OK so backtracking for a minute to explain the logic.
*note the “upload folder is full”, so I can’t attach this map? I can’t seem to attach anything, no matter how small I make the filesize? I will try to describe it in words.
On the OOB board, you can see that…
Japan leads in valueless territories, for a total of 6 spaces at zero ipcs. Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Wake, Caroline Islands, Solomon Islands and Formosa (why Formosa is its own territory instead of attached to Kwangtung, the way N. Ireland is attached to UK, I’m not really sure. But since it is listed as its own territory that brings us to +6 ipcs total)
UK is next with 3 spaces at zero: Iceland, Gibraltar and Anglo-Egyptian Sudan for +3 ipcs total.
USA has 3 spaces at zero: Midway, Eastern Mexico and Greenland for +3 ipcs total.
So without altering anything else you are looking at overall Axis +6 ipcs, Allies +6 ipcs to bring all valueless territories into play at least 1 ipc. This is described in the first map attached below. To keep with the minimums you would have the following starting income…
Russia 24
Germany 41
UK 34
Japan 36
USA 45
This spread is not particularly desirable though, as it does nothing to increase the strength of Russia (which is what game balance would seem to require!) I would suggest that since Japan’s increase for their valueless territories is already offset by UK/US increase for their valueless territories (and by the fact that Japan can use their extra 6 against Russia), that Russia must be increased by at least 6, probably closer to 10, to maintain overall parity. This is without even touching the numbers for Germany, just to give them enough to face the +6 Japan will receive.
Now Russia has a total of 6 starting territories at a value of 1 ipc, increasing each of these by 1 ipcs would put them at 30 to start.
Russia 30
Germany 41
UK 34
Japan 36
USA 45
This is the bare minimum required I think, in order to change all zero ipc territories into 1 ipc territories, without totally busting the game set up. However, this minimum doesn’t change the basic gameplay in any appreciable way. Basically all the same strategies apply with the same drawbacks and constraints. So I would say, if you take the map below as the starting point, then the question is, what else to change (and how to offset it so the game remains balanced.)
If you give UK 1 more ipc somewhere (India?), and Germany 3 ipcs somewhere (eastern front or Scandinavian), that would bring the total to… 80 Axis vs 110 Allies (up from 71 to 97 OOB.) So basically a 30 ipc swing instead of 26.
It is possible to knock Japan’s total down from 36, if you drop East Indies or Borneo from 4 ipcs to 3 ipcs. You could give the IPC to Germany somewhere contested. This would make Japan and UK (given the adjustments above) both the same at 35 ipcs and USA and Germany likewise both the same at 45.
Also, USA has extra IPCs in Central USA that can be pushed out to contested territories, like China, Midway, Hawaii, Alaska etc, so they could raise individual territories without altering the total, just stealing it from Central USA and moving it to more interesting locations. So that is where I would start, when thinking about how to mod production without busting the set up.
Russia 30
Germany 45
UK 35
Japan 35
USA 45
From this position, it is fairly easy to raise Russia still further if needed. I suggest increasing in increments of 5 ipcs as the cleanest. Basically take 5 of their lowest value territories (now 2 ipcs) and increase them by 1 more ipc. And you get 35. Lets call this a low-medium production adjustment, as compared to the one in the original post, which we be a decidely high production adjustment.
Any thoughts?