Once the game ends I have a form for the players to fill out that'll give me a lot of info on balance. Game has to actually progress a decent bit though, after session one is a bit early. 
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You don't need to forever edit post 1 Pugs, I've started a Chapters List and I'll just link everyone's posts into it. Its better for discussion and commentary from other readers if we make them individual posts. Good update, though: sets the historical scene well! I picked a more game-orientated approach, as the UK probably didn't envisage a major war against the Ottoman Empire in 1910.
Nice writing pugs.
Poach, have you guys actually played anything yet? Or are these overviews just game start overviews?
Poach, have you guys actually played anything yet? Or are these overviews just game start overviews?
We've played one session: if you look at my screenshots you'll see the date advances, ending in early 1911 in the latest screenshots. We play every Sunday night (UK time) so Session Two is due this weekend, in which we'll probably get fairly close to the war's start. Due to various compatibility issues last time we only got about 1 hour or less of playing time in out of a scheduled 2 hours (may increase to 3 from session 2 onwards), and we got through ~9 months on speed 4.
As wars start for the Ottoman player (though he's required to perform in a certain way) we'll probably lower it to speed 3 or, if he so requests, speed 2 to let him fight, but with 2 or 3 hours to go I can see us perhaps reaching 1914 (maybe mid/late 13), but not September-August time when the war will begin.
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Ah no problem Poach. It's just that there is so much going on in the world pre-1914. It's a very interesting AAR.
Hopefully we will get to see more information segments from the other players soon. I'd love to learn more about this.
Also, sometime down the track when you get back to modding I might be able to help fiddle around with the technology files and stuff, maybe.... I'm a fairly lacklustre modder; although I have contributed a little work on the MEIOU mod for EUIII.
Also, sometime down the track when you get back to modding I might be able to help fiddle around with the technology files and stuff, maybe.... I'm a fairly lacklustre modder; although I have contributed a little work on the MEIOU mod for EUIII.
Next updates will be after the next session on sunday night. Except for Pugs and I most players haven't bothered with an opening update because all we did in the first session was organise OOBs and place our first build orders.
Session Two might get a bit more exciting as players' armies take shape and war draws closer.
Session Two might get a bit more exciting as players' armies take shape and war draws closer.
Session Two: The Gears of War
UK Report, 1911-April 1913
A lot had happened, politically, economically and militarily, since the Imperial General Staff gave their reports to Parliament in late 1910. Most importantly, these changes had been happening under the guidance of the Imperial General Staff with full support from Parliament, who were keen to ensure the British Empire were prepared for the major war everyone knew was coming.
The Royal Navy
The Royal Navy had been given the go-ahead to expand the fleet of Capital Ships to an enormous size: the strategic focus of the Fleet shifted from cruisers and destroyers, suitable for policing the Empire, to Battleships and Battlecruisers, suitable for smashing the German High Seas Fleet if it became bold enough to challenge the might of the Royal Navy.
A new command was formed for the purpose: Battleship Command. Serving as the HQ formation for the newly formed North Sea Fleet, the Command expanded rapidly through the 2 years and continued to expand.
From an initial 18 Battleships, a further 12 were added and the Destroyer escorts totally modernised. The drydocks of Britain were alive with shipbuilding, as more than a dozen additional Battleships were in the works with even more planned: the Admiralty knew the Germans sought to challenge Britain's command of the sea, and were building to ensure the German High Seas Fleet wouldn't even come close to rivalling the Royal Navy.
A smaller order of new Battlecruisers were also placed down. These ultra-modern Battlecruisers were armed with the latest high-power engines, providing the North Sea Fleet with a powerful fast action squadron, and with more and more modern Royal Navy Battleships coming out of drydock every year, German Dreadnoughts would find themselves seriously outnumbered.
The British Army
The British Army had opened up a furious recruitment campaign, aimed at attracting young, fit males to serve. The results were astounding: the Army's size increased from 146,000 to 829,000 in the 2 years. New regiments, depots, officer schools and training grounds sprung up the length and breadth of the country to accomodate the vast influx of new recruits. Training continued forwards excellently, with Army-level operations becoming a core part of the British Army training schedule: formations of over a hundred thousand troops became well-oiled machines, a scale unthinkable just 5 years ago.
