So I've been inspired to try this game again...

[wedgeskwalker9]

I got this game a few years ago, and played it for about a week before I gave it up. I remember really not liking having to control every tiny little unit, and thought that the economic game was fun but took way too long as the game progressed by hour instead of by day.

After Cold War was announced though, I've felt a hankering to play this again. I was thinking that playing as a smaller nation that can get involved in some winnable wars early on would be good - I was thinking Ireland as it would allow me too stay pretty safe and attack nations at will. Any other country (or scenario - I was planning on the one where every country got broken up) recommendations or general tips as I go back in? One more thing - I remember being mad that it was impossible to get a Casus Belli and always get thrown out of the UN. Any way to get around this?

[Hundane]

I was thinking Ireland as it would allow me too stay pretty safe and attack nations at will.

Being the aggressor will get you kicked out of the U.N. for sure.

I remember being mad that it was impossible to get a Casus Belli and always get thrown out of the UN. Any way to get around this?

Know the relationships between the regions in the scenario/campaign. Play a few a quick fast games with different volitility settings to get a feel for which regions go to war with whom.

Once you know the relationships, you can start a game and grab the appropriate regions as allies, once they get DoW'd you will gain CB on the region that declared war on them. No need to declare war right away.

Before declaring war , make sure you have justification (CB). The less CB you have towards that region the greater your U.N. standing will need to be to keep from being kicked out.


You can also try getting spies caught to increase another regions CB towards you but its not a guarantee that they will declare war on you.

Theres a ton more info at the BG forums too.
http://www.bgforums.com/forums/

[GIJoe597]

One key piece of information is lacking. What version of the game and/or expansion do you have?

The suggestions I would have are very dependent on your version. I imagine your have already started by now, but hopefully a reply or at least an update on how you are doing is forthcoming.

[NukemRico]

if you attack a nation without a CB and get kicked out of the UN, how hard is it to be reinstated down the road aways?

[fudd_bopo]

if you attack a nation without a CB and get kicked out of the UN, how hard is it to be reinstated down the road aways?

If you're kicked out, you're out. I'm pretty sure there's no way back.

[Linehogs]

War is the key. Without War I typically get boored. When I first started playing I did the whole peaceful economic nation thing but screw it. War is the way to go. It's fun when you get the hang of it. It's well balanced if you crank the difficulty up. I love war.

As far as what nation to try..... Moscow is one of the best campaings out there because it has a decent population, no elections, most of the world hates you anyways so you will be in a state of constant war, they have their own tech tree (units), they are low GDP so the economy is suited to a new player (most new players want to become exporters. That's directly related to your GDP and natural resources), and finally last but not least if you want oil you have to take it. I have a Moscow campaign where I have re-established the Entire Eastern side of the old Soviet Empire. I have invaded as far south as Turkey and Greece, as far West as Germany, and as Far East as half of Western Siberia.

A few keys to making wat fun and productive... don't micro manage it until you really get the hang of it. You will go crazy. Take half of every kind of Jet fighter and bomber and assign them to a key. Assign half of your helicopters to a key. Manage the air force and let the land units do their thing. Just provide support. I don't typically do anything with the land units unless I'm trying to make a push. If anything my favorite thing to do with land units is paradrop infantry behind enemy lines. You have to be careful. Make sure you scout the area with spies or recon and watch for anything that might be anti-air. If it's clean you can generally capture a good portion of a nation simply by using infantry and anti tank units with air support. I always build a ton of helicopter transports and various types of airborne infantry. If you paradrop and secure a village/depot with 3-4 Green Berets/Special Forces and 2 Anti-Tank they will give any size force hell. That's pulls the enemies tanks and land units away form the fornt lines allowing YOUR more expensive tanks and machinery to fight garrisons more than enemy land forces. Obviously the key to this and any strategy is air superiority. You MUST have a large and powerful airforce fully equipped with missles.

[Linehogs]

In the same Moscow campaign I was discussing above....

I have invaded like 13 countries without declaring war once. I have a GREAT UN rating and they apparently want Europe to be Communist because they love me lol. The trick is NOT to form alliances with anyone nearby IMHO. No trade agreements. Nothing. If I am in the European Theatre I do not sign a single agreement with ANY nation in Europe other than maybe England because I eventually intend to destroy them. Anyways all it takes is an initial kick. If someone attacks you and you destroy them. Their allies/supporters will gain Casus Belli against YOU. So if they at any point THINK you are weak they will attack. I typically give my old military units to the enemies of my enemies which usually pisses them off. Finally when I want war I take my entire military with the exception of some entrenched defensive units on the border and send them to reserve. By doing so you pull units off the map and other nations will try to sneak attack you only to find the Russian Bear emerging from the barracks lol. Once you do this a few times and you piss off most of your neighbors by eliminating their allies/trade partners they will be more and more eager to destroy you. In my Moscow campaign all I have to do is send most of my army into reserve and somoene will declare war on me. If I want peacetime I simply leave my units out and cut the military budget down as much as needed. You have to be careful. If you drop your military spending and get sneak attacked anyways you have to fight a defensive war for a while until your units have the efficiency to overcome. That's typically a Defcon 1 situation anyways lol.