Stop the madness, and start the presses

  • Sponsor

    I’m loving most of the latest rule and setup modifications, and the ones I’m not crazy about, I’m not mentioning. Instead, I’m abandoning my remaining pet peeves in exchange for a emphatic “2 thumbs up” on Alpha +3.5, as both a vote of approval and a protest of mass change. I think that its time we all to tell Larry that its good enough, and we want the changes to stop.

    “stop the madness and start the presses”.

  • '18 '17 '16 '15 '13 '12 '11

    @Young:

    “stop the madness and start the presses”.

    Or play A&A  GLOBAL 1939  :-D

    J.  8-)

    PS Check it in A&A variants


  • I like orignal Alpha +3 setup, and absoultely hate some of the rule changes. I love this site, and will continue to use it as it’s a great source for game aids and strategy discussions, but I’m hopping off the changes for the sake of making changes train. I’m going to play with the Alpha +3 setup, minus the airbase deductions in the med and the changes made to France and the Soviet Navy. I’ll take the rule variants I think make sense and with a few additions I’ll have my own setup.
    Enough’s enough, stop fussing over a game that doesn’t need it and make something new. Make a game based on Korea, American Revolution, or American Civil War.

    C


  • I think that the only changes that need to be made are the ones that people are actually having problems with. I don’t ever remembering people asking for a change to convoy disruption rules. I do believe that the changes with SBR rules are beneficial. I would LOVE to play with a lot of the great house rules that people propose in the house rules section, but i feel that if i do, it will unbalance the game because it hasn’t been “officially” play tested. If Larry checked out some of the house rules, he may see that there are some mechanical things that really might add a lot to the game.


  • @Carnage:

    I like orignal Alpha +3 setup, and absoultely hate some of the rule changes. I love this site, and will probably continue to use it as it’s a great source for game aids and strategy discussions, but I’m hopping off the changes for the sake of making changes train. I’m going to play with the Alpha +3 setup, minus the airbase deductions in the med and the changes made to France and the Soviet Navy. I’ll take the rule variants I think make sense and with a few additions I’ll have my own setup.
    Enough’s enough, stop fussing over a game that doesn’t need it and make something new. Make a game based on Korea, American Revolution, or American Revolution.

    C

    Just saying… but you include yourself in that. You are now fussing over what you think went to far. Either you play it 100% how Larry made it, or you are “make(ing) something new”. Which is completely fine too, since you bought it, but don’t go hating on people who are trying to fix it according to their opinions, while saying that your own opinions are also better than Larry’s.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    I’d love to see CRD go back to how it was, but I can live with it as is.  I think many of the newer changes were made to make the allies ridiculously powerful again. (Sicily should NOT be worth 3 IPC to Russia!  I don’t fraggin care how much Stalin wants to go surfing!)

    I think with sufficient bids (+30 to play Axis and I’m standing by that until some things change again to rebalance!) the game is playable.


  • Yes Jen but that’s potential Russian money, which takes significant Allied investments to achieve.
    On the other hand, Britian has been nerfed incredibly hard in the set-up.
    And in strange ways, too.  How does removing Gibraltar’s air base - and thus basically giving the Med to Italy - help with the initial problems of balance?  Strange changes like that confuse me.

  • Sponsor

    I honestly believe that any changes Larry makes at this point will be intensely criticized. I also feel that the Alpha +3.5 rule changes have been slightly better recieved than the outrage we experienced after Alpha +3 was released. That said, Larry should turn over what he has now to the players as a foundation, and if groups want to add personal house rules, so be it.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    It’s as much potential income as Korea is potential income for Russia.  They’re about equally as hard to attain with Sicily, Cyprus, Ireland and Sardinia being the easier of the two.

    We’re not talking any additional American/British investment, just what they normally do anyway.  As for Russia, we’re talking an extra transport and that’s it, which is something pretty easily expensed considering the massive gains!

    I’d like to see the Alpha 3 of a month ago be the final Alpha 3 and leave it as that.  All the later changes really didn’t help much and I really do think the Alpha 3 from back then was just balanced as perfectly as you can get without the game being Chess or Checkers.  There’s always going to be some difference, it’s the world and it’s not equal anywhere.

    I dont think the answer was to take 20 IPC in units from England to make France easier then double Russia’s money.

    I dont think the answer was to remove some bases from the Med instead of just moving Italy up in the turn order or moving the British fleet to SZ 81 or SZ 76.

