BriantheWise

Currently, as far I can tell, Germany will always surrender first, when the Axis begin to lose, and the Italian's will stand strong. But the geography of the Italian peninsula, allows them to hold on for another three or four turns. In a large part, we know this is unrealistic. But worse, in game play, when the allied jets are swooping and the the Soviets are overcrowding their own corps that got made earlier in the game, it's kind of boring. Tedious even. Against the computer, or person to person,especially. Consequently, Mr. Hubert, I would like to suggest that you include another option in your game: Option 1: As is. Option 2: Italy surrenders when Germany surrenders. Option 3: Berlin, the capital moves to the Berchesgartin in the Alps for a last stand, when Berlin is conquered. This would allow the Germans to retreat and fight off from there. I realize this would influence the AI that has been constructed so far. But if I recall correctly, it could be a matter of simply adjusting the fuzzy logic. But I do not know for sure. And on that note, I think, the more options you can add, the more replay value you will receive. nuf sed

Well, it's fun and great, but it's not quite like "Hitlers War", where in you had diminishing returns for each addition chit that you spent on pushing the research further than it could possibly go. But then again, I think it works great. And oh no, oh no....NOw I have another suggestion....Sorry. (When the major neutrals are still neutril, let them spend on what they want: Good navy, high tech, lots of corps, an HQ?) er, never mind, too complicated for the gamebrain. It works as it is. I have listened (read, actually) all these suggestions about the tech advances. They are all good, and sane, but it seems to dumb down the game into a linear perspective of moves, making it almost chess like (i hate chess). The randomness of tech, in this game, does indeed echo, in my opinion, the randomness of the tech that really did happen: Code breaking, jets, landing craft, TV32, Rockets, Russian rockets, the sudden creation of divisions of Russian peasants and their loyalty, generals, and I could go on. And on and on (i am, going on and on and on.) The point is: Tech randomness, creates additional replay, additional strategies, additional opportunities. I hear people say, oh, my the Germans get all the techs before i even get to fight. I don't like the jet sounds. Shut up! When I play, the Brits are maxed out on research(they are buying while france is falling), take the Scandivians for the money, get strong with good jets, hammer into France, with the US being a soft friend, while the Russian pound. Sometimes it doesn't happen. (and I am sad) Sometimes it does (and I am glad). So, in conclusion, let the tech be. There is no unfair advantage. Brian the Wise (care to lose?

Suggstion: Any unit that moves operationally, has zero supply and zero readiness for one turn. After that, it's cool. That would end the Moscow to Calais defense. Yes, the air cover there, would hurt the allied invasion hurricane. Maybe.

Hubert made this game and all who played it, found that it was good, and we praised him as thus we should, for it is a very good game. Nevertheless, there are critiscisms about this and that, and so many. From RussBenning, i hear this: Jam towards Stalingrad, and the Russians lose. Then he says, do a double line of defense, and it's WW1. From another, I hear, air power is too strong. I think, consider it, armor and air smashing the lines. You can fix this if Hubert adds extra counters, and or movement for armor, or extra hexes, lots of hexes. 3rd Reich managed it with special rules. A helluva lot of special rules, everywhere. I had to read that rule book, and read it a second time again. So did the other players (it's a great game by the way, but not computer friendly as we know). And the AI couldn't figure it out either. So abstract it. Just consider that air/armor/infantry is combined arms. Don't have a way to force the eastern front? bomb the front line, pretending that the bombers are strike panzers. I don't know. I am an old Clash of Steel Fan. It had some hickups. But I thought it was great. I can only imagine how hard it is to make this game work. Too many rules and you have an HC. I think the game is balanced. I think the game works. I have these complaints/issues/suggestions, about this game: As has been said, and they do make sense: 1) Add a row, or a half of a row to Africa. Take it away from somewhere, if limitations require. 2) If a country can't use the research they gain (ie rockets in Britain), remove the box. Don't tease. 3) Clash of Steel has a very nice algorithm for influence/leaning for the minors. I think this could be added in a patch, even. 4) AA research should be carried over to the units, in part. And so on. The basic issue with the game, though, is the time line. 3rd Reich had it, in Quarters. And Class of Steel had it in randomness. This game has a different time line. Operational movement, in a week, is not quite, well correct. Moving from Liverpool to Malta in many turns and being tired to get there, is well, not quite, correct. Bombing things to elimination is well not quite accurate. And on and on. But here is what I see. An awesome game that captures the elements, majesty and dynamics of any World War 2 game I have played. (so I yammer a bit. I am allowed) The escalator to reality says this: Risk, Axis and Allies, HC (just a bummer of a game with high hopes) Clash of Steel, CommandHQ, Strategic Command, Third Reich (which is semi-obsolete, and if I had a forum for that game, I would ask why the Brit's alway have a BRP of 40). So, to summarize, I challenge anyone, particullary with me, playing the little iddy bitty winsome allies, to win, and make any axis be, well, I'll tease you later. Meanwhile, Hurbert, awesome game, great execution and find a way to add a row in africa, please. (I discovered this game late.) Brianthe Very Very Wise (i found the next button)

