dgaad

Go Here to get it : Game Stuff Web Site - Historicity Mod v1.1 "HISTORICITY MOD for Strategic Command" Game Version : 1.05 Historicity Mod Version : 1.1 The Historicity Mod is designed to give better play balance to PBEM games, and provide more accurate historical changes to the campaign and thus, more interesting and challenging play for AI and PBEM games. The general idea is to add those changes which materially help the allies, but which also give the Germans some positive benefits and changes that reflect the orientation of the German army in 1939. On the whole, however, this mod will make it easier for the Allies. German strategy which focusses on "Blitzkreig" style operations will benefit from this mod. German strategy which significantly deviates from the historical orientation of the German army in this period would probably not do as well as such strategies would in the unmodded campaign. I felt that to make a number of changes only to help the allies might balance the game, but make people less willing to play Germany. In addition, the changes for Germany do I believe reflect a more accurate starting stance for the German army at this stage of the war. Send comments to : dgaad@legionhq.net Website : http://legionhq.net/GameStuff/ UNITED STATES : +2 research points when US enters the war (from +1 in the original). The US had excellent research capacity that was easily turned to wartime functions, the most notable being the Manhattan Project. 5% neutrality setting (original : 0%). US tends to enter too late. +450 MPPs to initial US production (original : 0), to represent the immediate gearing up of the US for war. (Note : its kind of like the US looting itself, just as it did historically when enormous amounts of consumer goods were immediately scrapped for military production -- like the seizure of the entire stock of rubber tires, new or used, in country by the government a few weeks after the war began). (Second Note : I highly recommend that the US player DISBAND some of the initial starting Armies in the US. In the first place, these armies did not actually exist. In the second place, disbanding of these units adds an enormous number of MPPs to the US pool which could be used to build up research rather rapidly, and thus make future builds both more effective and cheaper). US initial Industrial Production tech level set to 2 (original : 1). Gives US same industrial production tech level as the Soviet Union. ITALY : Neutrality setting to 55% (from 65%). Italy tends to enter before the Germans even attack France. Mussolini intentionally waited to the very last second, thinking the war was just about over anyway. FRANCE : Algerian Corps given +1 experience. These troops were highly competent and highly valued. The Germans suffered a high proportion of casualties in battle against them in early June, 1940 -- after it already appeared to everyone that France was going to lose. All Maginot units given an entrenchment value of 3. France given Heavy Tanks-2. Relative to Germany, French armor was better armored and better armed, though slightly slower. The difference was a doctrine of dispersal as opposed to the German doctrine of mass. DCR Tank Group added with a strength of 2, located south of Paris. It must be built up before its of much use, but it does reflect the enormous number of good tanks the French had, some of which were grouped into tank units instead of dispersed along the front. The French had approximately 3 division equivalents of independent tank demi-brigades which had as many tanks as the core elements of a Panzer Division. With Heavy Tanks-2, it will be very difficult to build this unit up because of the cost to do so and the low French economy, but even at low power it should give more of a challenge to the French campaign. French "Alpes" unit added to mountain hexes bordering Italy; corps, strength 7, entrenched 2. French Fleet in the Atlantic moved to Bordeaux. The French do not get an MPP "war mobilization" bonus as the British, USSR and US do. POLAND : Army Pomorze changed to start strength 8. Polish mobilization was not completed at war's start. Southernmost Polish corps given an entrenchment value of 2. The Katowice and Krakow areas were heavily fortified. Polish units in the "Danzig Corridor" moved to reflect more accurate Polish deployments. The Poles for political reasons had to adopt a "frontier defense" strategy which included defending the Corridor, since the control of the Corridor was the alleged reason for the conflict in the first place. The option of defense in depth, which was considered by the Polish command, was rejected for this political reason. The Poles did not expect to be able to hold the Corridor indefinately, however no one expected the effects of a Blitzkrieg operation -- total collapse of Polish resistance in a matter of weeks. (Note : these deployments will make it easier for the Germans to get to Warsaw in one fell swoop, which is what in fact happened; advanced German units reached the outskirts of Warsaw on September 6th). GERMANY : Luftflotte I and IV given +1 experience. This represents the extensive experience the Luftwaffe had already gotton in Spain. German 9th, 12th and 23rd Corps, Germany's western frontier, are given either +3 and +2 entrenchment values. Also the 23 corps is relocated closer to the Rhine and gets river benefit. These corps, and the German 9th Corps in Essen also have their strength changed to either 8 or 9, to represent the fact that divisions along the Western frontier were not fully mobilized at war's start. They were division cadres, largely, in the process of mobilization. German Rundstedt HQ is given initial experience of 1 (original : 0 ) to represent the traditions of the Prussian General staff, which resulted in a large body of competent and experienced officers in the German army. Also, the theories of Guderian and others gave the German Wehrmacht a confidence in novel operations that other armies lacked at the time. The Bock unit was not modified, because Guderian's changes were opposed by more than half the General Staff ! German panzer groups set to experience 1 (original : 0) to reflect the novel organizing concepts of Panzer Warfare, which gave the Wehrmacht a concentration of panzer units and a solid doctrine on use of them in battle, a doctrine which had been taught and practised extensively since 1934, and to some extent used in real battle in Spain. All German Armies (but not Corps) are set to experience 1. Essentially the reason for this is that there is little question that German infantry units were generally much more effective than equal numbers of any other nation's infantry, at least in 1939-40 and beyond. As these Armies take casualties and get reinforced, particularly after an invasion of Russia, for example, this will be of less effect. Germany gets Jet Engines-1. Luftflottes I and IV are increased to strength 11, Luftflotte II is decreased in starting strength to 5. The German air forces were not fully mobilized at the start of the Polish Campaign. Germany gets Heavy Tanks-1. Represents the Blitzkrieg doctrine which had been in development since 1934. Also, in September 1939 the Germans were quite close to large scale deployment of Pz III and IV tanks. Strength of at start panzer units increased to 11. Germany does not get a "war mobilization" bonus. Germany had been mobilizing for war to the limit of their domestic resources as determined by Hitler for several years, which is the reason they start with a superior force in the first place. Germany starts with Advanced Subs-2 to represent the 25 year development of sub doctrine which began in WW1 and carried through largely without interruption to WW2. Sub Fleets in Atlantic set to strength 12, and moved more to the northwest. Sub fleet in Baltic set to strength 7. Start location of one German Cruiser unit changed to historical deployment near Danzig. BRITAIN : Western Desert Force Tank Group added in Egypt with an initial strength of 2, making it essentially useless. However, it can be built up rapidly and saves the British the trouble of having to build one and run the Med gauntlet. Wavell HQ added to Egypt with a strength of 4. British 8th Army added to Egypt with a strength of 3. British "BEF" Army added to Manchester with a strength of 3, experience 1. The BEF was deployed in October 1939. There is no way to do this in the game unless this is done. Experience rating reflects extraordinary quality of this core of British troops, which will be dissipated by reinforcement (British mobilization drafts). Britain gets 80 MPPs extra at start to represent Commonwealth and Polish war mobilization. Britain gets Jet Engines-1 (but the strength of the British airfleet is not changed). All British Naval Surface units in the game are Experience-1 at start (this does NOT include carriers). British get an additional Cruiser Unit located in the south Atlantic with a start strength of 6. This represents the Lend Lease destroyers given to Britain in 1940. It will take some time to move this unit up to Britain where it can be reinforced to full strength (representing the need to incorporate these destroyers into the Royal Navy). In sum, this unit should be ready for operations by mid-1940. It does NOT get the experience bonus that other RN surface units get because the destroyers sent to Britain were old WW1 tubs. USSR : USSR gets 120 MPPs for "war mobilization" (and the halting of materials shipments to Germany under the Non-Aggression pact). USSR gets Heavy Tanks-2. While on a pure technology level, in game terms, the USSR should probably get Heavy Tanks-3, the reality was that Soviet armor organization and tactics left much to be desired in 1939-1941. When the Germans attacked in 1941, the Soviets had realized that their armor doctrine and tactics were unwieldy, and were in the process of changing over -- unfortunately the Germans struck at the moment these changes were about to take place so they could not be implemented until the Germans were checked later in 1941. RECOMMENDED PLAY SETTINGS ALL GAMES Fog of War OFF / ON (I'm undecided on this one). Soviet Partisans ON Scorched Earth ON Free French Units ON Yugoslavian Partisans ON War in Siberia OFF All country war entries set to RANDOM AI Games As Allies : +50% Intermediate +1 Computer Experience. As Germans : +50% Intermediate === end ===