Across the Empire, the best of these units were deployed as Independent Divisions, tasked with defending British colonies and striking at German ones when the war began. Reinforcements stood ready to sail should these elite troops find German resistance heavier than expected.
In Africa, 2 Divisions lined up near the deserted German colonies in the area. The colonies were devoid of worthwhile resources, so it came as no surprise that the Germans were unwilling to waste troops defending them.
Britain's youngest Dominion, South Africa, had prepared an Army of its own, drawing on the experience and tutelage of retired British Army officers. The army of 7 Divisions was tasked by the Imperial General Staff with securing the southernmost German possessions in Africa.
A single Division was stationed in China, across from the German garrison in the area, to capture Qingdao. Japan, increasingly friendly to the Entente, may even enter the war and provide backup to the British forces there.
* * *
All was not well, however. In 1910 the War Ministry commissioned a secret committee to investigate ways to revolutionise land warfare. Machine guns, artillery and barbed wire all threatened to render mobile warfare a thing of the past, with armies staring at each other across vast entrenched fortification networks. Any effort to advance the lines would surely come at immense cost in human lives and in war material.
The answer was the Tank: an armoured all-terrain vehicle equipped with machine gun and cannon, off of which bullets would simply bounce. Trenches and barbed wire would simply be crushed under its tracks, and only direct hits from artillery would be sufficient to knock one out.
The Landship Committee was formed to invent such a device, and before the year was out told the Minister of War that the technology simply didn't exist to create these weapons. The research and initial work were about to be put away for a later date until an urgent dispatch from a British spy in the German War Ministry was received:
GERMAN MILITARY COMMENCING DESIGN ON ARMOURED VEHICLES STOP
INITIAL TESTS SHOW MECHANICAL DIFFICULTIES BUT UNSTOPPABLE BY INFANTRY STOP
Even though the technology was 7 or 8 years ahead of its time, the British Army quickly concluded that production of these machines was of the utmost importance to match German efforts. The project was placed at the highest priority and received pretty much anything it asked for.
By 1913 production models were ready, and the British Army began production of its first Armoured Divisions.
The Ottoman Empire Shrinks
In 1912 the Ottoman Empire went through two wars: against Italy and the Balkan League. It lost them both.
Italy annexed the Libyan province of the Ottoman Empire, removing a front from the defence of Egypt, unless Italy sided with the Central Powers.
Almost all of the European possessions of the Ottoman Empire were lost to the Balkan League. Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria made huge territorial gains at Ottoman expense. Albania also successfully revolted and claimed independence.
A weakened Ottoman Empire was favourable to the British. It made Egypt easier to defend, and perhaps opened up possible additional fronts for the Ottoman Empire if they attempted to retake these lands from their newest owners.
* * *
Next Session
The 28th of October, 6-9pm UK time. We'll for sure reach the war in that session. The battle lines are being drawn, plans set in motion. I've only covered my own buildup and deployments, my allies have been equally as active.
I'm not worried about the CP guys reading this. If Germany is building Battleships I'm confident that I'm vastly outpacing him, or that he's badly sacrificing his Army to keep up with me, which only grants my Russian and French allies an advantage in the coming ground war. Naval warfare is my primary strength as a HoI3 player, so even against an equal High Seas Fleet I;m confident I'll be up to the task of defeating it in action.
Note about the Libyan/Balkan Wars: The OE player was obliged to lose them by the House Rules. He didn't even deploy troops to fight.
Comments and suggestions are welcomed!
UK Report, 1911-April 1913
A lot had happened, politically, economically and militarily, since the Imperial General Staff gave their reports to Parliament in late 1910. Most importantly, these changes had been happening under the guidance of the Imperial General Staff with full support from Parliament, who were keen to ensure the British Empire were prepared for the major war everyone knew was coming.
