Mechanism for Conducting R&D - G40


  • Hello everyone.  I’m really happy I started to participate in this board.  Already I’m going to implement my now HIGHLY REVISED 3-Turn playing system, the new Naval Air Strike and Navy Rules, and also Young Grasshopper’s High-Luck casualty system (the new version with BM’s 1, 2, 3, and 4 hit system)  YG, if you like BM’s 1, 2, 3, 4 idea, you might want to consider updating your original post so everyone can easily see the system.

    So, I hope my playing group isn’t overwhelmed with all the changes in our next game!  But I think they will be pleasantly surprised.  The ideas on this board are very sound indeed.

    OK …. on to the topic …

    I have never played G40 using the R&D chart.  (in fact, the last time I played using R&D was with the original version waayyyy back in the late '80s … Heavy Bombers!)   I think the OOB rules for this just put nations that are already winning into overdrive … it’s almost like a positive feedback loop.

    I’ve read a lot of ideas here and have an idea for a House Rule proposal … but I want to just throw up some balloons and get some ideas first.  So here goes without too much detail.  These ideas would be for the basic mechanism for then creating an actual set of R&D upgrades around these mechanisms.

    Upgraded Units  Want them?  … Well, build them.
    I think any upgraded units should have to be purchased first.  If Heavy Bombers are researched, GREAT! … But guess what?  The “Heavy Bomber Fairy” is not going to suddenly appear and magically turn all of your existing Halifaxes into Lancasters.  You need to build them first!  The regular bombers should stay “as is” and any new bombers should be the new generation.   The same applies to any other “upgraded” unit including subs, mobile artillery … or whatever other unit you want to include an R&D rule for.  Maybe I haven’t looked deep enough into the board yet, but I haven’t seen this discussed before.

    Researching Abilities - Non Random
    I have seen this discussed quite often, and I think the Global War variant has something in place … but it looks complicated.  Maybe that is good for Global War, but I like to think that G40 is slightly more abstracted and simplified than Global War.

    It has always struck me as very “gamey” and anti-historical the way that R&D upgrades are granted in such a random manner.  Why would Japan accidentally get a tank upgrade?  Their scientist were more focused on the things that mattered (or in hindsight , SHOULD have mattered) to their national interests.

    Therefore, I would like the mechanic to focus around a “Point System”.  Each research item should be given a value.  (Let’s say Mobile Artillery has an R&D value of 10)  Then, a research dice is purchased for 5ipcs.  You roll it.  And you advance that number towards the Mobile Artillery upgrade.

    I’ve seen discussions and variants of this.  Where a “1” is total fail.  And a “6” is automatically granted.  …  But I would like to discuss a method that is both very simple and more realistic.

    So in summary, I’m hoping to not discuss the exact list of varios upgrades and techs that should be available.  Rather, I would like to come up first with a good system of researching new technologies and upgrades.   It should be simple, yet realistic and balanced.     Once we have a mechanism, it would be cool to come up with a set of techs and upgrades based on this mechanism.

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    This sounds really interesting, however, my group is pretty locked in on giving out an R&D breakthrough when a victory objective has been earned. I would like to explore modifying the 2 charts as we always choose chart 2 with the better stuff… let us know how your playtest goes.


  • the_jetset; I have never liked the R&D system in G40 either.  I have to say that I am a fan of the R7D system in the Global 39 game though.  It is much like you described.  Each tech has an assigned value for each power.  It costs 3ipc’s per development die which is rolled before the purchase phase.  The die value is added up each turn until the player reaches the assigned value of the tech they are trying to research.  For example…radar for the UK could have a value of 8.  The Uk player on the first R&D die rolls a 5.  The second round the UK player invests 3 more ipc’s on a R&D die and rolls a 4.  The two dice are added together for a total of 9.  The UK has just developed radar.  Othe nations will have differeing values for radar based on their use and developmental capacities.  Staying away from what can be researched as you suggested in your post, The mechanism is pretty straight forward and represent the investment and time required to develop new technologies or upgrades to the existing ones.  I also like that you want to seperate the existing units from upgrades.  I am currently working out what techs will be on our R&D charts and their values but I like that this is a topic of discussion.


  • Hello YG and Dafyd.  Yeah, I’ve never used R&D in G40 either.  I think I’ll look more into the Global War system.  But I’m worried that having to build the new units would create too many pieces as well.  ….  I’ve seen that some people use special colored chips to denote a specialized/modified unit.  Like for instance, an infantry with a black chip under it denotes “Marine” etc …

    But I think that might be getting too complicated for the G40 experience.  Better to move on to a more detailed game like Global War instead.

    Just wanted to see if anyone has a simple method that is also somewhat historically accurate.

    Anyway, I don’t expect to do any additional changes for at least the next couple of games.  I want to play-test some of the house-rules I’ve integrated into my set from this board first.

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