3 Steps Back... 3 Steps Forward
Its been very frustrating. To a point where despite hours of play, I am only where I was last time I reported.
I wanted to try out a SeeLowe. But, without planning for one in the previous campaign, I decided to a) start again, and b) learn something of the other tabs.
Without going into the blow by blow of my pain, in summary:
- I tried the 1938 campaign first. Very hard. By the time I got to the Polish campaign, I knew I didn't have enough in terms of raw numbers to finish the job.
- I tried the 1936 campaign twice. The first time, everybody allied with everyone, and WW2 kicked off far too early. Not good for me to set up Seelowe, so I started again with the AIIP v 1.3.1 mod.
- Second time round, I found it was much easier than the '38 campaign to build up a decent military. With Seelowe in mind, I built marines, paras, transports for both, a reasonable Navy, a Naval Air Group and plenty of troops. I was worried that (as in HOI2) if you build too much early on, you can run out of resources, but this did not seem to be the case.
- Then I fell foul of those little idiosyncracies of the game. AUS allied with me, so no Anscluss. So the Czech Crisis didn't fire either. So, somewhat belatedly, I decided to attack CZE (without AUS help... they need to fix that).
Here's the plan:
You will note that I have started using the
Axis of Advance approach. So when you pick your objective, you also shift/right click where you want to go, and a pretty green line is drawn to your target area. Lets see if it keeps my AI troops focused on the target. My results in this campaign were encourgaring, but inconclusive - more anon.
However, another moan. See those Panzer troops in the south ready to launch from AUS? They absolutely refused to do so, even with no opposition in front of them. And the Austrians took no part... some allies eh. Issues like this really need to be fixed.
Another challenge. As soon as I invaded CZE. The allies DOWed me and as soon as I had annexed CZE, POL quietly joined them. First I knew was when they started taking my largely undefended lands on the border. Crisis!! Here was a chance to see the
Axis of Advance in action. I needed my troops on the border quick!
Berlin is in danger!
Here is where I am starting to rescue the situation (just in time for Berlin too)...
As you can see, it's good news. My armies are, by and large, following the objectives along the Axis. Even better, click on any army with an
Axis order and you see all the other ones (highhlighted in blue). It works very well, and you can see at a glance whether things are going to plan.
I don't know for sure, but I also get the impression that it helps an army keep together with it's HQs and any associated Air Groups. I certainly found my HQs dutifully following a few provinces behind, and the Air Groups moving to forward airfields when available.
Another plus is that you can now give objectives quite some distance away, and the AI will stay focussed on it. That's more like it in terms of Grand Strategy Wargaming.
Overall, this is a big win. Thanks notger.heinz
.
Sometimes this HQ AI is Very GOOD... But then it can be really STUPID
Like ignoring these Partisans eating up country around them. Yawn, micromanage time...
Battle for France (Again)
After taking out POL, I reorganised as normal. Same trick: a small Army set for attacking DEN, a covering force in the East, and the bulk of my army up on the HOL, BEL, LUX borders. Come March 1939, I was ready, and motivated to get on with it when the US joined the Allies (they've got to fix that too). So 14 months earlier than planned I invaded.
Here's the plan a few days into the attack:
Note that the AI is continuing to be good, and I love these medium range objectives.
I also have given my paras a little practice in Antwerp, to support the attack on Brussels. It works fine, but I've realised something Essential. There is no way that the AI will get the paratroops to do this on its own, and good thing too, you don't want them jumping into Corsica at this point do you.
Seelowe is going to be micromanaged at the Corps level, there is no way round that.
The Battle for France proves to be fairly straightforward (particularly as the French don't get any support from their allies - UK and US). A huge French army sits in Paris, and my AI won't attack (despite having 2 Armies surrounding it).
I'm Hitler in my bunker, remember. My generals have been telling me for years to trust the AI (er sorry, their skills), and I've sat there, mad with frustration as they have gone on with the job. But this is too much. I have the premonition of something called "The Vichy Event". And to get it, I must take Paris. Flying over to Army HQ in Versailles, I put the boot in, cancel all orders for 2 and 3 Armees and tell them to
Attack Paris. At once. My generals shake their heads but order it so...
This is why I shouldn't have got involved...
I've weakened my front line, and the French burst through. They make it all the way up to Caen, before I retrieved the situation.
The AI does know what it is doing.
I also got the opportunity to practice my amphibious landings to pick off a pocket of French behind my lines. This landing worked (2 Marine Divisions). Question is (paraphrasing a certain film): "Wo ist der Royal Navy?"
While all this is going on, I notice a little AI ordered fight over Kent in England. My pilots (who got roundly beaten), did notice something 'sehr interesantes'... a little hole around Brighton with no coastal fortications....
Taxi run for the kids now.
Later, Seelowe, and Conclusion update.