The Royal Navy
The Royal Navy had been given the go-ahead to expand the fleet of Capital Ships to an enormous size: the strategic focus of the Fleet shifted from cruisers and destroyers, suitable for policing the Empire, to Battleships and Battlecruisers, suitable for smashing the German High Seas Fleet if it became bold enough to challenge the might of the Royal Navy.
A new command was formed for the purpose: Battleship Command. Serving as the HQ formation for the newly formed North Sea Fleet, the Command expanded rapidly through the 2 years and continued to expand.
From an initial 18 Battleships, a further 12 were added and the Destroyer escorts totally modernised. The drydocks of Britain were alive with shipbuilding, as more than a dozen additional Battleships were in the works with even more planned: the Admiralty knew the Germans sought to challenge Britain's command of the sea, and were building to ensure the German High Seas Fleet wouldn't even come close to rivalling the Royal Navy.
A smaller order of new Battlecruisers were also placed down. These ultra-modern Battlecruisers were armed with the latest high-power engines, providing the North Sea Fleet with a powerful fast action squadron, and with more and more modern Royal Navy Battleships coming out of drydock every year, German Dreadnoughts would find themselves seriously outnumbered.
The British Army
The British Army had opened up a furious recruitment campaign, aimed at attracting young, fit males to serve. The results were astounding: the Army's size increased from 146,000 to 829,000 in the 2 years. New regiments, depots, officer schools and training grounds sprung up the length and breadth of the country to accomodate the vast influx of new recruits. Training continued forwards excellently, with Army-level operations becoming a core part of the British Army training schedule: formations of over a hundred thousand troops became well-oiled machines, a scale unthinkable just 5 years ago.
Across the Empire, the best of these units were deployed as Independent Divisions, tasked with defending British colonies and striking at German ones when the war began. Reinforcements stood ready to sail should these elite troops find German resistance heavier than expected.
In Africa, 2 Divisions lined up near the deserted German colonies in the area. The colonies were devoid of worthwhile resources, so it came as no surprise that the Germans were unwilling to waste troops defending them.
Britain's youngest Dominion, South Africa, had prepared an Army of its own, drawing on the experience and tutelage of retired British Army officers. The army of 7 Divisions was tasked by the Imperial General Staff with securing the southernmost German possessions in Africa.
A single Division was stationed in China, across from the German garrison in the area, to capture Qingdao. Japan, increasingly friendly to the Entente, may even enter the war and provide backup to the British forces there.
* * *
All was not well, however. In 1910 the War Ministry commissioned a secret committee to investigate ways to revolutionise land warfare. Machine guns, artillery and barbed wire all threatened to render mobile warfare a thing of the past, with armies staring at each other across vast entrenched fortification networks. Any effort to advance the lines would surely come at immense cost in human lives and in war material.
The answer was the Tank: an armoured all-terrain vehicle equipped with machine gun and cannon, off of which bullets would simply bounce. Trenches and barbed wire would simply be crushed under its tracks, and only direct hits from artillery would be sufficient to knock one out.
The Landship Committee was formed to invent such a device, and before the year was out told the Minister of War that the technology simply didn't exist to create these weapons. The research and initial work were about to be put away for a later date until an urgent dispatch from a British spy in the German War Ministry was received:
GERMAN MILITARY COMMENCING DESIGN ON ARMOURED VEHICLES STOP
INITIAL TESTS SHOW MECHANICAL DIFFICULTIES BUT UNSTOPPABLE BY INFANTRY STOP
Even though the technology was 7 or 8 years ahead of its time, the British Army quickly concluded that production of these machines was of the utmost importance to match German efforts. The project was placed at the highest priority and received pretty much anything it asked for.
By 1913 production models were ready, and the British Army began production of its first Armoured Divisions.
The Ottoman Empire Shrinks
In 1912 the Ottoman Empire went through two wars: against Italy and the Balkan League. It lost them both.
Italy annexed the Libyan province of the Ottoman Empire, removing a front from the defence of Egypt, unless Italy sided with the Central Powers.
