What would be considered essential blowup boxes

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    @ShadowHAwk:

    I never liked them though, was confusing sometimes.
    I preferred the old Fleet markers, saved me a lot of time moving around huge fleets that appear in this game, moving 1 marker iso 20 ships.

    Fleet markers would be too ghetto for this table, it would be like putting common factory rims on a Ferrari.


  • I just always used the taskforce cards from revised edition. The main japanese and US fleets usually spends their game on top of them


  • Salutations,

    I know I am a total newbie on this forum as well as being a newbie member per say of the A&A community but I will nevertheless give my opinion, take it or leave it… it is to everyone’s prerogative…

    I have read the thread, and I can honestly say that some of the comments and suggestions were very interesting to say the least.

    Here are some facts:

    A) the map being built is 165% the size of the OOB map… If you are not entirely sure of what it means, but you do own a scanner or a printer with a scanner, scan any of the debated zone at 165% (or if your device doesn’t give you the option, scan at 100% and enlarge it to 165% in your favorite imaging software)  Once that done, print that section on regular, cheap paper (gray scale of whatever is the cheapest for you)  with that print out, start laying out your crazy stacks of whatever you feel like…  You will probably come to realize that the map is freaking massive compared to an OOB map…  Will it solve EVERY crowding issues… likely not… thus the blowup boxes…

    B) I really like the idea of YG to create some blowup boxes for certain key zones… why? Well, because it is HIS map to begin with, so, I think it would kinda make sense he likes it… But at the same time, I am not 100% convinced that there is a requirement for 10 specific blowup zones… (specially considering my point A) and this is where the idea/suggestion of CWO Marc is actually very valuable…  Indeed creating some “generic” boxes that has some combination of land and sea zone without necessarily being recognizable landscape could work great in combination with some “featured” blowup zones…  those “generic” zones, would be attached to a number or a letter (or even an emojii, I don’t give a crap)  and I think there could be a way to use the concept of the chips colors to those zones… What I mean by that is:  Let’s say I have crap load of stuff in london, but instead of being on the main map, I put all my stuff in the blowup… Well, on the battle map, I would put a “flag marker” refering to the blowup zone… and that flag will be colored accordingly to the threat level of what I stashed there…  White/Gray, Green, Red… (I think those are the color YG is using… don’t lawyer me on this)

    On this project, indeed we are opened to ideas and suggestions…although at one point (soon) things will be set in stone… Once the final plan is drafted, there will be little to no wiggle room… Otherwise I ll still be flocking the damn thing in 2021… and I am not sure this is a commitment I would volunteer for.  Obviously, this is a project that receives a lot of attention right now… and it is almost certain that we will not be able to please 100% of the community… But at the end, AFTER the tournament, I would be comfortable to sit with YG and have a live stream Q&A where we explain why we took certain decisions etc… And I can guarantee you that YG as well as myself can own any mistake we make and openly admit it…

    Anyway, this is my 2 cents on the subject… by all mean feel free to agree or disagree, I am always opened for a discussion or debate.


  • @DiveCrewCanada:

    and it is almost certain that we will not be able to please 100% of the community…

    Set your mind at ease: there’s no need to be concerned about not being able to please 100% of the A&A community because there’s nothing suprising about such a situation.  The A&A community is large, diverse and opinionated, and I can’t recall anything about any A&A-related subject – other than perhaps the fact that A&A exists – which pleases everyone in the community.  Such differences of opinion are very much business-as-usual in this forum.  So you can relax about this point.


  • @CWO:

    @DiveCrewCanada:

    and it is almost certain that we will not be able to please 100% of the community…

    Set your mind at ease: there’s no need to be concerned about not being able to please 100% of the A&A community because there’s nothing suprising about such a situation.  The A&A community is large, diverse and opinionated, and I can’t recall anything about any A&A-related subject – other than perhaps the fact that A&A exists – which pleases everyone in the community.  Such differences of opinion are very much business-as-usual in this forum.  So you can relax about this point.

    Right - if we could all agree what map, rules, and start date to use we might actually become dangerous…:)


  • @CWO:

    @DiveCrewCanada:

    and it is almost certain that we will not be able to please 100% of the community…

    Set your mind at ease: there’s no need to be concerned about not being able to please 100% of the A&A community because there’s nothing suprising about such a situation.  The A&A community is large, diverse and opinionated, and I can’t recall anything about any A&A-related subject – other than perhaps the fact that A&A exists – which pleases everyone in the community.  Such differences of opinion are very much business-as-usual in this forum.  So you can relax about this point.

    Thank you sir, indeed we understand it is impossible to please everyone :)  That’s just the nature of the beast. But at the same time, if we can share our thought process (that might be right or wrong) with the community, I think it would make the project very successful as there is a sharing of thoughts and ideas :)


  • @Der:

    @CWO:

    @DiveCrewCanada:

    and it is almost certain that we will not be able to please 100% of the community…

    Set your mind at ease: there’s no need to be concerned about not being able to please 100% of the A&A community because there’s nothing suprising about such a situation.  The A&A community is large, diverse and opinionated, and I can’t recall anything about any A&A-related subject – other than perhaps the fact that A&A exists – which pleases everyone in the community.  Such differences of opinion are very much business-as-usual in this forum.  So you can relax about this point.

