Terif

- Air can´t be surprised since it doesn´t move. If it gets destroyed a surprise contact is displayed, but it is only a normal interception battle. - Surprise bonus depends on the unit types involved. Between land units there seems to be no extra bonus, but since attacker and defender changes roles and the attack value is usually a lot better than the defence value a surprised unit suffers more than enough penalty and gets also stopped during its movement and can´t attack any more. Same applies for contacts between battleships. Only transports and HQs receive a real extra bonus that seems to be random in a range of 0-2. In any case, it is usually better to avoid surprise contacts. Reconnaissance is very important in SC, so never move into unknown terrain when you don´t know where the enemy units are located. Use air and cheap corps to spot the enemy units first or move forward in the right order so you will not be surprised by enemy units since this is nearly always a disadvantage. Except for sometimes in France where it can be advantageous since there every conquered hex is important - as long as you can´t see an enemy unit, it doesn´t block you via zone of control so you can enter without a ZOC action point penalty.

- AFs intercepting: The AF that attacks an enemy target and gets intercepted is now the defender in the airbattle and uses its defence value (important in carrier-airbattles). That´s also the reason of the AA-Bonus: the AF is now attacked over their airfields and anti-aircraft guns (in cities/ressources) will help them in the battle. Each level AA is equal one level Jets. - carriers are ships, so an AF battling with a carrier will always use its naval attack/defence value while the carrier uses its air values in airbattles. So AFs can´t increase their combat values vs carriers via tech, but carriers will greatly enhance their capabilities with Jets and LR. That´s why carriers are very weak at the beginning of the war and should better not fight against enemy AFs, but will grow very strong later in the game and often are able to turn the tide after/during D-day. Allies have usually not more mpps than Axis in the long run, but they have the potentially better weapons (carriers/ships) in the later stage of the war so they can overcompensate the axis mpp superiority and beat Axis back. - terrain does not increase losses for the attacker, but only reduces the damage for the defender. The bonus depends on the attacker type (tank/soft/air/naval unit). So it is e.g. better to attack cities and mountains with infantery and not with tanks since defenders are better protected against tanks. HQs are best placed in mountains since there they are perfectly protected against airstrikes and can be hardly killed by them - cities with entrenchment are also a very good place. The terrain bonus is multiplied with the readiness of the defending unit, the city/fortress level has only indirectly influence since it provides supply and supply increases readiness - but as long as the defender gets enough supply from somewhere else, it doesn´t matter. - Bidding system: The size of the bid highly depends on the experience of both players and especially the axis one, since axis only has an advantage when the axis player knows how to play his side and the advantage increases with the experience. Some average values: new vs new: no bid necessary (Allies even can be in the advantage here) intermediate vs intermediate: bid 200-300 system 1:10 (or 100-150 in 1:5:20) experienced players: bid 150-300 in 1:5:20 (standard is around 200-250) veteran vs veteran: bid 200-300 in 1:5:30

- Yes, theoretically you could only land 3 corps to bring in Spain+Turkey and against the AI it can perhaps even work...you can do a lot of things vs the AI... . But against a human player with only a bit experience this will surely not work. - during a sealion US readiness starts increasing from the first turn on, while USSR is only affected after January 1941. So an early sealion is very dangerous for Allies and they should always be ready to prevent it. - in a surprise contact attacker and defender change roles. So the unit that moved and got surprised is now the defender (therefore never move with a sub into a surprise contact since it is has no defence value). The new attacker here also receives a bonus attack value, so a defenceless transport will now have a low attack value when it surprises an enemy ship/transport and can do damage to it.

@komninosm: This is something for Hubert . In SC 1 most things are triggered by a hex ring around the cities. I agree with you that it would be better to have more flexible triggers that don´t depend on certain hexes which a player can avoid when he knows which ones they are. Perhaps in SC 2... . @Korut Zelva: Yes, Turkey and Spain can still join after UK surrender - but only as long as Russia is still neutral, so you will rarely see this.

Allied turn: No russian counterattack this turn - the last 2 russian armies at the front choose to repair instead. Axis forces on the way towards the Sevastopol mines. In the west Allies conquer Oslo due to an Axis mistake (should have covered the coastal hex east of the city..), Axis prepares defence of Sweden. This time only 2 airbattles over Germany, seems Allies run out of operational air and have to repair their battered AFs now . German forces prepare a counterattack with several veteran armies near Berlin and Prague. Things are looking better now for Axis . Zapp suddenly has to go (no "can play the whole sunday" any more) and saves the game - will be continued probably next weekend.

August 1, 1943: Kharkov conquered, russian tank destroyed. Heavy airbattles in the west, Axis reinforcements arrive in Norway, Allies embark fresh troops in Kiel with destination Norway too.

Game continues July 18, 1943: Russian tank in Kharkov survives 3 airstrikes + 3 army attacks at str 1. Kopenhagen lost to Allies, french forces land in Norwegen. Airbattles start in the west, UK battleship under attack, interception battles during both turns.

July 4, 1943: Russian army killed, 3rd hex near Kharkov conquered, tank in the city down to str 9. No allied advances in the west, Kopenhagen under allied siege. Zapp got a phone call...waiting

Game continues: Russian corps killed near Kharkov, 2 hexes around the city conquered. Axis builds a 3-row corps line in northern/western Germany.

I was ready for battle - and since now Zapp canceled his soccer trip we both have time to continue . Zapp, you have the save, waiting at ICQ for you.

