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Semper Fi Preview-AAR

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Lt.-Colonel of Guerillas
Jul 14, 2003
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As in the week before the release of Hearts of Iron 3 I will once more, with Semper-Fi, write a Preview AAR. This will hopefully help you through the last few days you'll have to wait for the release of this much anticipated add-on and perhaps convince you to buy/pre-order, or not.
Of course the couple of days left aren't enough to highlight every new aspect and put the new AI thoroughly to the test but let's try to find out as much as we can.

Ever since the release of HOI2 I have been shouting for a May 1940 scenario as, in my opinion, this is the moment it all really got interesting. Playing from 1936 is all nice and well and of course the '36 scenario is the most played but that way we won't see enough in the couple of days left before release. Hence we'll fight for France commanding the BEF (British Expeditionary Forces) and the Royal Navy.
A very good way of seeing how the defensive -French and Belgian (the Dutch will surrender after a couple of days anyways ;) ) - and offensive -Ze Germans - handle their troops, objectives and this massive battle in general.

Apart from the important AI there are many other things to focus on:
  • Achievements and scenario objectives
  • The new interface options: theater edit, on screen-OOB (cool!), naval mapmode
  • The new supply system
  • New unit options, tech etc.
  • Game speed
  • Anything else you want to see
If time permits we will also re-visit the Barabrossa scenario from the original HOI3 Beta-AAR and see what has changed AI and gameplay wise.

All I can say now, enjoy!

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Mip. said:
€: Cant we visit the Barabarossa scenario immediatly? :(
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I have been waiting to play the first days of may 1940 for years. Sorry, no, we can't.....;)
 
Singleton Mosby said:
I have been waiting to play the first days of may 1940 for years. Sorry, no, we can't.....;)
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How many parts of the 1940 scenario can we expect? Till the fall of france? And how many parts do u want to do a day?
Im so eager on Barbarossa, just even to know if theres a organisation penalty for soviet troops in the beginning, like Doomdark mentioned in a Diary :wacko:
France could also get interesting though.
 
You have had 35 minutes - why are there not 5 updates with massive content for my reading pleasure??!! :mad:

Serisouly though - I look forward to reading this!
 
Exterous said:
You have had 35 minutes - why are there not 5 updates with massive content for my reading pleasure??!! :mad:
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Tinypic, where I upload my screenies, is terribly annoying, so I had to register and all....:D
 
Chapter one: May 10th, the storm unleashed

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The scenario screen looks nice, I like the new letters. Apart from the new scenario and the Arcade option (we'll skip that, don't even need to know about it) not much new but it looks good.

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First thing I do when the scenario has loaded is check out the situation: early morning of May 10th 1940, Fall Gelb. It is the story we know from school or the history book we've read. The French army is heavily entrenched on the eastern frontier behind the Maginot-fortifications and the Rhine-river. Where the French border turns west a large infantry force has the objective to halt a German march through Luxembourg. More to the west the mobile French forces will move into Belgium to prevent a WWI-Schlieffen style battle. Some of these forces are ordered to aid the Dutch, others will march on the region around Louvain and find a defensive position behind the rivers.

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It is not easy what I can do with my small force at hand to alter the oncoming massive and violent struggle in any way so I decide to move north as historical and keep my eyes peeled for any dangerous situation.
My troops are supposed to be much faster then the German infantry as all of my nine division of the BEF are motorized infantry, but if and when I encounter German panzers I will have a serious problem at hand.

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As my force isn't that large, three corps, comprising nine divisions, 29 motorized battalions, I will command them manually.

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Browsing through the new onscreen-OOB I am already mightily impressed by this new future. Didn't really use it yet but it feels like Paradox listened to us when we said the original HOI3 OOB didn't work at all.

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Singleton Mosby AARs have a way of cutting to the heart of the matter.

Let's see if a Finnish expeditionary unit can cut clean into the heart of Russia this time! (I certainly hope not :wacko:)
 
Chapter two: The Home Front​

Just nine divisions to play a role with on the Western Front isn't all that much. With this force I won't make much of an impression on the German foe. Allas my army isn't all that big, apart from these nine divisions in France I have just 15 more in the UK. I can't leave England bare just yet, who knows what sort of trick the German AI has up its sleeves, so I decide to bring three divisions across the Channel, three more later if needed.

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To do this I first re-organize Southern Command, which will supply these three units and then become a part of the BEF. Their fourth unit, stationed in the Midlands is shifted tot he Western Command for now, it will be part of the 'second wave'.

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Part of the Home-Fleet is merged with a transport unit in Plymouth to get Souther Command across. I don't expect this whole operation to be concluded in the next week so next I turn to the Royal Air Force. The RAF has no units operating in France but that's soon to change. Fighter Groups 12 and 13 as well as a Tactical bomber group are rebased in France. Their mission is to aid the French airforce in preserving the air-supremacy at the front and support the forces. The RAF will be the first units to fight and conclude our involment in the Phoney war.

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As some sort of 'afterthought' I also select some techs which might be useful. A few land tech (anti-tank) and doctrines as well as naval and air techs and doctrines.

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*tries to stop salivating on keyboard*
Looks great!
 
Had hoped we who pre-ordered would have been asked to help with the final Beta of it, but it looks like we will have to wait until the 6th to try it for our selves... Hopefully there will be patches if (when?) we find bugs...
 
Subscribed. Nice to have your preview again, Singleton. :)
 
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