Sorry it's been so long since I've done feedback! I'll try to keep up better than this!
Been lurking here a while. Absolutely fascinating aar... . I'm not sure which is harder, sorting out an OOB for the USSR or the intense balancing of multiple requirements facing a minor (got to love the range of problems this game throws at you!). How have you put the graph together, from save data or did you record it?
Plus the FW200 is a beautiful aircraft, and I loved your intro!
Looking forward to the next update.
Already responded to you briefly on the FW200, but
Welcome! Yeah, sorting out the USSR OOB is fun and complicated (and kind of fun because it's so complicated) but there's just nothing like trying to run a country by the skin of your teeth, knowing that any errors may cause everything to crash down!
*de-lurks*
Sir I have greatly enjoyed your AAR. I do have one question though. Have you seen any limitations on your ability to field an overseas army due to the fact that Portugal only has one port from which to supply its divisions? And if not do you expect to see such a limitation in the future given your expansionist ideas?
Felk
*re-lurks*
Welcome, Felkethar! Yeah, someone else (Potski?) mentioned this already, that it won't matter from your capital port heading outbound. All my supply, obviously, is going through that one port.
Personally I kept coming back to the image from one of my old biology textbooks concerning the early land-walking fish (i.e. the Icthyostega as an example) and thinking that Portugal was neither fish nor amphibian but it was leaving the pond behind and heading for dry land! A very dangerous place to be, and I wonder what your new predators will look like? Will Germany help its Axis Ally? What about Italy and Japan in the Far East? While I agree that going the "trade route" would be far easier I don't think that it's in the spirit of the AAR; nor do I then that is the path you've chosen. Here's hoping that some large pre-historic proto-hawk doesn't swoop down and swallow you whole!
lol Funny analogies! I'll hope to be a successful amphibian.
Of all national symbols, 'lungfish' would have to be among the least glamorous
Hey there,
Earl!
Welcome! Yes, I'll hope to be a sleeker and craftier model!
Nice little story there.
Wolfram seems like a good teacher.
Thanks! Yes, gotta get through those civilian brains.
Wolfram, sounds like a tough hard teacher with a good mass.
Yup! Tough, hard & good!
You're actually building it! You're ACTUALLY building that FW-200 squadron!
Even though it strikes me as extravagant, your reasoning is sound (not to mention that your storytelling requires it).
It continues to be fascinating to watch you juggle all those priorities and dole out your tiny amounts of IC and resources. It feels like you're putting together a credible force, small as it might be. I can't wait to see how you'll fare during actual hostilities.
Nice scene with Wolfram.
I ACTUALLY built it!
Yup, honestly I would never have thought of using one (maybe, maybe not -- not sure) if I hadn't accidentally stumbled into an opportunity to get one licensed while playing the beta. It just seemed like the perfect aircraft for Portugal to use, from its far-flung colonial and island bases. Juggling is what it is, all right! Thanks for your confidence! And I very much appreciate your appreciation for the fiction scene! I know you to be an able critic!
Subscribed!! I really enjoy such great AARs while waiting for 1.3 to come out before buying the game
Welcome, Sony Black! I don't think you should listen to the naysayers -- HOI 3 is plenty fun in v1.2. The next patch will just make it better!
Excellent story! I'm hoping your AAR might be peppered by a few more of these.
You're quite the story teller and I appreciate such intervals.
Thanks! I very much appreciate it. There will definitely be more. Just a matter of finding time to write them, and keep them going in schedule with the gameplay.
The German will be a hard taskmaster, you can tell already.
In truth/reality, and metaphorically, alike!
Sophomore in HS it was while blocking on a punt return. Good news though its only a bruised monisscuss
o trainer just had worst case scenario back yesterday. So ya, enough about me nice update take your time thats what that subscribed list thing's for.
Well, recover quickly I hope! We're listening to my son's game on the radio (computer) as I type this. They're getting creamed, but they're in a league higher than they should be. He made a tackle, though! He makes a couple every game, even though he doesn't play much. Not bad for a freshman.
Fantastic, Renss. Back in your element. If any of the readers haven't taken on FWtNL, may I supply a second nomination. Spectacular work.
Vann
Thanks, Vann! Glad you enjoyed it! It's really fun to be writing fiction again. Not long ago I wrote a scene with Einstein, as a part of a proposed sequel to Fire Warms (for publication, not for here), but I've had so many other projects going I just haven't had time for more fiction.
Subscribed immediately on seeing you refer to this in one of your recent posts in another forum, so I'm a little late to the party. As expected, extremely well written. I love the resource juggling act.
Thanks,
Potski! And
Welcome! Glad to have you following along!
Very nice narrative interlude! I imagine the Portuguese air force will be most useful coordinating with the U-boat fleet in the mid-Atlantic but you never know what sort of action might spring up. Dogfights over Gibralter, perhaps?
Thanks, VI! Oh, I wish we could collaborate like that. That would be fun. We might overfly Gibraltar... at some point.
So the Germans have not just sold you airplanes, but sent you instructors as well. I think that will benefit your air force, the Germans might demand a lot, but I think in the end your men will benefit from it. As for this Wolfram, it wouldn’t be a certain cousin of the great flying ace from WWI, the very same Wolfram that in real history destroyed Stalingrad when he was in command of Luftflotte 4?
