Best posts made by FMErwinRommel

@Witt Germany is more prominent than Austria and Turkey than Communist. I would prefer Entek take Turks and Witt take Com. Or find a replacement player, since it’s so early in the game.

Speaking of HGs, I am in my third time listening to the audiobook “A World Undone, the Great War 1914-1918” which I mentioned a long time ago. NML 1914 has for the most part done as good a job as can be expected of replicating the actual war. But I just realized that the game has HGs as primarily defensive weapons, while in reality, HGs were used in an offensive role.

Artillery was the primary weapon of destruction, more than rifles, machine guns, etc. Gas turned out not to be a decisive factor in most cases.
Hundreds of thousands of shells wee used in individual battles or campaigns to soften up defenses. Most powers were consuming a million shells a month. The goal was to kill the defenders so they couldn’t massacre the attacking infantry with machine guns, artillery and rifle fire.
Light or medium artillery couldn’t penetrate fortified bunkers. So HGs were used and shrapnel shells were used to destroy the barbed wire.
Thus, HGs should really have special effect on trenches & bunkers

Realistically, HGs are not more deadly to attackers than FGs, which might use shrapnel. If HGs high defense were replaced with some trench destroying capability, it would make the game less defensive and more offensive, and reduce the use of gas. Gas should have its use limited, say roll whether its allowed due to wind, and it’s attack value reduced. In reality, defenders learned to counter the effects of gas and the vagaries of wind made it dangerous to attackers or ineffective.
Modifying gas rules would be hard.
Some more sophisticated computer wargames keep track of ammo supply and usage. This is probably not what we want, but shell shortages were a significant factor in WWI, due to the massive usage and being more complex and expensive than mere bullets.

@VictoryFirst If you’re okay with new version of A&A, you can take your turn as USA as already posted by Colt.

@Elrood When I click to save a save game in the new format in this feed, the game link shows up in the upper right-hand corner of my screen as before. But if I click on it, it doesn’t open. The Triplea icon appears but the app stalls and Task Manager doesn’t always show it to end the task. So, I have to restart my computer.
So, I have to open the 2.6 program icon and then type in the save game.

@Colt45554 You were overdue for a tech. I don’t begrudge you, as I just got my first tech last turn. But, I see you are holding off on building gas until your FGs come into range. And you are still building up your trireme fleet and will soon be looking for more galley slaves.

@Witt @Private-Panic congrats to England, sorry @VictoryFirst. That last deciding goal was so quick and well played. I’ll be rooting for Espana in the final on Sunday.

@VictoryFirst watching it now

@VictoryFirst Your up as USA

@Entek
serbia8 edited.tsvg
Please use this edited French/Serb save game

@VictoryFirst of course, being Italian, we would call them boffinos

I propose a fix to NML to make it less defensive oriented. HGs were offensive artillery designed to destroy reinforced bunkers, not defend them. The game gives them great defensive power, but no more offensive power than FGs. Also, G starts with only 3 homeland ICs, none of which are anywhere near the western or eastern fronts. CP is thus forced to build fast moving gas and cav to take Paris by G5 or G6, before F/GB outbuild G.
Massive artillery barrages were the primary cause of death, with both sides firing hundreds of thousands of shells per multi-day battle. Gas, dependent on unreliable wind, which can’t be controlled or accurately forecast was not a decisive factor in any major WWI battle. Cav were a non-factor.
Thus, this game while interesting, is historically inaccurate in certain areas.
I propose that no HGs be built. Keep starting HGs and their existing power number. No HG tech, if HG tech is rolled, player selects bunkers or propaganda.
No gas or cav land offense tech to discourage buying them. That leaves only barrage FG tech, giving 100% chance of obtaining artillery tech, rather than 1/3 chance. Player would edit tech received.
Gas: Attacking player must use forum dice roll prior to combat move phase, to determine if gas can be used in combat that turn. Roll a 1 or 2 allows use of gas. Place a limit on amount of gas per battle.
This will greatly reduce Paris defense power but not hit points. G will have greater chance of early FG tech, but limit units that can reach Paris quickly. G may need bid of starting game with IC build in Wurt (reduce starting income by 20 PU?).
Other changes could be made that would require changes to the program code, such as giving HG greater attack power that would be used against trenches, not troops, like a bombardment.
This proposal could be implemented fairly simply. The old adjustment of giving industry tech to T, was too narrow and didn’t address the underlying issues relevant to the other players.
What do you think? Shall we try it in the new game?

@Elrood I expect you to conquer all of S America before turning to Spain and saving Europe.

@Witt is up as Fra/Serb in new game 15 in topic #41183.

I had Marti email dice sent to Witt and Dawg. Feel free to find someone else if you want.

@Elrood You finally get to play USA again, whoo hoo. And I didn’t even challenge you for Mex.

@Witt with Arabia and GB pressuring T and Africa and Pacific safe, it would be fun or interesting to see what you could even though Paris falls. Your income would still be about equal to CP.

@Entek Congratulations on taking Mecca, that mecca me very happy. You rolled so far above average and Arabs so far below average on the first round, that even tho their dice improved thereafter, it couldn’t make up for the initial decisive blow. On to Sinai and Cairo.

@Private-Panic Sorry, I made the edits in local, since there were no dice. Next time I will use PBEM.

We’re waiting for the third member of the CP to respond to make it official, but 2 of us are ready to concede the game.
It was interesting,

@VictoryFirst Sorry to hear you’re dropping out due to too many games.
The rest of us are all ready for game 16.
But we need a 7th player. Ask around.
Dividing Entente into less than 4 players looks to put too much work on 3 players.