Kaline:
My Friday group's got a fairly young game going on (started in '36 and it's mid-37 now), that you'd be welcome to join. I'm sure either our US or UK would welcome you aboard. I'm Germany, and you'd be welcome there as well.
Alternatively, I'd be willing to play co-op from the beginning as the country of your choice for a maximum of three hours. I'm just not interested in playing somebody like the US or UK in 2-player coop for much longer than that. Italy, on the other hand...
In terms of grasping the intricacies of all three forms of combat (air, land, and sea), domestic policy, research, and diplomacy, I think the UK would probably be your best bet.
While the US is safer, you are essentially restricted to research and your economy (and your economic expansion is artificially hamstrung). No diplomacy ('cause you're isolationist) and no warfare (same deal).
UK, meanwhile, is very difficult to be defeated. The main isles can not be taken by the AI if you devote some resources to its defense (keep a fleet in the channel, keep some interceptors on air superiority, and garrison the beaches with militia). North Africa may be reinforced with colonials and Indian troops. India isn't threatened until Japan gets Indochina (giving you time to fight in North Africa).
So: you can fight in France without jeopardizing your survival. That exposes you to combat, exposes you to how to fight a losing battle, and tests your evaluation of when you should bug out.
If the Germans do take the home isles (a possibility in competitive multiplayer), they're probably jeopardizing Barbarossa, meaning that you lost the battle but maybe won the war. Your next objective is to liberate your homeland with your evacuated forces (you DID evacuate your survivors when you figured you'd lost, right?).
Fighting in North Africa, you learn about assaults. You can probably win with a moderate assault group. Some armour, some bombers, and infantry. Try airborne forces if you want to, just don't overextend them. Get ready for D-Day.
SAC in 42-43 gives you a chance to play with other air missions. Strategic bombers can make a big impact in air superiority and taking ground, regardless of what anybody (besides mld- check his faq on the general stickies!) says.
And in the Far East, naval combat!
Give me a shout: Check your PM's on your control panel, or just PM me
My MP games are Fridays at 7 eastern.
Other times I'm free are on the weekend.
Also note that another way to learn how to
start the game is playing "pickup" on Vnet. You probably won't be able to finish the game, despite promises to meet up again, but you will start it several times, and you'll meet some interesting people.
