research

[newbie05]

Just bought game a week or so ago but have spent many hours ( atleast that is what my wife said,lol) already playing it. Just wondering from you "experts" - is it worth spending more than 1 point per area,ie heavy tanks,subd,etc. I know it raises the chances by 1% per point but I was wondering if you guys really see the difference?

[Edwin P.]

As I recall;

The first chit = 5%, the second chit 4%, the third chit = 3%, etc.

So 3 chits give you a 12% chance of an advance.

I aim for 2 chits in each area that I focus on.

[newbie05]

Thanks for the reply Edwin. Thats atleast sounds a little better than a 1%or 2 % chance.lol

Not sure how this forum looks at newbies asking questions but I have read guide but still have a couple of questions. Does anyone mind if I ask some.

[ November 29, 2005, 12:36 AM: Message edited by: newbie05 ]

[Edwin P.]

Keep Going

[Mr.Dozer]

ask away, and i wouldnt mind playing you by email or tcp/ip.

guesswhotwice@hotmail.com

[newbie05]

Dozer, would love playing you but not sure how to set it up by email.If you dont mind walking me thru it I dont mind getting my ass handed to me.lol But watch out I'm a quick learner!haha(hopefully).

OK, my next questions are:

1.I can see how experience can help(tried playing on expert with AI getting +2 exp and he really killed me,(Dozer ignore that comment ,I'm not that easy,lol) .But it seems to me that by the time my units(mainly AFs) get any real exp I have to reinforce them which wipes out all their exp. My question is does it make sense only to reinforce in small numbers say 3 points at time or reinforce fully and dont worry about getting exp.? Also does it really matter if a unit fight at 5 strenght or 10 strenght?

2. Does changing from beginer to expert without giving AI the +2 exp. really make the AI play better or without exp bonus it makes no difference?

BTW thanks for your patience with this newbie.

Man,really loving game and this forum!!!!!!!!!

[Terif]

Sorry, this is not correct - every additional chit increases your chances by the same amount :

With both Allies and Axis at the same tech level, each research chit gives you a chance of 5% to advance from level 0 to 1.

I.e. if you invest 3 chits, then you have a chance of 3x5=15%; with 5 chits 5x5=25% chance each turn.

For tech differences and higher tech levels, SC uses a normalized research system:

- as long as you are equal or ahead in a tech area, your chance per chit is reduced by 1% for each researched tech level (5->4-3-2-1). I.e. from lv 1 to 2 you have only a chance of 4% per chit, 2 to 3 = 3% ...4 to 5 = 1%

- if you are behind in tech, you get a catch-up bonus (spionage, learning etc.): then you have a base chance of 5% per chit plus 1% for each tech level difference.

So in the extreme case: if you are at lv 0 and the enemy at lv 4, then you have a chance of 5+4=9% for each chit to reach the next level, while your opponent has only a chance of 1% - therefore its called catch-up effect - with 5 chits invested i.e. 45% chance for you only 5% chance for the enemy .

BTW: if you want to be relatively sure to not be behind in a certain tech area, then you should invest at least 3 chits cause then you have a minimum chance of 3x6=18% per turn to catch-up if you are behind, i.e. in average after 5-6 turns you are equal again.

[Terif]

Concerning your next questions:

Question 1: Experience is important, but not that important cause as you already noticed it gets lost with reinforcements and you can´t really plan it in real combat, so don´t worry about it. Only for the english carriers it is essential to build up experience.

To reinforce point by point minimally saves experience losses, but since your unit can´t fight while reinforcing, it is much better to simply reinforce to maximum and use it for an additional battle instead - gives much more experience and since ressources are limited in SC you usually can´t afford to leave your valuable units idle anyway.

Since strength influences the readiness in combat, a str 10 unit is better than a str 5 unit. Each strength point gives 3% higher readiness, means higher losses for the enemy and eventually lower losses for itself (+ it reduces the chance your unit gets destroyed ).

