Worst A&A game?

[Rakeman]

Anyone else think D-Day is the worst A&A game by far?

-Very imbalanced
-Very limited decisions
-Every game plays out more or less the same

I don't see why anyone would play this unless they were a beginner to the game system.

[Imperious Leader]

I don't like AA D-day its the weakest.

It should have been an entire map of france allowing for the germans to set up the perfect defense and continue till the end of 1944 including the bulge campaign.

At the end of the game you got 2 piles of plastic and the game has too few pieces to move around. It makes no sence at all.

Plus the blockhouse is an ugly unit

[frimmel]

I wouldn't charaterise it as worst. I think weakest would be a better term.

It is useful for beginers though and it does play quick which is nice.

[Rakeman]

I wouldn't charaterise it as worst. I think weakest would be a better term.

It is useful for beginers though and it does play quick which is nice.

Whatever words you choose to use 

I don't like AA D-day its the weakest.

It should have been an entire map of france allowing for the germans to set up the perfect defense and continue till the end of 1944 including the bulge campaign.

At the end of the game you got 2 piles of plastic and the game has too few pieces to move around. It makes no sence at all.

Plus the blockhouse is an ugly unit

Yeah it would have been cool if it was all france and it was a major campaign with real decisions.  I don't understand why the blockhouses look the way they do... they just look odd.

[frimmel]

I wouldn't charaterise it as worst. I think weakest would be a better term.

It is useful for beginers though and it does play quick which is nice.

Whatever words you choose to use 

Well 'worst' to me suggests that none of them are any good. For something to be 'worst' it has to be associated with something that is bad. But you are correct that I'm really just quibbling. 

[murraymoto]

If you expanded D-Day to include the entire battle for France it would no longer be "D-Day".  AA-France would probably be a great game, but and Neptune was apart of Overlord, but not the whole thing. 
   I think you start a game called D-Day you gotta understand that what you are getting is the opening stage of the Western Front, ie, the landings and securing the beach head cities.

Worst game, no, it's a good game, i'll say even great, that's right I said it, so there.  I have not seen an imbalance of it yet, except in the number of fighters each side gets. (if we aren't gonna care about any part of the history of it, i'd really like some messerschmits to strafe with).  And if you throw out that mandate to hold the cities for a whole turn so that you can win on round 10 all the more intense.  But I've seen both sides win, after all, this isn't AAE we are talking about or even AAR.
  What it is is a different AA game, it has different game play from cards to optional cards to 1 round attacks.  What it probably is is a simpler game, but that doesn't make it weaker.  It's probably the best game to get people into AA, the cards help to make the play straight forward and all, but I played it after years of the others and I've enjoyed it.
  If I could only play 1 AA game for the rest of time, would it be D-Day?  -No.  Would I keep it in the general circulation of AA games in our group, yes.

[Rakeman]

I wouldn't charaterise it as worst. I think weakest would be a better term.

It is useful for beginers though and it does play quick which is nice.

Whatever words you choose to use 

Well 'worst' to me suggests that none of them are any good. For something to be 'worst' it has to be associated with something that is bad. But you are correct that I'm really just quibbling. 

Ah okay that's a good point 

I think I enjoy every Axis and Allies game, except D-Day.  And of course Europe when playing against a German tank-spammer.

[frimmel]

I don't think it is an afront to board games and I think Murraymoto hits on it when he says it is simpler. Not a lot of depth to it.

But I can't say that the Axis doesn't always win in my experience. You certainly need to extend the game in some fashion for the Allies to be able to win or give them some more paratroopers. The aircraft imbalance is the only thing that keeps the Allies in it.

The only games that have been even close for me are the ones where the planes tear up the Axis reinforcements at a better than average rate like 1 unit in three killed while trying to move while the Axis AA is unable to shoot anything down.

[bbrett3]

when i first got d-day I thought it was pretty good, but as I got more interested in "real" A&A I realized it was pretty limited and too scripted for the first 3 or 4 rounds.  I would've been a hell of a lot better if it featured the whole Normandy break out, and the rest of france w/ a resistance special rule.

[murraymoto]

there are some optional play rules by larry harris on his site to alter in-game play and end-game play.  might be of note if game becomes too repetitive.

http://www.harrisgamedesign.com/bb2/viewforum.php?f=3

[Shakespeare]

Has anyone tried to "reverse engineer" the game to make it the closing days of 1940? 

How about calling it Dunkirk 1940?

Would that work?

However, Dunkirk is not included in the map is it? Just how many hexes off the board is it?

Thanks.

[captainzlog]

I got this game for Christmas and enjoy it very much - even got the wife into playing!  The order card and combat systems are simple but effective, and easy to learn.  Just got Battle of the Bulge and it looks confusing and over-complex...... D-Day is definitely the tops!

[Krieghund]

Just got Battle of the Bulge and it looks confusing and over-complex.

The rulebook for Bulge isn't the best.  Check out the FAQ for rules clarifications on this great game.  It's one of my favorites.

[frimmel]

Just got Battle of the Bulge and it looks confusing and over-complex.

The rulebook for Bulge isn't the best.  Check out the FAQ for rules clarifications on this great game.  It's one of my favorites.

Also book thru the BOTB forum here. And don't be afraid to ask questions. I'd be happy to help. 

[murraymoto]

I got this game for Christmas and enjoy it very much - even got the wife into playing!  The order card and combat systems are simple but effective, and easy to learn.  Just got Battle of the Bulge and it looks confusing and over-complex...... D-Day is definitely the tops!

Also book thru the BOTB forum here. And don't be afraid to ask questions. I'd be happy to help. 

And the guys who just replied (Krieghund/Frimmel) above really know their stuff and are great to have help.

Give Bulge a chance, get your butt kicked as the Allies a couple times and you start to understand the logistical side and you'll likely get that epiphany moment when it clicks about how it all works together.  Both DDay and Bulge I consider to be great additions to the AA lineup and very enjoyable.