Liam

I think if you want to make breakthroughs more possible we should change a factor in gameplay. Don't allow fighter air squadrons to attack anything only used for interception and escort roles the actual fact of their existence. Only bombers may attack and destroy enemy equipment. Being a mixture of Fighter-Bombers or Heavy bombers for all targets. Change the role of Rockets and include them in start as Artillery with an introduced tech level. Boom, no more Ahistorical F-16s with lasersighted smart bombs

House rules are hard for the fact the game engine isn't designed around them. A new rule now is the fact that you can't land transports in Italy or Russia the same turn you. I really think it'd be kinda kewl if you could have the whole system setup without the gambits, biddings, and tricks. Favouring a more playable historical perspective. Instead of a quick 2 hour bash...

good aar i always get so stir crazy when Allies invade France. It seems that if all goes right for them with the Siberian transfer and Allied AirPower that the movement of the Russian Capitol three times is a bit much.

Aside from Diplomacy! During the War, early German aggression cost them their few trading abilities... Worsened with the entrance of more Neutrals. Perhaps pushing back before the Invasion of Poland giving Germany a possible couple of turns to re-allocate it's research rather than the assigned research. <sorta standing for pre-war Research or just give her a one time economic boost with mixed risks> This might make a random tech increase give the game some added dimensions and a similar a chance for the Allies if the Germans decide to do this...forced tech purchases rather MPP earnings... Shipping: As well as giving the Brits an increasing MPP shipment per turn, with mega-increases for any invasion of Spain-Sweden-Switzerland prematurely. Blocking the Germans from wanting to turn all of Europe Grey at once keeping slight bit more balance before Russia Pops in and making Sea Lion a bit more realistic as far as being an extremely difficult task. Cutting the Free French down to a realistic level<doing away with that gamey option> forcing a more real war scene early then a quick Neutral-Hopping attitude towards the whole game for Axis. Maybe a cautious Hitler who collected himself could be more dangerous following his Admirals advice preserving the German fleet better with a tech boost in Subs tech 3 or 4 by early '40<really being the equivelant of more subs and slighty more refined> [ June 19, 2003, 03:33 PM: Message edited by: Liam ]

At first I lost all my games against Archibald. Then I learned what I was doing and I think I beat him. Heck if I remeber...that was some time ago. He's definitely finished all my games as I remeber which is a hell of a lot respect in my book.... if you want to get into real competition though join up here: http://www.myleague.com/zappleague/ It's unlikely you'll succeed at a Sea Lion against any of these guys unless you use a unique form of it...I fall victim to it like many, but that's because I'm trying to perserve too much UK or expend myself too much in France for D-Day... It's super costly... Russia producing that amount of MPPs after about 3-4 rounds can go on the offensive

RmR: Don't have that attitude about your gameplay! I had played played Terif the Master himself and managed to sink every UK Naval ship aside from Carriers. Accept the way he runs his Carriers and fighters, I didn't feel too happy about skipping the English Channel <my ultimate death move too> It seems that I usually fall victim to SeaLion without any Free French... Get an HQ and 3 armies and 2 corps if you can to the Island, giving at least till Baltic fall and you're okay. Keep your Brit fighters out of the frey and spend your money on tech and do not leave your fleet in the Med to be a turkey shoot. I'm still learning my Allies, but a good Ally never falls victim to a Sealion as far as I can tell. They quickly sacrifice ships for transports and in the end the German's only hope is having all the Air and ensure victory... Rambo did a very interesting late Sea Lion on me once...Without using air on Minors... It was irritating enough to work, especially with LR... Though I'm still learning my Allies and I've found they're much more powerful longterm than the Axis. Especially with a bid, and a player who knows how to use Russia and the US properly. The UK is not meant as an early offensive force unless your Terif. I've seen games where Russia won, by themselves. Never give up...There... [ June 16, 2003, 07:18 PM: Message edited by: Liam ]

