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Xwormwood & Bill, I think Wormwood nailed it ...I believe the units I was trying to upgrade were adjacent to enemy units. Thanks guys!

One other suggestion that popped into my head. With regards to one of your screen shots showing the four resource symbols. It would be helpful if you when you placed your cursor over them they told you what they represented.

I'm enjoying the heck out of this game and appreciate all your hard work!! It looks like Global Conflict will be next on my list ! :)

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Swap1_zps13baab41.jpg

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Bill, i got inspired by your great & well written infos here, and i hope you don't mind my try to add a little help for the swap move.

Once you got or created a better help / instruction for the swap move you can delete this post without any hesitation.

:)

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ok. Now I have 2 games under my belt and have a few more questions.

1. I noticed that even if I don't have all the "ship" spots occupied I still see a Entente blockades... event come up. Is there a difference in effectiveness if you occupy them all or if you only occupy one or two?

2. Is the investment in submarines worth the decrease in enemy mpp? Seems that the life span of a sub in 3-4 turns, at 200MPP cost but only reduces the enemy say 40MPP max. Seems you are on the losing end of the cost-benefit ratio.

3. If multiple powers invest in diplomacy on the same country - say France/UK/Russia all put money in Norway, will they increase your chances of switching Norway or are they in competition with each other?

4. Anyway to do recon only missions with your recon-bombers? I notice that they almost always lose strength flying the mission and think the recon only option would be useful.

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5. Why can't allied powers command each other's units. Historically Von Mackensen commanded Austrian troops, and d'Esperey commanded a real Entente hodge-podge in Salonika.

6. How do you tell a HQ command rating? I have looked at a HQ's properties and they all looked pretty much the same to me. So I'm missing something. Right now all HQ's look alike to me even though I know some are better than others.

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ok. Now I have 2 games under my belt and have a few more questions.

1. I noticed that even if I don't have all the "ship" spots occupied I still see a Entente blockades... event come up. Is there a difference in effectiveness if you occupy them all or if you only occupy one or two?

Hi

That's right, the blockade doesn't have to be total to be effective, though the more ships there are, the more effective it is.

2. Is the investment in submarines worth the decrease in enemy mpp? Seems that the life span of a sub in 3-4 turns, at 200MPP cost but only reduces the enemy say 40MPP max. Seems you are on the losing end of the cost-benefit ratio.

It depends on how successful your subs are at staying alive, and as the Atlantic is large they can sometimes keep going for some time. I normally send mine back to port when their supply is about 4-5, and can often send them out a number of times.

As the Germans have a lot of subs, and can build more, if sent out en masse this can help their survivability.

The MPP effect on the UK is also stronger if you use unrestricted warfare.

3. If multiple powers invest in diplomacy on the same country - say France/UK/Russia all put money in Norway, will they increase your chances of switching Norway or are they in competition with each other?

Yes, that will increase the likelihood of success, and is recommended.

4. Anyway to do recon only missions with your recon-bombers? I notice that they almost always lose strength flying the mission and think the recon only option would be useful.

Aim at a tile where there are no enemy units, and they will spot anything in that tile and along their flightpath. This doesn't guarantee no losses, but will on average incur less than if you aim at enemy units.

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5. Why can't allied powers command each other's units. Historically Von Mackensen commanded Austrian troops, and d'Esperey commanded a real Entente hodge-podge in Salonika.

This is something I have thought of, but hasn't been developed. It is a bit tricky because for those historic situations like you mention, there are plenty of situations where we wouldn't necessarily want it to apply.

The combat bonuses provided by HQs are also a reflection of the quality of that nation's military doctrines, high command, general staff etc, and even though von Mackensen was in overall command, his orders had to flow through the subordinate ranks of the Austro-Hungarian command down to their troops.

Thus he can provide supply to Austro-Hungarian units, which does raise their effectiveness, but he doesn't provide combat bonuses like the Austro-Hungarian commanders do to their own units.

