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Subject: RE: CEAW Diplo vs. Max--the game so far
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:47:30 -0400
From:
cjohnson@sc4.edu
To:
souvorov@hotmail.com
Max,
As usual, I’m away from my home computer until Th. A.M., so I’ll use this opportunity to comment on our game so far. You mentioned possibly doing an AAR, and you can feel free to use my comments, if you like, when the time comes.
First of all, this has to be the most fun I’ve had playing CEAW. The strategy & tactics have been a continuous series of extraordinary twists and unexpected moves, and the “diplomacy” (i.e. emails) has been pretty darned amusing. This is the first time when playing Allies that I feel I’m playing the Axis: every move feels critical.
Your early Blitz kept me off-guard from the very beginning. It’s now spring 1942 and the British have *never* reached 75%+ manpower so far. This has been just crippling when added to the HG morale penalty. I don’t have much experience defending against Sealion, and so when the invasion came (before Paris had even fallen!), I was caught off-guard. And that gar sneaking into Glasgow… I still have a flat forehead from that one [image: Diplo hitting self repeatedly on forehead. “Doh!”]
I have reviewed the “Fortress Europa/Operation Amerika” AAR, and as much as you dominated that game, I’m afraid this one will eclipse it. Here, you’ve achieved pretty much everything you did in that game by this time, and in addition you have Spain (+Gibraltar!), all of North Africa, etc., etc., etc. I shudder to think what your Barbarossa is going to look like (gulp). And you managed to achieve this despite me doing pretty much everything I could to slow you down.
I divulge no state secrets when I say that I decided early on---as soon as it was obvious that England was lost---to do all I could to preserve the RN and the RAF. I succeeded in that, although they escaped somewhat battered, and a couple ships went down. But even with those resources more or less intact, I have to say it’s as intimidating as hell to consider how I can possibly project them into anything more than a gnat-like annoyance. I’ve seen enough of your actions in AAR’s to know that it’s going to be very tough slogging indeed to get any kind of foothold to bring the war to the Axis.
One of the things I really appreciate about your grand strategy is that it puts the Allies in a terrible bind: either launch a premature attack by the Western Allies only to face uphill struggles against numerous and technically superior Axis forces; or hold back and wait for your labs to kick in… which leaves the USSR fighting all alone. And all the time, the clock is ticking. Yes, it’s a lot of months from spring 1942 to 1945, but already I’m feeling the time pressure. How in the world will I find enough time to catch up in terms of military strength and get it into play in time to take London, Paris, Hamburg, Berlin, and Rome in only 3 years?
Kudos to you, Max, for devising and executing such a brilliant strategy. I can hardly wait to see what your next move will be (at the same time I dread it!).
CJ (aka Diplomaticus)
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From: Lamirande Maxime [mailto:
souvorov@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 10:13 PM
To: Cliff Johnson
Subject: RE: CEAW Diplo vs. Max--the game so far
My friend, you are not giving yourself enough credit... Honestly, the allies cannot do anything against a determined axis player if that player choose not to attack Russia. Yes, maybee i was able to organize some stunts, but really i was just agressive to the extreme and manage my troops accordingly. I have never failed to land in England because most players now only try to protect the british fleet ... To block my invasion strategy, you have to commit the Royal navy from the north and from the Channel, or you cannot do anything about it. Its rather easy, you saw how i made it happen, i blocked the channel with a sub and from there could do what i wanted since anyway you didnt commit your navy.
the basic assumption of this new try at Fortress Europa is that in the other game i didnt have enough revenue and i didnt take Gibraltar, which i should have. So the strategy to conquer the whole map. I think that its now doable because of the new rules giving more oil to the germans. Also i didnt break enough russians in 1942 to keep them off-balance. Finally, i produced my fleet too early in the game and not in enough numbers.
All of these i intend to correct and i believe you are right in the fact that i am going to fare even better. But ive never completed the other game, so we dont know sometimes the axis collapse rather quickly.
As to your moves so far, well i cannot fault you in anything. You saved the british fleet from destruction and you are now doing the thing i hoped you would not do early on, that is put pressure on the Axis right in summer 1942. This diverts ressources and rail points which i need to complete my strategy in the east...
As to the grand strategy itself, well i believe its the best way to win, not a whimpy victory for the germans, but actually holding Paris and London throughout the war and get a major one. With a revenue that should soon be at 200, i believe i can safely produce at least 1 fighter or major naval unit every turn (or 2 small ones), while covering and repairing losses and producing troops for the eastern meat grinder that will be the germano-soviet front. This strategy is now mandatory if you want to have a real victory with the germans because of all the rules changes rendering the Russians invincible.
I think the key for both of us will be how good the western allies fare and how much damage the russians can inflict, and the final say will be in the air. If i can maintain air superiority till mid 1944, i should be able to hold the front. The naval aspect will be minor, in the sense that i will always be able to produce ground troops to be superior on the ground, as the last game proved when Zechi tried to takeover Italy.
Do you mind if i post this discussion in my upcoming AAR?