Seems the UK seems to skyrocket in Jet tech. Its abnormal to ever see any other nation make JET1 or 2 or even 3 within the first 10 rounds. Though I have seen the UK do it consistently and with less fundings and time to get the edge. Who agrees?

rockets are useful on the russian front for one reason. if you get lucky tech...great trenchware breaker. problem is, air is as good if not better. and you can't afford to go both ways... once I've been decimated by em on that front tho' without Russian fighters only Russian rockets and UK Aircover

it's nearly impossible to include an authentic seperate Pacific theatre. Unless you truly wish to make a HUGE game. In otherwards, that's an entirely different arena and is near impossible to include in the current system. I imagine the best thoughts for an SC2 will include just 'further detail' that's important enough. We just want more detail, more strageties possible. A complete alteration on the current engine to make it that much more interesting, complex yet simple. Which adds the the playability, I highly suggest that someone offer forth the effort to make a linked Pacific-European Theatre. There are probably hundreds of programmers and designers out there that could assist Hubert and it would be a great great addition to our game to have that quality there. Perhaps two seperate Theatre that in the end ultimately influence the game. Which would make us all think double about our options and make our game that much more interesting. Although, Pacific Islands for the most part until you get closer to Australia have no significant value whatsoever. Island hopping would be next to useless... just for stragetic steps towards the mainland of Japan. Also, an intelligent Japan would never go all out and would have the #s to keep the USA off for many many years...Which may, if included in some sorta package deal, offer an interesting concept... The US, and UK dedicating such resources to the East. With Japan open to invade Siberian Russia with a 'real' invasion force.

Terif understands the full complexities of the entire game till the end. The patience of a Tiger hunting it's prey and a savey of a humanbeing awaiting it's bounty scavenging the plains. Truly admirable, but no doubt human. I invite him to join me in a game of A&A See if he can win there as easily

Really the game should force the Allies incapable of invasions until about time of originaly LC invasion by Germany. They didn't have the organization or leadership to make such decisions until then...

HOI requires a lot of RAM and a lot of PC...and you can learn to automate it. It took me about a week. It's a lot like Europa Universalis, not nearly as good though, but much more detailed. It is painstaking. With a few patches and a some added realism if you enjoy extremely detailed WW2 Sims economically, politically and all other ways you'd like it. Try The Paradox bulletin boards EU2 is more playable than SC and is the sister to HOI but HOI falls short of the smoothness and immensity of joy EU2 has... You can't run so far Ahistorical in EU2 with MP action to steal S.America and Mexico away from Spain. etc... etc... etc... Pretty accurate in keeping insane possibilities off the charts... Although in 1800 vs the AI I was BrandenBurg and owned all of Germany<much of Nothern Europe> and much of N.America and killed N.Boneparte in Hessen on his second campaign

1.) if you want a bit more realism to Naval warfare add in all the possiblities that went with the real war. We picked reasonable days to land in weather that was ideal. We picked days to launch campaigns. The best thing to do is give bonuses to those ideal conditions and penalties to those which are not. Even high casualty rates, which is historical, not too detalied and just dandy for most players adding to our gameplay... i.e. if you launch transport in Winter weather onto a beach head there is a 45% chance it will not making a landing. If it does, it will also incur more casaulties, say as much as 40% making Winter amphibious landings possible but more risky... as with Armor.. In Rainy months of early Spring, perhaps hindering their Readiness again on a chance factor... That perhaps it's a great dry Spring day, or maybe it's all wet and nasty. Give bonuses to coastal defenders against Aerial assualts, coastal bombardment and amphibious attacks at optimum conditions for defense... Just like real war All things should be looked over details are the game...

