I enjoy using your maps Imperious. Did you upload AA50 updated today?
Thank you!
@Imperious:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=1719431d339c3594dd8b33b5aa27078d
here it is.
What is different between this and the OOB map?
Zero. except i named both Sicily and Corsica as islands because its too ridiculous to have such a large land territory with no name.
look at it. Its the same. I got one with the 1941 setup for plotting strategy or for easy set up.
In my dream universe, they would just wise up and split the map already! e.g. No connections from the right side of the board to the left! That change alone, would be enough to ensure some sort of Pacific fight. :)
Panama has never done anything good for us. It just encourages one directional gameplay, and distorts the basic patterns of conflict with an “all or nothing” purchasing strategy.
I wish the Central USA IPCs had been distributed in more active areas of the map. But since it’s here, shouldn’t this region correspond to places like Michigan and Illinois, or Ohio and the Gulf Coast? 6 ipcs seems kind of ridiculous, if you look at a map of the real world and then compare that to the A&A map. Central USA as currently drawn, is basically places like New Mexico, W. Texas, Oklahoma, and the Dakotas. Not exactly the industrial heartland. The city of Chicago, would be in Eastern USA (as currently drawn) if we went by geographical accuracy.
In my dream universe, they would just wise up and split the map already! e.g. No connections from the right side of the board to the left! That change alone, would be enough to ensure some sort of Pacific fight. :)
Panama has never done anything good for us. It just encourages one directional gameplay, and distorts the basic patterns of conflict with an “all or nothing” purchasing strategy.
I wish the Central USA IPCs had been distributed in more active areas of the map. But since it’s here, shouldn’t this region correspond to places like Michigan and Illinois, or Ohio and the Gulf Coast? 6 ipcs seems kind of ridiculous, if you look at a map of the real world and then compare that to the A&A map. Central USA as currently drawn, is basically places like New Mexico, W. Texas, Oklahoma, and the Dakotas. Not exactly the industrial heartland. The city of Chicago, would be in Eastern USA (as currently drawn) if we went by geographical accuracy.
in times such as this i say……my god people…its just a game!
Central USA was a ‘road apple’ to force a decision on Infantry shuck from placement on west or east coast.
in times such as this i say……my god people…its just a game!
I know its just a game. That doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. :-)
Central USA was a ‘road apple’ to force a decision on Infantry shuck from placement on west or east coast.
All it did was force the shuck north through Canada, while at the same time making it essentially impossible for the USA to switch fronts rapidly. I feel it hurts the Pacific game more than any other single change that was made from Classic to Revised.
I could maybe see some argument for Central US, as an obstacle to recovering W. US, if the Japs manage to take it, but that circumstance is so rare that it hardly justifies the change from Classic. I preferred the older dynamic, where USA could feint Pacific or Atlantic, and then double back the other way at the last second if need be. Central US and Panama both contribute to making KGF more attractive.
If the map did not wrap at the edges, the problem with shucks between W. USA, and E. USA wouldn’t exist anymore, and the Allies would be forced to use their Pacific units in the Pacific. Japan conquering W. USA would be a major game changing event (much more than it is under the traditional situation) since USA could not retake it with tanks out of E. USA. Whether or not that is realistic shouldn’t matter, because all the other effects on the gameplay taken together would be so dramatic and beneficial. USA would have every reason to fight on two fronts, because losing W. USA to sustained attack by Japan would be an unthinkable. Japan would have a reason to press the fight, since a capture of W. USA would solidly cover their eastern flank.
in times such as this i say……my god people…its just a game!
I know its just a game. That doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. :-)
Central USA was a ‘road apple’ to force a decision on Infantry shuck from placement on west or east coast.
All it did was force the shuck north through Canada, while at the same time making it essentially impossible for the USA to switch fronts rapidly. I feel it hurts the Pacific game more than any other single change that was made in the switch from Classic to Revised.
I could maybe see some argument for Central US, as an obstacle to recovering W. US, if the Japs manage to take it, but that circumstance is so rare that it hardly justifies the change from Classic. I preferred the older dynamic, where USA could feint Pacific or Atlantic, and then double back the other way at the last second if need be. Central US and Panama both contribute to making KGF more attractive.
