A few suggestions, some probably can't be applied, but I'll hand them out after all.
First the disclaimer. TGW is a great mod, I re-installed HOI for the first time in months only to play this mod and I haven't been too disapointed (I tend to be very critical, so not too disapointed means bloody amazing good).
1) Pre-dreadnaught battleships are too strong compared to dreadnaughts. As a general rule of thumb I'd say a pre-dreadnaught should at best have 1/3rd the fire power of a dreadnaught (also weak armour, though that's harder to estimate as quality greatly varied from ship to ship). The only good factor for pre-dreadnaughts should be shore bombardment where they excelled even sometimes surpassed dreadnaughts. (Seing how few pre-dreadnaughts are included in the game you might have combined 2 or 3 into a single unit, while that would explain their current values, it still creates an inbalance).
2) All ships start the game unimproved. You could change that at start (I think just adding the line above original specs. would work.
3) Give at least the Germans and British different ship classes (you can create at least 30 models for each type, probably up to 99). The German and British dreadnaughts greatly differed (that way you could also do away with the firepower vs. armour tech which requires updates for older ships). In general, German ships were slower, had much shorter ranges, needed larger crews but in turn had better armour and somewhat better guns (at least the 12"). Giving a third type for each dreadnaught generation would also allow for the relatively cheap US ships (as they placed all turrets on the centerline, requiring one tower less then the Brits and 2 towers lessthen the Germans for the same fire power). If you don't know how to give country specific techs, I have an idea how it could be done, alternatively you could simply give three techs per generation, research of one excluding the others.
4) In naval war particularly the efficiency for number of ships beyond command capacity is too drastic. The only way to deal serious damage seems to be to fight with relatively small squadrons (6-12 units). While there were indeed communication errors during many WWI naval battles, I don't think they were that bad. (This might be a problem created by the HOi patches and not TGW, I haven't played HOi proper for ages so don't know the effects the patches had on that aspect of teh game).
5) The Baltic sea seems to be accesible for the Entente from the North Sea. I know HOI can block access there though I'm not sure what causes it (dardanelles correctly closes, though only when Turkey is belligerent (that's obviously a problem with HOI as the Dardanelles should also close for any belligerent nations except the controller of teh straits or his allies). And yes, the Entente could have tried to force the Baltic the same way they tried (and coudl have suceeded) with the Dardanelles. But as long as HOI cannot portray minefields simply closing such straits seems the best thing to do.
6) Naval casualties are simply too low. While it's true that the ai is too agressive and probably cannot be downtweaked, the current low losses don't work as a fix. When drednaughts or battlecruisers meet the actions should be bloody, rarelly ending without the loss of at least one ship. Naval battles shoudl also happen faster, not draw out for weeks as they can at times. That could be achieved by tweaking the ship's combat values (you can use values up to 99 it seems, which would also allow more differentiation for destroyer, cruiser and battleship upgrades). At the same time organisation values might have to be downtweaked to make fleets run away sooner. Once those factors ballance I expect you will see most naval combat between equal forces end with great losses with no more then a week of combat.
7) Now to the land side of warfare
Here I would also recommend creating additional types of divisions. In 1914 Germany for instance at least had two types of front line divisions (regular and reserve) with sufficiently varrying capacities to warrant different models (allowing for reserve divisions to upgrade to regular etc., with a third type becoming avilable shortly after august 1914 and 4th, 5th and 6th (two of which you already have, trench and storm)). By having multiple models of each type, you can simulate the historic tendency to up- or down-grade divisions (from reserve to regular, back to the intermittent model created in 1914, then to triangular and finally to either trench or storm). Most countries' armies underwent similar evolutions. This could also involve national tech lines (I haven't tested this concept but it should work, each country starting with a unique tech which is used as a pre-requisite for future techs). In general, I'd use your current guards unit type only in some rare occurances (Canadian divisions which were oversize compared to other Commonwealth units and did not triangularise until after the war etc.).
8) Rework the orders of battle according to the concept above. For the British Empire for instance the Territorial Divisions (1st and 2nd as well as 1st and 2nd Yeomanry) should be available at start, only of a weaker model to upgrade, possibly not at full strength. The Indian army should also start as weak double divisions (reflecting that each divisions that eventually deployed overseas created a duplicate garrison unit). After the formation of the 7th, 8th, 27th, 28th, 29th, Guards (which should start the game weak at London), 2nd Cavalry (weak with 1st) and 3rd Cavalry (dito London) hardly any regular units remained outside the division system. So any other British units outside Britain or India should be militia or light. Using regimental names for overseas contingents definitelly doesn't work (as British style regiments have administrative functions mostly). While I concentrate on the British Empire here this largely applies to other countries as well (an august 1914 scenario would indeed make much sense as the German army could start concentrated on the western border and not in it's peace time garrisons).
9) As usual I've forgotten the remainder of my suggestions. I'll probably post them later.
Few of the above are absolutely necessary (except for pre-dreadnaughts which are too powerful right now) for a good Great War mod of HOI. But many would give additional flavour. One problem I expect would be the ai which is pretty hampered by the original design concepts (I'm not sure how it would handle upgrading land units, particularly if two new models become available at the same time (trench and storm)). But for multi player this would definitelly allow for greater realism at relatively low cost.
Marc aka Caran...
P.S.: I will try to follow the mod's threads from now on. Though I can't guarantee it as I am already following multiple other game's threads daily and the national and european elections campaigns have started here (and I am running for parliament (with minimal personal chances but still requiring my participation)). If I can find the time I will also gladly help with TGW mod's future updates (I have plans for my own WWI and WWII mods for HOI, but probably won't get the time, the main difference between my project and your's is the concept of technological advances).