John, in this particular case I have to agree with you. Germany wasn't cut out for an operation torch of her own. Even with help from Neutrals in S.America. It would've taken a good length of time and defeat of the UK entirely in the Atlantic Pond. After that seizing of key islands along the way Iceland/Greenland/Azores/perhaps some Carribean islands... That would be a minimum requirement then from there the Japs capturing both Pearl/Midway/Panama and perhaps getting a foothold in Alaska. Considering the Industrial Might of the US Strategic bombing would've been another farfetched route. Germans had much more experience in U-boats and lacked a real well rounded Long Range Heavy Bomber. Since in those days few were accurate as they are now adays and the time it takes to take a design from the drawing board to testflight then actual creation. At earliest I say 1944-45 if Hitler devoted everything into his Navy and listened to his Admirals... Even then it wouldn't be a garaunteed success... Would've given the US full time to mobilize which would've raised the hair on Stalin's neck...thinking what of a SuperGermany with UK-USA overrun by National Socialism etc... I think the man was paranoid enough to hit when the Germans were spending all these resources in other areas and given him time to reorganize the Russian Military Russia and the US together may have at least forced some sort of reorganized World Balance against the Axis. Depending on how much the Axis were willing to lose... We're taking into account the Germans had a hard time figuring out in 1940 how to get a glider onto a patch grass maybe 50-80 miles away? That glider containing enough troops and maybe one lt AFV, with enough planes as being the most practical method of attacking the UK for a nation with no Navy... Perhaps if the US would've began it's Silent Service in the Atlantic in '44 as it did with Japan and the Japs sued for peace on getting Alaska and all other foreign US territories the Germans would be the ones afraid to take ocean liners across the 3 thousand mile stretch of death...

Hey, good to hear from you. Yeah, I was dissappointed with the AI in HOI. I became Super Bulgaria by 1940 and joined the Axis and basically was defeating Canadians in Crete. They have some patching to do. All my MP games someone plays a few different nights and "bump!" Don't take my word for this game goto DOWNLOADS in the menu and get the SC demo. Takes you all the way to Fall of France I think. Gives you an excellent taste and it's a quickie to DL

It is true we had no army in 1939 at wars start. Though we had no threats either.<we could build distribute and man an army of ten million in a few months like every other nation> Had one arose, I'm sure we could've mobilized as well as any other<probably much better> WW2 halfbutt Power like France or Russia. Just Russia was too big to fall in a few weeks... The House rules ruin the game play. Get rid of bidding... Or change fall weiss automatically, the player's Fall Weiss 39, used by all forum and SC players instead of the original scenario. [ June 09, 2003, 07:47 PM: Message edited by: Liam ]

I know a German bomber never touched US Soil but there were plans to launch one against the Panama Canal in a suicide mission, not sure if a Jap or German idea...think both. Attempting to walk into the USA at such a time. That I suppose would be a pitiful waste of time sending the American public into full war mobilisation overnight. We gave the Brits our outdated junk. We could have restored that in a 6 months had the 2nd largest fleet in the Atlantic Ocean. Our WW1 tech should be roughly comparable to Italian equipment as it proved itself throughout the war. The biggest threat would've been Sub Raiding against our supplies and being cut off from our Pacific Colonies and Allies then our lifeline through the Canal. Even though the US was pretty self sufficient and would've been a Russia like campaign for any real attempt by Germany<a Power lead well enough to fight the US> or Japan..Which was primarily made up of Infantry and after some early success would've probably been pushed back into the Pacific Ocean by millions of Nationilistic Partisan Americans with Shotguns... Come on people, who was making all those war supplies for Britian and Russia? We were!!! Our industry would've been untouchable by strategic bombing from either Asia or Europe aside from terror bombing that hadn't evolved and was proven never to win wars just piss off your foe.