Almost all of the European possessions of the Ottoman Empire were lost to the Balkan League. Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria made huge territorial gains at Ottoman expense. Albania also successfully revolted and claimed independence.
A weakened Ottoman Empire was favourable to the British. It made Egypt easier to defend, and perhaps opened up possible additional fronts for the Ottoman Empire if they attempted to retake these lands from their newest owners.
* * *
Next Session
The 28th of October, 6-9pm UK time. We'll for sure reach the war in that session. The battle lines are being drawn, plans set in motion. I've only covered my own buildup and deployments, my allies have been equally as active.
I'm not worried about the CP guys reading this. If Germany is building Battleships I'm confident that I'm vastly outpacing him, or that he's badly sacrificing his Army to keep up with me, which only grants my Russian and French allies an advantage in the coming ground war. Naval warfare is my primary strength as a HoI3 player, so even against an equal High Seas Fleet I;m confident I'll be up to the task of defeating it in action.
Note about the Libyan/Balkan Wars: The OE player was obliged to lose them by the House Rules. He didn't even deploy troops to fight.
Comments and suggestions are welcomed!
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French player here - no report for this session. The general events will be covered by Poach. I'm going to post one next session, as we will certainly reach 1914 then!
Session Two: Trepidation and Preparation
In Russia:
The Ministers and the Tsar drew up a 2 year plan to put the country on a proper footing. The plan required an increase in the industrial capacity of the country and the complete reorganization of the military. Old divisions would be broken up and thrown into new formations under a new heavy but self-contained army model. The Army would need to be standardized where loose regiments and artillery batteries were not spread thinly along the great border. Some areas would have to rely on the country's greatest defense for initial engagements... should an uncovered front open, the sheer size of the country would be daunting enough to most attackers once they were drawn in.
The Tsar pushed for industrial capacity to be increased in the Moscow District, highlighting that if the Imperial Navy were incapable of preventing an incursion against the Gulf of Finland and the Army was caught off guard, then the new arms factories would be far removed from the enemy raiding.
The Tsar felt comfortable with his Ministers and the security the Okhrana provided was more than ample to keep the Marxists in the shadows. Since the assassination of Pyotr Stolypin in Kiev, the Tsar had increased measures to raise the unity of the country and quell what unrest he could. The Okhrana was still working diligently to root out the anarchist and socialist cells that were pervasive among the university students and ethnic dissidents. Stolypin himself had been shot by a Jew and the Okhrana was useful in subduing not only the anarchists in Ukraine but also the Tsarists who clamored for yet another pogrom against the Jews of Kiev.
Key Okhrana Officers in St. Petersburg:
The Imperial Russian Navy:
The Navy was completely reorganized to meet the strategic needs of the Tsar and the Entente. Apart from torpedo boats and mine-layers, the fleet was dedicated to the Black Sea. While these ships are not on par with the battleships the Tsar has ordered, they are capable enough of supporting actions along the Black Sea coast or supporting the Entente in the Mediterranean.
The Fleet was reorganized under a new headquarters and Admiral in Sevastopol.
Also the Gangut and and Poltava were laid down in the Imperial shipyards and will form the backbone of the fleet in the area they operate in. Ships Petropavlovsk and Sevastopol are slotted to be laid down before 1914.
The Imperial Russian Army:
Stavka is headed by the Grand Duke and he decided to move the brain of the military to Smolensk rather than St. Petersburg or Moscow. The majority of parent commands had been organized and at least two Fronts had been stood up in anticipation of conflict in the West. Divisions have organic artillery and every Army has dedicated cavalry for scouting, screening and exploitation.
The Fronts:
Southern Poland:
The Austrians have decided to deploy some minor obstacles to the border.
The Caucasus:
The Ottomans, reeling from the defeat in the Balkan War have redeployed their mountain infantry along the border.
Northern Finland:
While the Swedes remain neutral, they maintain several divisions along the border.
The Far East:
The Japanese seem content to maintain the status quo in Korea and China is recovering from the civil war.
