Yohan

With all this MMP spent and 2-3 carriers in the Med the UK becomes a pretty easy Sea Lion. Either way it makes for a quick, and IMHO un-fun game for both players. Happy to play you a game to prove it. btw, fleet disbanding still works

You will need a German HQ and about 4-5 air units (German) to do the job plus the Italian fleet to knock down the entrenchment.

ON, no debate

Thanks for the kind mention Hubert. My TCP/IP partner was John Macpherson (aka Cap) Rob Anderson

The current rules also don't assist the gamey tactic of building cheap corps and throwing them away on attacks to build an HQs experience for the air war.

It would be great to see A3R and other great boardgames ported. I agree, screw the AI. The only thing I use it for is to figure out the game mechanics. I have not played the AI since I started my first PBEM. TCP/IP for SC is just around the corner as well. A good example of a company faltering in the conversion effort is World in Flames. I beleive WIF is the best wargame ever made but they have been screwing with the computer version for over 2 years and can't get it out (even though they have now decided to kill the AI). A game I am looking forward to is Empire in Arms, also a wargame from Australian Design Group. They just did a deal with Matrix Games to do a computer version (Avalon Hill did a disaterous version about a decade ago). There is discussion on the boards over there about what should be done to the game. I agree with Sarge that I want to be able to play the original game. If they want to offer other options that may or may not make it a better game then fine, but give me the original as a start!

It is very handy to spot and attack subs as some German players will start to build them. [ October 17, 2002, 05:59 AM: Message edited by: Yohan ]

You have some good thoughts here Jeff. We play a "house rule" that you cannot go up more than the number of years played in any category (so in '40 nothing can be higher than 2, nothing higher than 4 in '43) for some play balance but things still get skewed. The other option is some type of catchup in a category (maybe double your %) if the other guy gets 2 ahead. Might be easier to implement.

I think you need to be a touch careful about some of these suggestions, espcially the high dive percentages. I understand the frustration over the initial 2 subs that get whacked but a good German player who gets his Ind. Tech up and also puts some research into subs can make the Atlantic a killing zone in the '43 onward period. This will make it very difficult for the Allies to get anywhere.

Hey Hicom, You must be kidding speaking in reverence about High Command. It was one of the poorest wargames ever seen. Great map and it ends there.

I have to agree with the tech senitment in this thread. I play against 2 experienced war gamers and also played in the PBEM test (as the Axis and won handily). The only games the Allies have ever one in 15 plus games is twice. Once when they teched huge and the other when Russia entered very early.

What gap in knowledge dgaad? The french airforce was of extremely light impact and there training was no match for German pilots who had seen battle, including in Spain.

You CAN buy a copy of Victory: the Blocks of War from Columbia games, if you want to buy a board game that is actually new to the shelves (unlike the above three mentioned titles) and is as straightforward and easy to play as SC is (but yep it is a board game). _________________________________________________ Good God Sarge, mentioning WIF and a block game in the same reply.... [ October 08, 2002, 11:03 PM: Message edited by: Yohan ]

We are now playing a PBEM research rule that you can't advance more than 1 research level (cumulative) in a year. So in 39 no more than one level in any category, 40 allows for 2 etc. You can get research more than 1 in a year. For instance, if you got no jet advances in 39 you can go to level 2 in 40. Thoughts? Yohan

Ah Gregory, If I'd only read this last night But it does not matter as the Italians did not come in until one turn too late.

Thanks Hubert. Understand the rule, just chirping <g>

Both these sites only allow supply levels of 5. I think this is in error. Both of theses should be 10 suuply. Also Alex should allow builds (as has been mentioned earlier). Heck if the Germans can build in Paris and Madrid (the Germans built in Madrid the first turn I invaded Spain #$#$%) then surely the Brits can build in Alex. I mean think of all the Indian, Aussie, South African and NZ troops.

Hey Bob, Never heard of a Russia '39 strategy working well against any level of experienced WIF player

I think Smolensk and something in the South may trigger as well. We avoid the North in PBEM to keep the Siberians out and they eventually come in.

I had an interesting event happen. I attacked Spain and killed the unit in Madrid but was unable to move a unit in. I had 3 units around it (for total ZOC coverage) and the German operated a couple of units in. I think this is a bit much. There should be a ZOC check IMHO. If the city is surrounded by units or their ZOC you should not be able to operate in. In many wargames you can't "Operate, SR" or whatever into any ZOC at all.

Are you using the 1.04 patch? The original game had this issue.

What about a subtle change. For every tech level your opponent is above you in a category you get a few bonus % points per turn. The idea being that you would gain some access to there advances through spies, captured weapons etc.

In our pbem games we have a house rule you can't enter the Baltic if Germany owns Denmark. The Med is closed for a reason and the Baltic should be too.

Some of us have been waiting for two years now for the Computer version of World in Flames (WIF). It would/should be the pinnacle of WWII strategy but they have not been able to complete it. Forget about an AI if it hits the street, there is just no way it would be competitive. SC is what it is, a great "Beer and Pretzels" WWII strategy piece. One or two improvements like the British fleet not being allowed to storm the Baltic, a bit more terrain in the Med, Finns that aren't a pushover (there you go Mannheim), subs that.... uhoh I think I'm describing WIF <g> [ August 27, 2002, 02:04 PM: Message edited by: Yohan ]