Actually, Wolfram was named after my brother-in-law. What did Wolfram von Richthofen look like? I just looked up some pictures, and he looks quite different from how I was picturing this instructor. But the possible connection had not even occurred to me! It should have.
Glad to see you'll push for an air force, even if it's modest...
Man, it's though, though, setting aside IC for these things!
:O Like what? USA joins? RUSSIA, even?
Bizarre like.... Well, not THAT bizarre! But unexpected, to be sure.
Inspired by your efforts as Portugal, I finally started up a game as a small power, something I've been meaning to do. Playing as Greece, which has about the same IC as Portugal. I've already applied many of the lessons you've learned in your game, especially in regards to managing resources (both industrial and leadership).
Oh, excellent! Greece should be fun. Interesting location, enough on the periphery of what's going on to be not immediately steamrolled, but near enough to have a certainty of action with Italy, etc. Will you do an AAR, in addition to your USSR one? Not that I'm necessarily recommending multiple simultaneous AAR projects. I know from experience that can be difficult and time consuming.
Really enjoyed your update, and I loved the writing. I like these narrative sections, they help to set the scene for me and it is always good to put the people into these events - to remember that grand strategy affects even the humblest private and even the humblest private can affect the outcome of the grandest strategy.
I so want to see those beautiful planes fulfill their potential, so really looking forward to the next update!
Thanks! A narrative scene does so much to humanize what's going on, and to connect the reader with the reality of the situation. It's also very useful for showing the nuances of perspective that might be lost looking at a map, and might be not as effectively told directly through the author's narration.
A slow build up, but those are sometimes the best--they're harder to detect. Let's hope the Allies don't notice yours too well!
Well, the answer to this possibility will be in the next update. I'll say up front that they'll notice... But in what way?
Is it worth ditching the .10 in Diplomacy at this point in time, either for a short boost in officer training or research time?
One would think so, but it's my judgment that the little bit of extra toward research doesn't make up for not having the diplo points adding up slowly. Eventually, I'm always going to need diplo -- whether for treaties or for trades. If I don't allocate a small amount as a commitment, there will never be a time when it seems "worth" allocating it, until after I need it.
I'm really crying for your hilariously low leadership.
The game is too unfair for small nations.
Why not even allow tech trading?
Ahh, you have too little faith in HOI 3. Some countries just do not have the ability to play on the world stage without having to overcome major internal obstacles. I think this is realistically done.
Time's running out. I hope your preparations will be adequate for whatever you're planning (you've been managing to keep very quiet about your actual expectations).
When you talk about the Macao garrison, do you mean four infantry divisions or two infantry divisions of four brigades total? Not quite sure what you mean there...
I hope so too!
Yes, I do stay pretty quiet in order to build suspense... Except for an occasional tease... which ALSO builds suspense!
Macao has 4 brigades of infantry, 2 per division.
Looks like you're on the verge of preparation. I'm eager for the show.
Vann
Great! It's about to start.
Wow great AAR and awesome management of a small nation, quite inspiring!
Thank you! Great to hear!
Welcome, Sulla!
Yeah, I'm surprised you still only have around 4 leadership....
Other than that, things look to be going at a good pace. It was a smart idea to base those TAC's out at sea, your Airmen can get some practice before flying those Condors!
Well, the leadership doesn't grow by whole numbers because the 2.5% increases given by the tech only provide whole number increases for countries with larger leadership pools to begin with. My leadership may never grow past 5.00. That's just the way it is, with small countries.
Hi, I've been lurking for some time, but I can't help wondering how you're going to stay "under the radar". It seems that you are vulnerable to a very small amphibious landing by the UK (who basically own the Atlantic)...
Based on the bugs already reported, they'll have the transports to do it (if not the infantry divisions).
Welcome, Kigrwik! I think you may see what can happen when they try to invade, which I feel very strongly they will. I'll let you just chew on that for suspense' sake.
If the allies land in Portugal, do you have any hopes on the German or Italian AI helping you out at all?
No, my Axis allies don't have a land connection, and because of that I think it's almost impossible to consider the AI capable of figuring out how to do it. It's just very complicated, and difficult to manipulate the AI to that degree.
Yeah, I'm currently studying at the AUC. My major is history(focusing on the Ottoman Empire) but, I'm a senior and just about ready to graduate from Ohio State, so I'm mostly taking Arabic here to pad my resume a little(and some Egyptology for fun). Although, the main reason I'm here is to see and experience Egypt and the Middle East, and to go to Europe a couple of times while I'm at it as not surprisingly, its a hell of a lot cheaper to fly there out of Cairo than Ohio!
Very cool. I adore Ottoman History! Some of my favorite classes (about 4 of them) were on the Ottomans or their forebears the Abbasids and Seljuks, etc.
Been following this AAR from the start - it's a really enjoyable read! I've learnt alot following it and never realized how much fun a small nation could be!
Cheers,
myrm
Very good!
Welcome, myrmedon! Glad to have been able to provide encouragement! Thanks for taking the time to say hello!
All right... I'm about 1/3 of the way to having the next update prepared. Look for it sometime tomorrow, probably.
Remember.... This is the "bizarre" circumstance, which is nevertheless quite realistic and understandable. Fun stuff ahead!
Thanks, everybody!
Rensslaer