How in the name of god do I function?

[Waffen9999]

I was playing as Italy >always wanted to try an underdog country< and my economy drove itself into the ground in a matter of days. I read some topics and I knwo that uprgrading infrastructure and all that depletes your IC spending which is all fine and dandy. But my problem is I ran out of Rubber! How the heck can I get it? I tried trading on the world market but it doesn't have any Rubber to trade and looks like no one else does either. My empire is like crumbling. Research is moving at an abysmal level and supplies are consuming the majority of my production. I know Rubber was important but this is a bit over board. I mean the U.S. created Synthetic Rubber for the precise reason of being cut off from a natural supply. I would think that would be a logical tech choice to >I don't think I saw it in there< So how can I survive? Help! Same goes for Germany, I have been turned away from playing the fatherland for the reason that I would have no rubber and next to no oil. Agggggggg!

 

[Darkrenown]

Just bid 3 to 1 for whatever you need, that way you out bid the AI.

Oh, and expland in the balkans quickly as Italy, its a great boost to your economy.

I just finished a game where Italy (me) annexed the balkans, USSR, France, UK, USA, Brazil, New Zeeland and a hoard of others.

 

[Josephus I]

Not to mention there's tons of rubber awaiting you in Africa...yours for the taking, really.

 

[unmerged(614)]

When I played my first game on normal level as Yugoslavia,all I did was annex Albania,and puppet Hungary.Then I traded excess coal and steel for oil and that was it.The excess oil was converting to rubber,and my resources were increasing with a maxed IC.

 

[Vynd]

My first game was as Italy as well, and I had the same trouble for awhile. But it really is just a matter of making some sort of 3 for 1 offer for rubber. That offer will outbid all of the AI offers, which are always 2 for 1, and thus will always be accepted above all others. Since you should have a decent surplus of steel and coal at the beginning of the game, you should be able to trade for all the rubbber and oil you need this way.

 

[unmerged(11793)]

you got 5 transport with Italy, so invade USA. there are only 3 divisions there. if you have to have more troops, invade some central america country as a jump off point and work you way up through mexico to USA. It only take half a year to do this.

 

[Waffen9999]

That takes all the fun out of it! You can't just go off and invade America. It's completley ahistorical not to mention impossible for Italy to have ever accomplished such a task. I always like to play with a realistic since Im' afraid. Thanks for the thought though.

 

[Darkrenown]

Well attacking yugoslavia, albania and greece while expanfing in africa is fairly historical and should give your economy a nice boost. I stuck to a fairly historical game untill germany ballsed it up by DoWing the SU and the allies in 39 so I had to step in and take care of France and Russia of them as they couldn't cope with a 2 front war. Then things just sort of snow balled...

 

[L G]

what happened? *leans closer to screen*

 

[unmerged(10867)]

i dont really get the AI sometimes

i expanded my industry(germany) to over 700 ic in no time
i produced troops and techs at an amazingly highrate

but the soviet union just overdoes it ! i kinda expected the soviet forces to first of all not outnumber my armies (eastern front is about 60 divisions , the russians easily trow 150 at me)
but most of all some of their tech's are better then my own !
(yeah i used the great generals)

i just dont really understand it :S

 

[unmerged(7580)]

Which scenario were you playing? Not the 1936 one, right?

 

[Darkrenown]

Originally posted by L G
what happened? *leans closer to screen*

See post 2, I ended up annexing most of the world...

 

[flavius]

First, Invade Albania. It will give you some much needed oil. Then, make huge bids on the world market. I usually bid 500 coal for 100 rubber. You'll soon find yourself with 2-3000 rubber. And once at war with GB, go for rubber in Africa!!! It will seriously hamper their war effort and boost your industry.

But don't worry, I had exactly the same problems!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Owl]

Originally posted by arcticfox09
you got 5 transport with Italy, so invade USA. there are only 3 divisions there. if you have to have more troops, invade some central america country as a jump off point and work you way up through mexico to USA. It only take half a year to do this.

This is ludicrous. If this is possible (without cheating) then the programmers need to take a long hard look at Italy; then re-read "Captain Corelli's Mandolin", then take another long hard look ...
IRL the WW2 Italian army would have been outmatched by Mexico, or the first bunch of Texan ranch hands they ran into. Unless the mob stepped in to help them, perhaps.

 

[grumbold]

At the start Italy is at war with Ethiopia, so world trade offers are returning only 50%. You can either Annex Ethiopia fast and your trades will suddenly start powering your economy, or continue to grab more resources. Since you have so many troops they are costing a fortune to support, its very tempting to keep fighting. Yugoslavia and Romania will give you all the resources you need, anything after that is up to you. There's an interesting side effect that this will also push down allied war entry levels to negative percentages if you do the fighting before joining the Axis. Keep one country unannexed and your demand for consumer goods will stay low, and you no longer need the world market to trade anyway.

 

[unmerged(12435)]

There are tons of rubber waiting in Belgian and French Central african colonies. And LOTS of oil in french and british middle east..and also Iraq.
Most of them quite undefended (in ´36 scenario).
After this, the road to Indonesia is opened (if not ocppied by Japan).
Well, or just try my favourite "deus ex machina" trick ..having few transports go west and invade&annex Venezuela.

 

[unmerged(2695)]

I have an AI-Italy controlling the Med. It's rather ahistorical - but who cares.

 

[Galleblære]

As for the "take 5 transports and invade", it is, unfortunatly, very possible. In 1939, when the allies declared war upon me (and the US!) I took my German fleet, and 8 transports, with rommel and some basic infantry, and landed in Scotland, with no opposition. Set up some supply lines, and went down to england and took all provinces with only laughable opposition. Then I took Canada and invaded the US, that threw a cavalry unit and a couple of infantry at me before they were destroyed. Needless to say, I quit that game.

 

[unmerged(11962)]

And some people still maintain that this game was beta tested. ROFL.

 

[Darkrenown]

Originally posted by flavius
Then, make huge bids on the world market. I usually bid 500 coal for 100 rubber.

You're wasting 200 coal a day then. a 3 to 1 offer is the highest you ever need to bid against the AI.