newbie's problems

[gorfei]

Hi
I'am a newbie and I have a lot of problems with EAW. I try to explain some of them:
- Stack: I tried the drop and drag system in every way, corps dropped in armies, viceversa, below line in above, viceversa, the result is generally a changing name of the army while corps and army finish in the same line (I don't know if the army mantain its status)
- Movement: 1) It's impossible to choose the path, the system decides for you; 2) When you move, also in your territory, you lose pwr, then I check every single units and elements in the moved stack and their values are the same before moving... mistery!
- Units: Is it normal that Russian infantry brigades are depleted at start of the 1914 scenario?
- Battles: I won some matches with some losses (not very impressive) and in the next turn the stack is reduced to a wreck. Naturally I was overwhelmed by the AI.
- Chain of command: a corps stack is an independent stack like an air squadron? If is so, IMHO it would be that the initiative capacity of a two star general is the same of that one of a major
- History: Like Entente player I adopted Plan XVII. But, if I haven't miss something, this doesn't mean that I'm obliged to attack in the first turn in Alsace-Lorraine. It looks a little strange for an historical simulation about the Great War.
These are the problems that I face. I hope they are all for my inexperience. Can someone help me?

[loki100]

these comments are sort of AGE system general but should help you:

a) this is fiddly till you get used to it. One solution is to lock a stack so that you can't accidently merge it (click on the unit name label);
b1) use one turn at time province selection with the shift key depressed, then it'll go the precise route you choose
b2) Its a gamble and a trade off but if you move in the green stance you'll take very little cohesion losses, but are in no state to fight. Unless you are moving to battle don't move in attack mode, a useful trick is the game engine will automatically convert a defend stance to attack once you enter enemy territory. So in the main, in the rear move in either green or blue stances.
b3) You regain cohesion when not moving ... this links to (d) below
c) think so, its the mobilisation phase, use some of your initial turns to build up your replacement pool
d) watch out for cohesion. Try to move cautiously so you enter battle with as much as possible. But yes it happens that you win in one turn and then are hit by a fresh enemy force. Only solution is not to push your units too hard

I'll leave the others to EAW experts

[gorfei]

Thank you very much loki100. I think your comments will be very useful. It's so frustrating to have this so interesting game and don't play it correctly

[Durk]

- Units: Is it normal that Russian infantry brigades are depleted at start of the 1914 scenario?
- Chain of command: a corps stack is an independent stack like an air squadron? If is so, IMHO it would be that the initiative capacity of a two star general is the same of that one of a major
- History: Like Entente player I adopted Plan XVII. But, if I haven't miss something, this doesn't mean that I'm obliged to attack in the first turn in Alsace-Lorraine. It looks a little strange for an historical simulation about the Great War.

The Russian mobilization was not as rapid as that of the other nations. This is represented with the Russian infantry starting in a more depleted status. Actually, this was part of the thinking behind the Von Schlieffen Plan. Quick action in the West followed by a regrouping, or even peace, in the East.

If I understand your chain of command question, units with leaders have initiative variability: units, such as air units, with no leaders are always active, but have no bonuses from initiative.

Each plan has incentives and disincentives to create more historical conditions. So while you are not obliged to attack as the French did with Plan XVII, you are provided with objectives only available under that plan. The German cities near the border, Metz, Morhange, Saabourg, Strassburg, Colmar and Mulhouse are worth victory points under the historical plan. So, a reward if you really make a strong attack; and your GHQ and most of your munitions start in this border area to facilitate the attack. Incidentally, this is how the French began the war, with an attack into Germany, but all did not go according to plan.

[bob.]

- History: Like Entente player I adopted Plan XVII. But, if I haven't miss something, this doesn't mean that I'm obliged to attack in the first turn in Alsace-Lorraine. It looks a little strange for an historical simulation about the Great War.

Yeah, for Great War games there always has to be a balance between forcing the player to act historically and allowing the player to make his own decisions.
I think both ways have their pros and cons.
For this game they went with the "let the player make his own luck" way. Which results in the historically more or less doomed from the beginning offensives propably never taking place.

Interestingly, AGEOD's (published) previous WW1 game, WW1 Gold, simply FORCED the player to make the historical offensives.

Personally, I prefer leaving the player freedom over just outright forcing these attacks. And as Durk said, there are some incentives for attacking.
I would say, the French can definitely think about attacking towards Mühlhausen in the first turn. It's not the worst plan ever.
The Austro-Hungarians on the other hand... I don't see anyone in his right mind ever replicating their historical 1914 offensive!

[H Gilmer3]

Thank you very much loki100. I think your comments will be very useful. It's so frustrating to have this so interesting game and don't play it correctly

Hi gorfei, welcome to the forums. This is the kind of game that takes a little work to get to where you can make moves and win battles you are supposed to. Not too hard to do, but a little hard. You've come to the right place, though. Loki can give you some great help if you ask.

[DrPostman]

I don't think this has been mentioned yet but you can control movement by moving
your stack one region at a time along the path you choose. If rail movement is involved
you need to select that at the beginning, otherwise a whole new path will be chosen.