I think the whole concept of air/infantry/armor, for this kind of game works. Consider air as, sometimes elite armor, or versatile bombers, whatever. Punching holes in the defense is what, for the most part, The aircraft intended to do. The primary issue here, and in most of the posts, is in trying to make a fair time line, and so in many ways, the realism you are hoping for, will not work. So you have to abstract. I think I will start a post on this.

Being, probably, redundant, relevant to this thread and those that have gone before, I would say this: 1) The goal of course, is quite simply, an easy to play version of World War 2, et all. This platform can't handle this, though I would love if it could. The closest to a game coming to that would be a) CommandHQ - bad graphics, but excellently done; Empire Deluxe - They actually did this well, for their time; c) Axis and Allies - with the worst AI ever seen in modern times (the board game was fair, and fun, but to me it seems likes someone got really high and found a simplistic eureka, made it appear realistic, semi, and made it into a game. I still love it, like I like Risk too, but come on). 2) Since Clash of Steel, I've been working on a playable platform, that could and should work. I have no sponsers, yet. Hint. The key, I think, is finding a way to merge the differences of land combat on the European Front, with the naval perspective on the Pacific front. They clash, for one is a matter of campaigns, and the latter is a matter of inserting a second by second risk factor, aka, Midway, without making the Pacific War a matter of attrition. 3) I think it can be done. I think that SC could be the platform, but with some serious radical changes, particularly a) Naval combat, b)Unit maxes), c)a second, tactical map. That is how my platform is following. Those are my thoughts.

Ok, this is a bit of a recap of my early strategy and how it worked against +2 axis, 1.0, and how it doesn't work against +2 axis, 1.3. In Brief: France fights alone, Britain invests entirely in research, the joint navies get rid of the two Uboats, scream down to the Med, and fight, France navy leading the way, the Italian navy. I have time to lose my french navy doing a kamikaze, with the British (the whole navy, aircraft carriers included), finishing up the Italian navy. France falls, and as the Axis then go after Vichy, then Spain and Gibralter, I vacate the entire Med: All British, new Free French, and newly allied Vichy french (including the two new fleets I get - I think that's a bug, actually. If i used them up in the first round, they shouldn't come back in the second, but that's another story). In 1.0 version, I was safe to do this. In 1.3 version, where I am getting crushed, the Italians landed units everywhere: Malta, Egypt, Tunisia, and moving up to Casablanca. I was very surprised! To say the least. Can't do that anymore. And mad (darned smart AI - don't fight if there is resistance, but if there isn't, take the freebees). As an aside, for the Brits, I buy nothing, just research, and even after maxed on this, I wait until the industrial is maxed or I can begin to invade with the help of U.S. Just thoughts, but I think, with the scale of the map as it is, the Med AI is just fine. AI landing in England, etc, is another story, but I think this is a major challenging game. Can't wait to try my hand at playing the "experts">Smile, Taunt,

So many other suggestions have been posted, all good, some I like, and some, well, seem iffy... But I haven't heard this one suggested, and am not sure how it will fly: I would like a "Next button", to help scroll through the unmoved, unchecked units. Sometimes, when things get exciting, I forget to check a navy here, or a unit there. But a "Next" button, would be the last thing I would do, before turning control over to the evil enemy. Thoughts?