Haven't played for longtime but I still keep checking what's going on.
New job and movement back from UK to Germany kept me away from keyboard for more than a year now.
Still amazed how much effort is being put into this gem. Hard to keep a record of all the changes made.
Now even with difficulties, the US entry early option and more warplans to choose from.
One day, if ever, my final wish would have been a naval war expansion... A "Platz an der Sonne" scenario.
Imperial Germany was keen on colonies, willing to increase its global power using the fleet more aggressively. The emperors famous quote, the tirpitzplan, the east Asian squadron, established colonies around the globe are just the symbols of germanys wish to catch up with the British empire.
Such a scenario would be so amazing (for me especially as I love naval history and everything that has to do with it) and multiple events could easily be invented, even with history links and references.
How could that play out?
1. The tirpitz plan event is available for free at turn 1.
2. An event 'challenge the British empire' could be added very early, leading to immediate British war entry but to big morale bonus for the German navy for every British naval unit sunk and a heavier loss for British morale than usual.
3. A 'send diplomatic mission to japan' event could significantly increase a war entry chance for Japan on the CP side. This then allowing that the east Asian squadron arrives safely in the atlantic few turns later as the British are busy to fight the Japanese. (+1BC, 1LC and 1 AC) And the Anzac will never arrive in Egypt.
4. A 'fortify the eastern front' early in the game could turn the cities of Königsberg, Oppeln, Breslau into fortresses. This then simulating a defensive stance against Russia which will be needed as germany fully invests into its navy.
5. A 'complete the Siegfried line' event could bolster the western front leading to max entrenchment levels all along the west. Belgium would not be attacked, so the frontline to France would be short and easy.
6. A 'flexible defense doctrine' event could add one armoured train to Germany and Austria each that allow the CP to use them rapidly to fill gaps in the frontline to defend in the early game. Trains as a dynamc tool were common to be used to rapidly move troops around ('fire fighting defence').
7. Two German army corps (one east, one west) must be removed to reduce Germanys land offensive capacity. They then appear as two additional submarines, an armoured cruiser and a light cruiser instead being available from game start.
8. A 'Britain first' event could add not less than three amphib assault ships to Germany allowing early amphib landing into the UK for the first time. Germany must do everything to wipe out the UK first whilst defending against France and Russia.
9. The Austrian light cruiser Kaiserin Elisabeth could return to the med after uk is defeated. (It was trapped in the Indian Ocean Pre war, it never played an important role during the war but without British resistance it could finally return to the med.) armoured cruiser could appear north of Suez three turns after event played, then strengthen the Austrian fleet a little.
(
https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Kaiserin_Elisabeth)
10. Two German admirals could be added, one each Everytime Germany commissions a new battlecruiser/dreadnought. Admiral Bernhard Gustav Rösing and Admiral Felix Funke.
11. The emperor publishes his famous words 'die Disciplin der Offiziere' meaning that no german navy officers were allowed to drink alcohol anymore to increase their focus. (no joke). When played next turn all naval attacks get significant bonus.
12. Event 'Alle Kraft voraus': Add additional manpower / workforce to the naval yards: special event repairing all current naval units in dock yards immediately at the cost of 100 manpower. (workforce for repairs instead for new army corps). One use only.
13. The legendary German naval poem writer Johan Kinau (formally known as Gorch Fock, which is still name of the training vessel of current German navy) event could be added. He died at the Jutland battle, but the event could make him famous and boost the national morale. I. E. Some of his poems could be published in newspapers and he would be installed as a national hero dying for the Kaiserreich.
14. If the naval war scenario is selected, multiple strong land based events become obsolete: violate neutrality of Belgium / Luxemburg, siege howitzer etc. Are banned from the pool to force Germany into a defensive stance ashore. Also the German offensive events in the east could be banned. I d have to look into details which ones, probably 5 to 10 strong events to empty up the event pool for the new naval stuff.
15. 'Operation Trommelwirbel': never took place in real life, just a fictional event based on the more known 'operation Paukenschlag' in ww2 which included the German Submarine attacks along the US east coast. In ww 1 an equal operation could be done: Its out of reach for german subs, but any german surface ship bombarding the US /canadian coast once will unlock this event effect. USA and UK suffer 1 collapse point as both navies were unable to stop a german surface unit from reaching the US coast. That's a heavy penalty, but it's also very difficult to even get there without supplies. Almost suicide mission, however, little more action in the atlantic. Once this is played, CP will try to sneak through, cat and mouse in Atlantic.
16. To deal with the increased number of warships Germany needs an additional port. The little island 'helgoland' which was also used as a forward base for real during the war, could be constructed. Event 'fortify Helgoland'. I know it's impossible to change the optical settings on the map I. E. Draw an island. It dies not matter the island is tiny anyway. Just create an additional Harbour into the sea. Effect: next turn the additional Harbour is available in the north sea at the price of all pp and ammo during that turn. (ammo would be transfered to Helgoland to build up an ammo stock there, simulated).
Germany would need that port as Antwerp would be hard to get. See:
https://www.frs-helgoline.de/insel-helg ... geschichte
17. Mid game event: 'Celebrate the Navy! Increase the sailors salaries!'
The Kaiser shows respect and visits his sailors on a journey to Kiel and Wilhelmshaven thanking them for outstanding courage in this national battle of global domination whilst addressing them in a direct speech: 'Soon you will be lying on on the beaches of our plantet, looking into the sun, comrades! The Platz an der Sonne is ours. It's yours. You deserved it.'
Effect: matrosenaufstand Kiel and Wilhelmshaven are discarded. Germany - 1 collapse point. (sounds like a string event, but it think it would be needed as I expect Germany to suffer lots of collapse points ashore when not beating France and Russia...)
18. Event: 'increase the schaumweinsteuer'. (Germany introduced this special tax 1905 on alcoholic beverages to fund the construction of the new navy.) in my scenario the event increase this tax again to add another boost to construction possibilities. (effect: - 10 morale, +50PP).
19. I stop writing now. Easily +25 naval related ideas in summary. I would be happy writing the articles, textiles, incl. Providing some background info. Suggest banned surface events etc. Still lots of work.
Sadly I cannot Programme this myself, otherwise it would be my favorite - interesting because completely different from all other scenarios.
I know that the number of changes would be pretty big and questionable as I have the impression that the majority of players prefer landwar. In addition, the AI of navy movements is sadly stupid. Still great as it's uncompareble to all other war plans. UK first.
But there is a risk that effects in SP will remain 'unfelt'. I get that. And lots of programing required as well. Sorry for that.
Just keep the ideas in the back pocket.