Supreme Axis Posted December 27, 2002 Share Posted December 27, 2002 I am a newbie, but I am learning fast. I just beat the computer on Expert. Also by declaring war on USSR in Summer '42 cause I feel that's halfway historically accurate. Although if I set the AI at plus 2 experience attacking Russia in '41 with USA/UK leaves poor Germany vulnerable in France, even the reasonable AI comes at me within 1 year of my attack on Russia... I have been playing on-line a few TIMES LORDY LORD LORD!!! The guy declares war on Italy and uses the french fleet to toast me, also declares war on the low countries and gets in there before me. I know I can prevent 1 of them, but this really sets me back as Germany. Maybe I'm just too much of a perfectionist, I like to take Poland and France without losing any units aside from maybe a corp or 2. Though when France beefs up to hammer my Italian Navy there goes any operation in the Med and strapes my German attack on France. I will in future declare war earlier on Low countries, but I need advice on breaking Maginot.....Would you suggest purchase of a fiter at the fall of Poland? Also this leaves me in the dark as a human oponent does wild unexpected things. Abandoning bases to do insane amphibious landings all over the place. Please help me learn to adapt Thanxs to all, MUCH APPRECIATED ALL HELP! NEWBIE :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comrade Trapp Posted December 27, 2002 Share Posted December 27, 2002 In my opinion, what happend with the Low Countries and Itay is pretty rare, most players that play as the allies go on the defensive until at least late 1940. As for trying to break through the Magiont Line, I wouldn't even try it, you could be repelled to easliy and by time you broke through (if you did at all) the allies would have reinforcements and would be able to contain the breakthrough. Not to mention the French armies would be knifing their way through the German border with the Low Countries while you are preoccupied with the Maginot Line. I usally blitz through the Low Countries and break through the French lines with my panzer units (I pick one unit along the french line and pound it with aircraft and panzers, then use that as a breakthrough while my infanrty handles the other french armies)Then my Panzer Groups hit Paris which is hopefully defended by only 1 or 2 corps. Give it a while, after playing a few times you will be able to come up with your own tatics, you'll learn that every game is diffrent that you will need diffrent tatics for diffrent situtions (depending on what your opponent does). I hope this helps you. [ December 27, 2002, 04:14 PM: Message edited by: Comrade Trapp ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyJohn Posted December 27, 2002 Share Posted December 27, 2002 Comrade Trapp You speak the truth; fine advice. The Maginot Line is too strong to break unless you have a few L-5 rockets concentrating on a specific hex -- using luftflottes incurrs too high a loss rate. As you've said, there's no reason for attacking them anyway; when you break through the Low Countries -- even against a determined human opponent you should manage it, though a bit behind schedule -- the Maginot becomes insignificant if you attack to Paris on a two or three hex-wide front (if it's too narrow the French/Brits can crunch you against the West side of the Maginot, which isn't a pretty sight). Be especially careful to cover your Panzer units; if they become too exposed they're easily lost to a skilled human tactician. The AI, unfortunately, misses these opportunities most of the time so it's easy to form bad habits by playing the computer instead of fellow humans. Invading neutrals for the allies is okay if they don't care about having the USSR and especially the U. S. enter the fight. Sometimes these aggressive allied strategies work but I have little faith in them. Generally the patient Allied course that actually transpired (wait for USSR and U. S. entry) is the best. It's the Axis, of course, that really determines what course the game will take. In the scenario editor I've experimented with starting the U. S. and USSR with 0% entry rate so Germany can hit Denmark and Norway without worrying about neutral entry till later and have found it very enjoyable. I don't believe Russia would have declared pre-emptive war till at least 1943 and I can't see the U. S. having done it at all unless the Axis violated the Monroe Doctrine, so those settings are justified in my mind and allow the persecuted aggressors (Germany was, after all only fighting in self-defence because the Poles attacked one of her radio stations ) a little more time to rampage. In the 0% entry scenarios I also add a few infantry corps to the British Isles to help deter an early Sea Lion, which is often a good possibility for Germany (though historically speaking, I'm not a great believer in it's feasability and think the Germans were correct in not attempting it). I don't know why it is, but as the Axis I get infuriated at the sight of independant non-Axis countries. Then I turn off the game and it's all live and let live. [ December 27, 2002, 04:45 PM: Message edited by: JerseyJohn ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon_j_rambo Posted December 28, 2002 Share Posted December 28, 2002 The "Low Countries Gambit" by the Allies is very interesting. There are 2-schools of thought here. Everything depends on your goals & what you are trying to accomplish as the Axis. The Rookies will struggle against it. But in the long run the Low Countries will haunt the Allies. Rambo >>>>>>> Wins many ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyJohn Posted December 28, 2002 Share Posted December 28, 2002 Rambo Exactly. Having been used to playing the AI all the time I saw the Low Countries as an automatic. Then my first live opponent, took advantage of my Scandanavian detour to jump in and it took