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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War I] >> Guns of August 1914 - 1918 >> Very impressed, but need help

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Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 12:49:30 AM

Mightfox

Posts: 28
Joined: 6/7/2007
Status: offline

I am very pleased by the game. The AI is strong, you quickly understand the flow of the game, etc.

However, it seems a bit too difficult. HQ activation points are quite expensive, and yet only allow you to move one hex into enemy territory. Hardly an "offensive". Even with the game set to be pro-central powers and Romania, Greece, and Italy being pro-axis it seems like the Entente will never be beaten. I'll always lack something, like reinforcements, barrages, offensives, tech, etc. Though, maybe that's realistic.

Basically my strategy for my first "real" run has been to leave a heavily defended line on the franco-german border and to grind the Russians to death in the East.

Maybe I'm judging the strength of the Allies too early.(greece and romania haven't joined) Or maybe a Russian centric plan is inherently flawed. But anyway, I have two questions:

1)What determines where newly made units deploy? I bought a bunch of artillery as the germans and they all appeared east of Koenigsberg for no apparent reason.
2) Any tips for the Central powers, or resource and unit management in general?

Post #: 1

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 1:02:26 AM

*Lava*

Posts: 1924
Joined: 2/9/2004
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mightfox

HQ activation points are quite expensive, and yet only allow you to move one hex into enemy territory.

Depends on how you have things set-up.

All troops under the activated HQ and in all the hexes adjacent to it will be able to move into enemy territory. Thus, you can actually move into 3 (and theoretical 4) enemy hexes from one activation.

Conserve you activation points by placing your HQ's in central locations where you can attack more than one hex at a time.

xAxxAx - (where x is a hex with troops but no HQ or no activated HQ and A is a hex with an activated HQ and troops) means you can attack 3 single enemy hexes with forces from 2 hexes of your own in each attack.

OR you can move all six groups straight ahead into 6 enemy hexes (thus 3 hexes of enemy territory per activation.)

Also... If you have a cavalry unit about, he can move into an enemy hex without activation as long as the hex he starts from also contains an infantry unit.

Remember it's a long war so don't expect to blitz across the map.

Hope that helps some...

Ray (alias Lava)

< Message edited by Lava -- 7/27/2007 1:20:57 AM >

(in reply to Mightfox)

Post #: 2

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 1:14:18 AM

tgb

Posts: 766
Joined: 7/8/2005
Status: offline

One thing I learned the hard way is an HQ will NOT activate an adjacent stack if that stack itself contains an HQ with activation points available to it. I'm going to go back and restart 1914, with the following mobilization layout:

x x x
x HQ x

where x's are stacks with HQ's.

< Message edited by tgb -- 7/27/2007 1:15:58 AM >

(in reply to *Lava*)

Post #: 3

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 1:17:34 AM

ojnab_bob

Posts: 81
Joined: 1/8/2005
Status: offline

Is that true, tgb? I am at work, but that definitely was not my recollection of last night's campaign - all stacks within one hex activated.

(in reply to tgb)

Post #: 4

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 1:19:45 AM

*Lava*

Posts: 1924
Joined: 2/9/2004
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: tgb

One thing I learned the hard way is an HQ will NOT activate an adjacent stack if that stack itself contains an HQ with activation points available to it.

Nope.

What happens is that although the HQ will not move, the troops in the hex will. It is a little "gotcha" there as you click on the HQ and HE won't advance... making you think his troops won't either.. but they will.

You need to cycle to a troop counter under the HQ with activation points and then the troops will accept a "move" order.

BTW... the key is the color of the borders of the counters.

Yellow - can move into enemy territory
Light Blue - can move one hex in friendly country
Red - unit has moved

Ray (alias Lava)

< Message edited by Lava -- 7/27/2007 1:41:19 AM >

(in reply to tgb)

Post #: 5

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 2:20:17 AM

tgb

Posts: 766
Joined: 7/8/2005
Status: offline

I stand corrected. But it's also my understanding that while cavalry can advance without activation (provided they start in a hex with infantry), they can't advance into a hex occupied by the enemy.

(in reply to *Lava*)

Post #: 6

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 2:58:39 AM

Hanal

Posts: 2312
Joined: 11/1/2003
Status: offline

Keep in mind that you do not want to waste a HQ's activation points if you are not conducting an offensive operation. You can move any unit without spending activation points so long as it is a friendly hex. I think some people are accidentally wasting activation points when they do not need to and if you keep a HQ unit or two in reserve, you can continue an offensive during later impulses when front line HQ's might be spent.

(in reply to tgb)

Post #: 7

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 3:08:07 AM

alejes0202

Posts: 26
Joined: 6/11/2007
Status: offline

The best way to use cavalry is as they were intended--as scouts for the infantry. Hence, they can occupy an enemy owned hex if they begin the turn in the same hex as a friendly unit--simple rule that elegantly captures the true tactics of the times. This saves you from activating an HQ for a simple reconnaisance.

(in reply to tgb)

Post #: 8

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 3:27:36 AM

tgb

Posts: 766
Joined: 7/8/2005
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quote:

ORIGINAL: J P Falcon

Keep in mind that you do not want to waste a HQ's activation points if you are not conducting an offensive operation. You can move any unit without spending activation points so long as it is a friendly hex. I think some people are accidentally wasting activation points when they do not need to and if you keep a HQ unit or two in reserve, you can continue an offensive during later impulses when front line HQ's might be spent.