And if prior experience with Paradox products are any guide, extremely buggy.

Reinforcements or New Units ? Which should be cheaper? Pick your horse, then ride it. One type of troop is more expensive than the other. The historical data (in Mark Harrison's book - The Economics of WW2) suggest that a replacement system is much less expensive than a system which emphasizes the construction of new units preferentially over replacing existing ones. Second Point : Game Scale, people. Each hex is close to 100 miles. Having units "adjacent" doesn't do jack to the ability to replace units, or to construct new ones for that matter. Third Point : Game Scale, people. MPPs represent, imho, much more than simply economic capacity. Since they can be stored, they also represent part of the replacement pool. They represent the mobilized but as yet undeployed field formations. They represent a host of things. Fourth Point : Game Scale, again. Some of you complain about armies being reinforced from 1 to maximum in one turn. The loss of strength points doesn't necessarily mean loss due to direct battle, nor is it a good indicator of number of men lost. It represents loss of combat power. More than 60% of the total firepower of formations in WW2 was artillery tubes. A unit could lose a great deal of its combat power, due to loss of these tubes -- or for other reasons -- and yet, as a large-sized formation, still have most of its men. Correspondingly, a loss of combat power like this CAN be restored very quickly. Fifth Point : Operational movement and Game Scale. In early August, 1942, the Germans approached Stalingrad. It was at this time that the Red Army began shipping approximately 40 divisions that had been held in reserve to guard against a possible German offensive against Moscow. Within two weeks, most of these units were in place in the Stalingrad area. In SC terms, this could be A) the operational movement of two armies to Stalingrad while two German armies were adjacent to Stalingrad or the creation of two new Soviet Armies in or around Stalingrad from the MPP pool (representing the deployment of mobilized but undeployed reserves).

Part VI - Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust July 11, 1943 US develops Industrial Tech-5 UK develops Heavy Bombers-2 The Russians flood into the Balkans opposed only by a single Roumanian corps, taking some of the Ploesti Oil after hitting it with long range rocket attacks. All told, the entire German front against the Russians now consists of 6 depleted corps, and a Hungarian corps in Budapest. Unless the Germans are able to rebuild their front, at this point, it is only a matter of months, not years, before the Russians will overrun Germany. The Allies march on Rome and destroy the Italian corps in the city, but lack the remaining movement to enter it. It remains an open question as to whether the Italians will be able to defend it next turn by moving additional forces down from the north of Italy. Between Russian attacks on Ploesti and the increasingly large British bomber force, the Germans have lost over 20 MPPs, and total production is down by strategic attacks by about 10% now, a figure which is only going to increase as time goes on. South and Central Europe, July, 1943 July 25, 1943 UK develops Long Range Aircraft-1 Allied planners now anticipate the war will be over by the end of 1943. The Soviet Juggernaut has torn the German Eastern Front Wide open. Koenigsburg and Prussia have been overrun, two German corps destroyed. Soviet Armored forces exploit the gap and approach the Oder river, near Berlin. Warsaw has been encircled and reduced. A German HQ is all thats left of the encircled forces in the Crimea. A Soviet corps also approaches Prague. The Americans have shattered the Italian front and taken Rome. The most interesting and perhaps laughable thing to yet happen in the war : The German corps at Brest has embarked by sea transport, apparently heading for Gibraltar which was demilitarized by the British last year. The first American strategic bomber force was relocated to Gibraltar by emergency transport. August 8, 1943 Allied command has received "peace feelers" from Germany through the embassy in Norway. We instructed our Counsel in Norway to file a sexual harassement suit against the Germans. Peace feelers, ha. Do you think I'm some floozy you just met in a bar? Understandably, the Germans are quite nervous. Army Group north has been decimated and cut off in Riga. A massive Soviet attack force lines up on the Oder. Encircled Warsaw falls to heavy Soviet attacks. The Roumanians continue to hold in Bucharest, but that is simply a question of time now. The surrender of Italy with their "Jet Engines-5" and all that, gives the Americans an enormous injection of the highly controlled substance known as MPPs, which will naturally be used to build up the bomber force and prepare for an invasion of Northwest Europe -- an invasion which appears to be increasingly unnecessary. A British tank force entered the port in Albania and was received as liberator. It immediately moved into Yugoslavia to threaten German occupation of that country. August 22, 1943 Riga falls to Soviet troops. The last tiny bits of German troops in the Crimea learn the meaning of "medieval". The Germans launch a counter-attack along the Oder in a last ditch attempt to stave off the inevitable, and succeed in reducing a Soviet Corps. That's okay, we got more. Along the Oder Front, massive Soviet forces continue to gather for the final assault on Berlin. The main problem at the moment is getting an HQ unit there, as the troops are far from their start points only a few months ago (Minsk). However, Soviet tank armies manage to manuver across the oder and attack German rear area units outside of Hamburg. Something that would have been a great event only a few months ago barely gets mention in Isvestia; Roumania has fallen to the Red Army under Zhukov. The Allies desperately try to piece together an invasion force in the hopes of establishing a presence on the Continent before total German collapse. New Bradley and Montgomery HQs are constructed while at long last the American bomber forces move into position to join the bombing offensive which is now running out of targets. The entire Ruhr and Rheims mining and factory areas are totally destroyed, which knocks something on the order of 50 points out of the German MPP *production* not to mention the incidental damage caused in the bombing itself. September 5, 1943 Berlin continues to hold out, but is now endanger of strategic encirclement from Soviet forces to the north and south of it. German production is now below 200 MPPs per turn, from a high in 1942 of around 480. The Allies still are not in a position to invade, the collapse of Germany has happened too quickly. Patton's troops take Turin and head for Vichy. October 1943 Soviet troops capture Berlin and Prague. Leading Soviet armored forces reach the Rhine. This is really the end for Germany. They have very little left of their forces, and with the bombing campaign and the loss of the Ploesti oilfields, no way to really rebuild anything. The Allies move to the beach for an emergency Landing, Operation Ralph, to establish a foothold in Europe amidst German collapse. We can't have the Soviets overrunning France. They simply have no appreciation for good pate or quiesh, or lightbulbs. November 14, 1943 Allied troops manage to land in Holland and take Antwerp, while the Americans land in the Brittany peninsula but fail to actually occupy Brest. Patton's forces overrun Vichy and head north, thus providing a basis for the Allied takeover of France. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your political view of the postwar world, Germany surrenders. Comment : The Mod does permit a greater involvement of the Allies proportionately. Its difficult to evaluate the impact of the mod on the situation that developed on the Eastern Front. I've decided to make some more changes to the Mod, which is now being renamed to the Historicity mod. The new version of the Mod should allow greater potential for German strategic warfare which would have a more limiting effect on the Commonwealth in the Atlantic. It should also give greater power to the Commonwealth in the Med, and make it more of a battle there, particularly in PBEM / TCP/IP games. I do think the AI is too aggressive in the later portions of the game, wasting itself on fruitless attacks rather than selecting good defensive positions and entrenching. If there is any one thing I can point to for the Eastern Front collapse, it would be that. [ October 24, 2002, 02:56 AM: Message edited by: dgaad ]