Question 2:

AFAIK AI difficulty only influences plunder from conquered countries (i.e. mpps). But since I haven´t played the AI since many years, this is more a question for e.g. Edwin P.

[newbie05]

Thanks,that clears up the part in the guide when it talks about the lowering % for research. Also thought readiness had to do with supply not str.

Ok, here is a couple of playing issues-if I'm going to play a human I dont want to embarass myself to bad,lol.

1. I have read the guide and manual and both say to have USSR defend behind river hexs especially at start of german attack. But I may be missing some thing here but wouldnt a human just avoid those units and come right up middle(between minsk and kiev toward mine)?Then you can go behind units and cut them off.

2.Speaking of exp.- when playing AI at +2 exp, with that difference in exp he wipes thur most of my units quickly.When playing him at this level is it better to just play a delaying strategy until USA and USSR are in fight and hope my numbers over come his exp.Havent been able to beat AI at this level yet. I hold my own at +1.I guess Terif needn't answer this one,lol.

3.If at begining of game both german and UK have tech lvl 0-why does it seem that Germans AF alway kicks frances and uk AFs.Especially if AI is german?Am I missing something here.

4.Another thing I noticed is the AI using "operate" move a lot. I never use it unless I really really need too. I think it is a waste of MPPs. Do most human players use it alot or is it just the way the Ai plays?

[ November 29, 2005, 01:52 AM: Message edited by: newbie05 ]

[Terif]

Q1: Here comes strategy and anti-strategies in - the fun in SC :

You entrench behind rivers/swamps so either the enemy has to attack them at bad odds, or avoids them and go via the open spaces - but since you know where he is coming from, you can set up your main defence forces accordingly and e.g. concentrate reserves around Smolensk to kill all enemy units that manage to break through your lines at Kiev or Minsk (so it is not always better to go via the open corridor the enemy left open for you ). On the other side it is in deed the target to break through at the weak spots and if possible build pockets and cut off enemy forces...while the enemy is trying to avoid exactly this .

Q2:

Yep, a question for Edwin - but since the AI in generally attacks straight forward, you can among other things use the terrain against it (e.g. it attacks Maginot and also units behind rivers etc, without caring about terrain effects) and after a while you should know its strategies and be able to counter it.

Q3:

For once - in contrary to England - Germany has HQs to support its AFs. Each point HQ rating is equal to 1 strength point or 1 supply point, i.e. gives 3% readiness increase. So during the french campaign the german AFs are around 50% more effective in the airbombat as the english ones as long as England has no HQ (2 points expected losses vs 3 points).

And if you play against the AI, then its AFs have additionally the experience bonus you choose.

Q4:

Yes, operating is expensive and should only be done if necessary - i.e. if time is critical, units are too far away or if you want to surprise your enemy respectively if you move your main front quickly from west to east and vice versa.

[Edwin P.]

Q4. To have the AI execute additional routines - ie - attack Spain - I found that you need to play at Plunder +2 and Experience +1. The AI does not become smarter it will just be more likely to attack Greece and Spain.

Q2. Going against the AI at level +2 experience is hard. As you said the best strategy is to fight a defensive action. I usually play at AI plunder +2 and +1 experience.

Q4. Yes, the AI operates his units too much and needlessly waste MPPs.

[newbie05]

Great info guys!!!

Glad to hear about that "operate"issue. Thought I totally didnt understand the "correct " way to play.lol

Also Edwin- that sounds like a good setting for the AI. Would be nice if AI would change his strategy a little. Like attack Norway or not move his subs right for UK on first turn,lol. But I guess I might be begging for some Ai after playing humansand getting waxed.lol

When playing by email- what are the "normal " rules or setting for the game. Ie FOW all the time, random or historial setting,war in siberia,etc.

Also I have seen alot of mods like other campains,etc.If i download them will they over right the orginal game and I wont be able to play it "normal " again.I bought game as a download so dont have CD copy to save.

