The inclusion of France is one of those game concepts that might have been interesting, but just wasn’t executed.
In order for the French to have much interest as a player nation, they need at least an opening turn where their capital isn’t already occupied by Germany. I find it curious that the German balance was designed for them to take Paris immediately on G1. I think it would have been cooler if the balance was designed for Paris to fall on G2.
I think the best shot at a more interesting France, would be a revision to the turn order sequence of some kind. For ease of use, you could preserve the same essential sequence but just change the starting point. For example…
Germany, Russia, Japan, USA/China/UK/Pac, Italy, Anzac/France > Germany
Could change to…
Italy, Anzac/France, Germany, Russia, Japan, USA/China/UK/Pac > Italy
This sequence would have showcase the new player nations (especially Anzac and France) in a more engaging way than the OOB order. Anzac could snap up an NO and start in a stronger position vs Japan. Italy could screw with the Med sure, but this would be offset more or less, by the fact that France is still in play. To take France, G would have to bring almost everything available, which gives the UK the starting fleet that it seems to need. I mean remember that line in the manual about “Giving Germany their Stukas” ?
Wouldn’t it be cooler if those Stukas were used against France on G1 instead of the UK in the channel?
Then we could just offset things with cash. Whichever nation is screwed the hardest from this turn order revision, gets a starting income bonus of comparable value. Who knows? maybe you don’t even need a bonus? The change would surely favor Allies, and they are at a definite disadvantage OOB. Italy would be more powerful and be able to destroy Allied TUV in the Med/Africa, but Germany would have a much more challenging opener, with a more formidable Royal Navy to deal with on G2.
Using such a system it’s possible to make every nation more interesting to play, since you can basically fast forward or rewind the sequence to give the game a new dynamic. In this case we rewind a bit… to an Italy and Anzac/France opener. Start date, vaguely May Day 1940
:-D
I had some HRs to randomize the turn sequence in this way for AA50, with a 1d6 roll. I tried it a couple times in Global (though for G40 I used some other 6 position sequences as well, to split the Anglo-American turn.) In some cases the player could roll a turn sequence with France ahead of Germany, which allowed for the French to have some use. It of course collapses the following round, as German TUV is too powerful to overcome, but the stall allows the French player to have at least one real turn, before they hand over their cash to the Germans or Italians. This is a simpler version of that approach, it’s not a randomized turn order sequence per se, just a shift backwards in the sequence by 2 positions. With Il Duce leading the charge.
Instead of being a useless afterthought, France would actually be pivotal to the opening round. They would have several options.
Stack Paris for defense is an obvious one.
But they might also abandon Paris and stack S. France. Maybe even build a channel or med fleet?
Or perhaps they invest in the long term Allied war effort and buy some Bases in the colonies!
It would just be a more fun game all around I think, whatever the balance by sides ends up being. Italy would be more fun. Anzac would be more fun. And France would definitely be more fun!
;)
It might even work out so that you don’t have to change anything at all in the OOB set up, keep the same turn sequence, just go with a different start position.
It, Az/Fr, Gr, Ru, US/Ch/UK:
and then back to Italy
Any thoughts?