In case you didn't notice, the mods to the game involve all the other nations in the game as well. The US changes are relatively minor : US production costs are reduced by 10%, and the at-start MPPs enable the purchase of perhaps 1 airfleet or 1 army and a corps -- VERY MINOR in the context of the game. Far be it for me to point the obvious out to you, though. There aren't any more changes to the US than there are to France, Britain, Germany, Italy, and, in the Historicity Mod, the Soviet Union as well. To the extent its possible to create and change campaigns, I believe that these changes are historically sound, and greatly balance out the game for PBEM play. On a personal note, EB, your opinions about the US war effort are well known and understood by myself and the SC community, and I personally don't want to hear any more about them. Your rote-parrot like recitation of the Stalinist view of the pre-war, war, and post-war history is not only offensive, its now boring as well. [ October 24, 2002, 05:07 PM: Message edited by: dgaad ]

Thats funny. What do you really think?

Will edited campaigns created with 1.04 work with this patch without problems? The Game Stuff Site - Historicity Mod for SC

Try out the Historicity Mod, which was designed with better PBEM play balance in mind. The Game Stuff Site - Historicity Mod for SC

I don't give two sheds . . . just kidding. No, not at all. I'm looking forward to and appreciate 1.05 as much as anyone. But there are so many good suggestions of players that really can't be included in the game for various reasons. A beefed up editor would add to the total value of the game and allow players who's changes don't get included in the patch to mod away to their heart's content.

The Historicity Mod The Game Stuff Site "HISTORICITY MOD for Strategic Command" Game Version : 1.04 Mod designed to give US a greater impact on the war in Europe, as well as some other small historicity changes to address PBEM play balance issues. US Changes : +2 research points when US enters the war (from +1 in the original). The US had excellent research capacity that was easily turned to wartime functions, the most notable being the Manhattan Project. 5% neutrality setting (original : 0%). US tends to enter too late. +450 MPPs to initial US production (original : 0), to represent the immediate gearing up of the US for war. (Note : its kind of like the US looting itself, just as it did historically when enormous amounts of consumer goods were immediately scrapped for military production -- like the seizure of the entire stock of rubber tires, new or used, in country by the government a few weeks after the war began). (Second Note : I highly recommend that the US player DISBAND some of the initial starting Armies in the US. In the first place, these armies did not actually exist. In the second place, disbanding of these units adds an enormous number of MPPs to the US pool which could be used to build up research rather rapidly, and thus make future builds both more effective and cheaper). US initial Industrial Production tech level set to 2 (original : 1). Gives US same industrial production tech level as the Soviet Union. Italy : Neutrality setting to 60% (from 65%). Italy tends to enter before the Germans even attack France. Mussolini intentionllly waited to the very last second, thinking the war was just about over anyway. France : Algerian Corps given +1 experience. These troops were highly competent and highly valued. The Germans suffered a high proportion of casualties in battle against them in early June, 1940 -- after it already appeared to everyone that France was going to lose. All Maginot units given an entrenchment value of 3. DCR Tank Group added with a strength of 2, located south of Paris. It must be built up before its of much use, but it does reflect the enormous number of good tanks the French had, some of which were grouped into tank units instead of dispersed along the front. French "Alpes" unit added to mountain hexes bordering Italy; corps, strength 7, entrenched 2. French Fleet in the Atlantic moved to Bordeaux. The French do not get an MPP "war mobilization" bonus as the British, USSR and US do. Poland : Southernmost Polish corps given an entrenchment value of 2. Germany : Luftflotte I and II given +1 experience. This represents the extensive experience the Luftwaffe had already gotton in Spain. German 12th and 23rd Corps, along the Rhine, given +3 and +2 entrenchment values. Also the 23 corps is relocated closer to the Rhine and gets river benefit. These corps, and the German 9th Corps in Essen also have their strength changed to 9, to represent the lack of full western defense mobilization (they were division cadres, largely, in the process of mobilization). German Rundstedt HQ is given initial experience of 1 (original : 0 ) to represent the traditions of the Prussian General staff, which resulted in a large body of competent and experienced officers in the German army. Also, the theories of Guderian and others gave the German Wehrmacht a confidence in novel operations that other armies lacked at the time. The Bock unit was not modified, because Guderian's changes were opposed by more than half the General Staff ! German panzer groups set to experience 1 (original : 0) to reflect the novel organizing concepts of Panzer Warfare, which gave the Wehrmacht a concentration of panzer units and a solid doctrine on use of them in battle, a doctrine which had been taught and practised extensively since 1934, and to some extent used in real battle in Spain. Germany gets Jet Engines-1 (but the strength of the airfleets is not changed). Germany does not get a "war mobilization" bonus. Germany had been mobilizing for war to the limit of their domestic resources as determined by Hitler for several years, which is the reason they start with a superior force in the first place. Germany starts with Advanced Subs-2 to represent the 25 year development of sub doctrine which began in WW1 and carried through largely without interruption to WW2. Sub Fleets in Atlantic set to strength 12, and moved more to the northwest. Sub fleet in Baltic set to strength 7. Britain : Western Desert Force Tank Group added in Egypt with an initial strength of 2, making it essentially useless. However, it can be built up rapidly and saves the British the trouble of having to build one and run the Med gauntlet. Wavell HQ added to Egypt with a strength of 4. British 8th Army added to Egypt with a strength of 3. British "BEF" Army added to Manchester with a strength of 3. Britain gets 80 MPPs extra at start to represent Commonwealth and Polish war mobilization. Britain gets Jet Engines-1 (but the strength of the British airfleet is not changed) USSR : USSR gets 120 MPPs for "war mobilization" (and the halting of materials shipments to Germany under the Non-Aggression pact). RECOMMENDED PLAY SETTINGS ALL GAMES Fog of War OFF Soviet Partisans ON Scorched Earth ON Free French Units ON Yugoslavian Partisans ON War in Siberia OFF All country war entries set to RANDOM AI Games As Allies : +50% Intermediate +1 Computer Experience. As Germans : +50% Intermediate === end === [ October 23, 2002, 10:29 PM: Message edited by: dgaad ]

