Bill101

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

Ah, what I mean is not to change anything to do with unrestricted naval warfare, but more to encourage its use, as it's a way of boosting German National Morale. This depends of course on the extent to which Central Powers' players are or aren't currently using unrestricted naval warfare.

Hi I've been getting a feeling, which is backed up by recent feedback, that Germany could do with a higher at start National Morale total. Currently she starts with 45,000 NM points, and I am thinking of raising that to 50,000. However, before doing so I would like to here your thoughts on this, especially if you are someone who plays as the Central Powers and thinks that it's quite easy for them to win. Are there master strategies which others should follow? Alternatively, given its potential to raise German National Morale, is a wider use of unrestricted naval warfare the answer? Thanks Bill

Hi Thanks for the file Endy, and for the comments Ataman. The things you both mentioned will of course have made a difference. For the Ottomans, sending a small German or Austro-Hungarian force to help them out can make all the difference. Looking at your file Endy, there are some further factors: in the graphs for Germany and France I can see that 50,396 MPPs worth of unit casualties have been suffered, whereas France has only lost 30,970. The Ukraine's political leaning is only at 0% towards the Central Powers. Were there turns when you didn't have four German units near Warsaw? Only the Ukraine provides a National Morale boost to Germany which will be lost if there aren't four German units near Warsaw. None of the above is to necessarily disagree with the view that Germany could do with a higher starting National Morale total. I'll start a new thread asking for comments on current game balance. Thanks Bill

A quiet turn for us as we regather our strength and move reserves to deal with the enemy’s advances. The loss of Fort Vaux is a serious matter, but let it be said now, that they will get no further than Verdun. Ils ne passeront pas: they shall not pass! Foch is the only one who launches an attack this turn, battering a Landwehr Brigade holding Langres. But it’s only a diversion from the main action which is occurring further north nearer Paris and Verdun.

It is now January 1918 and much of our colony remains in German hands! While Wintgens continues to cause trouble for the Portuguese, we send some patrols into Portuguese territory much further west, on the banks of Lake Nyasa, to test enemy strength here. Finding an Askari unit and some Levies, it doesn’t denote much. As pressure is building on Dar-es-Salaam, Kraut decides to launch an attack at Dodoma with a view to relieving some of the pressure from our capital. The attack goes well and heavy casualties are inflicted on the 2nd King’s African Rifles. It’s time to withdraw one of our Askari units from the front line at Neu Langenburg as they really need, and deserve, a good rest. Unfortunately no other units are available to replace them at the moment, so their positions will have to be left empty. The Belgians have failed to make any further progress against Ujiji on Lake Tanganyika. In fact, one of their regiments succumbs to a counterattack.

Hi Ataman Yes, unit casualties affect National Morale. The most detailed guide to National Morale is included in the 1914 Call to Arms Strategy Guide. Here is an excerpt (my emphasis): "Casualties in action suffered by both Majors and their Minors, along with losses due to convoy raiding and bombing raids will also lower a Major’s National Morale. This will be in a one to one ratio between the MPPs lost and the National Morale lost. For example, a Tank Corps that cost 300MPPs to buy will, if destroyed, cost its owner 300 National Morale points. But note that all casualties affect National Morale, whether units are damaged or are destroyed." I have myself been wondering if Germany's starting National Morale should be higher, but I really do need more feedback before making such a change. One reason for this is that there are a number of important factors on National Morale, of which unit casualties is the most important, but something like the ability to import food via Holland into Germany, or the British Naval Blockade of Germany, are also big factors.

Hi Endy Can you send me a saved turn of your game please so that I can take a look and get a better idea of how this result has come about? Please send it to me at bill.runacre@furysoftware.com Thanks! Bill

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.