This is a question for our historians and I think there are already several - long...- threads concerning this issue . Historically you can surely find arguments for both positions (join or not join..), but you will never know for sure. However, from play balance it is surely better they do not join any more with Spain in the war. And it opens several interesting strategical options .

- units have to be 1 hex from London/Manchester - units somewhere else don´t matter - without either Hungary or Romania Axis, Turkey will not join - you can attack every country (including Vichy) except your minors + Russia and both countries can still join - Axis minors don´t join when Spain is not neutral any more, so it is better to wait with bringing it in until Hungary and Romania have joined (Bulgaris only depends on these 2 countries). No minors with Spain in the war is both (more or less) historical and for play balance .

Spain and Turkey need certain conditions to join Axis and there is no random factor. If these conditons are fullfilled they join guaranteed, else they have no chance to join: - Axis needs at least 2 units around London and 1 unit around Manchester - Russia is still neutral (Russia in the war means no Spain/Turkey) -> Under these 2 conditions Spain will join. These 2 conditions + Yugoslavia and Greece are conquered by Axis AND at least either Hungary or Romania has joined, then additionally Turkey will join Axis.

Hmm, I had not soo much time during your phone call for calculations so it was not an exact calculation but I would say a not too far away approximation - if you call it extreme then your 1:143 is the other extreme : - a year in SC is 15 turns and not 12.5 - to be exact: no jet tech despite chits in it was 30 turns (not 25) (fall of France (October 13, 1940) vs first jet tech (November 1, 1942)) - Germany started with 3 chits that´s right, but increased it after some turns without success to 5 chits. - so that it is not 5x7% for 25 turns is already included in the calculation However, the exact number is not really important (For sure it is more than extremely unlikely - and if I would calculate it together with the above average US/russian readiness increases and the late minor joining... ). At least it is a "nice" probability and will hopefully (and statistically..) not occur again in the next 10000 games or so . Concerning the other issue: Your public tests some time ago with Hombreplin´s cheat program how to cheat during TCP is not really increasing the trust especially combined with your obvious will to beat me at all costs - be it via smack talk in the forum or in the game... But that doesn´t mean you really did it and I really hope you had enough honour not to do it.

Before the big airbattles start, we save at the end of Zapp´s turn. To be continued probably next weekend. Western Allies have more air (8AFs, 3 carriers vs 8 german AFs) and better tech, but Germany gets more mpps/turn than UK+USA so this war is all but over . Both sides have around the same amount of units. Russia is standing at the Moskov-Kharkov-Sevastopol line and mainly defending with corps - only a few tanks(2 ?) and armies (2 ?) left.

May 30, 1943: Supply route to Skandinavia lost, but every hex till Berlin defended by a corps or army now. Finland liberated by Axis.

Yep - Axis is killed in the west, Russia is killed in the east . Helsinki under attack and should fall next turn, russian cruisers under fire. In northern Germany defence lines are holding, nevertheless it is soon time to fight for the air. But how should it be else: USA shows already jets 3 - Allies are ahead in tech like throughout the whole game.

March 7, 1943: Axis forces near Paris and Bordeaux retreat into the mountains. Additional corps produced for northern Germany. Russia: Leningrad conquered, tank + corps destroyed.

November 29, 1941: And wonders occur: Germany develops Jets 2 right after jets 1...so in a few turns they are finally ready to fight for the air. Germany defended by over a dozen corps.

November 1, 1942 will be remembered in all german history books: German scientists discover against all expectations and contrarities after years of failure: JETS 1 :eek: Otherwise: usual corps killing in east (russian corps) and west (axis corps). Bordeaux after long fights lost to Allies.

yep - otherwise chances for this to happen would have been perhaps 1:100000 instead of "only" 1:50000 . Russia shows AT 1...

Zapp got a phone call 20 minutes ago (still on the phone..), so I have some time to do calculations: Chance for Germany to still be at lv 0 jets is now less than 0.002% - that means this happens once every ~50000 games... @Hellraiser: Yep, it is noticable Zapp only seldomly plays a full long game . No tech, late minors joining, maximum russian readiness increases (alone with DoWs they were 5% above average, USA joined 3 turns too early with this too) - this should have meant an axis defeat since a long time . But still Axis is in the game and has more forces and mpps than Allies...

October 4, 1942: Russian army + several corps destroyed as retaliation for a killed hungarian corps. German armies in the outskirts of Smolensk. Since germany has no jets, AFs are cheap to buy and it builds a new one... In the West Allies retreat HQ + AF and move US armies/corps to Paris, Axis forces retreat to their old defence line Bordeaux, mountains, french mine, LC.

September 6, 1942: Unbelievable: Russia develops Jets 1 - Germany still at lv 0 despite now nearly 2 years researching with 5 chits...each turn a chance of up to 35% to reach the next level during more than 25 turns...this is a nice probability... Nevertheless, Axis forces on the march: 5 corps and a russian army killed in return for the german army. Axis still superior in numbers and mpps/turn. In the West Allies are busy with Bordeaux (2 hexes around it conquered) - so Axis decides to go in the offensive in eastern France: Brussel and french mine cut off, Paris under attack from 3 sides (Bradley HQ in the city reduced to str 7), 3 strength points reduced from a UK AF near Paris.

August 23, 1942: Allies reach the outskirts of Bordeaux - half a dozen german and italian armies entrenched around the mountains and waiting... Russian central mine conquered, german forces near Leningrad and Smolensk use Blitzkrieg tactics: Army group north moving south from Leningrad, Army group center meets them in the middle by attacking from Smolensk area. Several russian corps destroyed, 2 corps cut off near the swamps.