Persia:
The Persians are drifting towards Germany and Austria. They appear to be deploying what they can in the desert. Some Cossacks will be more than enough for that rabble should they test the Tsar.
Northern Poland:
Nothing to report. The Germans have so far kept their troops away from prying eyes.
***
Next update will see the might of Russia bulldoze into action on several fronts I am sure... if I remember to take good screenshots.
Nice little read. No point for the central powers to invest leadership into spies since the british high command is being so forthcoming. Also no reason to call them tanks now. IIRC they were called tanks as a code name to disguise the project (a tank holds water or, more recently, fuel). Guess you could rename them Battlewagons since they are common knowledge now. :happy:
EDIT: Also, got emu'd by the russian report. Loving the presentation style pugs. Can't wait until everyone gets into the war, but these formation updates are still really good.
I'm curious about how the balancing for the techs is going? Is cavalry more powerful? Or is this a mod for TFH and cavalry adds to combined arms bonus? How are planes going to work (if at all)? And how are tanks balanced. I don't expect high speed panzer warfare 30 years too early but can the engine handle this/is the tech balanced for this yet or are we going to see a re-hash of world war 2 but with a different map?
EDIT: Also, got emu'd by the russian report. Loving the presentation style pugs. Can't wait until everyone gets into the war, but these formation updates are still really good.
I'm curious about how the balancing for the techs is going? Is cavalry more powerful? Or is this a mod for TFH and cavalry adds to combined arms bonus? How are planes going to work (if at all)? And how are tanks balanced. I don't expect high speed panzer warfare 30 years too early but can the engine handle this/is the tech balanced for this yet or are we going to see a re-hash of world war 2 but with a different map?
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The game is more about testing the balance of the mod than being competitive. German High Command is fairly forthcoming in the skype calls during the game: I know he's making Battleships and I know he's researched planes, because he told me. I just wanted to show him how far behind in the Battleship race he actually was.
Of course there's a chance I'm wrong and that he's matching me ship for ship but if he's been doing that all he'll get is a contested North Sea whilst the numerically superior French and Russian armies batter down his doors.
Abbs (German player) and I have clashed at sea before in previous unmodded HoI3 games: naval play is not his main strength, but it is mine. I look forward to the duel!
Of course there's a chance I'm wrong and that he's matching me ship for ship but if he's been doing that all he'll get is a contested North Sea whilst the numerically superior French and Russian armies batter down his doors.
Abbs (German player) and I have clashed at sea before in previous unmodded HoI3 games: naval play is not his main strength, but it is mine. I look forward to the duel!
Session two: A Place in the Sun.
Germany and her people had longed for a place in the sun ever since the British set their foot on the American continent. The Brits and French had tried to keep Germany out of the new world, but they had failed. German colonies were present in Africa, Indonesia and the Pacific. The colonies produced valuable goods for the industries of the fatherland and Germany could finally call itself a proper Empire.
The world had other plans however, and wouldn't let Germany peacefully build up her cities and her riches..
Oberkommando de Heer
The German High command requested a lot of new armies to be created and to enact conscription. They got their will through. In June 1912 the German war industry had really picked up pace, but it could still not keep up with the surge of German volunteers.
The Heer organised itself into two fronts. The Bayerische Oberkommando would command the western front, now consisting of four field armies divided between two army groups, Heeresgruppe Südwest and Heeresgruppe Nordwest.
On the eastern front the same thing was applied, two armygroups, at the moment consisting of two field armies. The threat of Russia isn't deemed to be as big as the threat of the combined strength of the British-France-Italian border, so the eastern front is lower priority.
The colonial troops however have been heavily reorganised; they've been organised into actual fighting formations instead of the standalone divisions. Of the 150.000 colonial troops, most of them have been organised in Namibia, under a promising young commander. The OKH believe he will achieve great things with the professional colonial troops.
