Edwin P.

Night, A most interesting concept. To Plunder or Not to Plunder, that is the question Plunder = Cash No Plunder = Minimal Effect on War Readiness of Major Powers

Bill Macon and Dan Fenton; Many thanks for a great strategy manual.

Xwormwood, Interesting idea, each allied unit sent to the Pacific theater might have freed more Russian units to join the Siberian transfer. [ June 22, 2003, 05:54 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

If the French had advanced warning of the German invasion of Belgium, might not they had invaded first to secure defensible lines along the river and blow the bridges?

7. Invasion Weather From January thru March there is a 66% per turn that no invasions can be launched north of hex (XX,15)due to the effects of severe winter weather conditions. (adapted from JerseyJohn's comments in another thread). This means that one can launch an invasion during 1 of 3 winter months on average. Of course, your transports have to be in position to take advantage of this break in the weather. [ June 23, 2003, 09:45 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

JerseyJohn Thanks for your comments. One reason why I did not have Iraq as starting British from turn 1 is that the game is pretty well balanced as is and giving Iraq to the Germans human player via a coup would be most favorable to the AI. Why? The current AI has no Med strategies to follow; i.e. abandon the Med for the Atlantic, sink the Italian Fleet, Defend the Middle East, or Conquer the Med (ie Sink Italian Fleet then take Iraq then conquer Libya then take Greece then Sicily, etc). If Germany gets Iraq the AI would never mount an invasion to liberate it. [ June 22, 2003, 04:23 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

Although no new updates are planned, here are some suggestions for the SC Rules/Variations Section of the setup screen: 1. AI Tech Bonus - AI for Germany and UK would receive 1 bonus tech chits at start of 1939,1940, 1941 and 1942 to compensate for minimal tech investing by AI routines. (or 2 Chits in January of 1940 and 1941) This will make for a more balanced game vs human opponents. 2. FOW off for AI / On for Human This will help the AI to play a better game vs humans. 3. Spanish Partisans (15%/75%) This encourages players to garrison a conquered Iberia. 4. Russian Winter - 33% per winter turn (1 turn per year) - Air fleets in Russia/Finland are grounded - Units in Russia/Finland cannot use operational movement. 5. Random Spotting - Airfleets have a 95% to spot units in land hexes - Airfleets have an 80% to spot units in ocean hexes - Airfleets have a 30% to spot Subs in ocean hexes. - 5% per turn that these percentages are reduced by 20% due to bad weather 6. Historical Iraq - Iraq becomes a UK ally as of a specific date if not controlled by the Axis. Historically the UK crushed a coup by Iraqis and retained control of the oil fields. This would give the UK AI a needed boost without requiring an allied invasion. Of these ideas: Greatest Effect in AI Games: #1 and #2 and #6 Greatest Effect in HvsH Games: #3 and #4 and #5 [ June 23, 2003, 09:52 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

Thanks for the link. I know that it is unrealistic, I just keep hoping for an update that will include a new feature of game changing proportions - ie the three city supply source for Russia. Example: - Simplified FOW for Air Fleets Spotting Naval Units - Norwegian/Swedish Axis Invasion - Axis AI concentrates Air Fleets on the Eastern Front instead of keeping 2 or 3 air units in France - Allied AI move Egyptian Fleet to Atlantic or move navy ships to med to sink Italian fleet - New Tech - Post Surrender Partisans for Spain/Russia - Allies Attack Iraq/Ireland for MPPs - Axis AI more likely to attack Vichy/Spain/Denmark at Expert level - Axis Sea Lion if Axis spies radio in low level of land units in England and most of UK navy sighted in Mediterrean Ocean. - Random Scenario Selector; System selects a random scenario starting with a "1939" text string. - Random location for subs in North Atlantic - FOW On for Human, OFF for AI Option - Reclaim Tech Chits AI Routine (ie If Moscow or Rostov or Stalingrad falls Russia reclaims all tech chits to buy Corps/Army units) - Option to give AI opponent 1 free tech chit every game year (1939/40/41) as AI seems to avoid investing in tech chits - AI Tech Bonus Option (on/off). Who knows, Hubert said that 1.06 was the last upgrade and here comes 1.07. [ June 21, 2003, 10:20 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