Many of the suggestions of players are relatively decent ones, but perhaps most of these changes can't be implemented due to game scale and general playability considerations. With that in mind, how about beefing up the editor a bit to enable players more flexibility to make changes to the game? In particular, one thing that would greatly assist mod-making would be the ability to alter the map, and make such changes as increasing or decreasing the value of resources, or even adding a resource / oil / or factory square where there isn't one. I'm not talking about "expanding" the map because I realize that's not possible atm. But a feature like this, and perhaps some others that you could think of for the editor, would enable players to create mods that are more in line with either history or their conception of the kind of game they want.

Certainly. Immer Etwas and I are playing your scenario. </font>

With the campaign editor I believe its possible to come up with an acceptable mod that addresses game balance issues viz : the "25 German Airfleets" phenomenon. I wonder if people are willing to comment on or even work on this.

Free French units do not surrender when France surrenders. Any French unit located in CW territory becomes a Free French unit automatically. Are you using the latest version of the game, I wonder?

Lou and Norse should have a PBEM with a full AAR.

Part V - Into the Breach September 20, 1942 A banner week for Allied forces. The Soviets liberated Smolensk, recovered the Bryansk and Donbass mines, and are coming perilously close to knocking Finland out of the war. A deep penetration by a Soviet corps wiped out a Luftflotte along the Dniepr. Meanwhile, the Americans took Tripoli while the British reduced Tobruk to almost nothing. Cunningham's British RAF forces move down to near London, with 3 airfleets and one bomber unit, ready to assume air superiority over Northwest Europe. The Germans are replacing their Armies with Corps, but still losing territory. October 18, 1942 Another good week for all the Allied forces as it appears the German front in Russia is beginning to collapse. The German Kharkov group is surrounded, and Bock's HQ was reduced by half. Several more enemy units were destroyed in the process, while the Finnish army was totally destroyed; Helsinki should fall next turn. On the debit side, weakened German forces managed to recover the Donbass, but we don't expect they can hold it for long. Best of all, with the ultimate surrender of Finland and over 250 MPPs still in the Russian pool, and most Russian units at or near full strength, the Soviets will be able to greatly expand their forces. The British managed to take Tobruk. The British added another bomber fleet to the air units in England, and for the first time bombed the Ruhr district, causing a 6 MPP loss. Bombing losses to the German economy now exceed on average 1% of their total MPP reserve. Patton and all Allied forces in the Mediterranean now gearing up for an invasion of Sicily, the main purpose of which is to provide a massive airbase for attacks on Rome and the Italian peninsula. November 15, 1942 The Russian Front, November 1942 SU develops Rockets-4 Heavy fighting in the Kharkov area as the Soviets attempt to surround and destroy this elite German fighting group. A German counter attack cuts off several Soviet Armies, but a Soviet counter attack reduces the pocket and re-establishes the ring. Von Bock's HQ is severely mauled. Soviet armies enter Helsinki. German air technology creates new problems for the bomber offensive, and a CW air unit is lost in the air battles. Allied armies in the med continue to prepare for the Sicily offensive. December 13, 1942 UK develops Jet Engines-4 UK develops Heavy Tanks-1 USSR develops Rockets-4 The entire German Luftflotte is withdrawn from Russia due to Allied pressure. The German southern front in Russia undergoes total collapse, the only remaining German units south of Minsk are Bock's HQ and the encircled German corps in Kharkov. Konev and Popov's forces burst across the Dniepr and attack the Italian armies near Kiev, including the airfields containing fancy, almost magical, new types of airplanes called "Jets". A large German-allied force including Bock's HQ is cut off in the Crimean peninsula. Soviet Rocket units now have a strike range and attack value against all targets of 5. Finland surrenders, and we use the loot to purchase another Rocket unit. UK air forces in Britain destroy a German Luftflotte unit in Holland, and hit the Ruhr district again, causing a total of 12MPPs in damage, and reducing the production of the Ruhr mines by 70%. The US builds up a new HQ in the USA for use either to support the bombing effort or an invasion of Europe, but this is some ways off. February 7, 1943 UK develops Heavy Tanks-2 German counterattacks recovered Bryansk temporarily and restored a supply line to Kharkov, but this effort was immediately destroyed by the Soviet riposte which for the first time involved two rocket units. The last remaining panzer group in Russia was destroyed. The German front now consists of 7 infantry corps in the Minsk/Riga areas, and assorted HQs and Italians in the south. The Allies will move on Sicily next turn. In England, the Malta air fleet is recalled from the Med, and the strategic bombing force now has two bombers and three fighter fleets. Ruhr hit again this turn. I just noted that the Soviet Rockets also have a strategic attack of 5, this will be useful during periods of stalemate to hit targets such as ports and assist in the strategic attacks on the German economy. March 21, 1943 Italy develops Jet Aircraft-5. However, with only 130MPPs in their pool and zero Industrial development, I'm sure it will be quite impossible to build any new airfleets. Meanwhile, the existing Italian airfleet in the Ukraine is destroyed. Desperate German defenses in the Minsk area do not prevent the destruction of two more enemy units. The Germans simply cannot replace their losses. Enemy forces in the Crimea remain cut off and out of supply. The Americans move on Sicily, it will be interesting to see the German response as they are truly under pressure on all fronts now. Bombers knocked 10 MPP out of the German economy. April 18, 1943 US develops Jet Aircraft-2 US develops Long Range Aircraft-3 USSR develops Jet Aircraft-2 USSR develops Heavy Tanks-2 The American invasion of Sicily failed just by a hair to take Palermo, however Patton and the American air force remained in Algeria to continue to support the operation. The Russian army approaches full strength for all units, and holds a line running from Odessa - Minsk - Riga. The Germans continue to lose about 2 corps per turn, while the Russian MPP pool continues to grow. This situation is in the long run a bad omen for the Germans. The bomber offensive completely reduced the Reims and Ruhr mines, with very little loss. Its only a matter of a few turns now before the Americans are going to start contributing to that with new bomber fleets of their own under Eisenhower. May 16, 1943 UK develops Industrial Tech-5 UK develops Anti-Tank Weapons-2 The Soviet offensive opens up on the Minsk front. Two German corps destroyed by ground, air and rocket attack. Minsk surrounded and reduced but holding out. Konev moves against Kiev directly but the Italians hold on. Chuikov works on the reduction of the Crimean pocket. The German navy puts in an appearance near Riga and sinks a Soviet ship, but the price paid is an air attack which nearly sinks the German. The Americans destroy the Italian corps in Palermo but cannot as yet move in. An American army is sent to land in the Italian boot as a distraction while The Auch's forces prepare for landings near Rome. June 12, 1943 Minsk has fallen to the Red Juggernaut. Every German corps along the lines north of Minsk is severly damaged if not destroyed. Kiev falls to Konev. The American 4th Army snuck into Taranto under the noses of the Italian command! Auchinlek's 8th Army and support rapidly follow up with immediate entry into the port giving the allies a large force in southern Italy. As for Rome, I'd like the Americans to have the opportunity to take it, since they badly need the MPPs for a bomber force. The British have the best allied fighters, but they lack the range to hit deep. The Americans have better range but lesser quality despite massive research efforts. Nevertheless, the hope is that the quality of the American bomber force will improve, giving the Allies the ability to hit deep into Germany. June 27, 1943 Soviet troops arrive at the German border near Prussia. German fleet eliminated in the Baltic. Konev takes Odessa, two Rocket Units redeployed there to assist in the reduction of Romania, possibly using strategic attacks as well. Elsewhere Soviet troops approach Riga and Warsaw. The British 8th Army and an American army move up to attack Rome but, as expected, defenses are tough. Patton should be arriving soon in some form. [ October 23, 2002, 02:33 AM: Message edited by: dgaad ]

