Where is your front at the end of 1914 ?

[Nico165]

Let's see what the game, the player and athena can do in the first phase of the war

Here is a western entente campaign, end of late december 14 turn :

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Some things to note :

The Belgian "armée de campagne" is really causing some big troubles for both sides. It did its usual trick of retreating in Namur, and afterwards, German AI was unable to finish it. It always keep retreating in another region. Impossible to save, but never dead. Now this army is inside the Liège fortress... That brings me to the second problem : Liège never fell. The AI kept sieging, lifting the siege, sieging... while chasing the Belgian army, which make me think that the two problems are connected. I once saw a 2.000 pwr german army leaving the front line to go chasing my poor 160 at the time belgian army. AI need a bit of work in its priorities

This also means that the Germans did not push really hard against my main line. Some back and forth skirmishes with the BEF in Belgium, one big attack in Rethel against an entranched position that failed badly (37.000 losses vs 8.000). Most of the fighting happened in Alsace-Lorraine where I was able to take Mulhouse, Colmar, Freiburg and Morhange.

Now we are going into real trench warfare. I have an interesting starting position in Alsace-Lorraine to try pushing in the Ruhr. The german forces are still mostly intact, and if they can finish Liège and Antwerpen and concentrate their offensive power we may have some interesting fights in 1915.

All in all, even if there is room for improvement in the initial setup and the AI, V 1.00 is already a fun game to play in 1914 with a great historical feel.

So, what is your experience of 1914 ?

[minipol]

Seems interesting. I see the Germans split up the troops in Belgium as well, leaving a very small army at the forts of Liège. General Leman can't seem to attack the small force outside.
I wonder were the "big bertha" guns are
What happened to your field army?

[Nico165]

What happened to your field army?

Still alive and entrenched in Liège at the end of march 1915. No more german attacks against them (but heavy fighting in Rethel-Montmédy). Now I want to see if they can hold long enough in Liège so I can deliver them in a few months/years

[caranorn]

Not so far in the scenario yet, but seing very much the same thing. It's easy as Western Entente against the ai to attack into Alsace-Lorraine, did not try Metz with it's 1000+ Army, of the other regions only the city of Sarrebrücken hasn't yet fallen. I could have advanced across the Rhine but decided against it as without Metz I consider my flank unsave and may have to give up the conquered territory. The Central Powers in Belgium on the other hand haven't made much of an advance (unlike most players I got Albert out with two divisions, plus two divisions retreating alone, so a 4 division Belgian Army once I get time to reorganise), Namur has fallen (it's division went with Albert), Liège is still holding under siege and Antwerp has been slightly reinforced. The BEF has been defeated in one battle (still not sure how that could happen) but a second BEF has formed at Ostende (way too easy to bring forces in, particularly the speed of movement from the Empire) and a line is being formed between the two BEF's, thinly spread Belgians and a French force moving up from Reserves. Against a decided player this line would not stand a chance, but the ai has not been attacking, at best probing against this.

In short, the ai needs work (I will start a game as the Central Powers now to see how Entente does as ai). British forces also need a serious rework (one more reason not to play the Western Entente, I don't recognise the historic British Army in the setup etc.). Movement speeds in the off map naval boxes are also way too fast.

Still fun to play...

[Nico165]

Against a decided player this line would not stand a chance, but the ai has not been attacking, at best probing against this.

Same experience, CP AI should push more the first months to give the player a better challenge for the next years.

Any experience to share about the eastern front ? Ai vs AI is very static in my game, a small russian push to Konigsberg without taking the city, then nothing really spectacular. One or two provinces changing hands sometimes. No strategic cities captured. Has somebody seen a more mobile eastern front ?