Research...

[A7V21]

Hi Comrades,

Since I'm fairly new to SC WWI, I was curious as to what should I start researching first playing as the Entente in "Call to Arms" ? I think I started with France researching heavy artillery...Also, how often do people "buy" units with their Points and When? Lastly, Since I haven't gotten through the entire Manuel yet, How does one move Units from the British Main Island to France for example? Where are the carrier/Transport Ships located?

Thanks!!

A7V21

[xwormwood]

Hi A7V21!

Heavy Artillery is a good idea, just like Gas/Shell production.

I buy units whenever i can afford them (spending money on repairs, research and re-education of neutral nations...)

You move UK units first next to a port. The next turn you right-click the unit and choose "transport" from the right-click menu. This will cost you some money.

If you agree to pay, the unit will move into a troop transport ship.

This ship can now travel on the ocean.

To unload your troops, move the ship onto a (french) port symbol.

Than right-click again and choose "unload".

[Bill101]

Hi A7V21

In addition to Xwormwood's suggestions, I would strongly recommend researching Trench Warfare as your number one priority.

Heavy Artillery will be very useful but for France in 1914 too much investment in things like this that will only become useful later in 1915 might not be a good idea. But it all depends on the situation and once you've halted the initial German advance you may be able to start researching these areas.

But also ensure that you don't run out of troops. There's a fine balance between purchasing units and researching to improve them, or doing other things like investing in diplomacy.

Bill

[xwormwood]

Thanks Bill, and of course, Trench Warfare is very important, totally forgot about it.

[Ivanov]

The number one priority is infantry warfare. Most of your units are infantry and they bear the brunt of fighting, so having them on the higher tech level than your opponent should be your main objective. Artillery is very important but if you play as Entente, you start without any arty units. So first invest in the infantry and then artillery.

[A7V21]

Thanks Gentlemen for your responses. How does the A/I CP "Call to Arms" Offensive play out in the first year? Does Germany solely focus on Belgium then onto France or do they go East into Russia full steam ahead?

[Glabro]

What? Surely "Industrial Capacity" is the only true answer, since everyone's fighting for a long term war? Germany starts with 60%, so the income rises to at least 80% from the first advance, so your essentially get 1/3 more income from that alone, at least - but bear in mind it doesn't affect convoy income, does it?

[xwormwood]

The number one priority is infantry warfare. Most of your units are infantry and they bear the brunt of fighting, so having them on the higher tech level than your opponent should be your main objective. Artillery is very important but if you play as Entente, you start without any arty units. So first invest in the infantry and then artillery.

I had game were the early research of an infantry tech caused in the long turn the defeat of my side.

I tell you why: when you equip all your units with the new tech, you won't be able to purchase lost units or to research.

Upgrading is expensive.

I don't say that infantry tech is bad, no, it is brilliant.

But if you spend too much money into unit upgrades you won't have enough money for all other purposes.

And once your opponent has more units on the front line, more artillery and a higher gas/shell tech, than all your well equipped units won't help you to hold a line. The artillery, queen of the battlefield, will hammer your expensive units out of the game.

So you will sooner or later have to rebuy them without your precious infantry tech, just to close the lines once more.

You might end like me with a tech you can't afford to equip because your opponent used his money for better and for more artillery, units and other nice things.

Again, infantry tech is very nice to have.

But think good and long when and how many units you will upgrade with the new tech.

[Ivanov]

Obviously you have to be careful on what and how you spend the cash. Just like in the real life It's a bad idea to try to upgrade all your units at once. You should have some money left for reinforcing and buying new units and also for the some further research. It's all about keeping the ballance right.

One more point about the artillery. It is priceless if the game degenerates into trench/siege warfare, like it happened in the reality during WWI. Arty however, becomes quite useless in the maneuver warfare. During one of my games as CP on the Eastern front, I operated an arty unit to the theatre and it simply couldn't keep the pace with my advancing units. At the end it didn't have even a single opportunity to fire a salvo and I had to operate it back to the West.