What intelligence? The Italians weren't planning on joining the war unless France was near defeat. The German victory in late May took the Italians by surprise as much as anyone else. By that time, it was far too late for the Allies to do anything about it, much less invade Italy.

There were almost no large scale evacuations during the war in Russia. EXCEPT see below. There are a host reasons for this, so far as I know. 1. As a practical matter, the Soviets simply had neither the plans, practice, rail rolling stock, or even the expertise to conduct such operations. This was true when the Soviets launched most of the territory they were to lose in 1941, but the truth of this matter also extends into 1942 and 1943 when the Germans took over huge areas in South Russia, and during the German recovery of the Donbass and Kharkov in early 1943. 2. Stalin's general view, which was explicitly stated on several occasions, was that the people living in those areas were *responsible* for the loss of the area, not the army. Accordingly, they would have to suffer the pain of occupation. Stalin felt that this policy would have a "tonic" effect on the citizenry should the Germans push on to other cities. Of course, this is a completely skewed view of the capabilities and culpability of the Soviet citizen. 3. Stalin also stated and implemented this policy for the reason that, if there were Soviet citizens in the front line or which remained behind as the Germans advanced, it would be easy thereafter to mobilize the population either to assist the army (which was done on a large scale by, for example, digging anti-tank ditches) or to mobilize the citizenry in a partisan role. 4. As the Russians lost more and more of their prime grain producing areas, they were less and less able to feed the population remaining in Soviet-held areas. Stalin knew that if large scale evacuations had been done, the food situation in Soviet held areas would become critical -- if not impossible. So, in his view, it was better to leave the citizens to their fate at the hands of the Germans than to have to feed millions of refugees. ==== The cost to the ordinary citizen for these policies were immense. Approximately one-half of all loss of life occurred among the citizenry, mostly due to German brutality, but also due to starvation and the collateral damage of battle. I read a story of one Soviet soldier at the front near Moscow who's hometown was in his sector of the front, but behind German lines. Late in 1941, the orders came down to begin shelling that town with all the regularity permitted by the supply of ammo. It was known among all the Soviet soldiers that the citizens of that town had been forced to stay there, and this one man pleaded with his commander to spare the town as his own relatives would be under fire and likely killed. Of course, you can guess that his request was refused, and he was sent to a penal battalion for making it. Edit Note : just after I wrote this I remembered that there were large scale evacuations of citizens in the Soviet Union during the war. However, they were not to save the citizens. There were large numbers of people of German stock living in various areas in Russia. I forget exactly which towns these were, but they were sort of like German colonies that had been formed in the 17th-18th-19th centuries when the Tsars had had on occasion very friendly relations with various German states such as Prussia. Stalin had these communities uprooted and sent to Siberia to work essentially as slaves for Soviet war industry. Their crime was of course being ethnically German, though they knew little of Germany and many of them no longer spoke German at all. Some of these movements involved over 200,000 souls. There were a couple of other ethnic groups this happened to during the war, but I can't remember the details. One of them I know was in the area south of the Don River. [ October 22, 2002, 03:46 PM: Message edited by: dgaad ]

