A friend asked me to comment by email to him about my game w/ MrPlow. I then decided to post the email to the forum in case there's any interest in the German perspective of this game. Here's the email pasted:
"CEAW turns are shorter than playing for example my turns in AT WaW scenario playing Western Allies. This is probably because there is no need to arrange SFT's, no complex production, and supply is very simple.
I probably spend about 30-40 minutes playing a turn in my games once USSR is in the war. Before USSR maybe 20 minutes.
As for estimate of my position - I haven't played a full game yet. I'm in one game as Allies in late 43, one game as Germany (this game) in late 42, and one game as allies in early 41. So I don't know how the end game goes really. It's just a fascinating game - I think about it all the time.
The course of the game from my perspective was that I had a successful early conquest of France but then I chose to try Sealion. Having no experience with Sealion and waiting too long to decide to launch it, I really botched it quite badly even though it ultimately succeeded. However the cost in time, PP's, oil was far too high. So I probably lost the game right there because this made my invasion of Russia weak, and late. I barely got into Russia before winter hit and by spring 42 Russia was very strong so I couldn't go on the offensive.
However there are a lot of pros in my favor at the moment I think.
1) I only have to hold Berlin until May 45 for a minor victory
2) It's nearing end of 42 and Western Allies have no ports in Europe other than 2 ports in western part of North Africa. This is really huge because it means they have to spend a large part of 43 just getting into Europe and there is a lot of ground to take.
3) I have been very careful w/ oil - well as careful as I could be given the need to conduct offensive operations. I don't needlessly move oil-burning units and when I do move them if they aren't attacking I try to rail them so no oil is burned. I entered summer of '42 with about 500 oil and due to Russian offensives am now down to 300 oil.
4) Soviets tried an offensive in summer '42 which I think was a mistake. While they cost Germany some manpower and oil, the Soviets took huge losses....not just infantry losses but most of their fighters and armor was eliminated as well as a few leaders (which will return but it might be up to a year). Germany did not take heavy losses at all, and the Soviets gained no ground. I feel that the losses taken by USSR will mean stalemate on the East Front in 43, but if they'd waited until 43 they might have started an offensive in 43 that could not be stopped. Now USSR will enter 43 without experienced air units.
5) Germany has a very large production base since it holds most of Europe and England. This has allowed me to create a large luftwaffe early and it is steadily gaining experience so that by 43 and 44 the allies will face not only a large Luftwaffe but also one where most units have 2,3,4 levels of experience built up.
6) Since Allies don't have England they can't strategic bomb Germany including the oil resources in Germany.
7) Germany has 5 fully upgraded subs, and Italy has 1. These are very powerful vs shipping in the Atlantic.
Of course the 2 weak points of Germany are always present.
1) Germany only has 300 oil remaining. This is probably sufficient to allow Germany to operate normally into '44 as long as Germany holds Romania. It costs for example 4 oil to move/attack with an armor unit (I have only 4 or 5 of these), 4 oil to fly a TAC, and 2 oil to fly a FTR. Ships/subs cost 1.
2) Germany is down to about 80% manpower level. At 75% all new units produced have -1 quality which seems to be a terrible penalty. Thus I guess below 75% Germany practically speaking can't produce new units.
Some of my big mistakes were launching a botched Sealion - I should have chosen another strategic option. Also I forgot that Soviets get lend lease shipped through the north and 2 turns ago I happened to have a destroyer sailing north and glimpsed an 86 point Soviet lend lease convoy steaming by unmolested. Now I realize that I should have been savaging these convoys for the last year+. Doh. Perhaps I should have waited until 42 to go into Russia but I guess they would have DOW'ed me and I wouldn't have destroyed any of the border units and might be in a worse position than I am after my incredibly weak Barbarossa. I have no idea whether DOW'ing them increases their production vs letting them DOW Germany but I would guess not.
The mod does a fantastic job of setting up oil and manpower problems that Germany really faced. The mod also makes it almost impossible to fully conquer USSR (which seems historical to me). Germany can cripple USSR but not totally destroy it easily. So I think a German player has to look at objectives realistically - Germany is unlikely to fully defeat the Allies but a major victory is defined as holding Rome and Berlin in May 45 and this is quite possible I think. A minor victory is just holding Berlin in May 45.
Overall the game is unbelievably fun and quite simple to understand with very deep strategy. As I go through it I'm learning small lessons and I think my opponent is doing the same. Hopefully I'll be more competent in my next game.
JJ"