HOI wouldn't bite so much if you had dedicated players to go through to the bitter end. Then you'd have to love the amount of detail that's given there. IMHO, it's a fair more accurate design than SC could ever dream of..Fact is: Strategic Command is exactly what the name says. You get more of a Diplomacy A&A feel for the game map. It's something you could finish in one night if you dedicated the time. hundreds of not thousands of tanks or planes are represented in 1 or 2 units<armies cut up into Corps and Armies no real geniune WW2 detail but close enough>that's all easy point and click mouse interface. I mastered the game as far as AI is concerned in a few days and wanted a real opponent. Personally if you like Strategic Wargames, it's highly playable. It's got lots of possibilities. Not an accurate sim, it's however very entertaining... The Russian was isn't to protracted nor is the War from France to Berlin just detailed enough to give you some of that old fashioned feel...

I mean I have used the Riga gambit and the LC gambit a few times though these rules really stink. If you're gonna stop Rome I want you to stop LC and Italy Gambit altogether! Plus this immediate fact that a country declares war on Portugal the minute you invade Spain after the US and Russia have entered to prevent you from getting the plunder. Lets just get rid of the bidding process, and make it less confusing. If someone manages to take Rome...Let us Axis players figure a counter. I'm not playing under any such rule or restriction. Only people who would have no skill to learn a defence for themself. These are all gamey rules and options! Why limit yourself in a game that allows Italian transports to invade the Continental USA and take it singlehandledy like butter. Do you know that there was never a chance of such a thing? People actually believe there was... The Germans couldn't get into Britian<few miles of their occuppied coastline and they were much more advanced than the Italians>, and the Japanese couldn't even get Midway against a inferior foe. I'm sure the bigboys already got a counter! to the Rome Gambit... PROTEST PROTEST HERE HE [ June 09, 2003, 02:46 PM: Message edited by: Liam ]

I don't think that's an accurate # considering dedication to production is still a decision unless you take into an account all German Military production on the whole.

If the Allies invade too many neutrals... Stalin should get paranoid and side with the Axis...

If the Allies invade too many neutrals... Stalin should get paranoid and side with the Axis...

Look, Rambo...You're a much better player than me of course but despite that it seems that you infering that Terif is cheating he isn't.I mean I've played enough SC games against him and enough games in general to figure out that he merely is very scientific and strategic about his formula. He retreats his units and gains exp. for his air. He researches and doesn't attack until he knows where and what you're doing. He has a mind like a chessplayer watching your every move calculating what you're doing and where you've put it and exactly the values he can get for what he has. To the degree he is a chess player, I'm not sure, I'm pretty sure with no losses a top notch type... It's hard to beat a mind that plays like that, I'm a bit more like you even more so than you. A Dice man, a risktaker, who blends strategy in. We often don't beleive the unbelievable but regardless the mind is highly capable thing and when you know all the math and all the basic rules it's just a matter of percentages. He will lose to one of us once or twice...over hundreds of games more likely because his strategy will more than likely show it's flaws by then. Everyone has flaws or maybe he doesn't I'm not sure. Although I know every time I play you, <though waiting inbetween> I learn some else about you. Eventually if I played you long enough unless my mental capability to expand my imagination and strategy within this context was to be limited in comparison with yours I could best you at least 50/50 Interesting about your Rome invasion. I have thought up some other ideas myself in recent times that are similarly damaging. One day I'll hotseat them and see how people react to something that shakes the foundation of their gaming strategy and sends their strategic minds into a quandry... By the way: in another game same like my WW2Online which involes a bit of manual dexterity, vision, speed...certian situations and chance that is simply not possible in a chesslike strategic situation. Someone like Terif may have his armor melted in front me every time..Or 1/10 times... depending... we would have to emulate his math-chess skill to beat him. that or have all the dice and just about our most flawless game play..<to come close> which you have done no? [ June 09, 2003, 11:17 AM: Message edited by: Liam ]

Just take the Army in Triplitania and move it to defend the Rome Coast. No other changes... no army in there to defend. Historical and accurate. Revised Fall Weiss

I dunno about that, U-107 The Russians were willing to pay the #s game Who knows how many they'd of lost to ensure those two key cities didn't fall did the Germans have it in them to kill them all?