Part IV The Sound and the Fury January 11, 1942 US joins the Allies. The 1st and 2nd Sacrificial Lamb Corps were destroyed at Smolensk and Kharkov, respectively, and German corps punched through to approach Voronezh and Moscow. Counter-attacks did not occur at Moscow except by air. An Italian army near Rostov was destroyed again this turn. The Soviets add another army to Konev's Front in the south; those resources must be protected. Soviet MPPs now below 400 while Germans are around 411. At long last, the British attack Persia, only to see the great and glorious Persian / Iraqi army hold out in Baghdad with 3 points. The American air fleet moves to Malta with a view to assisting in the Med. March 8, 1942 Soviets transfer Siberian Army, altering the ratio of force on the Eastern Front. A few German attacks cause some casualties to the frontline units, but little else. Germany developed Industrial Tech 1. No developments for the British who have had 4 or more research points in the same technology area for most of the war. Brits add 1 RP to Long Range Aircraft. US gets industrial tech 1. US invests additional RP into Long Range Aircraft. The Soviet counter-offensive opens up at Rostov with the destruction of one German and one axis allied corps, with severe damage to a third axis allied army. Troops along the rest of the front move into position and await the operational movement of HQs to the area to gain the added benefit. The Persian offensive fails to destroy the Persian army which will no doubt be rebuilt by the Germans. Most US forces sit on their collective duffs. April 5, 1942 Persian offensive finds success at last, destroying the Persian army there. The UK takes possession of the rich land of free MPPs. Italy developed Jet Aircraft-1. SU develops Anti Tank Weapons-1. Still no developments for the British. The counter-offensive on the Russian Front has developed, destroying one German army near Leningrad with the assistance of the battered Baltic fleet, several units near Rostov, one corps in front of Moscow. Attempts to destroy the highly experienced German 4th Army met with failure. US takes some preliminary action to prepare for landings in either Portugal or North Africa. The Russian Front - April 1942 May 3, 1942 Italy now has the best aircraft in the war with Jet Engines-2. SU develops Rockets-2. At long last UK gets Industrial Tech-1 (!). That has to be some kind of 1 in a million thing that it took that long. I should note that, for the Russians, rockets are now more effective than aircraft at attacking ground units. Two Soviet Guards Tank armies destroyed by German counterattacks outside Smolensk. Eremenko shatters the northern front of the Germans, breaking through to destroy a full strength Luftflotte unit, and swinging down to Smolensk with one corps to finally and completely destroy the German 4th Army. The German South Army Group Panzer Group is destroyed in front of Rostov. German forces in Russia are now reduced to 3 Panzer Groups, 2 Luftflotte and 1 Italian air unit, only 3 German armies, and miscellaneous Italian and axis allied armies and corps, and naturally a few German corps. However, we have largely destroyed the experience base of the German forces. On the Allied side, the decision has been taken to take Vichy possessions off the continent, so the Commonwealth forces in Persia re-align for attacking Syria. US forces, which are now quite sizeable, are enroute to Algeria. The Allies still lack the MPPs to start a serious bombing campaign. However, we did launch a strike on Antwerp that cost the Germans 4 MPP. May 31, 1942 Iraq surrenders and the UK plunders 200+ MPP. German counterattacks on the Russian front destroy one Soviet corps but are otherwise unable to do much more. Several withdrawals took place, notably on Eremenko's front. UK develops Industrial Tech-2. US develops Industrial Tech-3. Research is now liberally spread out all over the board, so we can expect tech advances in several areas per turn. German MPP pool reduced to 493. The Soviets develop some minor counter-attacks that cause a little damage, also employing a rocket unit for the first time in history. Soviet MPP down to around 60 as most losses, particularly the air units, are replaced. We recover the Donbass mining region; while this reduces German MPP production, it remains to be seen whether we can hold it. The US Algeria invasion force will be approaching the landing area next turn, with invasion following the turn after, sometime in July. "The Auch" replaces his losses. We approach parity with the Luftwaffe in the West, with additional fighter construction in Britain and the US, we should achieve air superiority within a month or two, assuming German MPPs are soaked up in Russia. June 21, 1942. German MPP production 413, German MPP pool at 465. UK MPP production 171, UK develops Industrial Tech-3 US MPP prod is 180 (huge surprise. Not). USSR MPP prod is 387. USSR develops Anti-Tank Weapons-2 Germany loses 4MPP to bombing. Massive German counter-attacks in the Donbass and Kharkov area, 1 Soviet army destroyed. Soviet response is largely stalemated, with counter-attacks in the Kharkov area netting virtually nothing. The Germans are rebuilding the Leningrad front (more like the Riga front) with new corps and one panzer group. The front near Smolensk under heavy pressure from the Soviets but the German line will not crack. US forces move to the Algerian coast and will land next turn. July 5, 1942. German MPP production 411, German MPP pool at 417. Germans develop Jet Engines-1 UK MPP production 181, UK develops Industrial Tech-4 USSR MPP prod is 387. USSR develops Jet Engines-1 German attacks near Smolensk destroy a Soviet Corps. Elsewhere attacks in the Baltic area reduce some Soviet Armies. Germans recover Donbass. The Germans were unable to replace all of their losses from last turn. Soviet attacks destroy a Finn corps in the Karelian Isthmus and a German corps near the Baltic, while severely reducing a few more armies and corps. Sevastopol continues to hold out and counterattack to inflict losses there. In a great triumph of expediency, the Allies declare war on Vichy France and completely overrun Syria and Algeria, destroying as well the French cruiser in Algeria. Patton takes over in Algeria, supported by almost the entire American army in the ETO, and two American air fleets in the Med -- one based at Gibraltar and the other at Malta. July 19, 1942 No tech developments. German production increased to 431 due to takeover of European Vichy. German General Von Bock has 4 experience, and is the source of many of our problems in the Kharkov area; an attack by one full strength Soviet corps on his HQ resulted in nothing, unfortunately. Soviet attacks in Kharkov failed to destroy any German units, but did destroy one axis allied army. In the Smolensk and Baltic areas, one German corps was destroyed and German armor severely reduced. We seem to be gaining the upper hand in the Central area, supported by 3 air fleets and the rocket unit. I wish I could build more, but the economy is sucked up by replacing losses. The Allies, flush with the Syrian / Algerian triumph, can't really do much at this point, except prepare to reduce Lybia and possibly Sicily, to provide a base for attacking Italy and the Dirty Underpants (or, something) of Europe. With respect to future Allied operations, it may even be possible to take Rome in one fell swoop if properly supported by airpower. We shall see. August 2, 1942 No tech developments. UK production, thanks to Iraq, now exceeds US production. The Germans sneakily snuck into Rostov and captured the town. I have been in the habit of no longer leaving corps garrisons in the towns, to feed more and more troops into the battles. This is the price paid. For the Germans, however, the situation north of Kharkov, in the Smolensk area and north of that, is less and less to their advantage. Smolensk has two panzergruppes and one Italian army defending, with the German panzers suffering heavily from constant attacks. Around Kharkov, the Soviets go over to the defensive after the loss of Rostov, which puts the entire southern situation at risk. The Soviets replace most or all of their losses from last turn but are unable to rebuild an army lost to German attacks. However, the German forces are becoming very depleted. The Allies now prepare to invade Libya, with Patton from the west and The Auch from the east. The UK demobilized most French units in Britain for the extra MPPs. August 16, 1942 UK develops Jet Engines-2 Italy develops Jet Engines-3 US develops Long Range Aircraft-2 German MPP pool at 529. In Russia, Rostov is recovered and the German corps there destroyed. A German panzergruppe near Smolensk is destroyed, the Germans defending reduced to one panzer and one Italian army heavily entrenched. A German panzer near Kharkov is also destroyed. The Germans continue to grow weaker in Russia, reduced now to two total panzergroups in all of Russia, 4 corps, 2 armies, and assorted Italian and axis minor allied. Eremenko with two armies supported by the Baltic fleet also approaches Helsinki. The Allies approach the Libyan cities, but are not in a position to attack yet. August 30, 1942 Germany develops Jet Engines-2 Italy develops Jet Engines-4. Great. The Itais now have frigging Mirage jets. Notably, the Italians also have 500+ MPPs in their pool. Despite their earlier flounderings, they are becoming a force to be reckoned with. The last panzergroup near Smolensk is destroyed. Konev moves out again from Rostov and eliminates a German unit and occupies one of the Donbass mines, but is otherwise playing coy. Stalin considers whether or not to execute him, but Shaposhnikov convinces him Konev is just being a professional military man. Stalin hides his doubts, and dreams of shooting Konev personally. The Allies begin the reduction of Libyan defenses, supported by a total of 3 airfleets. [ October 22, 2002, 03:23 PM: Message edited by: dgaad ]