I'm not totally averse to some sort of mechanism whereby the HQs could command units belonging to an allied major power (they can already command those belonging to a friendly minor power), but working out the correct mechanism would be important.

What complicates matters is that German units sometimes came under Austro-Hungarian command, e.g. the Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army included a German Corps in May 1915, so it's very hard to find a simple solution that would fit all situations.

6. How do you tell a HQ command rating? I have looked at a HQ's properties and they all looked pretty much the same to me. So I'm missing something. Right now all HQ's look alike to me even though I know some are better than others.

If you highlight the HQ, look in the box which appears in the bottom left of the screen, and this will show you the rating.

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This is something I have thought of, but hasn't been developed. It is a bit tricky because for those historic situations like you mention, there are plenty of situations where we wouldn't necessarily want it to apply.

The combat bonuses provided by HQs are also a reflection of the quality of that nation's military doctrines, high command, general staff etc, and even though von Mackensen was in overall command, his orders had to flow through the subordinate ranks of the Austro-Hungarian command down to their troops.

Thus he can provide supply to Austro-Hungarian units, which does raise their effectiveness, but he doesn't provide combat bonuses like the Austro-Hungarian commanders do to their own units.

That would be something. It is difficult to put things together in the balkans because you might have some units to spare but no commanders to spare. Then the units are almost useless because of supply problems.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Turn Sequence

Here are some general thoughts to help guide you through your first turns.

1) Reinforce or move to safety any battered units.

2) Replace them if they were defending key positions.

3) Look for any other key positions that aren’t currently defended, but are threatened by the enemy, and see if you can place or move units to defend them.

4) Now make your moves and attacks. Some general thoughts on this:

  • Use your Cavalry and Recon Bombers as scouts where applicable.
  • Conserve artillery ammunition until you can fire a number of shells at once.
  • Entrench your Infantry and Cavalry if they are not going to move or attack.
  • It is generally best to shell enemy units before attacking them.
  • Keep your HQs, air units and artillery fairly close to, but not in, the front lines.

4) Consider whether you need to buy any units to either replace losses, or for use in the near future. Remember that in most campaigns there is a delay between buying a unit and its arrival.

5) Upgrade any units that can be upgraded, but keep an eye on your available expenditure as some upgrades are less important than others. For instance, upgrading your navy probably isn’t very relevant if the enemy are shelling your capital.

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6) Consider whether you have any remaining income to undertake any research or diplomacy. Do not underestimate either of these, especially not in a grand campaign like 1914 Call to Arms, as both have an important role to play in deciding the outcome. Or you can keep some income back for the next point.

7) Consider reinforcing any experienced units.

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8) Have fun! :)

That's what it's all about, so don't get too hung up on doing everything right first time. It will come, and sometimes a decisive defeat is the best teacher.

9) If you do get stuck on anything, don't be afraid to ask.

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I would recommend The Somme, because it is just land combat, with no diplomacy, research (though you can, and should upgrade your artillery), air or naval aspects.

This means it is ideal for getting a good grasp of land combat, and how to launch attacks against strong positions, coupled with the correct use of artillery to soften up the target before attacking.

Playing as the Entente will also give you the challenge of trying to do better than Haig!

Then later on you can try a bigger campaign which has more of these features.

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The number of Action Points is influenced by their supply level, so if it less than the maximum such as in your example above, then their supply will be low.

Keeping close to resources and/or HQs is the way to keep in good supply, and therefore have the best movement and combat abilities.

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I would recommend The Somme, because it is just land combat, with no diplomacy, research (though you can, and should upgrade your artillery), air or naval aspects.

This means it is ideal for getting a good grasp of land combat, and how to launch attacks against strong positions, coupled with the correct use of artillery to soften up the target before attacking.

Playing as the Entente will also give you the challenge of trying to do better than Haig!

Then later on you can try a bigger campaign which has more of these features.

Thanks again for all your help!

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  • 1 month later...