    I dont think the answer was to turn off a factory or base if it had 1 damage or more.

    I do think the answer is to have technology tokens.

    I do think the answer is to make objectives mutually exclusive (to get your objective, you have to take away your opponent’s objective.)

    I do think America should be barred from the war until certain achievements have been met, not some artificial time.  Any one of the following, or more:
    A) America is attacked
    B) The British Isles are attacked
    C) Egypt is attacked
    D) Leningrad falls
    E) Stalingrad falls
    F) Any allied capitol falls
    (Note, Attacked =/= taken, if you fail to win, the territory is still attacked.)

    But that’s just me.  As it stands now, my Russia will never fall, my Russia will probably have a fleet attacking Japan as I’ll soon get bored of collecting 70+ IPC and have nothing else to do with it.  :roll:

  • Sponsor

    Jen,
    I don’t understand your last paragraph. Could you explain how Russia will earn $70+ income and purchase a navy out of boredom?. Also, how will the Axis have no choice but to allow this?

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    Ireland: 3 IPC
    Crete: 3 IPC
    Sardinia: 3 IPC
    Sicily: 3 IPC
    Norway: 6 IPC
    Finland: 5 IPC
    Sweeden: 6 IPC
    Moscow: 3 IPC
    S. Ukraine: 2 IPC
    N. Ukraine: 2 IPC
    Rostov: 2 IPC
    Caucasus: 2 IPC
    Smolensk: 1 IPC
    Karelia: 1 IPC
    Novgorod: 2 IPC
    Volgograd: 2 IPC
    Belarus: 1 IPC
    Bryansk: 1 IPC
    Kazakh: 1 IPC
    Tambov: 1 IPC
    Vologda: 1 IPC
    Arkhangelsk: 1 IPC

    Total: 52 IPC in relatively easy to get and maintain territories. 
    Needed: 28 IPC

    Turkey: 5 IPC
    Baltic States: 1 IPC
    E. Poland: 1 IPC
    Romania: 6 IPC
    Hungary: 6 IPC
    Poland: 6 IPC
    Greece: 5 IPC
    Yugoslavia: 5 IPC
    Bulgaria: 5 IPC
    Albania: 4 IPC
    S. Germany: 7 IPC
    N. Italy: 7 IPC
    Holland: 6 IPC
    Denmark: 5 IPC
    Portugal: 4 IPC
    Spain: 5 IPC

    Take your pick, in any case, eventually Russia is earning so much money that Germany cannot possibly beat it back at which point, the Russians start pushing the Japanese back and the Germans and hit the heartland of Europe.  Once you get there you are making more money than the United States of America at which point, you get REALLY bored and start dropping Aircraft Carriers and Battleships in SZ 100 to start signalling your opponent it’s time to give up so you can play again.

  • Sponsor

    I don’t get it, an experienced player playing Germany would spend G1 mopping up the British navy, France and strengthening their fleet while taking pro-axis neutrals along with Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. Than in G2, they would purchase land units and move most of their existing land units toward the eastern front. During G3, they would purchase tanks and air units and have almost everything in their current arsenal in range to attack Russian territories. In G3, they would attack Russian territories within range including sea units as well as bomb their minor complexes. Seeing as the Soviet Union was neutral before their 4th turn and unable to “walk on” any of your above mentioned territories, I don’t see how they can accumulate all that wealth when a formidable German army is forcing them to retreat. I can see how Russia could than walk south and collect some Persian territories for the $3 NO per, however, the idea that Russia will be purchasing a transport and sending an Infantry to Ireland, through a straight in which they don’t own, or from a direction patrolled by German air units, seems more than “far fetched” to me (not that I am saying that was your idea, but Ireland is on your list, and why is Spain mentioned, is this really a reachable territory for the Russians in your games?). I can’t imagine a scenario in which Russia would be in a position to take even the most probable territories like Poland, Romania or even Norway and Finland (unless of course Germany leaves Russia alone on the eastern front, which IMO, wouldn’t qualify as the strategy of an experienced player). There is always Sealion granted, However, the risk and reward of such an operation in this game has been debated enough, and we all agree that with the absence of the NO for holding London, the extra AA casualties, along with the immediate response from Russia as well as the $3 Russian NO per territory, it’s obvious to most that the safe money is, to skip sealion. Which brings us back to the formidable German units on the Russian borders, as I am not worried about the Soviet Union claiming $3 per territory they will never control because they will be busy retreating in order to protect Moscow and the 2 other vital victory cities the axis need to win the game. If they want to take Turkey and turn all other strick neutrals to pro-axis, great. If they want to fight Germany on the border instead of pulling back, excellent (less ground to cover chasing them) and If they want to gain a few bucks walking in Persia, well than thats Italy’s problem. So unless I have missed something about the rules like, Russia can walk on neutral territories before they enter the war, or Germany must stay 2 territories away from the Russian front before Russia enters the war…. than I’m not worried, nor do I believe that the majority of the territories you listed (other than the one’s they already own to start the game) will ever be in Stalin’s hands.


