Axis advantage depends on the low MPP/turn for the major countries.

[zappsweden]

The Axis advantage exist just because the neutral European countries give too much in MPP and plunder. Only Axis can take advantage of this fact.

THE MAINLAND VALUES (no colonies) for the major nations:

Russia 480 MPP

USA 180 MPP

Germany 120 MPP

Italy 110 MPP

France 100 MPP

UK 80 MPP

Rest of Countries 600MPP???

Russia has almost match the MPP of the other major nations combined!!!

It is not historical that Germany can get a 5:1 advantage in production over UK just because they conquer most of Europe.

Solution:

instead of creating new cities that may affect the supply and strategic balance, a much simpler and fair thing to do is including some invisible MPP production for USA (most), UK and Germany (Leist). The Allies will then afford to buy more units and be more active/aggressive in the game.

[ January 13, 2003, 05:40 PM: Message edited by: zappsweden ]

[kenfedoroff]

And another thing. Fix the Suez Canal so transports and warships can travel in either direction.

This will teach you to let me scribble in your forum, ha!

Sincerely,

Ken

[Wachtmeister]

Agee 100% as mentioned previously in the "patch thread"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It seems to me that the primary problem for the Allies, especially against good human opponents, is the low MPP output per turn for the UK and USA. This limitation is especially pronounced for the UK which starts with numerous high cost/high maintenence units, coupled with low MPP per turn. Throughout the game, the Allies are hard pressed make good damage to existing units, much less build new ones. Research for advanced units, expecially air fleets, is necessary and expensive, but again, the low per turn MPP rate available to the UK and USA severly limit their capability to build up a competitive striking force. If the Allies manage build a large force [assuming the Axis player allows time to do so - not likely], then they cannot readily make good the unit damage that is sure to occur in operations against the experienced Axis.

The Allies have very limited opportunity to gain per turn MPP's by taking territory, as the Axis do. Until 1943 at the earliest, Allies will be doing well to avoid a reduction in initial per turn MPP's against a good Axis player with a "West" or "Med" strategy.

Assuming that we have seen the last patch for SC, the only way to increase the effective Allied MPP per turn rate is to make units cheaper, by increasing the "at start" Industrial Technology research category using the Campaign Editor. If there is another patch, then a method to directly vary per turn MPP output would be useful.

Having said all this, SC is not seriously unbalanced. In fact the Axis AI can be defeated at Expert - Experience +2 level. However, human Axis players usually exploit their advantages much more efficiently. As a starting point it might be interesting to start the UK with IT level 2 and the USA at IT level 3, or maybe 4, since they start so late, and tweak up or down according to the observed effects upon play balance.

Adding Allied Units, such as low level HQ's indirectly addresses the low MPP output, since such units are cheaper to build up and maintain than build from scratch. However, lowered unit cost to offset low MPP output would leave the decision on what to build and when up to the individual player.

[AndrewT]

I think the problem is the high MPPs available to the Axis, not low MPPs available to the Allies. The rewards for conquering tiny countries like Denmark are hugely excessive. There is no cost of occupation, or even a need to garrison any country (except Yugoslavia).

The immediate reward for conquering a country need to be reduced by a lot, say 90%, and the conquering power should get only 1/2 value out of a city, mine or oilwell from then on unless it is garrisonned.

[zappsweden]

Originally posted by Wachtmeister:

Assuming that we have seen the last patch for SC, the only way to increase the effective Allied MPP per turn rate is to make units cheaper, by increasing the "at start" Industrial Technology research category using the Campaign Editor.

I am afraid that increasing industrial for especially UK is out of the question. The catch-up system will make Germany gain more of it than the UK.

[ January 14, 2003, 06:18 AM: Message edited by: zappsweden ]

[zappsweden]

Originally posted by AndrewT:

I think the problem is the high MPPs available to the Axis, not low MPPs available to the Allies. The rewards for conquering tiny countries like Denmark are hugely excessive. There is no cost of occupation, or even a need to garrison any country (except Yugoslavia).

The immediate reward for conquering a country need to be reduced by a lot, say 90%, and the conquering power should get only 1/2 value out of a city, mine or oilwell from then on unless it is garrisonned.

I agree totally. Similar to the Mainland values I have shown, the war against Neutral countries are the focus in this game. Remember, that in real WW2 the occupations of neutrals was not just economical but strategic. It was about denying the enemy a foothold to operate from.

[ January 14, 2003, 06:25 AM: Message edited by: zappsweden ]

[Wachtmeister]

zappsweden:

You're right. The v.106 "catch up" changes in the research model do in fact greatly reduce the value of adjusting "at start" IT for play balance.