Two questions about force pools

[Strategiclayabout]

Hi ,

Was browsing production tabs in AoD and I have two questions:

1) Any reason USA doesn't have mechanized infantry units ?

2) I'm curious about why strat bombers have lower costs than med bombers ?

Thanks in advance for any answer !

[Amona]

While we are at it, I have some issues with the force pools too:

1) Why has the number of allowable carrier builds for USA have been lowered from Global Gold from 10 to 7, while the allowable builds for Japan remained at 5?

If its because of the light carriers, why have the jap builds not been reduced too? I dont find it realistic that the Japanese can build nearly as much carriers as the US. The more so, as they have 4 carriers in the build queue plus the Shinano per DE, giving them max 13,

while the US has 4 plus Essex and Bunker Hill popping, giving them max 13 too, but only if they have build all 7 allowable builds before November 42, when Essex pops up and reduces the force pool.

In Gold, Japs had max 13 to USA max 16, and even that was unrealistic in my opinion.

Likewise, Japan can have 3 light carriers, the USA 4. Given the fact what an incredible number of light and escort carriers the USA had in history, this seems far too few for USA too.

"Game balance issues" I dont want to hear, given the fact that Jap Special forces which were battalion size are represented as equal to US Marine Divisions, and Jap Armies which had 2 or 3 divisions are represented as equal to a German army which had about 12 divisions.

(Or think of 6th German army at Stalingrad with about 17 divisions, among them 3 Panzer Divs. This army alone could have cut the whole Japanese force in China to shreds)

This leads me to:

2) Why is the Jap army so ridicilously overpowered?

It might be necessary to give Axis a chance to win the game, but its so unrealistic its the most annoying feature of the SC series in my view. Its okay for the war in China, but it doesnt take into account that the Axis player will in later stages of a game use the huge and powerful jap ground forces outside of China and the Pacific islands.

And then the scales of forces just dont fit together.

That leads to :

3) Why has Japan a bigger ground force pool than the Soviet Union? Thats laughable too.

In December 41, Japan had a force of about 51 divisions (which had 4 regiments, okay) and several indepenent brigades/regiments). At the same time, German and Soviet armies counted between 200 and 300 divisions, in later stages Red Army had over 500 division sized formations.

The Soviet ground force pool should at least be double as big as the Japanese one, if not more.

It can all be weak divisions/garrisons/cavalry, but the Soviets should IMHO have the biggest force pool of all combatants.

As it is, the Soviet player has a hard time fending of the Germans in European USSR and at the same time delay the Japs in Siberia, which will defenitely attack as soon as possible if the Axis player has any sense at all.

Its not about offensive power, its simply about covering a huge front and garrisoning many cities/towns.

When the Japs get so much units to cover all those islands and conquests in China and India etc., why doesnt the Russians have a countless number of cheap units to hold their fronts? Which would be absolutely realistic and IMHO wouldnt unbalance the game too much (or could be countered by giving the Germans 2 tank groups and 2 Mechs more for more hitting power).

[Bill101]

Hi Strategiclayabout

Good points, and these appear to be oversights so we'll get them corrected!

Bill

[Bill101]

Hi Amona

You are totally right about the US Carrier builds and we'll make some amendments.

The question of the Japanese land forces is a more complicated issue, particularly given the different scale at which the Pacific campaign was fought, and we'll certainly consider this, but any significant changes will probably take some working through and are therefore more for the future, as much testing and adjusting would need to be done.

Bill

[Amona]

Hi, Bill.

Thats okay that it will take time.

Maybe a thing for SC 3.

Some proposals for a future patch of AOD:

- The popping jap SFs are first used for the pacific offensive to seize mostly undefended islands. While not cap jap SFs at 5 steps like garrisons of all countries are?

They would retain there amphibious abilities, but would be useless in China, India, Siberia or for an invasion of the Western Hemisphere.

- Block research of motorization for Japan like Rocketry research was blocked for the Allies in Gold. This proposal is especially for Global gold, where the combination of jap motorization, inf level 2, and the unit swapping feature spells the doom for China no matter how many fortifications they get.

- On the different scale: Thats the main crux. The Jap forces are okay for the China war, but the problems arise when the Japs use their army to attack India, Australia, Siberia and possibly even Western USA all at once. And this is quite possible, have seen it in many AOD games already. It doesnt mean Axis will win, I still think Allies have the edge in AOD, but it angers me from the point of view that its a history game about WWII.

What about replacing most chinese and japanese armies with corps and divisions and giving China no armies at all and Japan only 3 or 4 elite armies.

This way, Japan could still conquer China, conquer the pacific islands with the step 5 SFs, and mount ONE of the possible follow up operations, but not all at once.

Is Japan too weak then against an allied counterattack?

I would say no. The Asian mainland is inconsequential for the game result, The Soviets shouldnt be able to attack Mandschuria in force if the Axis player does it right before lets say 1944, and to defend Jap home islands and all important Dutch East Indies the Japs would mainly need navy and air.

[Bill101]

Thanks Amona, I've noted your suggestions for the future.