  • Sweden easy to get? Apart from the dumbness of attacking true neutrals… how?

    Also: how do you get Russians to Ireland, and anywhere in the med without them being intercepted even before they get sea-sick??

    (and for the rest: i agree with grasshopper)

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    @special:

    Sweden easy to get? Apart from the dumbness of attacking true neutrals… how?

    Also: how do you get Russians to Ireland, and anywhere in the med without them being intercepted even before they get sea-sick??

    (and for the rest: i agree with grasshopper)

    USA/UK attack and clear Sweeden with airplanes.  Russia walk infantry in.  Done.

    And it’s pretty simple to get a transport in SZ 127 and sail it down to the Med without losing it to the Germans.  For one, they have to have something in range of it and that’s not going to happen too soon in the Alpha 3 rules.  For another, the Allies can protect it just fine when it is in range of the Axis.  The only “trick” is building the transport at the right time so you don’t risk allied flexibility.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    Oh, and if you dont want to go SZ 127 route, how about allies clear Turkey, Russia take Turkey, Allies sail into SZ 100, Russia puts transport in Black Sea, then everyone moves out to take Med.  Just for an alternate route.

    Or even Russia puts infantry on American/British/Australian transport, lands troops whereever it wants, for a third route.


  • But all those things imply to be already pretty far in the game, and by then Russia should be under severe pressure from Germany, not having the money or freedom to build transports and go sailing around.

    Your taking of (in this case) Sweden also implies that the Allies have already taken (and secured) Norway, unless they have a considerable carrier fleet closeby (if not all that air force can’t reach Sweden), and are willing to take expensive casualties in order to give Russia a few IPC’s bonus).

    And the islands around Italy are protected by scramblers (and an italian fleet unless it has been killed off). As for Turkey, to be taken by Allied troops (not Russia) also means the game is somewhere in a further stage (and probably already having neutered Italy). If by then Russia is still strong, the Axis have lost already, and then those bonus IPC’s just help in rounding up the game.
    Which would not be such a bad thing.


  • @special:

    But all those things imply to be already pretty far in the game, and by then Russia should be under severe pressure from Germany, not having the money or freedom to build transports and go sailing around.

    Exactly, if the German player allows you to build a fleet to protect your transports, than you might as well end the game because he sucks so bad.

    If you assume that Germany is going to attack Russia G3, tell me your buys before and after this happens.

  • Sponsor

    Jen,
    I don’t think I will be using my British and American air units, to fly by and wipe out the standing army of a strict neutral, while losing valuable air units and putting neutral territories into enemy hands all over the world.

    BTW, I wonder if its even legal to use just air units to attack and activate the standing army of a strict neutral, because you need land units to activate the standing armies of pro-neutrals.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    It is legal to attack any enemy unit with just airpower if you so choose.  You just cannot take the land, which is sort of the point.

    Remember, you can load an infantry from S. Ukraine onto an American transport in the Black Sea just as easily as putting your own transport out there.  After all, even with “under heavy pressure” from Germany, Russia should still have a large enough pay check to afford one guy to not be in Russia defending, especially if that ONE GUY is getting the Russians an unhistorically large amount of money for useless territories.

  • Sponsor

    @Cmdr:

    It is legal to attack any enemy unit with just airpower if you so choose.  You just cannot take the land, which is sort of the point.

    Remember, you can load an infantry from S. Ukraine onto an American transport in the Black Sea just as easily as putting your own transport out there.  After all, even with “under heavy pressure” from Germany, Russia should still have a large enough pay check to afford one guy to not be in Russia defending, especially if that ONE GUY is getting the Russians an unhistorically large amount of money for useless territories.

    Maybe it’s a game play NO instead of a Historical NO, any how, any Russian infantry that gets to a territory to make $3 will have a big target on their back. Have you had a chance to play the latest rules yet?

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