Cowardly Brits?

[J Muller]

...or not?

I only recently got this game, and though I looked at the forums enough to pick up that the AI's not too sharp, I've been playing matches against them to figure out what I should focus research on. So far, I've learned to always have a research point in the Industrial and Production techs. So now I've got a pretty good game going, and due to lucky tech breakthroughs in Industrial and Heavy Tanks in the early years, I'm doing pretty good as Axis--at least, I think I am. It's 1942 and though I'm making slow progress into Russia, the Wehrmacht has both numerical and technological supremacy over the Red Army. I'm still annoyingly bogged down near Odessa, but I'm hoping that now that winter's over and I can reinforce my armies there (mostly the weaker armies of Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania) my LV4 tanks can make a breakthrough there. I did recently capture Arkangel with a Finnish corps, though, which means the Russians may quickly find themselves running low on gas without those convoys from the UK.

Anyway, the point of this thread, before I got sidetracked, was to point out something interesting the Allied AI did in 1940. When I launched my blitzkrieg into Benelux and France, the BEF was there, as usual. However, the instant I broke through the French lines with my tanks, the BEF operationally fled to Brest and quickly transported out and back to Liverpool. Nice show of courage there, and I'm sure the French were absolutely delighted with their British allies.

However, that show of cowardice by the BEF was shortly followed up with total stupidity on the part of the RAF--namely, moving their air fleet into Brest. Where, pouncing on the opportunity, I quickly destroyed it, leaving Britain without fighter cover for a full year. They're just lucky I had Barbarossa to focus my MPP's on, or the sky above London would have gone dark with German aircraft.

I'm starting to see now why people seem to prefer HvH games...

[Iron Ranger]

There are several levels to the AI; I asume your on the defalut 'beginner'. Try expert with xp bonus (+1 to start) for a challage. The AI is still weak, but better then just the base game.

[J Muller]

I realize the AI isn't very good, and I am only playing it on the default setting. I just found it amusing that the British were such fair-weather friends to the French, and so willing to throw away half their total fighter strength.

Of course, as far as loyalty goes, it's not like the French were any better--in real life, they had standing agreements with Poland to go on the offensive against Germany if Germany attacked Poland, and if they had kept to these agreements, Germany would have found itself fighting a war on two fronts in the middle of September 1939.

[targul]

I have been playing for only a couple weeks but I find the AI quite good compared to any I have seen. It is challenging and fairly historical.

Recently tired Making History. That game is a serious AI joke. Well actually the entire game is a joke. No history at all should be its title. Tried most of Grisby stuff and it is even worse then MH.

Now I only play with Fog of War so I would not see the air in Brest or evactation which is a smart move. BTW I have also killed that BEF. It has escaped and been killed so....

Anyway, I would not complain about this AI it gives a good game and keeps up the pressure. Feels good and plays well.

[arado234]

JMuller,targul i STRONGLY suggest once you get better(or right now)play HvH.You will see a MUCH different game.Its also alot more fun.You will probably loose the first few times(maybe not)but you sure do learn alot real fast.Welcome to the group.

[targul]

Dont know what an HvH is. I have a small amount of experience in wargames been playing for almost 50 years now. Yes I am an old fart retired and hard headed.

But I am very happy with this game. I play CWIE reguarly but that is only email played there is no AI. I have tried literally hundreds of wargames with AI on computer and none come close to this so far. With Computer War in Europe I find each different player fun it is interesting to see what strange thing they will try. It normally takes about a year to complete a game of CWIE except with others like me with unlimited time and no money or life.

With the new expansion coming for this one and since I am having a great time with just the AI so far not really looking for something else except for some email or online play with other players. But a good wargame always interests me.

I do not like first person shooters or real time. I am too lazy to attempt to take my actions faster then a computer. I am retired so I am supposed to relax which I am extremely good at.

[Moonslayer]

@targul sounds like this is the perfect place for you then

Welcome to the family!

HvH is just a way of saying human versus human. Personally I usually play only against the ai myself and have spent the time making it more of a challenge via the scripts. I also enjoy using the editor to create scenarios.

If you do ever fancy a different challenge then I can recommend CMMods at www.cmmods.com

[J Muller]

Yeah, I definitely plan on doing HvH once I get better... as is, I'm not very good at all. In my current game, it's late fall 1942 and I'm still miles from Moscow. The Americans have come into the war in force, toppling Portugal and Spain in a few turns. The LV4 tank division I sent near Spain for when it got attacked didn't even get a chance to help out in Spain--Madrid seized two turns after America invaded. With Leningrad in Axis hands, Finland's focusing on defending Arkangel from a Russian counterattack. I've got to starve out the Russians before the Allies invade France and send my meager defending forces packing. As is, I'm making excruciatingly slow progress through the USSR, though I have smashed a Russian counterattack near Odessa. The German army is superior in numbers and technology to the Russians, and I'm even producing almost twice as much as they are, but if America invades from the west I'll be hurting. Italy's digging in at Sicily and the Boot, having been decisively kicked out of North Africa by the British. Obviously I still have a ways to go in terms of skill at this game...

[targul]

I would love to try the Cmmods but for some reason they will simply not download for me. I downloaded an RAR loader thinking they might be using that but it didnt help.

I have wanted to download the Third Reich but it always gives me zero bits. I did download europa in llmas Cmmods but it was previous verision so it does not work but at least it did download.

I am presently in my first email game for this game it is interesting. I did not realize you could actually take Belgium in round 2 never occured to me since it would have not worked anywhere else.

I assume the expenditures for operate mount up using that rapid deployment but the Axis is on a limited time so maybe that works only time will tell.

[arado234]

Targul J Muller if and when your interested in a human vs human battle ill be glad play.

[targul]

Thanks for the invite arado. I will take you up on it when I return from vacation. I leave on Tuesday for some white water rafting but I will be back the 27th.

I am presently getting my first lesson from another from the board but I am retired so plenty of time. I will let you know when I return.

[J Muller]

Thanks for the invite. Unfortunately, I don't have quite to much free time as Targul. I'll look into it this weekend, though. I'm still getting the hang of things by playing against the AI--figuring out how to distribute my research, discovering the importance of HQs, etc.

[arado234]

I will let you in one secret.What works against the ai usually wont work against a human.