet although WIE is the gold standard for WW2.

[Simulacra53]

I am having a hard time in the west and now that Italy joined I see my strategy collapse.

With the narrow frontage in Belgium I was unable to move beyond Brussels, more problematic, I had too little depth to my defense so Belgium started to become a drain on my strength as each allied turn would destroy one or two of my corps. Mid 1915 the situation untenable I’ve withdrawn to the line Luxembourg straight south. Shortening the front.

On the East I was defensive from day one slowly straightening the front and now I am putting pressure on Warsaw from three directions...
However I have not been able to defeat Serbia, a couple of times hammering Belgrade to 1 strength, only to be unable to finish the defending corps.

All that seems to be for nought as Italy marched into my southern flank - I see very little possibilities of stopping here without depleting the other fronts...

Belgium just seems to cramped (between the neutral netherlands and strong French forces, even if I opt for a Western push at the cost of the East.
the Eastern front would not be able to withstand the Russians, let alone defeat them with the limited units at hand - maybe I am overlooking scale hre.

Long story short just curious has anyone been able to wage an opening phase that’s close to WW1?

[Simulacra53]

Not intended as criticism, at worst it might be a call for some early game balancing - or just getting better at it...skill over instant gratification.

[Sugar]

Long story short just curious has anyone been able to wage an opening phase that’s close to WW1?

Well, yes, settings highest without the spotting bonus to the AI:

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And Belgrade fell in the first turn as well, but that was pure luck.

It might help to replace the german CR 5 HQ in the East by a CR 7, and the austrian HQs with CR 3 by 5s asap.

From my impression the start of the game is slightly more difficult than in the predecessor since higher CRs of HQs aren't available for AH and the Ottos, and I wouldn`t rely too much on defense before trench warfare lvl 2 is researched.

[Simulacra53]

https://youtu.be/HUksZKPNpFQ

This gameplay somewhat shows the same problem on this line of defense, Brussels is a weak point in the German line.
The Entente can throw multiple corps forward, but the Germans have little room so are ground to pieces.

That's why I preferred Road to Paris In SC2, because it had a smaller scale, which gave more room to maneuver - shuffle units, prepare offensives etc.

IMO at only 2-3 deep and extended fronts like the west of Flanders, you’ll have a hard time defending, let alone move forward.
WW2 does not have this problem, as you have the added depth of The Netherlands, also Belgians and Dutch forces are only minor nuisance, your Panzers will break through and your Infantry corps will push ahead.

It is probably difficult to get the balance right, but the scale does not help the German attacker.
When the opportunity was there I was not able to move forward because of the narrow lane of attack.

You need a 2 layer minimal for defense, 3 multi for attack - preferably multi sided. However with ZOC you have a chance that your occupying unit will be decimated.

[Simulacra53]

Hats off, I see that you followed a more aggressive approach with breakthrough in depth. Maybe I have been trying to hard for a von Schlieffen kind of approach pushing on a broad front ever stepping more westward. Been playing at the regular AI difficulty setting mind you, so not nearly as difficult as your game.

In short it possible.

Belgrade in 1 ...
I must be doing it completely wrong here.

Must fight the urge to restart.

[Sugar]

I didn't follow that path any further, but was surprised that Paris wasn't occupied in the first turn. Through event a det. occured the following AI turn and didn't entrench, I guess it would have been easily possible to destroy and even occupy Paris, but I just wanted to see if a kind of Schlieffen was possible due to the different scale, and it is indeed. A human opponent wouldn't allow that of course, allthough a rookie could probably get a bit nervous.

I´m very pleased that other than in the predecessor NM-Objectives don't lose their charactre and it`s possible to recover from the losses of Tarnopol and the galician oilfields by reoccupying.

Most inexperienced players don't understand the effect of continued attacks on the same target, when the prediction tells of 3:1 or 2:1 results during the first attacks, but they'll get better while entrenchement and morale of the defender decreases.

[Simulacra53]

My second run was with an aggressive opening, taking Brussels, Lille and Belgrade in the second turn.
Heavy emphasis on cavalry for deep penetration - almost costing me one corps, strong push behind with infantry, but passing strong pockets.

Situation in Belgium is looking better.
In Prussia it is worse than my earlier opening round - moving some corps East.