JP Wagner I like your zones, very clearly laid out. A most interesting read, especially on what effects weather. As for how to determine the zone - JP has it by country. The only other zones to add are the Atlantic and Eastern Med and Western Med. As for effects: Winter: Clear: No effect Snow: Spotting Chance reduced by 50%, spotting range reduced, AP reduced by 1 Major Storm: All planes grounded, AP reduced by 3, Can Not Operate in or out of region. Summer: Clear: No Effect Rain: Spotting Chance reduced by 50% Major Storm: All Planes Grounded

Weather effect should vary by zone. Although you might have bad weather over the atlantic at the same time you could have clear weather over France. I would divide the map into several weather zones. You could have good weather in some zones and bad weather in other zones. Example: North Atlantic - Major Storm, Air Fleets Grounded, No Air Spotting by Air Fleets South Atlantic - Clear Weather Italy - Low Cloud Cover - Spotting Chance reduced by 50% for Air Fleets Egypt/Syria/Libya - Clear Skies Russia - Major Blizzard, Action points reduced by 2, Air Fleets Grounded.

As was pointed out earlier in this post Rockets can't be transported. Some have suggested that rockets should operate like air units. I disagree. Air Fleets fly to location, rocket units have to be diassembled and loaded onto freight trains, travel via rail and then be reassembled at their final location. A much more time consuming and less flexible process. I do think that one should be able to transport rocket units via ship; however, it should be expensive to do so.

Leopard Excellent idea, it really adds a degree of tactical control to this game of strategic warfare and would also give the Germans a chance to move their subs without being seen by Allied air/carrier fleets. It would also make the hunt for the German subs more exciting. Perhaps Hubert will consider adding a simplified version of your FOW ideas into 1.07 before its official release . Example Air Fleets % to Spot Surface Naval Ships and Transports in an ocean hex (not a port hex) Air Fleets % to Spot Subs in an ocean hex. [ June 21, 2003, 10:54 AM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

In fact, I think that Italy upon entering the war must retreat their naval forces to the northern reaches of the Adriatic where attacks by the allied navy can by reduced to a 2 front and covered by axis air power. The big problem of the Italians is that the Allies sometimes mass a huge fleet of French and UK naval units around Malta and then DOW on Italy, attacking and sinking half of the Italian navy in one turn while landing 1 or corps in Italy to sieze the port of Bari. A Pearl Harbor in reverse. The only con to this strategy is that the UK fleet is concentrated in the Med and if Frane falls quickly the Germans have the option to launch a Sea Lion, before the UK navy can return to the Atlantic and the Germans can operate several air units to Sicily, from where they can attack any Allied Naval units attempting to flee West. Of course, if the Allies don't sink the Italian fleet then the Axis powers are in position to take Egypt, Lebanon, and Iraq. [ June 21, 2003, 10:22 AM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

I think the question is whether disbanding the ships represent; A> Prewar allocation of resources away from ships In which case the disbanding of ships is a simplified way to represent this. B> In War diversion of resources (supplies, personnel, cash) from the Navy to the Army. In which case the chance for the Germans to capture the keels of ships would encourage the French to disband ships in UK controlled ports, if that is possible and if they don't the Germans have the chance for a much stronger navy. As for which of your solutions I prefer, its definitly #1, as it gives the Allies an immediate MPP boost which they desperately need to hold the line against the German offensive. Your percentage of 25% insures that the Germans would gain the hulk of 1 ship on average, a fair and not unbalancing exchange for the remains of 3 to 4 French Naval vessels. A most interesting variable. [ June 21, 2003, 10:14 AM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

I usually; 1) Scrap the French Fleet or 2) Use it along with the British Fleet to sink/damage the Italian Navy, when German air power arrives I retreat the UK fleets to the Atlantic to guard against a Sea Lion and to the Eastern Med to guard against an invasion of Beruit/Suez/Egypt. If I sank 3 Italian Units, I try to keep 5 or 6 UK fleets in the Med, prepared to sink any Italian transports that venture towards Africa.

Leopard I like the option of having more units to select from. As you said, on some fronts you do not need the most modern weapons and some leaders might favor quantity over quality. Your idea for a varying tech path also reflects the differences in weapons design that each nation followed.

