Do you use "ALPHA SENARIO" set-up for Global 1940?


  • If you are playing only Pacific 40, then the Alpha set up is recommended by Larry Harris himself to help balance that game out.  The Alpha setup itself has no effect on the Europe half of the board for the time being.  Larry has commented, I believe, on making some minor changes in the coming months if they are needed for Europe.


  • @kcdzim:

    But do you use the Errata’d setup, which replaces the OOB setup and was officially released months ago to correct the setup errors that were made (ANZAC only has one minor factory, Philippines has a naval base and an airbase)?

    Absolutely - I play with all official errata and FAQ.  That’s why I want to see alpha as an option (like LHTR for revised) rather than a strict errata.


  • to be fair, the pacific errata fixes errors on WOTCs part which would be corrected in a reprint.  You guys should check them out, dropping the anzac major to a minor etc.

    can’t agree more w/the “alpha” setup.  it’s not official until there’s a reprint or at least in a FAQ on the publisher’s website.

    and to be fair, shouldn’t it be more of a 2.0 or 1.01 setup?  Alpha/Beta terminology applies to something BEFORE it is released as final.


  • @MaherC:

    and to be fair, shouldn’t it be more of a 2.0 or 1.01 setup?  Alpha/Beta terminology applies to something BEFORE it is released as final.

    Well, it’s not final yet. Just as “beta” is used to mean a preliminary test, so alpha is used to mean a preliminary setup change that may or may not be tweaked


  • rhetorical.

    sigh.

    this is my major prob w/you kiddo.  you post to post, to get that counter next to your name ticking away.


  • @MaherC:

    rhetorical.

    sigh.

    this is my major prob w/you kiddo.  you post to post, to get that counter next to your name ticking away.

    Well, you made an error that I’m pointing out.

    Increasing my post count is useless since I’m already a heavy bomber, the highest possible rank


  • @MaherC:

    rhetorical.

    sigh.

    this is my major prob w/you kiddo.  you post to post, to get that counter next to your name ticking away.

    Didn’t sound rhetorical at all.  And your response contributed even less.  yay.  Stop sniping.  You asked a question (which didn’t sound rhetorical) and got an answer (even if it was from someone you insist on stoking a flame war with).

    Larry has specifically stated that at this point it’s incumbant upon us, the public, to alpha-test the alpha setup (until the beta is released, upon which we beta-test).  WOTC didn’t spring for much in-house or out of house playtesting.  And to the people who keep whining about this taking so long, I offer you this:  Starcraft 2.

    As for Alpha, If you don’t want to play it, then don’t.  But the idea is that if it works, it will be official and it will apply to both Pacific and Global, and that it should in fact make the game more fun (or at the least, not make it any less fun) by balancing the J1 (and balancing europe vs pacific air unit ratios).  They clearly learned at least a little something from the Pac game when the setup for the Europe map is rather scant on aircraft.

    If your group only plays by OOB, then no worries (although you should adjust for Errata errors, cause the OOB setup IS wrong).  And if they only play by Official Errata rulings, then also no worries, just have fun.  But if you play enough to find a way to break the game OOB like the J3 crush, then you SHOULD use the Alpha so can you help fix it.

    Maher, why so resistent to Alpha when you spent so long complaining/championing the imbalance in Pac40 (and reminding us that you noticed it so early upon release)?  If you know it’s going to be used for Global, why not help by testing it?


  • @kcdzim:

    But if you play enough to find a way to break the game OOB like the J3 crush, then you SHOULD use the Alpha so can you help fix it.

    I don’t believe J3 India crush does break Global 1940.  I tend to play OOB plus FAQ, Errata, and various official optional rules.  I never play house rules.  I do play enough to find things like the J3 crush in Pacific 1940.

    OOB I find Global 1940 the most dynamic and awesome A&A game ever.  I understand wanting a second set-up for Pacific, but I’m not convinced Global is broken.  I therefore don’t have a desire to fix it.


  • @zooooma:

    @kcdzim:

    But if you play enough to find a way to break the game OOB like the J3 crush, then you SHOULD use the Alpha so can you help fix it.

