I can’t say exactly what the design process looked like initially. How all these discrete “source code” elements came together in the first place, or how a given rule or set up change was proposed, but I can guess.
If you look at how the Alpha process was handled, or if you look at how most original tripleA games are developed, its usually, 1 or 2 lead designers who set up the basic skeleton of a game (establishing the initial conditions and the core set up), followed by a bunch of people who come along afterwards and proceed to break that set up in beta, highlighting whatever gross imbalances might be present.
Then you have a long process of revision, fleshing the skeleton out, where seemingly minor tweaks or minor rules are introduced, in an attempt to keep things on track. A unit here, an objective there, a rules restriction or two, basically to prevent the whole train from derailing (ie. one side always wins), all the while trying to preserve the basic flavor of the original design.
Once the thing goes to print, or an official addendum is released to finalize things, this revision process usually halts. Some players with a lot of patience, or an interest in game design, might continue exploring House Rules or set up changes, but most players will just default to “the standard bid” process.
It’s hard to jump start things again, once people are used to the “official” game and the “standard” bids.
I still think turn order tweaks are probably the most interesting way to change the game. Allowing any one of the minor Allies to move before G, might be fun. China first, Anzac first, France first etc. Sure France can screw Germany with some blocks, and by making Paris do or die, but I get the impression that the designers might not have realized just how strong Axis could open.
It always takes time before those opening playbooks are developed and fine tuned. To expect that the designers would have predicted all of those possibilities in advance, or tested all the contingencies to make sure that the opening balance fit with their exact vision, seems rather fanciful.
I’ve seen how set-up changes are proposed to the official game. Usually this takes the form of a list, with territories and units, and then calls for feedback based on the new set up. But I don’t think its tested at anything near the speed, or with the number of games played in beta that we do here once the game is actually out. So far as I know, the boardgame is still tested the old fashioned way, not using a digital version for beta before it goes to print (which would be my clear preference, and something I’ve argued for more than a few times.) So its hard to imagine, how all this stuff could be evaluated in practice games by the designers. I imagine that, after a certain point in developent, its more like “ok lets just call it finished and see where things go” type process.
Global is an interesting case, because there was a lot of opportunity for community feedback during the Alpha process between 1st and 2nd edition. Though not everything that was resolved in Alpha made the cut when the time to put out second edition arrived. Still you could make the case that the game is basically perfect at this point, and so any minor change has to be considered very carefully. Frankly, I find ideas like a France opener way more interesting than, “lets remove more Japanese planes again” or things of that sort. Since it changes the starting conditions up. You need a new playbook. Which makes the game entertaining again for people who like exploring that aspect of the game.
I just wish there were more randomized elements at the outset, to make the overall balance less predictable in general, so people would get less hung up on round 1 rolls, and instead just try to play the hand they get dealt and enjoy it. It’s maybe too far gone at this point, but I still wish the game opened with a roll, you know something that sets the rest of the set up in motion. Something that would make it virtually impossible to plan for all possible outcomes, and thus make it way harder to exploit/break the opener. Maybe France doesn’t always make an impact, but if it could happen at least sometimes. Or if Russia didn’t always get nerfed, but maybe sometimes they get a boost. Or I guess you could just play the OOB game. Use all those Russian and French sculpts for birthday cake decorations or something. Because they’ll never get bought in the actual game. They’re a total tease! hehehe
:-D