In my first game I activated every HQ in my first impulse - which I suspect will be a common noob mistake. Considering the scarcity of
HQ points, conservation is the key to victory, I expect.

(in reply to Hanal)

Post #: 9

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 3:30:34 AM

Hanal

Posts: 2312
Joined: 11/1/2003
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I think I was making that mistake even past the first game!

(in reply to tgb)

Post #: 10

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 3:34:57 AM

JD Walter

Posts: 235
Joined: 6/20/2003
From: Out of the Silent Planet
Status: offline

That makes two of us.

But I think I've got you beat - I'm still doing it, and I've read this post!

(in reply to tgb)

Post #: 11

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 3:40:51 AM

SMK-at-work

Posts: 3396
Joined: 8/28/2000
From: New Zealand
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: tgb

I stand corrected. But it's also my understanding that while cavalry can advance without activation (provided they start in a hex with infantry), they can't advance into a hex occupied by the enemy.

they can do this - again provided they start stacked with infantry.

however they can not move into an enemy owned city under any circumstances IIRC - you have to have infantry to take cities.

(in reply to tgb)

Post #: 12

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 4:04:26 AM

Mightfox

Posts: 28
Joined: 6/7/2007
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So, what about deploying new units?

(in reply to SMK-at-work)

Post #: 13

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 4:44:49 AM

SMK-at-work

Posts: 3396
Joined: 8/28/2000
From: New Zealand
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IIRC new units scheduled for deployment in the game are deployed in various locations as pre-scheduled, but any you buy yourself are deplyed in the capital of the appropriate country to start - you don't get any input.

(in reply to Mightfox)

Post #: 14

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 4:46:10 AM

Mightfox

Posts: 28
Joined: 6/7/2007
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quote:

ORIGINAL: SMK-at-work

IIRC new units scheduled for deployment in the game are deployed in various locations as pre-scheduled, but any you buy yourself are deplyed in the capital of the appropriate country to start - you don't get any input.

What? That can't be true. Those 6 artilley units I made weren't anywhere near berlin!

(in reply to SMK-at-work)

Post #: 15

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 4:54:36 AM

SMK-at-work

Posts: 3396
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From: New Zealand
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Well if you know where they came on WTF are you asking about it??!!

(in reply to Mightfox)

Post #: 16

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 5:02:21 AM

ravinhood

Posts: 3891
Joined: 10/23/2003
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Are there air units in this game guys? If so how are they replicated? Hopefully not the sideways 8 please tell me it isn't so. ;) When I see a World War One game I think of an Amiga game I used to play. "Ancient Art of War in the Skies" if I remember correctly. It had a trench from one side of the map to the other and what you did in the arcade action of the air war helped determine the movement of the trench. Sometimes it had some hilarious snake looking trenches in it.

< Message edited by ravinhood -- 7/27/2007 5:04:29 AM >

(in reply to SMK-at-work)

Post #: 17

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 5:10:56 AM

sol_invictus

Posts: 1961
Joined: 10/2/2001
From: Kentucky
Status: offline

No air units, they are abstracted.

_____________________________

"The fruit of too much liberty is slavery", Cicero

(in reply to ravinhood)

Post #: 18

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 5:45:45 AM

FrankHunter

Posts: 2111
Joined: 3/26/2004
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Right, air units are simply "air points" which are assigned to a front. Their effectiveness is based on the level of R&D you put into Airpower. Opposing air strength attacks each other, perhaps destroying enemy air strangth and then the game decides how much "air support" there is. Air support has two uses, the first is that you can spot what's in enemy hexes. So if you don't want the enemy to know you're beefing up your lines its good to have air superiority. Secondly, air support can be combined with artillery bombardments. Air support makes artillery fire more effective.

(in reply to sol_invictus)

Post #: 19

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 5:48:51 AM

Mightfox

Posts: 28
Joined: 6/7/2007
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: SMK-at-work

Well if you know where they came on WTF are you asking about it??!!

I know where they came in, yes, but I don't know WHY they went there. I'd like to know what determines where they deploy.

(in reply to SMK-at-work)

Post #: 20

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 5:50:31 AM

SMK-at-work

Posts: 3396
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From: New Zealand
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IIRC I only ever bought stuff for the Brits & Russians, and they always arrived at the capitals so I assumed it would be the same for the others - my bad.

(in reply to Mightfox)

Post #: 21

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 5:51:47 AM

flintlock

Posts: 358
Joined: 10/8/2006
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I really like the fact that air assets increase the effectiveness of artillery barrages. By the way Frank, kudos on a solid game. Very much enjoying GoA at this early stage.

(in reply to FrankHunter)

Post #: 22

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 6:24:10 AM

FrankHunter

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The reinforcements at-start are all pre-assigned to various cities. After that reinfs can pretty much appear anywhere within that nation.

(in reply to FrankHunter)

Post #: 23

RE: Very impressed, but need help - 7/27/2007 7:20:03 AM

Mightfox

Posts: 28
Joined: 6/7/2007
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quote:

ORIGINAL: FrankHunter

The reinforcements at-start are all pre-assigned to various cities. After that reinfs can pretty much appear anywhere within that nation.

Ah, OK. Thanks for clearing that up.

(in reply to FrankHunter)

Post #: 24