John DiFool Excellent Observation Customizable units would probably be on the category of major programming effort for minimal effect on game play. Whereas improved FOW, random starting locations, and more Techs would be simpler to program and have greater effect on gameplay vs Human and AI opponenets. Improved AI strategies would effect gameplay vs AI but not against humans but would affect more players, as more people play against the AI than humans. [ June 19, 2003, 08:30 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

Leopard I like your idea for making more unit types available as tech and jets level increases. Perhaps, the extra units would would be different. Not only strength but also other abilities - ie action points and other combat ratings. Ie a King Tiger might have a higher soft defense bonus but also fewer Action Points. The icon of unit type would be different. Perhaps when a new tech level is reached players could have the ability to customize their new units by sacrificing Action Points. Thus one german player might build fast moving tanks with a lower defense while others might build heavily armored tanks that move slower. Your tech level would control the maximum adjustment allowed. Example: Tank at tech 1: -1 AP, +1 SA or +1AP, -1SD Tank at tech 2: -2 AP, +2 SA or +2AP, -2SD or +1AP, -1SD Tank at tech 5: -5 AP, +5 SA (lumbering slow moving killing machine) [ June 19, 2003, 06:55 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

KDG I like your ideas for winter effects, especially if this only applied to units in a winter operational zone - ie Russia, Finland, North Europe, North Atlantic and not Spain, Italy, Greece, Egypt etc. CorsairBlue or you could give the player a choice of purchasing, at Armor Level 3; Tanks - Str 10 Tanks - Str 11 Tanks - Str 12 Tanks - Str 13 Thus a player would have a choice of buying more cheaper tanks or fewer more powerful tanks.

KDG Excellent points. Now what winter game changes would you use if the time scale stayed at 1 turn = 1 month for winter months? I would probably allow for a winter tech that would give each unit an extra Action Point per tech level during winter months and start the Fins and Russians at Winter Tech Level 1. Thus Russian and Finish units could move 1 extra hex during winter months. German units would move slower, reflecting their historical lack of preparation, unless their high command devoted resources to Winter Tech. [ June 19, 2003, 02:56 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

A few observations on Spotting Naval Units 1. Ships in Port - Spot 100% except if enemy air in area flying CAP - as they would be tied up at the dock and thats where planes would look 2. Ships at Sea - Spot 80% as the ocean is big and cloud cover can limit view of the ocean surface. 3. Subs at Sea - Spot 40% as its much harder to spot a sub than a surface ship. Of course each plane covering the area would have a 40% of spotting subs - which is why i suggested a low cost ASW Air Fleet (about 150MPP, much cheaper than a bomber fleet) with Max strength of 5 that can not intercept. The allies could station such ASW fleets in Ireland and Canada to detect subs raiding the convoy routes and direct they Naval ships in for the kill. Each tech level in subs would reduce the chance for air units spotting subs by 5%. Of course during bad weather (5% during Spring-Summer-Fall) and 33% during winter months spotting chance would be reduced perhaps by 20%. [ June 19, 2003, 02:43 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

A most excellent idea. Although the default setting should be combat air patrol, having the ability to select the other two modes would make for a more interesting game, while not increasing its complexity. I would also have weather affect spotting, possibly by reducing the spotting range of aircraft or decreasing the chance of spotting a unit. Sprig/Summer/Fall: 5%/turn Bad Weather -20% Spotting Chance Winter: 33%/turn Bad Weather -50% Spotting Chance [ June 18, 2003, 07:19 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

KDG and JerseyJohn Many thanks for the tips. I will try them both. By making the Ireland Axis I was trying to force the AI to follow the same attack Ireland strategy used by many players. [ June 18, 2003, 07:06 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

Since the Allies will never attack Eire, I created a scenario with Ireland starting out as part of the Axis. First few turns - UK Bomber, Carriers, Air Fleet, Battleship attack Dublin and gain experience. Good. Then the Dublin corps is destroyed and the city gets bombed to a value of 1. Understandable. Then everything goes wrong. The UK invades Ireland with 2 Corps and 1 Army Unit, which are now stuck in Ireland. The UK should have used only 1 corps. Any suggestions? Perhaps starting Ireland as part of the Allies and giving the UK an equivalent amount of plunder, but this does not give the UK Carrier units the experience they would have gotten from attacking Dublin.

Jersey John Thanks for the links, they are most interesting with the varied approaches that they present.