The USA

My intention here is to look at the two main factors which historically led to the USA entering WWI, and consider how they work in the game.

Unrestricted Naval Warfare

Germany will be presented with a Decision Event asking if it would like to use unrestricted Naval Warfare when it has at least one naval unit on the Unrestricted Naval Warfare icons that appear to the west of the UK.

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If Germany selects yes, then the following takes place. But if it says no, then their vessels are considered to be conducting regular commerce raiding when they are adjacent to the convoy lines on the map, which has a lower effect on British income.

Note that any German naval activity in the Atlantic or Irish Sea has a chance of causing some small upset to the US, whether or not unrestricted naval attacks are being undertaken. The effect is minimal, and represents the occasional interference with US merchantmen by the German navy.

The Effect on the UK:

The UK economy relies on imports via convoys into three ports: Clyde, Bristol and Liverpool.

Unrestricted attacks reduce the strength of these ports, representing the clogging up of these ports with merchantmen unwilling to sail. When the strength of these ports has been reduced below strength 5 then they will become temporarily unusable. This cuts off the UK’s convoy income applicable to that port.

After ending unrestricted attacks, the British ports affected will only recover by 1 strength point per Entente turn, so once unrestricted attacks cease it may take some turns before their convoys get running again.

As an extra bonus, every trigger location occupied by a German naval unit will reduce British National Morale by 75 points per turn!

The Effect on Germany:

The use of unrestricted naval warfare was welcomed in Germany by a population growing hungry due to the British naval blockade, as this was seen as a way of striking back at the British.

German National Morale is therefore boosted by 75 National Morale points per turn if there are unrestricted attacks being launched in any of the following areas:

  • The North Channel
  • The Irish Sea
  • The Bristol Channel
  • St. George’s Channel

The effect is cumulative, so if unrestricted attacks are being carried out in all four areas, then German National Morale will rise by 300 points per turn.

The Effect on the USA:

Every turn that unrestricted naval attacks are being launched, the USA will swing 1-5% towards the Entente.

There is also the strong risk that the Lusitania will be sunk at some point, no earlier than the 7th May 1915, possibly significantly later. There is a 50% chance of this happening per turn that unrestricted attacks are launched, and if the Lusitania is sunk then it will swing the USA from 5 to 8% towards the Entente.

Obtaining Maximum Effect

If you are going to use unrestricted naval warfare it will be best to do so en masse, so as to gain maximum effect from the annoyance with its use in America. This is because the USA’s annoyance with unrestricted attacks does not increase the more there are in a turn.

Using at least one naval unit on each of the four British sea areas will maximise the boost to German National Morale, as well as the effect on Britain’s economy and National Morale.

Calling off Unrestricted Attacks

Because the USA is only annoyed by unrestricted naval warfare while it is in progress, you can monitor the situation and always call off your attacks before the USA gets close to entering the war. That way, the UK’s economy can be hit hard for a while, and then you can return your ships to Germany to refit and resupply.

It's normally possible to use unrestricted attacks a few times with the USA remaining neutral - just like in real life. The only downside being the increased MPPs the UK will receive from the USA once their convoys are back up and running again, due to the USA’s increased mobilization level.

Nevertheless, British income from the USA before the latter enters the war is relatively low. Given this, and that the UK will have missed out on lots of income from more sources than just the USA while you were conducting your unrestricted attacks, the economic cost to the Entente generally makes this worthwhile.

The Second Chance

If you say no to using unrestricted naval warfare the first time you are presented with this option, once the USA has entered the war you will have another opportunity to decide to use it.

You will be given the option to do this when you next have a unit on one of the Unrestricted Naval Warfare icons to the west of the UK.

Given that you will no longer have anything to lose by doing so, it is strongly recommended to launch unrestricted attacks once the USA has entered the war. Though beware the US navy!

The Zimmerman Telegram

The British intelligence service’s interception of German overtures to Mexico led directly to US entrance into WWI, and due to what happened historically it can be very tempting for the Central Powers to avoid repeating history by opting not to make the same mistake.

