I Am A Doughnut

[Space Voyager]

Games are variable length, with the longest ending in 1963. IIRC there's a mod that removes the time limit, though.

I meant hours of real time.

[FullAuto]

It varies, basically. You can pause whenever you like, and the game has eight speeds. You can also adjust the notification settings for just about anything, so it appears in the game log, or pops up, or pops up and pauses the game. So you can vary the pace quite a lot, and while you can go through it quite quickly in times of peace, in times of war I tend to slow down drastically. Dozens of hours per game, usually.

[Sunflash]

PS FA makes this look like a breeze. It's not.

 

*Goes back to taking notes between dying*

[FullAuto]

Let me know how it goes, Sunflash.

 

South Africa is no more.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/sanomore.jpg

The first of the Allies to fall, and a minor one, but nevertheless, a sure sign that Africa is now under the Axis. There's some few British provinces, and Belgium has some holdings, but that's it. The rest is Italian or German. And so it shall stay. Holding it shouldn't be so difficult, and if the Italians fail to guard their portion, I'm going to start liberating minor states, so the Allies can't get their provinces back.

 

Stratergee.

 

The European theatre.

 

France's last few VP provinces are in Asia, out of my reach, so I'll just have to cope until Japan annexes Indochina (please God let them annex Indochina). This is also a good reason to leave several armies in France, policiing the place along with the garrisons, meaning rebellion is suppressed and any invasion force will meet serious opposition.

 

Against the Soviets, I wield the might of an almost-unified Europe, with only the UK directly opposed. Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia all want in, to one degree or other, but I can only let the first two in when I'm ready for war with the Soviets, as they share a border. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland are all possibilties as well, and also share a border with the Soviets. If it does come to war, I'm going to smash up the SU as best I can, taking the best provinces for myself, and let the other Axis countries run for the rest. They can prosecute the war all the way to Siberia for all I care. Our combined might should be enough to take care of the SU, given that I've shared blueprints with every Axis member, so everyone should be fairly up to speed.

 

The Atlantic theatre

 

It's getting murderous out there. France, unbelievably, still has some respectable fleets operating, and the Canadians are starting to make more of a contribution. Added to Britain's dedication to ASW, I've lost more subs in the last 2-3 months than I have in the preceding years. I'm going to have to stop encircling the UK, and get the convoys further out, at the chokepoints around the southern tips of South Africa and South America, and between Africa and South America. Attempting to build a navy to rival the RN is pointless without a Hell of a lot more IC.

 

The African theatre

 

Nearly done! A handful of Brit provinces, and it's all cleared up. Yummy. Bit of a diversion though, and looking back on it, not worth it. But it was this or let the Italians get in the shit. So here I am.

 

I noticed Bulgaria was getting a hard time from the Soviets via the air. Friendly Deutschland to the rescue, with a flight of Focke-Wulfe one-nineties.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/defbulg.jpg

The Soviet planes are behind the times, and their pilots certainly aren't as experienced. Cleared off with no trouble. Must make more interceptors, and shield my friends from the nasty cruel world.

 

First amphibious assault averted.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/aaaverted.jpg

Sending my fleet (5 capital ships, 8 screens, with the heaviest ships being battlecruisers, no battleships or carriers) into the Atlantic is risky, but worth it if I can sink transports full of troops. I'll have to park the fleet somewhere closer to Africa than Marseille.

 

Hess does one.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hess.jpg

Brilliant, thanks for that.

 

The Brits hit Casablanca, and Rick's has to close temporarily.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/casablancataken.jpg

The Royal Navy made shipping in reinforcements a little tricky, what with their overpowering numerical superiority, but ultimately this little venture was cut off and squashed. Six divisions lost for the ownership of four provinces for a few weeks. Think I'll leave some more divs guarding the coast.

 

Ernst Udet tops himself. It's okay, I didn't want to research any more doctrines for the Luftwaffle anyway. Plank.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/udetsuicide.jpg

Although the only aerial combat we've had with the Soviets have been total wins, the RAF still have control of the Channel and UK airspace. Lost a lot of planes contesting it.

 

Von Reichenau dies.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/vonreichdies.jpg

Christ's sake, will everyone stop dying? Good thing he wasn't in charge of anything important.

[Kaije]

Speaking of the Baltic states, have you bothered with any kind of defenses for Konigsberg in case the SU decides to war with 'em? I see it happen more often than not, but the DoW may be event triggered after the fall of Poland.

 

Has the US been supporting the Allies via Lend-Lease or Destroyers for Bases yet?

[FullAuto]

For whatever reason (my interference, in other words), Lithuania/Latvia/Estonia have not become puppets of the SU, so there's no threat there yet, but I have an army waiting in Stettin (not in Konigsberg, to save on a supply convoy) with troop transports ready to ship them to Konigsberg. If they do try invading, I'll merely try and hold. If they succeed in pushing me back, I'll let Poland join the Axis and start fighting the Soviets.

 

Although the US has been actively meddling with the Axis, delaying research and production, smearing etc, neither Lend-Lease nor Destroyers for Bases has happened yet, when they should have went off a while ago!

 

As is my habit, I've been fascinated by the history of the nation I'm controlling, and am currently distracted by Taylor's The Course of German History, which was written in the closing stages of the Second World War. Sharp (or blunt, if you prefer), its main point is that the Germans are to blame for letting the Nazis take control, which was thoroughly off-message for the time, and surprisingly enough his book wasn't used by the Political Warfare Executive.

 

Also, a cheap laugh.

 

Well, it's March '42 and things are much the same. The subs are doing well, but the UK has obviously built up massive stockpiles, because all the sinkings don't appear to be having a lot of effect. I've had to cede the Channel to the Brits, because controlling the airspace was just too punishing for me. Those damned British interceptors, apparently equivalent to mine on paper, consistently outfought my lads, so it's back to defending northern France, which I can do easily.

 

Still haven't pushed the Brits out of Africa. They hold a small pocket of two provinces, holding 30+ divisions. I'm currently shipping more divs to Africa to get rid of them.

 

However, the Brits have expanded Operation Torch to Operation Bonfire.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/westafricabl.jpg

Attacks are regular, and landings becoming more so. I may have to layer more divs all along the coast at this rate, something I do not want to do.