Hi Cerberus1775 This is an interesting concept which I first became aware of many years ago watching John Reed at the start of the film Reds, when he's explaining to Louise Bryant why the US entered the war. But I've found it hard to find direct and strong evidence showing that the need to have their debts repaid could have, on its own, led to the US entering the war. I'd be interested to read anything that might cover it, as most of what I've read about the US entrance into WWI focuses almost solely on the naval campaigns and Zimmermann Telegram. That said, we do also include in the main campaign a 1-2% per-turn mobilization towards the Entente once Russia has left the war, so as to represent this growing concern at the Entente situation in Europe. From the 1st June 1917, the USA also has a 50% chance of moving towards the Entente by 1-2% per turn. Together, these would take a long time to bring the US into the war, but coupled with other triggers it would certainly speed up the process. I'll add this information, along with the details of the decision about the Preparedness Movement into the New Player thread. Bill

Yes, both parties need to agree to extend gameplay, and the AI will always agree, so that it's a player's decision. If both Russia and France are out of the war then it is over, so if either are in then it might be worthwhile fighting on.

Hi There have been quite a few improvements to the main grand campaign with Breakthrough!, in addition to the engine and AI improvements Xwormwood has listed above. An important set of changes relate to Romania, whose mobilization will increase if the Russians capture the Austro-Hungarian fortresses, and also if Trento-Trieste is transferred to Italy. This opens up more possibilities in the Balkans than we had before, and also helps make the Trento-Trieste decision more balanced. The importance of Romania as a source of food has also been added, so that If Romania joins the Entente then Austria-Hungary will lose 50 National Morale points per turn to represent the loss of vital food imports, for as long as Romania is in the war. It is therefore now more beneficial for the Central Powers to keep Romania neutral, and both more possible and more beneficial for the Entente to entice them into entering the war. Staying in the Balkans, Bulgaria will now withdraw from the war when Germany's National Morale is below 10% and there are two Entente units within 3 tiles of Sofia. Previously it had to be conquered, so now we can have a historical Bulgarian surrender. Moving further south, a few changes have been made to make a landing at Gallipoli a more attractive proposition. Not only are amphibious transports slightly cheaper, but the cost to the British of occupying Lemnos has been reduced, and in addition, two Entente land units adjacent to Gallipoli will now reduce the defender's morale every turn, thus making it easier to take. These are just a small selection of all the many changes, and I hope they give you a better idea of what Breakthrough! has to offer over and above the base game. Bill

The British have advanced on Dar-es-Salaam, but they appear to have forgotten to bring any supplies with them, as our Levies have managed to inflict losses on them at no cost to themselves. The Portuguese really aren’t having a good time of it fighting against Wintgens near Cape Delgado, as one of their regiments is destroyed in low supply, which is a bonus. We are reorganising our forces and preparing a nice surprise for the enemy. Hopefully it won’t be long before we can unleash it and cause some panic in Entente circles. And the turn ends with a real stroke of good fortune triggering rejoicing throughout the colony!

Well, it’s all hotting up now! Foch launches a counterattack, destroying a German division near Bar sur Aube. He also launches an attack on a German brigade defending Langres. Lanrezac also pitches in by destroying a German cavalry division near Nogent. Reinforcements are rushed to Verdun, as refitted divisions are deployed for battle, and we also shorten our line to the south of Verdun to provide some reserves. Sir John French receives further reinforcements in the shape of the 7th division, while a Naval division has just been formed in the UK. They will soon make an appearance on the battlefields of France too.

As promised, I've just added a whole section on this to the guide for new players: http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?p=1424547#post1424547

You're quite correct, this is when the Entente haven't supported the Venizelos coup attempt, in which case there is a 75% chance of Greece swinging 100% towards the Central Powers. In which case, some diplomacy is definitely a good idea!

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. 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 ChannelThe 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. 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. 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.

Hi There is no list as such but it can be worked out. Generally the income from a Minor can be calculated by adding up the MPP value of their resources, and this is dependent on their strength, i.e. 5 or 10 if connected to a Major power via rail. The exception is those countries that provide income via convoys, and the best thing I can suggest would be in Hotseat mode to declare war on the various countries and see - in the opposing turn - how much the convoy is providing to their new owner. I have invaded Persia a few times, and although it can be conquered, the expedition does take your units involved out of the more important theaters for some time. I think that Portugal is probably the most worthwhile of the Minors listed. To get Greece to join the CP would require a massive diplomacy effort early on, and because Romania covets Austro-Hungarian territory, it would be very hard to get them to join the CP. Diplomacy would be the only way with these, and Bulgaria, but I doubt that it would be worth it due to the in-game triggers leading all three to join their historical sides.

No problem, I hope you enjoy it!

I'm afraid not.

