The dominoes are really falling aren't they? The coming war in Africa is going to be a tough one, it's an entire continent away, and we don't quite have the resources of the RN..
Ahh, yes... And I would explain... But that would ruin the fun!Your most potent offensive forces seem to be arrayed in Macao (four infantry brigades) and along the borders with South Africa and Namibia (two infantry and two cavalry brigades).
Thanks, Lusitania! Welcome to the story!Great AAR
Look forward to your updates.
Welcome Ahriman! To this AAR and others! I guess this is a multiple welcome! I'm now in the strange but exalted position of having both, Ahriman and Ahura Mazda as fans of my AARs!As you can see by my post count I'm a committed lurker, but I felt like I had to emerge to complement you on another excellent Rensslaer AAR. Reading Fire Warms convinced me to buy Vicky and I'm sure this would do the same for HOI3 if I didn't already have it. Looks like you're building up towards an interesting war.
P.S. I understand if it's on the back burner but I hope you're not abandoning Sforza!!! That AAR and Prawnstar's excellent Audacity of Hope got me into EU3.
Indeed. I think, though I certainly didn't expect that respite, it was quite welcome once I realized the ramifications (and understood that I hadn't "missed the boat" somehow, and could declare war on my OWN terms!).Well, the lack of a call to arms seems a bit welcome! Gives you more time to prepare, at least.
Heh heh... Clever Stuyvesant is onto the Germans!Wise AI Germany realizes that, at this time, you're more useful as a peaceful partner (and supplier of much-needed gasoline for the Panzers) than as an active belligerent. Surely that must be the explanation.
Anyway, as others have pointed out, it's actually a boon that will allow you to gather a few extra critical resources.
Welcome, LinktheWindow! Yes, the staffing of Africa is/was my hope for conquest... On the other hand, as we've already seen in at least one place, v1.2 has better colonial coverage than v1.1c did. Someone upstairs has been reading my AAR!Are you thinking of taking the Congo? If I remember rightly, European powers rarely staff their colonies with enough troops, so that could be a good way to gain a fair bit of land.
Thanks! Yes, I'm kind of worried about the small ability of my navy, too. But that's something I won't be able to do anything about anytime soon, and it's also something that will either matter, or it won't, depending on how the Allies react. I won't know until the event...This AAr is really a thriller. I`m looking forward to see how the mighty portugese armed forces are able to tilt the balance in favour of the Axis. And I must say I`m slightly worried about the small quantity of Portugese Naval Vessels when it comes to protecting portugese convoys and transports.
Indeed... I'm glad to have been able to build as much as I did, even if so much of the force is of lower-quality troops. As for the Tac squadron... Didn't think of that! You may be annoyed by this through the first 4-5 months of war, and I'll hope to think to fix that. I have been paying more attention to the mechanics of the gameplay, and less to aesthetics such as this.Is your TAC squadron still namaed "Portugese Airforce" or something? You better name it again, with the Arrival of your Nav's that derogatory name will no longer be needed! I thought you had based them in the Azores however.
You really have built up a decent army! It didn't seem to good though all the updates, but when you add it all together it is pretty good! Yeah, your navy is horrible, hopefully you can keep those transports afloat.
Welcome, Fuhrab! Thanks for delurking!:: delurks ::
Long time lurker, first time poster (on this AAR) - Wicked progress on the set-up for (what we hope will be successful) war. Good luck to you, sir!
:: relurks ::
Yeah, AI Germany isn't minding it's stride very well, or pacing itself. I hope that doesn't get it into trouble! Yes... Comparing the resources of the Royal Navy vs. ours is.... depressing and frightening, at the same time!The dominoes are really falling aren't they? The coming war in Africa is going to be a tough one, it's an entire continent away, and we don't quite have the resources of the RN..
Thanks, Jorath! Turkey should be a fascinating choice -- one of the countries I've always wanted to play around with. I'll look forward to the AAR! Did I see you're (still?) playing a Japan game in HOI 1? I'll have to see if I can drop by. The book sounds interesting, and for $3 (+shipping) online, it's hardly something I can pass up. I'll have to see if I can get it -- I've asked for Amazon money for my birthday. And since they haven't yet published those darned Tales of the Gold Monkey DVDs, I've been spending my old Amazon money on other things. Grr...Incidentaly, I had planned for my first official AAR to be Japan, but seeing how poorly CAGs and naval units perform in 1.2 (due in part I believe to the weather problems) I've backed off this idea. Reading Peter G Tsouras' book, Third Reich Victorious and inspired by this excellent AAR I've decided to go for playing Turkey as an AAR start. Turkey is one of the alternate WW2 stories in the book, wherein the country is pulled into the Axis sphere of influence around when Case Blue (the summer '42 German offensive into southern Russia) unfolds. The country is a decent-sized minor, larger than Portugal and most of the other Axis minors, but certainly in dire need of everything, like what you're seeing here. I'll hopefully have it up and running soonish.
In the meantime, keep up the good work on this AAR - you're thrilling alot of readers!
Ahh, soon enough! All will become clear!I, for one, don't understand why you have CAV & GAR in Africa. Do you really think they are enough for a decent conquest ? How about adding some of the Macao INF as well ? Surely you don't intend to take on the chinese, do you ?
Damn, I can't wait to see how this unfolds, get a move on !!
Well, I'm foreshadowing very "close to my vest", but let me just say the battles for Congo AND South Africa will be very, VERY interesting! Glad you're looking forward to it!With many other readAARs I, too, sit on the edge of my seat! Well done thus far! I am quite impressed at the quiet way in which you've built a sizeable force for a "minor" player. I am curious as to what might transpire in the Far East and your most recent comment forestalled my initial thought of bidding "farewell" to the troops in Macao. I most anticipate the "Bungle in the Jungle" that will surely by the Congolese Wars and Battle for South Africa.
I am not hopeful, having scouted Hong Kong recently as well, but just to check, I send my destroyers out to eyeball Hong Kong, which is separated from Macao by the mouth of the Pearl River (Canton River), as well as by the Guangxi Clique’s major city of Canton/Kwangchow itself. Without declaring war upon the Guangxi – an idiotic idea, with my deployment situation – I cannot reach Hong Kong except by sea. I can also tell you I do not yet have near enough strength to accomplish that against her coastal fort.
Our forces elsewhere begin to move as well….
Ahh, yes, truly! It IS dangerous, and yet...That was a risky move, scouting in daytime with the transport ships in tow, and carrying an INF Div! Bump into a UK patrol and you could have lost the transports and the troops. You have got very little scope for recovering from a loss like that.
Hi Rens, On the Portugal AAR, speculation on the Call to Arms. You may already know this, and it's just part of the story (nice read BTW), but the AI is set not to call someone unless the war has been going for at least five months, and even then only if the odds are not completely in the attackers favour. This was to stop ITA being immediately called when GER invades POL, which did happen in some of the early versions.