Part III - These are the Times that Try Men's Souls July 27, 1941 Well, now the Germans have really done it. They've declared war on Russia, aka the Soviet Union. Rumor has it that both the first and second messenger who brought this news to Stalin were shot. 2 Soviet armies destroyed, most of the rest surrounded or decimated. The Soviet battle plan, which we have been permitted to skim, involves a highly complex retrograde manuver. Actually, its not terribly complex. With 780 MPPs one choice would be to invest in perhaps one or two corps as delaying forces whilst using operational movement to get the frontline forces back into a Moscow / Voronezh nexus, and investing right away in two more research points into Industrial Technology. However tempting this might be, the British experience here leaves a bitter taste. The Soviets withdraw those units that can still move back to the Moscow / Rostov line using operational moves, buy 2 research points which along with their 2 at start, are committed to a total of 4 in industrial tech. The Soviets have a little time in which to try to get these costs way down. It probably won't work. The Soviets now have 140 MPPs left. We also have to save to try to get an HQ at some point. Some bombardment and attacking near Odessa knocks the stuffing out of a Bulgarian army. Surrounded Soviet units not only cannot move, but probably would be lost in an attack attempt, so they hold fast to at least cause some delay during the German turn. A Finnish army in the isthmus also suffers a big hit in a Soviet attack with no loss to us. The Auch arrives in Egypt, where he will wait for the arrival of a Canadian Corps and the 8th army before taking the war to the Iraqis, who are currently neutral. I have the staff working on forging papers so that we can "prove" the Iraqis were about to have a pro-Axis coup so that our invasion appears to be an act of self-defense. I note with some satisfaction that the invasion of Russia is proceeding without the use of three full Luftflottes, and the Rundstedt HQ, which are in France no doubt on guard against the British Bomber offensive. All Europe remains off limits to our bombers until we have better odds. August 14, 1941 5 Russian armies destroyed, and Odessa falls to numerous Italian and axis minor army attacks. The good news is that, due to our threats of logic, the CPU decided to grant the British TECH IMPROVEMENTS in Jet Fighters and Heavy Bombers. We'd trade both of those for industrial tech improvements but one mustn't look like a gift horse's ass. Due to a mix up, the British purchased another research point, and invested it in Industrial Tech, which now stands at 5. The Soviets purchased 1 research and put it in the same area and also now have the same total. This is alot of research now going on. With the acquisition of new technology, we rebuild Cunningham's bomber force in Manchester to the full strength of 11. The Russians now have a corps entrenching in every city except the ones in the Caucasus and Sverdlosk, and one extra corps in the Leningrad and Rostov areas. German production at 385 MPP. August 24, 1941 Germans attack in the Minsk Riga and Kiev areas while the Soviets continue the retreat and entice strategy. We buy a couple of corps and the Timoshenko HQ in the Moscow area, while replacing the Kiev and Riga armies to near full strength. They are sacrificial lambs. Russian MPPs down to zero now. Still no additional tech progress. We have to hold with what we have now, and cannot wait for industry to "kick in" while the Germans get deeper into Russia. One German air unit redeployed to the Russian Front. The Maltese airforce is redeployed to Egypt where it will be rebuilt from the Italian Navy debut and immediate debacle. September 7, 1941 Minsk falls, but the Kievan corps held out against 6 attacks. Riga also held. Russians purchase three corps deployed in the south, one near Voronezh, and one near Vologda. The Moscow and Voronezh groups are the main groups with 3 or 4 units each now. German forces also attacked Smolensk. The British near full strength for the forces allocated in the Middle east, and now await the arrival of the 8th Army to seriously consider a campaign into Persia which we feel will be successful with two airfleets in support. October 5, 1941 Four corps lost in Russia, Minsk, Riga fall to Axis attack. German troops continue attacking near Smolensk. Soviet Black sea fleet lost because I forgot to move it out of air range. Call me "Stalin". Soviet INDUSTRIAL TECH improved to level 3. The Brits continue their lagging ways. Two additional corps purchased and the Konev HQ which is placed in the Caucasus area south of Rostov. We expect German attacks on Leningrad and possibly in the Rostov or Moscow area. The strategy remains defensive unless and until the Siberians arrive. Partisans appear behind German lines. 8th Army arrives in the Middle east, and so next month we will begin the move towards Persia. November 2, 1941 German production now at 387 MPPs, which seems a bit low. Soviet Industrial Tech improves to level 4, which reduced the Corps and Army cost to 75 and 150, respectively. We refactor research to Anti-Tank-2, Jet Fighters-1, Rockets-1, Heavy Tanks-1. move all research there into Anti-Tank defenses which greatly improve, uh, anti-tank defenses but also allow for an increased general strength in infantry units. German attacks reached Smolens and Kharkov but failed to take either. German troops reached Leningrad but seem preoccupied with the Russian cruisers there. German airpower was used up attacking the Partisans. Nearly the entire pool of German MPPs was used up replacing losses. One German Army destroyed near Leningrad with a movement to counter attack of an unentrenched Soviet Army. Timoshenko remains near Moscow while Konev is just south of the Don guarding the resources there. Soviet MPPs now at 201, and we choose to hold on to that at the moment. November, 30, 1941 No combat losses on the Russian Front last turn. Kharkov completely surrounded and hit by 6 attacks but holds out. USA prepares for War. An Italian army attacked Rostov and was destroyed this turn by counter-attack. Panzer unit crossing the Kerch peninsula counter-attacked by infantry corps and airpower and is reduced to 6. We shore up the Moscow defenses with two more corps and the Eremenko HQ near Vologda, which will take charge of the units near Leningrad. The Auch's forces still aren't ready as it takes time I could have saved by continuing 8th Army's sea movement, to move to the Sinai.

God, that was a funny anecdote JJ.