a very long time to dislodge him, afterwards France fell quickly because I'd already destroyed so much of his army in Belgium/Holland, but by then the east was perking up and I wasn't too pleased with my overall results. Later I tried crushing Poland more energetically, skipping Denmark and taking the Low Countries right away, primarily with the panzers, arifleets, and whatever infantry corps were available to protect my tanks. It worked, the armies were swung over from Poland and by Spring the invasion of France was being wrapped up. When you tell people to play humans and not the computer you're giving them good advice; to be honest, I didn't start playing humans till you started drumming it in and I'm glad you kept saying it because it's the truth. It's too easy to think faulty ideas are good ones when your opponent is always an electrode. Unfortunately, as you've also mentioned, the methods of playing a human opponent aren't the best and are generally time consuming, which is my main problem with it -- like (I suspect) a lot of others, I slip away from other things to read and post here. Sitting and watching a screen for hours on end isn't an option for me. The E-mail method is a good substitute and accounts for most of my play vs. human adversaries. [ December 27, 2002, 08:16 PM: Message edited by: JerseyJohn ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Axis Posted December 28, 2002 Author Share Posted December 28, 2002 Thankyou, for some very the information. I would like to think that Russia would never enter until she felt so over confidant in winning<I don't think Stalin ever intended to lose any war he started opposed to Hitler who was a gambler and believed in psuedo-mystical/hysterical> I am focusing on Low country pounding, with panzers/corps and air to soften em up. Just this particular fellow was being so unorthodox you didn't expect it. Low countries being plundered for Allies turn 2 also = an army for France. I will try to use all 3 fighters to pound and open a ardenne passage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon_j_rambo Posted December 28, 2002 Share Posted December 28, 2002 Jersey --- Nice take, rack 'em. You're right on about the LowCountries gambit by the Allies!!!!!! The rookies can't handle it as the Axis. The real Axis-Players can take it. It takes me sometimes until August '40 to get France, but I beat hell out of the British. Plus pissing of the Americans hurts the Allies if the game is going the distance. Germany can coast, rack up major cash. I just can't do PBEM anymore. Too much BS. Plus I can focus on a game. Rambo >>>>>> "I ain't the AI" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyJohn Posted December 28, 2002 Share Posted December 28, 2002 Rambo Thanks for the Good Word. I understand your dislike of pbem. The times I've played IP it was fun but took too many consecutive hours: I work using my computer, which is why I pop into the sight so often, the flip side is after an hour or two of rec' time I have to use it for business or I get backlogged and it's hard to catch up down the road. Supreme Axis Glad to have been one of those who helped. The things you say in that last posting are all good points, especially about the luftflottes. Air power in this game is like pitching in baseball, it's easily neglected but if you're opponent has a strong airforce and you don't, he wins. That's all there is to it -- not counting idiotic situations like his having no army and your having all armored units gobbling his airfleets as soon as they land! Over the months I've noticed a very large percentage of those postings, including our friend Rambo, also agree airpower is of critical importance. I don't think it's even debatable. image below originally posted by JayJay_H in the Prop&Jet seperate entity forum. So, the final point I'd stress is this. Early in the game get two research points, one on Jet Plane Development and the other on Industrial Technology and consider it an investment in two essentials; if you develop jet aircraft and your opponent is still flying old crates you'll shoot him out of the sky, sink his ships and devastate his armies more or less in that order; you'll need Industrial Tech development in order to afford your more highly developed new units. The next three research points I always put on Radar, Anti-Tank Guns and Heavy Tanks . Other people have other preferances and I'm not saying they aren't very important, because they are, but for the Axis I think those five areas are of the greatest importance. Close behind is Long Range Aircraft and Gun Laying Radar . It's good to have a strong surface fleet and a nice touch if your aircraft have an extended reach. There are some advocates of Heavy Bombers and perhaps they're right, but I find the Axis gets scant return on the research invested and building cost. No need at all to research Sonar for the Axis. Advanced subs and Rocketry are good but low on my list along with heavy bombers. Rockets are pretty useless till they hit L=3 and by that time you either won't need them or you'll be losing. I enjoy using them, but they never reach L=4 or 5 when you still need them -- which may be due to the fact I take so long to begin researching them. Also, they need a lot of air cover or they're just cans of lighter fluid waiting to be ignited. I think that covers all eleven research areas. There are numerous other forums that discuss specific tactis in Russia for example, though you may need to backtrack several pages to find them. If you want to learn the game it pays to look at things on page 2, 3 etc as far back as you care to go. Most of the tactical forums are clearly noticable by their titles. All in the interest of making a safe world for these gentlemen! [ December 28, 2002, 05:36 PM: Message edited by: JerseyJohn ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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