Kriegsmarine
The navy had undergone heavy reorganisation, all destroyers have been upgraded and new fleets were under construction. The main threat of Germany's greatest rival, the United Kingdom, would be its fleet. The Royal Navy had ruled the seas for as long as man could remember, but Germany would challenge her.
In Bremershaven, the North Sea fleets were gathering. They were to be assigned to the newly formed OKM(Oberkommando de Kriegsmarine) and their current duty was to guard the German North sea waters and the Kiel canal.
The technological advances in the field of battleships had increased dramatically and several new battleships had been ordered. Rumour has it these will blow their predecessors out of the water.
Meanwhile the IV. Slagflotte was forming around the pride of the fleet, the KMS Bismarck. This fleet will make sure the Russian Baltic fleet stays in port and that no British force enters the Baltic. It is to receive several state of the art battleships and destroyers.
Tensions are rising in the world. The German army numbers 1,3 million men, which is deemed insufficient. Five new field armies have been ordered, expected to be combat ready in early 1914. The fleet will receive several new battleships in early 1914 as well and force the British to be careful where they step.
But Germany does not stand alone in this struggle. To the south it finds her two closest allies, the Austria-Hungary kingdom and the Ottoman Empire. This triple alliance will be victorious.
Germany and her people had longed for a place in the sun ever since the British set their foot on the American continent. The Brits and French had tried to keep Germany out of the new world, but they had failed. German colonies were present in Africa, Indonesia and the Pacific. The colonies produced valuable goods for the industries of the fatherland and Germany could finally call itself a proper Empire.
The world had other plans however, and wouldn't let Germany peacefully build up her cities and her riches..
Oberkommando de Heer
The German High command requested a lot of new armies to be created and to enact conscription. They got their will through. In June 1912 the German war industry had really picked up pace, but it could still not keep up with the surge of German volunteers.
The Heer organised itself into two fronts. The Bayerische Oberkommando would command the western front, now consisting of four field armies divided between two army groups, Heeresgruppe Südwest and Heeresgruppe Nordwest.
On the eastern front the same thing was applied, two armygroups, at the moment consisting of two field armies. The threat of Russia isn't deemed to be as big as the threat of the combined strength of the British-France-Italian border, so the eastern front is lower priority.
The colonial troops however have been heavily reorganised; they've been organised into actual fighting formations instead of the standalone divisions. Of the 150.000 colonial troops, most of them have been organised in Namibia, under a promising young commander. The OKH believe he will achieve great things with the professional colonial troops.
Kriegsmarine
The navy had undergone heavy reorganisation, all destroyers have been upgraded and new fleets were under construction. The main threat of Germany's greatest rival, the United Kingdom, would be its fleet. The Royal Navy had ruled the seas for as long as man could remember, but Germany would challenge her.
In Bremershaven, the North Sea fleets were gathering. They were to be assigned to the newly formed OKM(Oberkommando de Kriegsmarine) and their current duty was to guard the German North sea waters and the Kiel canal.
The technological advances in the field of battleships had increased dramatically and several new battleships had been ordered. Rumour has it these will blow their predecessors out of the water.
Meanwhile the IV. Slagflotte was forming around the pride of the fleet, the KMS Bismarck. This fleet will make sure the Russian Baltic fleet stays in port and that no British force enters the Baltic. It is to receive several state of the art battleships and destroyers.
Tensions are rising in the world. The German army numbers 1,3 million men, which is deemed insufficient. Five new field armies have been ordered, expected to be combat ready in early 1914. The fleet will receive several new battleships in early 1914 as well and force the British to be careful where they step.
But Germany does not stand alone in this struggle. To the south it finds her two closest allies, the Austria-Hungary kingdom and the Ottoman Empire. This triple alliance will be victorious.
Attachments
Unfortunately, the Ottoman Empire does not have the luxury of an "I don't care if you see my plans" attitude...I feel such an attitude would be misguided when playing a relatively minor power
I am of course happy to answer questions though
Great job on your write-ups though guys, makes for entertaining reading actually!
I am of course happy to answer questions though
Great job on your write-ups though guys, makes for entertaining reading actually!