    I don’t believe J3 India crush does break Global 1940.  I tend to play OOB plus FAQ, Errata, and various official optional rules.  I never play house rules.  I do play enough to find things like the J3 crush in Pacific 1940.

    OOB I find Global 1940 the most dynamic and awesome A&A game ever.  I understand wanting a second set-up for Pacific, but I’m not convinced Global is broken.  I therefore don’t have a desire to fix it.

    I did NOT say that a J3 india crush broke global or was even remotely possible.  OOB it might be possible, but would not be worth it as the USA would be HUUUUUGE right away.  I mentioned J3IC as an example of something that DOES break Pac40 and that a revised setup that is up to us to test needs to be tested in Global.  That’s why I said “like the J3 crush”, using “like” meaning similar, and not like, like, I dunno, like whatever.   :wink:

    It’s important that Alpha is tested in Global because it IS NOT the intent to have two different setups for Pacific and Global.  Larry Harris has stated that he would like the revised Pacific 40 setup to work in Global, and it is his hope that such a revised setup is made official (although it is up to WOTC, not Harris, to make that change, although he can seperately release it as a “creator endorsed rule”).  If the Alpha setup weakens Japan so much that the Allies always win, that means it’s broken too.


  • I’m against the Alpha setup as I have read it because it weakens Japan for Pac40 setup, which to me makes an already allied favored g40 setup that much worse.

    Calvin (or whoever)  can you reply with the EXACT setup changes for Alpha, I’ve had 2 people pm me about not being able to wade through 340 pages on LH’s forums.


  • China
    Szechwan 5 Infantry and one fighter(+1 inf)
    Hunan 2 Infantry(+1 inf)
    Yunnan 4 Infantry(+1 inf)
    Kweichow 2 Infantry(+1 inf)
    Shensi 1 Infantry
    Suiyuyan 2 Infantry

    ANZAC
    Malaya 1 Infantry
    New South Wales - 1 Infantry, 1 Minor IC, 1 Naval Base.(+ 1 NB)
    New Zealand - 1 Infantry, 1 Fighter, 1 Airbase, 1 Naval Base.(-2 ftrs)
    Queensland - 2 Infantry, 1 Artillery, 1 Fighter, 1 Airbase, 1 Naval Base.
    Sea Zone 62 -1 Destroyer, 1 Transport
    Sea Zone 63 – 1 Cruiser(+ 1 CC; - SS Z47)

    United Kingdom (India)
    Sea Zone 37 - 1 Battleship(-2 Tr)
    Sea Zone 39 - 1 Destroyer, 1 Cruiser, 1 Transport(+ 1 Tr)
    Kwangtung - 2 Infantry, 1 Naval Base
    Burma - 1 Infantry, 1 Fighter
    Malaya - 3 Infantry, 1 Naval Base(-1 inf)
    India - 6 Infantry, 1 Artillery, 1 AA Gun, 1 Fighter, 1 Tac Bomber, 1 Airbase, 1 Naval Base, 1 Major IC(+2 inf, -2 ftr)

    United States
    Western US - 3 Infantry, 1 Mech Infantry, 1 Artillery, 1 Tank, 1 Bomber, 1 AA Gun, 1 Airbase, 1 Naval Base, 1 Major IC(-ftr, tac)
    Hawaiian Islands - 2 Infantry, 2 fighters, 1 Airbase, 1 Naval Base.(+ftr, -tac and bmr)
    Philippines - 2 Infantry, 1 fighter, 1 Airbase, 1 Naval Base.(-bmr)
    Midway - 1 Airbase
    Wake Island - 1 Airbase
    Guam - 1 Airbase
    Sea Zone 26 - 1 Sub, 1 Destroyer(-1 Tr, +1 SS, 1 DD)
    Sea Zone 10 - Battleship, Cruiser, Transport, Carrier w/Tac & Ftr(-SS, DD)
    Sea Zone 35 - 1 Destroyer and 1 Transport

