Bad to be newb

[Ilitarist]

If steam tells the truth, I've spend on Rise of Prussia 6 hours, same on RUS (which has nive small scenarious but too many features). Feels like much more. I've started the campaign several times and I can't figure what to do. Feels like I've missed some sign "What to do". I know I have to get all the cities or hold the most and that Prussian campaign should by easier. I waltz with Daun, take each city and territory around Prag and he doesn't seem to care. Sweden declares war but I can't see it's forces and, evidently, have to build mine from nothing on northern front. I don't feel that I accomplished anything and start over trying to blitzkrieg Praug or lure Austrian forces to some eastern town or something.

It's just seem that I've missed couple of games that would made me familiar with mechanics and game style. Is that right or am I missing something else?

[Narwhal]

This might help :

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?513080-Learning-from-Prussia-a-Rise-of-Prussia-AAR-against-a-real-player-for-beginners

I also recommand starting with Wars in Americas : less "rules" to know, less forces to play with, but just as good.

[Alfred Packer]

This might help :

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?513080-Learning-from-Prussia-a-Rise-of-Prussia-AAR-against-a-real-player-for-beginners

I also recommand starting with Wars in Americas : less "rules" to know, less forces to play with, but just as good.

VERY informative AAR...I've been reading it most of the morning and I am learning a lot about the game.

[Annibal]

I recommend you to read something about it before starting. For example Indirect Approach by Liddel Hart or Seven Years' War from Osprey Publishing will help you. If you want more advanced stuff try On War by Clausewitz.

[Alfred Packer]

Another good book would be The Art of War in the Western World by Archer Jones...his explanations of indirect war, wars of maneuver etc...will make this game and why you fight it the way you do much more understandable.

[Durk]

To me, the easiest way to learn these complex games is to play both side. AI is nice and such, but you need to see what the other side can do by doing it.

Recommendations for reading and for seeing how others play are fine, but I do not learn that way. I played the Prussians and the Austrian alliance against myself to learn. Consider trying this.

[H Gilmer3]

This style of play is just really hard to learn. There are no lines like you get in a game like War in Russia or War in the East. So, you have to learn a new way. I have felt exactly the same way you feel and still have issues. I don't know how many hours I have played the game, but it is a lot more than 6 hours.

I finished a campaign when it first came out as Austria but I played it on very easy and there were a lot of crazy bugs like I had one brigade of French cavalry that had a combat power of 15,000. I racked up with that unit let me tell you! I started a game recently as Prussia and owned Austria in several battles, but for some reason after destroying them in about 5 battles (and I rested), they started beating me. I stopped that game.

Anyway, you're not alone. I'm getting better but I have been in exactly the same position you have been. I finally played an AACW complete game and finally won one recently. It was my 2nd complete game and I don't have the settings on very hard.

[Alfred Packer]

I'm still learning...I've been playing the Grand Campaign as Austria (I assume you are in a more forgiving position there) on default (normal difficulty, I assume)

Well, 1756-1757 were a disaster: I lost Prag and Saxony, was pushed around everywhere and lost a host of battles. The Winter of 1757-1758 has been very different...I am getting the handle on manuever. Maneuver is the heart and soul of this game (at least, it seems to be so far). Don't attack your enemy unless you absolutely have to (or have an overwhelming chance of victory). Instead manuever your armies so he has to attack you (ideally so he has to attack you to reopen his supply lines).

I outmanuevered a Prussian Army in Silesia, cutting their supplies decisevely and driving them into (hopefully) certain doom in the Austrian heartland. I managed to outmanuever another Prussian Army, keep them out of supply for a while and then slaughter them like dogs (just after they siezed Prag, no less) and then I trapped a British Army in the woods south of Lippstadt. Now, I had to seige and assault the city all winter long, to great personal loss, but the British had to keep attacking me as well to try and regain supply. It was a glorious and bloody winter that left me with a lead in morale (122 to 95) and near parity in war dead (my 100k to Prussia's 90k).

Now, I still don't get supply all the way (I lost virtually an entire army to bad winter quarters), but I'm learning and I've got some good plans for 1758.

Don't give up on the game. 18th Century Warfare is totally different from WWII. You'll start to figure out how and why things are going against you (usually supply-related!) and you'll get better. This game is tremendous fun.

[Durk]

Totally agree with Packer. Disasters happen when you are learning, and for me when you are playing someone who understands the game.
Supply is full of nice complexities, which can actually help you in the end.

This game is complex, but that very fact is one of its attractions. Find a newer player in the forums, and see what happens. Much more fun than playing the best AI in the wargaming world.