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However, Germany will only have an opportunity to send the Zimmerman Telegram to Mexico when the USA is already near to entering the war, so the risk of sending the telegram may well be worth it.

Here are the details behind the scenes:

From January 1917 when US mobilization reaches 75%, Germany will be presented with the option to offer Mexico an alliance.

If sent, there is a 75% chance of the telegram’s contents reaching the US authorities and leading to President Wilson declaring war on Germany.

Mexico Responds Favorably

However, there is a 25% chance that Mexico will receive the Telegram and respond favourably to Germany’s suggestion.

In this case, the US will move away from entering the war in Europe, with her mobilization level falling to 45-55%.

Not only that, but should the USA subsequently enter the war, her income will be slightly less than it would have been. This will represent the need for a US military presence to counter the Mexican threat.

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Arming the Mexicans?

With the telegram having successfully reached Mexico, and been replied to favorably, Germany will now be presented with a new decision to make: whether to spend 500 MPPs on equipping the Mexicans so that they will have the potential to invade Texas.

If Germany spends the money, then should the USA eventually enter the war then US income will be even lower. This represents the need for a significantly larger American force being needed to counter any threat from Mexico, and this effect is in addition to the effect on US income already mentioned above.

The useful thing about sending the Zimmermann Telegram is that if you are lucky, not only will you be able to carry out even more unrestricted naval attacks on the British before the USA will enter the war, but even when the USA does enter the war it won’t be as powerful as it would otherwise have been.

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The USA - Other Mobilization Factors

US Concern at the situation in Europe

From the 1st June 1917, the USA has a 50% chance of moving towards the Entente by 1-2% per turn, representing her concern at the situation in Europe and her interest in an Entente victory.

If Russia has surrendered or withdrawn from the war, then there will also be a 1-2% per-turn mobilization towards the Entente, from the date that Russia leaves the war.

The Preparedness Movement

American moves towards entering the war can be sped up by the British, as when Russia pulls out of the war, the British will be given the opportunity to fund the Preparedness Movement in the USA.

Led by Teddy Roosevelt, the Preparedness Movement campaigned for an increase in the US armed forces and to prepare American opinion for entering the war.

This will cost 50MPPs a turn for 3 turns, and will then swing the USA 4-7% towards the Entente. This will then be followed by a swing of 1-2% per turn thereafter.

As a result, all these triggers together could see the US mobilizing at a rate of 3-6% a turn. If the Germans are also using unrestricted naval warfare then this will be even faster, so the Central Powers should keep an eye on US mobilization thereafter.

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AI Speed

The quickest AI settings can be selected in the Options screen, and they are as below:

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Note that while the AI will take a little while playing the largest campaigns like 1914 Call to Arms, in the smaller ones it will be really fast, so when playing those it won't always be ideal to have the fastest AI settings. Blink and you've missed the AI's turn!

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Quick Animation simply speeds up the amount of detail (or skips it) and time for all the combat animations as well as movements for the AI. It may also skip some sound effects to speed things along.

Quick Logic for the most part relates to path finding calculations for the AI which are generally the most time consuming or 'expensive' checks for AI calculations. Instead of a thorough and very accurate path and distance checking for the AI it uses a less accurate calculation that speeds things up quite a bit.

Path finding is used in everything from AI movements to distance checks from one position to another, from one unit to another and so on.

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  • 1 month later...
That would be something. It is difficult to put things together in the balkans because you might have some units to spare but no commanders to spare. Then the units are almost useless because of supply problems.

While I wont be speaking strongly one way or another I do wish to mention though that it should not be overdone with the ideas of letting HQ's control other allied troops. There is a sense of stratigic depth in having the correct HQ's for the correct tasks.(It forces you to keep your armies in order, rather then just randomly send out groups of 3 corps in directions and cause mass havok)

If you are lacking the required HQ's I assume your enemy is doing something correctly in tying your HQ's down somewhere, just a thought.

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