Sure. This example is from the Russian Civil War campaign that comes with the WWI Breakthrough! expansion: Decision Event: ; If UK Political Standing falls to 1%, UK will surrender (withdraw from Russia). { #NAME= DE 109: UK Withdraws from Russia #POPUP= #IMAGE= #SOUND= #FLAG= 1 #TYPE= 1 #AI= 0 #LEVEL= 0 ; Set global variable condition to always trigger (dummy value) #GV= 1[1,100] ; Set link value to always trigger (dummy value) #LINK= 0[0] #COUNTRY_ID= 1 #TRIGGER= 100 #DISPLAY_ORDER= 1 ; Set decision value (first internally stored decision) #DECISION= 109 ; Set how many MPPs should be collected over X turns if player selects 'yes' (dummy values) #MPP_UPDOWN= 0 #MPP_TURNS= 0 #MPP_TEXT= ; Set AI acceptance % #AI_RESPONSE= 100 #AI_RESPONSE_POPUP= #DATE= 1918/11/11 #TEXT_RGB= 0,0,0 #SHADOW_RGB= 191,168,131 ; alignment position #ALIGNMENT_POSITION= 2,14 [2] ; UK Political Standing falls to 1%: #NATIONAL_MORALE_TRIGGER= 1 [1] ; Set variable conditions: ; 1st Line - UK politically aligned with the Whites and not surrendered #VARIABLE_CONDITION= 1 [2] [100] [0] ; Dummy condition position (always satisfied) #CONDITION_POSITION= 0,0 [0,0] [0,0] [0] [0] } This triggers this SURRENDER_2 script: ; If UK Political Standing falls to 1%, UK will surrender (withdraw from Russia). { #NAME= DE 109 YES UK Withdraws from Russia #POPUP= UK Withdraws All Troops From Russia #IMAGE= uk_withdraw.bmp #SOUND= #FLAG= 1 #TYPE= 1 #AI= 0 #LEVEL= 0 ;Set global variable condition to always trigger (dummy value) #GV= 1[1,100] ; Set link value to always trigger (dummy value) #LINK= 109[1] #COUNTRY_ID= 1 #TRANSFER_ID= 1 #REMOVE= 3 #ARMISTICE= 1 #TRIGGER= 100 #DATE= 1918/11/11 ; Set variable conditions: ; 1st Line - UK aligned with Whites and not surrendered #VARIABLE_CONDITION= 1 [2] [100] [0] ; dummy condition position #CONDITION_POSITION= 0,0 [0,0] [0,0] [0] [0] } In this case the British will withdraw from the war, and all their units will be removed from the map (in Global Conflict Gold there is no remove feature).

Yes, the factors that will determine your success will be a) how much you are prepared to invest in diplomacy and how many chits your opponent may still have in Norway. Swings via diplomacy are only possible if one side has more chits invested than the other. Whether it will be worth investing in Norway is a good question. I think that if there is a chance of them investing in Holland then that will be a more important target for your own diplomacy.

It’s time for another German general to come under attack, as British and French forces join together to give him a good kicking. Where were the soldiers under his command to protect him? Foch is strengthening his forces around Bar sur Aube, to the south east of Troyes, and we certainly hope that the changing situation and poor enemy supply levels will steadily put the enemy on the backfoot. More British Cavalry arrive too, which is good timing for us!

Good idea!

For a Fortified Town, it is a fortress that uses a different resource image. In the Bitmaps files for 1914 Call to Arms, there are a number of files relating to resources, and if you would like the same effect then you can copy these over and paste them into your own new campaign. Resources' supply and MPP values are a fixed value. However, the true value can be changed for a Major country by amending its Industrial Modifier. This Industrial Modifier multiplies the MPP value of each resource within the Major's country (conquered or friendly Minors are not affected by this) to give the true MPP income. Thus if the Industrial Modifier is set to 50%, each resource within the Major country would be in reality providing only half the MPPs that you would expect. The only other approach would be to not have the resources connected by rail to an Industrial Center or Primary Supply Center, as then their maximum strength will only be 5. On the last question about Minors, I'm afraid not. To be represented they will need to have a capital on the map. But it can be tucked away in a corner if you would prefer, and you can have their units arrive by script in the battle area. Rebuilding destroyed units would be a problem though.