If the map did not wrap at the edges, the problem with shucks between W. USA, and E. USA wouldn’t exist anymore, and the Allies would be forced to use their Pacific units in the Pacific. Japan conquering W. USA would be a major game changing event (much more than it is under the traditional situation) since USA could not retake it with tanks out of E. USA. Whether or not that is realistic shouldn’t matter, because all the other effects on the gameplay taken together would be so dramatic and beneficial. USA would have every reason to fight on two fronts, because losing W. USA to sustained attack by Japan would be an unthinkable. Japan would have a reason to press the fight, since a capture of W. USA would solidly cover their eastern flank.
I used to play classic like that before I had a hard look at the rules. It was a lot more fun. I have to say, however, Japan capturing Western USA (without a victory city system) was very anti-climactic… LOL. My friend was thrilled that I hadn’t paid enough attention to the Pacific and it was too late, as he rose the red flag over Los Angelos, only to realize that he sent all his men to take America, and that was basically end of the line… what to do from there?? :-D
But with victory cities, LA and such DOES have value.
However, a complete overhaul of the USA could do this more realistically…
Use the Axis and Allies Revised Lime colored British to be Europe US Forces (besides infantry sculpt, BASICALLY the same unit types), Axis and Allies Standard Green US Forces to be the Pacific forces. USA’s income is split so that IPC in the Pacific front goes one way, Eastern goes the other… here’s the catch… Central USA counts for BOTH theaters (essentially making it worth twice as much). Otherwise the individual USAs are way too weak. US forces are NOT allowed to cross the border UNLESS one USA half has fallen. The other half takes all of that half’s IPC, and acts as the “Acting Capital,” whether or not Eastern or Western USA fell. Hmm… I might have to include this in my house rules set that I was working on.
Plus, by making Central USA worth essentially twice as much, this also solves the problem some people have with America not being financially represented as best as it could be.
@Imperious:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=1719431d339c3594dd8b33b5aa27078d
here it is.
Wow, those are awesome. But, what are the Convey Zone’s for in AA50? I’m lost.
My biggest gripe is that the borders are so faint. I wish they stood out more in OOB map. Oh well, it’s a small thing.
The convoy zones are for the phase 2 map. Look at the phase one map. Thats complete. Phase 2 is work in progress.
Really awesome, IL. But I agree, any chance of making those border lines black or something?
Also, any chance of making it a battlemap image complete with tech and VC and other charts at the bottom like the AARe battlemap? :)
Black lines are too complimentary to the deep colors. Thats the problem with the OOB map. The lines need to be clear.
They made a huge mistake on the lines for the map because they are black and cant hardly separate the dark green shades from it.
Okay.
I just wish they had been a bit more imaginative with the eastern Russian blocks, looks like they had a two year old with a crayon put those borders on and it annoys me. If they had just gridded it like they did the territories between Russia and Germany in revised it woulda been much better, IMHO.
Anyway, waiting for my box to come in so I can see the actual board and rules.
@Imperious:
So now with the map below you got 72x36 rather than 45x23
Phase 1 map:
http://www.mediafire.com/?amzmjhoi5uv
I like the work you’ve done on this map IL. I downloaded it from a post you made in another thread before AA50 came out and was wondering if you had made any changes that may have been initially wrong. What I mean to say, now that the game has been released (and I assume you have copy already [or several]), have you double checked to make sure everything is correct on your map?
Thanks for the time you’ve put into this. Knowing that I can get a big map so soon after AA50 has been released is a godsend. I’ve been so spoiled with my big AAR map :-D
IL,
Thanks for your hard work in creating this outstanding map file.
I love the out of the box board – it is quite the fantastical upgrade from all the other products. However, after playing on it several times I can’t do it anymore. I’m spoiled! After using all your giant AARHE maps and Bionic Donkey’s AAR I just can’t go back to “all that cosmic power… itty bitty living space!”.
It was driving me crazy.
So, I did it on the cheap again and printed it off using 8.5 x 11". Assembled together on a frame with clear contact paper to cover and protect it. This time though, I put a layer of sheet metal underneath so I can hang it on the wall at work. I’m in the process of putting neodymium magnets on all my pieces. – and it’s turning out quite well. So now we can play at the office over lunch breaks and keep the board set up.
Here’s the first prototype.
Thanks again for the effort.
Enjoy the day!
Bierwagen,
Beautiful setup, I am jealous already verrry nice indeed.
Wow, that’s pretty cool.
Kinda like a real war room.