[ November 29, 2005, 11:56 AM: Message edited by: newbie05 ]

[Mr.Dozer]

yeah opperating is expensive but wasting time is even more expensive sometimes.

also im a newbie pretty much, have beat ai for both sides with max difficulty without ex bonus before i played humans. my game has inproved emensley.

[newbie05]

Well Dozer lets play by email!! If you have time that is.

[Terif]

Standard settings in HvsH games are everything on except war in Siberia. All politics random.

Standard rules today are:

- no Dow + landing rule: i.e. you are not allowed to land with transports in major countries (USA, Russia, Italy) during the turn of the declaration of war

- no Anti-Air (AA) research allowed

- sometimes tech restrictions are used, especially a Long Range (LR) limit of level 2 is becoming standard now (to prevent HQs from beeing killed, unless you make a mistake)

There are 2 leagues where you can find more than enough opponents:

- Curry´s PBEM League and

- Panzerliga with ATM 73 active players + many new ones

[newbie05]

Why would there be a restriction on killing HQ's. Isnt that a smart strategy to do is kill the HQ's.? How do you restrict from LR lvl 3.Do the players just sell back research when that happens or is it a thing you do with the program.

Also why there be no AA research?

I can see the first rule.

Also do campains delete orginal software so you cant play or does it just go in file and you can play either way.

[Terif]

- You need HQs for combat (especially for attacks) or your units are nearly worthless, so if your HQs get killed, your units can´t fight any more. Additionally HQs are limited (e.g. USA has only 4 of them, Russia also only a few high rated ones) - when they are dead, it´s game over.

Experience shows, if LR is restricted, it usually creates a much more interesting game, especially since then the air can´t see and reach everything - so strategy matters much more than in a game without a limit (and where you are lucky to get high LR - (luck is also a much bigger factor then)).

You restrict LR by simply selling the research chits after you reached the allowed level - but as said: if you use this rule is up to you and your opponent and what you agree upon.

- no AA research: AA gives Germany an unbeatable advantage in the long run that Allies never can compensate, especially since it not only increases the defence of ressources and the units on it, but also it increases the combat values of AFs in aircombat when forcing an enemy intercept (Germany only has to research it once and has much more ressources to use it from).

- don´t know about mods etc, cause I never installed one of them.

[ November 30, 2005, 01:16 AM: Message edited by: Terif ]

[jon_j_rambo]

Pictured below, the Ger-een Yodl explaining the importance of HQ's & the deadly AA-bug to the rooks while sipping a mixed drink.

[newbie05]

Classic!!!!

[newbie05]

Wish good old Yoda would have taught me more before I ran off to fight Darth Vader(aka MR. DOZER). I wasnt even close to being ready. Sure I could lift a ship out of the mud(ie beat the AI on PLunder+1,exp +1.) but I wasnt prepared to face the dark side just yet.lol

God he is killing me!! But I'm learning some stuff so I guess thats ok. Now I know how Luke felt when he "only" lost an hand- lucky- it could have been a lot worse.!! haha

[Mr.Dozer]

well thanks for the compliment i could be darth vader, but you havent met the emperor im no match for him.

also im doing not bad sweden should surrender soon and vichy will fall same turn.

also forgot to mention, never attack yugoslavia.

[newbie05]

Ok I will bite - why never attack yugoslavia?

[Mr.Dozer]

Because it increases Russias readyness alot.

[newbie05]

Readyness-meadyness- Did Luke care if he attacked the Death Star and piss off the Emperor.As I do not fear Russia.lol

Just joking. I know it increases USSR but is it that great that if you attack Yugo. early enough -that the plunder and increase in MPPs wont make up for it? I guess I'm asking the experts - is Yugo off limits or not.

[Edwin P.]

Try attacking Russia early (after conquering France, Low Countries and Denmark) you will find that their army is very small (as is yours).