AGEOD Forums

I've just started getting into ROP, and I'm realizing how handicapped I am by my lack of familiarity with eighteenth-century Germany.

True, I can read a map. But what I lack is a sense of the political context and the "lay of the land." What are Prussia's overall goals and where are her vulnerabilities? Where are her enemies' vulnerable, and what do they want to accomplish? While a particular scenario tells me the objectives and strategic cities, I don't have a sense of other long-term goals for the combatants, including ones that may be beyond the scope of the game.

I guess I can make a comparison with AACW. Since I know the history of the American Civil War, I know that the Union has other goals besides just grabbing the objective cities: gaining the loyalty of Kentucky, seizing control of the Mississippi, protecting Washington from the looming threat of troops in Virginia, strangling Southern ports, waiting for Northern industry to build up an overwhelming war machine, etc. I know from the outset that the South enjoys superior commanders but that time is her enemy.

I wonder if anyone could provide a few tips and rules of thumb to orient us (especially those unfamiliar with the period) towards the bigger picture. What factors are likely to shape the campaigns, and what should both sides know from the beginning?

Hi, Paul Roberts, first welcome to the ROP Forum.
I suggest that you try to get some books about the SYW to get more insight in what happened at that times and about the main goals of both sides.
Above all I can tell you that the main goal of the Prussian was to survive an enduring campaign of warfare and holding its property like Silesia which was a very rich province in resources and commerce.
The main goal of the Austrian Coalition was to regain Silesia from the Prussian and to reduce the Prussian Kingdom to the core holding of Brandenburg so that Austria became the superior power of the Holy Roman Empire and that Prussia could no longer threaten and question his power.
That is all sofar I understand the reason for the SYW.
Frederic the Great had no other chance than to do a pre-emptive strike against the growing enemy coalition. He saw a need in the occupation of Saxonia as a main supply resource and as a possibilty to gain more ground against Austrian operations. Most of the Battles during the SYW happened in Saxonia and Silesia and Bohemia. Only Kunersdorf and Zorndorf and some I forgot happened on Prussian core grounds.
Two times in the war Berlin was heavily threatened by enemy troops, the last threat was a very serious one as the Russians destroyed the depots, the manufactories and gain a modest loot there.
Frederic was possibly never able to threaten Vienna like Berlin was threatened, but often enough he hold and gain ground against the enemy coalition.
If the Russian Empress Elisabeth had not died around 1761/62 the war would have ended with the fall of the Prussian Kingdom, but by that event Prussian could renew some of his forces and hold ground against Austria.
The last main Battle in the SYW was the Battle of Freiberg where Prussian Forces under the command of Prince Henry, the younger brother of Frederic, defeated a superior coalition force and decided the fate of Saxonia and even the outcome of the war.

Sofar my personal insight and view of the SYW. I hope I was helpful...

greetings

Hohenlohe

I need to read more about the European theatre of 7yw. There are some hints in the game.

For Sweden (with their Finnish regiments -yahoo!) it was about capturing the whole of Pomerania and thus securing their holdings in the continent.

For the Brits...well, I guess it was about protecting their North American and Indian holdings and protecting Hannover (King George II is a Hanoverian) and inflicting damage to the French.

As the game (the Grand Campaign that is) starts the Brits and the French are already at war in NA and India (an undeclared colonial war) as you might well know.

That's why Prussia is on the defensive at least for the opening years.

I need some help! I am in the same boat as Paul Roberts. I consider there to be 4 main fronts. Will I get more help from Britain at any point?

I'm playing the full campaign and the Russians are attacking with 115K, the Austrians have between 70-100K scattered, the west I guess is the HRE and they have over 50K at least, and North are the Swedish. They don't seem so tough.

It's murder out there.