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Difficulty settings? - 12/11/2021 12:33:03 AM

76mm

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I picked up this game awhile ago but put it down after getting frustrated with the difficulty settings. I play as Soviets, and on the first play through on the default settings I had an easy win by early 1943. After that I upped the difficulty settings to +10 (IIRC) and the Germans ran rampant, forming huge pockets left and right and capturing Leningrad and Moscow. I'd like something in-between, say a +5 setting--is that possible.

Or perhaps I could play the first six months or so on the default setting and then boost it to +10 mid-game?

I could probably master playing with +10 from the get-go if I tried often enough, but I really don't like playing the first 20-25 turns as Soviet and am not prepared to do it over and over again until I master the system...

Any other suggestions?

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/11/2021 12:38:30 AM

Erik Rutins

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You can customize the difficulty settings. You don't have to set everything up by +10. You may want to try just increasing some of the settings until you find the right level of fun and challenge.

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/11/2021 12:45:45 AM

Dreamslayer

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My suggestion is to play against human opponent. Because I don't know any wargame that has good AI. If you think that AI in some wargame is good enough then it only means that its main issues hided by things like fog of war. So you just can't see how stupid AI is and how it uses cheats.
So AI only for learning basic game mechanics.

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/11/2021 4:41:52 AM

Joel Billings

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Did you up the difficulty to Challenging level? If so, that's a major change from Normal. If you found the German AI too easy at Normal, instead of upping to Challenging you could just increase the Axis morale to 110 and leave everything else at 100. You can change it at anytime during your game against the AI. If 110 for AI moral is too much, try 109s for all the Axis help levels. The AI gets some added boosts at 110 morale help that it won't have at 109. Since you can change it at any point, if you feel it's too hard or too easy, just make an adjustment as you go and eventually you'll find a level you're happy with.

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/11/2021 7:57:15 AM

Yogol

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Which setting should I set lower to stop the AI from magically transferring troops all over the map?

I find it off-putting that the AI can move it's entire army every single turn to anywhere it wants, so I want it to stop doing so.

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/11/2021 10:47:24 AM

76mm

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Joel Billings
Did you up the difficulty to Challenging level? If so, that's a major change from Normal.

Yup, that's what I did. I certainly found it to be a major change!

quote:

ORIGINAL: Joel Billings
If you found the German AI too easy at Normal, instead of upping to Challenging you could just increase the Axis morale to 110 and leave everything else at 100.

Great, thanks, I'll try this. I can't start a game for a couple of weeks because of my schedule, but maybe that will give me time to finish reading the manual

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/11/2021 10:49:12 AM

76mm

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Dreamslayer
My suggestion is to play against human opponent.

I played a few games in WiTE against a human opponent, but had to stop them because of game-breaking patches. Ah, those were the days...

Not really up for playing this one against humans, at least at this point. Maybe someday, but I doubt it...

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/11/2021 9:46:48 PM

jhdeerslayer

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Yogol

Which setting should I set lower to stop the AI from magically transferring troops all over the map?

I find it off-putting that the AI can move it's entire army every single turn to anywhere it wants, so I want it to stop doing so.

+1

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/11/2021 11:06:54 PM

Tailspintommy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Dreamslayer

My suggestion is to play against human opponent. Because I don't know any wargame that has good AI. If you think that AI in some wargame is good enough then it only means that its main issues hided by things like fog of war. So you just can't see how stupid AI is and how it uses cheats.
So AI only for learning basic game mechanics.

+1

The AI is good but it's only ever going to be a complex list of calculations within a computer program which follows a given path in response to input data. It's never going to see the map or unit counters. It's never going to hear the sounds or become immersed in the game like a human or make strategic plans, hoping to outfox you. It may well beat a human but it can't think like one...BUT.
It does make me laugh when some people complain that the AI cheats by spiriting units around the map or teleporting out of a pocket. However, when a human player discovers a way within the rules to engineer an unbeatable move of some kind or make a city hex impregnable, no matter how ahistorical it may be, that's not cheating, it's classed as "mastering the game".
I guess all games can be 'broken' or have loopholes which can be exploited but doing so is only like the AI recruiting an extra division while you're not looking.

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/11/2021 11:38:07 PM

Dreamslayer

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Tailspintommy
BUT.
It does make me laugh when some people complain that the AI cheats by spiriting units around the map or teleporting out of a pocket. However, when a human player discovers a way within the rules to engineer an unbeatable move of some kind or make a city hex impregnable, no matter how ahistorical it may be, that's not cheating, it's classed as "mastering the game".
I guess all games can be 'broken' or have loopholes which can be exploited but doing so is only like the AI recruiting an extra division while you're not looking.