While I agree, that's just a fancy way of saying Stalin was the most ruthless and the least likely to care about the number of people who's lives were destroyed in order to accomplish what Stalin felt was an important goal. In such a case, it would be nice if the goals had a rational basis. Lincoln and Roosevelt killed alot of people too, if you think about it that way, but there was a nobler purpose to it. Much of Stalin's program was linked only to his own paranoia and need for adulation. He was not quite a sociopath, and not quite a psychotic, but was very close to both. About the only thing Stalin "accomplished" was the increase in industrialization prior to WW2, but this was incidental to his paramount psychological needs. He built big factories so he could say "I built big factories" and receive the adulation of even more people around the world. I say incidental because Stalin also benefitted from the tremendous enthusiasim of the Soviet people, who believed that for the first time in their history they were working for a better Russia. For the first time, the common people of the Soviet Union had a stake in the outcome of their labor; even if that stake was remote and reduced to the benefit that all were required to share by their increased labors, it was nevertheless a far greater stake than they had hitherto had where they had worked almost exclusively for the benefit of the Boyars, the Tsar, and the Landlords. It remains to me a doubtful proposition that Stalin is responsible for this so-called accomplishment. Its much more likely that it was the natural outgrowth of Bolshevik enthusiasm inspired by the ideas of Lenin and fomented by dedicated Cadres. Stalin, at best, merely happened to be there when the real results of the Revolution and its sea change in the attitudes of the Russian people finally began to set in and take hold. At worst, Stalin squelched this outflow of the Revolution and the Russians actually did far worse under him than they would have under another, rational, leader. If he were truely a committed Bolshevik, he would have acted in such a way as to make Bolshevism personally appealing to people not in the Soviet system. He didn't. People outside the Soviet system became terrified of what Stalin, by his deeds, came to represent, and by the judgement of history the "Stalinist way" of murder and terror came to be understood as the natural effect of communism. Stalin himself ended any chance that the Soviet system or communism would be extended to the rest of the world. A leader like Trotsky, on the other hand might have succeeded. I am a libertarian and I think Marxism, personally, is fundamentally flawed as an organizing system that does not take sufficient account of what is likely to motivate human beings to higher achievement and the creation of wealth. For example, it places almost no value on intellect or rational decision making ability, and all value on pure labor. It does not take account of the fundamental human concept of possession. It does not take account of the primary motivation of wealth creating behavior as, in part, the desire to possess and acquire wealth. That being said, Marxism is a noble political statement. It posits that humans can be motivated by the desire to assist their fellow man over and above personal considerations. In that context, what Stalin did to the concept and name of Marxism can be added to the long list of his crimes. Yes, I've encountered this respect for the Stalinist legacy. A person visiting Moscow among a visiting group was around the place by a native Russian who pointed out various buildings and so forth (sometime in the 80s). If a building was built during Stalin's time, he always said "That was built by Stalin" as if to say "That building is solid and much better than the other buildings." You had to be there to understand what I mean. Totally misplaced respect in my opinion. Stalin happened to be the man on the spot when the real fruits of the Bolshevik Revolution came to ripen for the Russian people. Also, Stalin benefitted not only from the inspiration of the Russian people, but from the tremendous number (in the millions) of German, Japanese and other skilled workers who had been captured during the war, and who were forced at gunpoint to work throughout Russia for years after the war until they finally died or they were sent home after Stalin died. I've read numerous accounts of the prisoners having among them more skilled workers and engineers than the Russians were able to produce for any particular project. These prisoners worked with dedication because of the ancient idea that if you make yourself valuable to your captor, he won't kill you. Don't let a True Believer do more than cause you to undergo the process of critical thinking. The Stalinist way assumes that people will betray others, that everyone is suseceptible to weakness, that the only solution is pure terror, and that the individual has no right to life much less any other kind of right. I truely hope that someday EB and people like him will come to a more sober analysis of Stalin and his methods, an analysis which gives more credit to the great strength, industry, patience, fortitude, and sacrifices of the Soviet and Russian peoples, rather than to the individual born as Josef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili -- credit which he himself gladly took. Even the famous city of Stalingrad was named after him when all he in fact did at the city during the Bolshevik revolution was execute a couple of boatloads (literally) of those whom he suspected of treason (quite wrongly I would add) -- a terrible precursor of things to come. I truely hope that they will someday see that the Bolshevik Revolution and the strength of Soviet Russia would have been multiplied many times over if Stalin ("Steel Man") had NOT been in control. [ October 21, 2002, 06:08 PM: Message edited by: dgaad ]

That's funny. I'll use that. But I wasn't meaning to suggest all gamers are smart. Heck, if I made that suggestion it would in fact be some proof of the opposite holding. I don't think you can say that about any profession or interest actually, in isolation. Even a rocket scientist might be otherwise stupid. I believe limitations regarding intellect even though one might excel at seemingly complex thought is known as the Savant phenomenon. But, on the other hand, politicos and the military have realized the value of gaming, in the case of the military this valuation has been increasing since the 19th Century. The Prussian General Staff of the mid 19th Century was the first significant military organization to adopt forms of gaming to improve the experience and expertise of their officers. Today, such gaming can, as I know from personal experience in the US Army, involve the simulation of a conflict where the moves of the players are transmitted to real troops who must carry out the directives of the decision made in the sim -- in order to see the effects of those decisions on various aspects of things like movement, cohesion, etc. I also know that "computer wargames" have been taken to a new and largely secret level in the US military establishment, where they have custom made programs that would be the ultimate sim for a grognard. I would venture to guess that the success of US forces in the Gulf War was due, in part, to gaming the scenario repeatedly for months before the attacks actually went forward.

If you think the Africa map is cramped, just visit Ghana and drink the water!

From some of your comments, it seems to me that the Siberian event is triggered by "relative threat" factors. This would probably be measured by proximity of the Germans to certain areas, and relative army sizes in Russia. While this is a good formula, I'm thinking that it would be better to factor in a calendar time modifier where the later it gets in the game, the more easily the transfer is triggered. Thus, a "late" German attack would be likely to trigger the event even if the relative ratio of force tended to favor the Soviet Union. The formula as it stands now, as I understand it, is open to exploit. If the Germans opt for a defensive strategy where they invade to take resources but avoid having a threatening ratio of force, the event might not ever get triggered or might not get triggered until too late in the game. I think if you add a calendar factor into the trigger, it would reduce potentially gamey or exploitive play, by making the siberian event more and more probable (almost, but not quite, to the point of certainty) the later in the game it gets regardless of ratio of force. That is : Siberian Transfer is Triggered based on three variables: The Ratio of Force factor(German total points in Soviet Territory / Total Soviet Points) The Threat Factor : Distance in Hexes of nearest German Unit to Sverdlosk, Moscow, Vologda, Voronezh, Stalingrad, or Rostov. Calendar time - which tends to decrease the ratio of force trigger level as time goes on. If I give it some more thought and engage in the distasteful practice of algebra, I might even write the formula for you if you are interested. [ October 21, 2002, 11:24 AM: Message edited by: dgaad ]