    Japan
    Japan - 6 Infantry, 2 Artillery, 1 Tank, 2 Fighters, 2 Tac Bombers, 1 Bomber, 1 AA Gun, 1 Airbase, 1 Naval Base, 1 Major IC(- 2 inf, 3 ftr, 2 tac, 1 bmr)
    Manchuria - 6 Infantry, 1 Mech Infantry, 1 Artillery, 1 AA Gun, 2 Fighters, 2 Tac Bombers, 1 Bomber(-1 ftr, +2 inf)
    Palau Island - 1 Infantry
    Kiangsi - 3 Infantry, 1 Artillery
    Formosa - 1 Fighter
    Shantung - 2 Infantry(+ 1 inf)
    Kwangsi - 3 Infantry, 1 Artillery
    Iwo Jima - 1 Infantry
    Jehol - 2 Infantry, 1 Artillery
    Caroline Islands - 1 AA gun, 1 Airbase, 1 Naval Base, 1 Infantry
    Siam - 2 Infantry
    Okinawa - 1 Infantry, 1 Fighter
    Kiangsu - 2 Infantry, 1 Fighter, 1 Tac Bomber.(+ 1 inf, - 1 bmr)
    Korea - 3 Infantry(+ 2 inf)
    Sea Zone 6 - 1 Sub, 2 Destroyers, 2 Carriers each with 2 Tac & 2 Ftrs., 1 Cruiser, 1 Battleship, 1 Transport(- 1 Tr)
    Sea Zone 19 - 1 Sub, 1 Battleship, 1 Destroyer(-1 CC, + 1 BB)
    Sea Zone 33 - 1 Destroyer, 1 Carrier w/ 1 Tac & 1 Ftrs.(-Tr, CC)
    Sea Zone 20 - 1 Cruiser, 1 Transport(+ Tr, CC)


  • on a similar note, does anyone have a link to a post (i’m sure I saw it) with the corrected OOB setup for pac40?  I want to be able to stop using the damn box tops, esp when they aren’t correct and typo’d!

    much appreciated.


  • @MaherC:

    on a similar note, does anyone have a link to a post (i’m sure I saw it) with the corrected OOB setup for pac40?  I want to be able to stop using the damn box tops, esp when they aren’t correct and typo’d!

    much appreciated.

    http://www.harrisgamedesign.com/pdf/A&A_Pacific_1940_513_FAQ.pdf


  • actually i meant a listing like what you posted for the alpha, but with the OOB setup.  For G40.


  • @MaherC:

    actually i meant a listing like what you posted for the alpha, but with the OOB setup.  For G40.

    Okay.
    Add a naval and air base to Philippines.
    Remove New Zealand’s minor IC
    Reduce New South Wales’ IC to a minor


  • I meant for every space on the g40 board.  I thought someone did that where we could print that off and use that rather than the box tops….


  • @MaherC:

    I meant for every space on the g40 board.  I thought someone did that where we could print that off and use that rather than the box tops….

    Oh. Try Bob Micleson’s charts. They’re on one of the stickies on the Global 1940 thread


  • Well I’m playing my second game of Global starting tomorrow.  I email Larry and he was kind enough to respond.  He suggested that I use the “Alpha Senario” set up.  I said I would do a Battle report and post it on his website and let him know how it went.

    If the guy who created the game suggests that I use it, I will.  I’ll let you all know how it goes.


  • Like I said before, it slows the pace down in the Atlantic and makes it worthwhile for all of the Axis to agree to hold off full out war with everyone a few turns.  If Japan decides to go all out J1 like in OOB then I think it just means that Europe could get steamrolled faster by the Allies.  Either way in either set up you still have all the choices in the world to decide when to go to war with people.  The Alpha setup does make Pac 40 by itself much more fun, at least I think.  So far I think Europe looks and feels pretty well balanced, unit placement and distribution wise.  I think I remember reading on his website about Larry saying that he was wanting to look at England for some tweaks to not make Sea Lion a dominant choice for Germany in the first few turns but lets face it, if Hitler was halfway smart back in the day he would have invaded and taken England if he devoted enough resources to it.


  • The alpha setup should not be used for G40.    G40 obviously has more depth, hurdles and not to mention 18 Russian infantry staring at you.  Slowing down the Japs in G40 makes no sense.

    I think it is going to have to be less about a unit balance, and more about a rules change to make G40 work, perhaps something where the US’s NO doesn’t trigger unless Japan directly attacks the US.

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