It depends of a specific person. Also when you play vs human you both can agree to use "home rules" and its not possible to do same with AI = D

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/12/2021 12:26:16 AM

Tailspintommy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Dreamslayer

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tailspintommy
BUT.
It does make me laugh when some people complain that the AI cheats by spiriting units around the map or teleporting out of a pocket. However, when a human player discovers a way within the rules to engineer an unbeatable move of some kind or make a city hex impregnable, no matter how ahistorical it may be, that's not cheating, it's classed as "mastering the game".
I guess all games can be 'broken' or have loopholes which can be exploited but doing so is only like the AI recruiting an extra division while you're not looking.

It depends of a specific person. Also when you play vs human you both can agree to use "home rules" and its not possible to do same with AI = D

I agree with you.. I'm only learning as a beginner so AI is helping but I can see it's limitations.

Everyone is entitled to play and enjoy the game as they wish, there's no right or wrong way... I like to keep within the historical framework for realism but adapt the strategy and tactics (e.g. Taking Leningrad instead of besieging it and not swinging the panzers South before Moscow)...But I wouldn't want to take Leningrad in 1941 with Tiger Battalions and Me 262's flying CAP.

I'm more of an historian than a gamer I guess but I love the logistics and planning involved in this game.

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/12/2021 8:33:02 PM

StratmanWITX

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There is another question.
What are the difficulty settings should be in a human-vs-human game against an equal opponent (theoretically!) so that the game continues until the end of 1944-1945, and does not end in 1942-1943 with Soviets victory.
Are there any practical statistics during PBEM?

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/12/2021 9:14:01 PM

gamer78

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Hi, StratmanWITX

I have an an impression you are from Ageod forum.

Road to Leningrad could be interesting as this is the first time I'm playing this game, figuring rules. PM me if you are interested.

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/14/2021 5:36:13 PM

StratmanWITX

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Yes, I am AGEod fan

, but I find the Grigsby`s WitP-WITX series the best that covers WW2.
Thank you for invitation to PBEM, but I always play solo (myself for all factions). That's why I'm interested in the right difficulty settings, which will keep the intense game play for 4-4.5 years. I'm thinking about 110 for all options for Germany. My tiny experience shows that 120 is too much.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/14/2021 7:06:16 PM

Joel Billings

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In theory, equal human opponents should use 100. That said, many felt the early versions of the game were too hard on the Germans, especially players just starting out with the game. Later versions brought changes that brought more parity, and some of the better players were thinking that the game was moving toward German advantage (at least for the better, more experienced players). Recent combat changes made things easier for the attacker in general, but the very last version toned that back as experienced artillery had become too powerful. I don't think anyone really knows what the balance is now, but my bias is that the game is probably fairly well balanced for experienced players. However, it is harder to play the Germans when first coming to the game, even those that have played WitE1 (as there are some things you have to unlearn to do better in WitE2). So for two players very new to the system, it will be harder for the German player. For that reason some slight help might be called for. Morale help is probably the most important help item. My 2 cents.

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/14/2021 7:33:28 PM

StratmanWITX

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Joel, thank you very much for such a detailed answer!
For me, it really costs more than 2 cents

.
I will do so, keeping in mind a possible boost of German`s morale up to 110. (I hope it doesn't come to that).

BTW I really liked your words during the WITE2 presentation on Twitch: "This is a 200-turns game where each turn is already like a separate game".
How well said!

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/14/2021 8:38:40 PM

Joel Billings

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I would be very surprised if you needed to go to 110 morale help in a human versus human game. I wouldn't go any further than 109, and even that would be in my opinion a significant help level change. Something like 105 would be more in order if you concluded you wanted to have a benefit. Also, any German player should probably play a game of Destruction of Southwest front against the AI to get some practice first in the early operations before taking on a human opponent. If you can beat DSWF, especially with the Soviet AI getting 110 morale help or full Challenging level, then you are probably ready. Of course some players want to dive in with both sides never having played the game. In some ways the best way to simulate reality as you have to learn as you go. In this case I can understand wanting to give the German player a little help.

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/14/2021 10:37:05 PM

StratmanWITX

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This weekend I finished the Road To Leningrad as a Soviet player against AI.
I played half of the game on v1.00.00, then I took a break and play the rest on v1.02.11.
With zero experience, after reading only 30% of the manual, I got a Soviet major victory.
Basically, I played at 100/100 difficulty level and only 2 turns at 120 for all German options seemed too strong,
Of course, I will finish the manual and also go through 1-2 small scenarios to practice all the game mechanics. I don't want to rush!
This way I'm getting ready for a big solo game. More than 200 turns for both factions is a long run and I don't want to interrupt party because of the bad balance or lack of understanding the basics.
Ok! I will have 100/100 setting.
Again thanks to all stuff for this really great game!

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RE: Difficulty settings? - 12/15/2021 12:49:31 AM

Joel Billings

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Just to be clear, my 100% recommendation is for human versus human. Against the AI, I would give the AI and advantage if it is attacking, and a greater advantage if it is the Axis attacking because it requires more finesse. That is after you've played a few short games to get familiar with the game systems. The nice thing is against the AI you can adjust the help levels at any time, so if it is too hard or too easy your first time, just make an adjustment. Happy gaming!

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