    Right - if we could all agree what map, rules, and start date to use we might actually become dangerous…:)

    that would indeed be scary :)  But at the same time, it would be nice to see unity from people from all walk of life and background… I guess in a way, I am an idealist person who naively believes that somehow one day people can get to a consensus when the subject at end doesn’t have to be a disaster to motivate the consensus…


  • WWII is such a broad and deep subject that it’s probably impossible to get the whole experience on one table top anyway - different versions help us experience different aspects of it…


  • @Der:

    WWII is such a broad and deep subject that it’s probably impossible to get the whole experience on one table top anyway - different versions help us experience different aspects of it…

    In this instance, we are not attempting to bring a WWII experience… that would be presumptuous,  the only goal is to provide an eye candy to the players and to the community watching the videos :)  On such a small scale, I honestly wouldn’t even know how to make it feels like a WWII era (or any eras as a matter of fact). But I think it is quite an exciting project and it comes with some challenges that are going to be “fun” to deal with :)

  • '18 '17 '16

    If your new map is 165% larger than the OOB map then there should be no need for blowup boxes. Mine is 112% larger and I rarely use my blowup boxes anymore since I made the change from regular size. Really the only reason I use a few is the ease of moving large numbers of pieces with just one marker. At 165 though Captain OCD wouldn’t even have to use any chips to stack up his armies  :-P


  • @DiveCrewCanada:

    A) the map being built is 165% the size of the OOB map

    You’ve probably already thought about the following point, so I’m wondering what solution you’ve devised for it if it’s considered to be a problem.  Perhaps it isn’t a problem, but I’m just raising the point in case it’s relevant.

    The Pacific 1940 and Europe 1940 maps are each 35" wide and 32" high, for a combined Global 1940 size of 70" wide and 32" high.  This is without counting any custom accessory elements (chip trays, sculpt holders, etc.) which are part of the game table and which surround the map itself.

    A expanded map – just by itself, not counting the table – which is 165% larger than 70" x 32" would measure (if I’m calculating correctly) 115.5" x 58.8"…let’s say 116" x 59" to round things off, which works out to roughly 10 feet by 5 feet. The central portion of such a large map obviously can’t be reached (for the purposes of placing units) from the lengthwise direction (meaning from the right or left edges), so evidently it has to be approached from the top or the bottom edges.  From those two sides, the centre of the map is two-and-a-half feet from the edge of the table (if the table has no rim with accessories).  Hypothetically assuming a six-inch accessory rim, this puts the centre of the map three feet from the closest point where a player can stand.  Isn’t a three-foot distance a bit far to stretch across a table?  Leaning with a free hand on a clear area of the map would help, but what if that area of the map has sculpts on it?


  • Here are my mathematics: map will be 90" X 41" (3690 sq in) compared to the OOB: 70" X 32" (2240 sq in)

    which makes it a little short of 8’ X 4 ’  :)

  • '21 '20 '18 '17

    What we clearly need is a map large enough so that each major production facility can have its own 3D printer mounted onto the table, which after you enter your SET IN STONE buys at the beginning of your turn, begins to print the necessary plastic models, which are then deployed via mini-conveyor belt into the relevant territories and sea zones by the end of your turn (hopefully your turn takes 3-5 hours).

    Then, as each unit is destroyed, the appropriate color units can be dropped back into a vat of melted plastic, to begin their lives anew during the next round.

    The real billion dollar idea would be to create a pinsetting unit, where you simply dump a huge bucketful of plastic models and mini poker chips into a hopper at the top, the units drop into one of 138 customizable placement baskets, the frame lowers automatically onto the map you’ve chosen, and when you raise it, setup is complete.  MSRP, $314,000.00.


  • @taamvan:

    The real billion dollar idea would be to create a pinsetting unit, where you simply dump a huge bucketful of plastic models and mini poker chips into a hopper at the top, the units drop into one of 138 customizable placement baskets, the frame lowers automatically onto the map you’ve chosen, and when you raise it, setup is complete.  MSRP, $314,000.00.

    I don’t think YG would be able to crowdfund that project as successfully as his others…  :-D

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    @Elsass-Lorraine:

    @taamvan:

    The real billion dollar idea would be to create a pinsetting unit, where you simply dump a huge bucketful of plastic models and mini poker chips into a hopper at the top, the units drop into one of 138 customizable placement baskets, the frame lowers automatically onto the map you’ve chosen, and when you raise it, setup is complete.  MSRP, $314,000.00.

    I don’t think YG would be able to crowdfund that project as successfully as his others…   :-D

    Not true… I’m already working on purchasing a planet from NASA that closely resembles early 1940 Earth (stay tuned).


  • I think that will be a bit larger than 165% of the 1940 map…  :-D

  • '18 '17

    One way to split the difference – getting more space while still visualizing on-the-spot what forces are located in a specific territory – would be to forget about blow-up boxes and, instead, to use accessories such as these clear plastic “Fleet Movement Stands” from Litko:

    I was interested in these, so I bought a few.  I would post pictures but am unable to post images or links at this time.

    IMO they are a bit large for use at initial setup, particularly in Europe.  But once the aircraft stacks combine they will be most useful.  I also think they will be great for the Pacific aircraft carriers.  I am happy with my purchase.  $28 and I received nine stands in less than a week (shipped to US).

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