WHICH TITLE TO START?

[phoenix]

Muchas gracias! I would prefer the Tunis scenarios, I think. Do you know if there are a good range of scenarios in the Tunis title for playing against the AI?

Thanks!

Peter

[phoenix]

I went for Kharkov '43. Mainly because I have most interest in that battle. I'm finding it really interesting. There are many scenarios, by the way, that are properly set up for AI play. This seems to be the norm for the David Freer titles (I have also PB1, which is the same, and really a superb game, I think). It's frustrating - when looking to try to find titles that include scenario design explicitly for AI play - that there's very little info on the title pages about this. So I now know that David Freer titles cater well for those that need (for whatever reason) to play against the AI as well as humans, but I have no idea which other scenario designers might have taken that line.

[Outlaw Josey Wales]

AI is ok for a time filler, but if you have enough time for one turn, it is better to do an email turn than an ai turn. What you need to do is find an opp that doesn't care about turn rate. some people like a turn a day or 3-4 turns a week. You need one that will play whenever it comes in. Email turns are way, way above playing the ai. If you have plenty of time, you just have more than one game going at a time.

[phoenix]

OK. Thanks. You're right, I'm sure. I just thought it might be a bit dull to play someone as crap as I am, hence thought I ought to practice with the AI. Otherwise, what do I do - put an add somewhere (?), such as 'Beginner needs opponent, Kharkov '43, would like to play Axis in short scenario such as 0306_03 Taranovka. Can do 2 turns per day.' That sort of thing?

Thanks for the help.

Peter

[Mr Grumpy]

Well my first title was Sicily 43 and as advised I used the AI with FOW off to learn the game system and to get a feel for how the various rules worked, I then started a scenario against the AI with the FOW on and soon I was a military genius running rings round the HG Panzer Division and generally flattening everything I came across.

So convinced I was a military genius and there was nothing I didn't know about the game I plunged head first into PBEM games, obviously it didn't take long to realise that unlike the AI human opponents did sneaky things like ambushing my over extended units and hitting me in places I least expected them to and not sitting still while I surrounded them !!!!

But obviously each defeat I learnt a little more and applied the same tactics to my new opponents that had been used on me to such great effect, over time I became more and more difficult to beat and could hold my own against all but the very best (you know who you are).

So the moral of the story is that we all start at the beginning with PBEM and the trick is to try to find opponents who are slightly better than yourself who you can learn from, given time and patience anyone with a little common sense can become a solid player, the ones who fall quickly are the ones who have no patience and want to be a genius without going through the learning process and those who will not read and fully understand the rules.

[phoenix]

Ok. So where do I get a PBEM game?

[76mm]

Ok. So where do I get a PBEM game?

Players post threads in this forum. Take a look.

[Ricky B]

Yes, post away, as you stated above Peter.

By the way, opposite of what you are thinking, the earlier games in particular were more focused on play against the AI and it was after the first half dozen, maybe more, that they began to be balanced for HTH play.

Welcome to the series!
Rick

[jonnymacbrown]

I say don't forget about France 1940. It's a great game, with many fascinating scenarios and a great map! jonny

[phoenix]

Thanks Jonny. I have Kharkov 43 and Tunisia 43 now. Enjoying both.