USSAmerica
Posts: 18715
Joined: 10/28/2002
From: Graham, NC, USA
Status: offline
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ORIGINAL: Dixie
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ORIGINAL: Terminus
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ORIGINAL: Dixie
I'm enjoying my first proper game of WW1 at the moment. I've screwed up quite badly in Egypt and it looks like my army there is doomed. On the plus point the reconquest of Belgium is going well after the latest Grand Offensive retook Brussels. The RN blockade is starting to hurt Germany and several neutrals have withdrawn their agricultural support for ze Germans.
The French are suffering heavy casualties trying to retake Toul  against a well dug in German defence.
You bought WW1 Gold, I take it? Is it good?
I'm going to say yes, especially as the Great War is very different to WW2. I enjoyed the original despite the bugginess, and Gold seems to have solved those issues.
It's got a similar learning curve to WitP in many ways, I had to abandon my first game once I realised how much I'd screwed up in Egypt, Iraq and with my tank deployment. The AI seems competent even with the default settings, it's taken advantage of some lapses from me (mid-east and the seige of Toul for example).
The combinations of events and optional warplans mean there's plenty of scope for what-ifs and such. There's a nice progression from the free-flowing opening days to the trenches (not got as far as 1918 and the transition to movement again). The impact of aircraft is nicely handled IMO, air superiority is nice but not needed, effective recce flights have to be researched and bombing is still a twinkle in the eyes of the airmen. Aces are a nice feature, they give a bonus to your nation's willpower when they 'arrive' but the death of an ace will cause a similar loss so you can't just throw them to their death for no reason.
In 1914 it's possible to win by capturing the enemy capital, but 1915 onwards victory is achieved through wearing down your opponents' will to carry on the war. Combat strength is only one part of the war, a fantastic offensive can still lead to the collapse of national will if you throw away too many soldiers as the populace gets weary of the casualties. As the war drags on this gets more pronounced. You'll also notice your forces become less effective later in the war as the conflict saps all your manpower, so the US intervention is apparently a major thing as their 1918 forces are stronger than the nations already at war (and their armes can command an extra corps).
Diplomacy is a big part of the game as well, enough effort (although it's extremely unlikely) could see Japan leave the Entente, although there's the chance that the diplomats will screw up and push the target towards your enemy. Greece flip-flops between Entente and Central Power support, Italy starts off favouring the CP but over time drifts towards the Entente. The European neutrals can help Germany offset some of the RN blockade, so targetting them helps increase/relieve the pressure on the German economy.
Events are drawn randomly and often give variable outcomes or options. Mata Hari could steal the plans for an entire front (East, West or Minor) removing all fog of war. Seperate events also allow for stuff like a Red, White or Blue revolution in Russia or a German blockade runner bringing colonial troops to Germany.
There's a demo out there I think, defo worth a try if you're undecided, but this is one of the few games I'd recommend without hesitation.
Great review, Martin. Sounds like a good one, but WitP is a harsh mistress who will not allow me time for any other game. 
_____________________________
Mike "Good times will set you free" - Jimmy Buffett "They need more rum punch" - Me  Artwork by The Amazing Dixie |
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