1942 R&D Tree Idea

Axis and Allies 1942 Tech Tree.pdf

Hello everyone,
First post so forgive me if I messed up…
Just started playing a few months ago and have seen some great ideas and work posted on this site and wanted to see if I could contribute an idea as I have received so much amazing information and additional content from here.
Topics regarding the Research and Development aspect of the game seem to spark great discussions as they should reflect some historical accuracy while keeping it still easy enough to enjoy playing with.
I wanted to create more of a “Tech Tree” visual versus a “Breakthrough Chart” where you can see the potential upgrades you were going for while trying to keep it as simple and easy to follow as possible.
I have referenced all R&D from the Axis and Allies Anniversary game (using as much text as could fit for each upgrade) as well as some popular ideas I found in forums and my own.
I have play tested a previous version of this Tech Tree (with National Advantages) and was able to develop Nuclear weapons by round 11 for time reference.
Please let me know what you think and ways to make it better.
I created it on excel so was limited in design options.

Thanks!

@barnee
Hi
Correct
Pick any Tier 1 tech and continue down the tier path as far as you want

Advanced technology and tactics in tier 2 unlocks a bunch of options for tier 3 tech

@general-6-stars
The colors just identify what unit the upgrade is supporting.
Red = Artillery
Green = Infantry
Orange = Industrial Complex
Yellow = Advanced Tech
Light Blue = Planes
Dark Blue = Ships
Grey = AAA
Tan = Spy

By no means are you “locked” into completing a color before you can start another. You have the freedom to move where ever you want and adjust as the game evolves. Only rule is you must start with a Tier 1 upgrade to “unlock” the Tier 2 upgrade in that same line going left to right.
So correct, you can just get your Tier 1 “War Bonds” then go for Tier 2 “Advanced Tech” or just go for another Tier 1 upgrade to try to unlock “Long Ranged Aircraft”

In the game i played, I would invest 10 IPCs a turn (playing all Nations) to buy 2 Research Tokens, saving the rest for units. (except poor ol USSR, they needed all the cash they could get…)

In my game UK invested in Naval upgrades while Germany invested in stronger tanks for example. Each Nation will have its own needs and each player will have his/her own strategy.

There was one round where an Axis nation was going for one tech upgrade, then the Allies made a move which prompted that Axis nation to change that plan and try to upgrade his infantry from Tier 1 “Mechanized Infantry” to Tier 2 “Dug In Defenses”. I bought 3 Research Tokens and unlocked it. The Infantry the Axis had immediately had a defense boost unlocked and Allies changed strategy.

@general-6-stars
So in my game, US unlocked Tier 4 “Paratroopers” which helped to take Japanese Islands. (Japan had a sub and battleship that was threatening and destroying my troop transports so being able to use long ranged aircraft with paratroopers to fly over and drop a troop allowed me to take a few islands easier)

Correct, it will take some time to work your way across to unlock stronger techs.
Its a 16% chance of unlocking Tier 1 (if using 1 Die)
33% chance for most Tier 2 with a few 50% chances
And you are also taking your chances with luck as well as taking away IPCs you can use for units to take a chance to get an upgrade.

Also, if you fail, you still keep those Research tokens so the next turn, you can add to your tokens to greaten you odds

Ultimately, the battle was trying to fit everything onto a single page.
Long Range Aircraft I debated putting in Tier 1. I imagined maybe the crew gutted as much gear from the planes to make them lighter so they would use less gas and fly further. In A&A50, you could also have the potential it seems to unlock it 1st turn so I let it go. But i’ll see where it can move it to a later Tier.

Paratroopers are a specially trained military unit. So putting them after Special forces seemed to make the most sense to me

Scrambled Fighters i dont see as being a technological advancement. its literally allied troops screaming HELP and help coming. Same as Naval Escorts. Also, 3 fighters is the same rule from E40 and P40 and thats standard as long as you leave from an airbase, which 1942 doesnt have.

Special forces, if you have amazing luck, earliest you would unlock this is on your 3rd turn. If you think it is too early, then maybe you can unlock the Tech tree on whatever turn you like. Maybe Open up Research on turn 2 or whatever. Boosting Special Forces with Artillery would make the attack a 3, same as a tank but less mobile. I would need more play testing to see but thats the beauty of strategy games, everyone will play it differently under different circumstances.

Lend Lease is a gamble as it was in real life. The max amount of IPCs worth of troops you could send is 24. Thats 4 tanks… you dont have to send 4 tanks or anything, you can send whatever you are willing to risk. The actual risk of sending equipment on merchant marine ships in WW2 was less than 16% but im only dealing with a D6. If you want more “factual” odds, a D12 would bring you closer to the 8% of ships destroyed in a convoy across the Atlantic. But i enjoy the excitement of risking of losing or the unexpected.
Giving the Axis 2 numbers to counter would make the risk of losing the convoy greater wouldnt it?

Heavy Bombers was also in the original and anniversary game, and yes, total game changer

Dug in defenders was not only for the Japanese (though they wrote the book on how to dig in), it applies to digging into a trench where your odds of living increased greatly from attack. it can be renamed “trench warfare” but its basically the same thing. I just imagine people better prepared to defend.

I have not testing this version yet, and is why I would request help play testing.
I tested an earlier version of this, which had less upgrades and I moved a few units to unlock after getting Advanced Tech.
Other than that, its essentially the same

Nukes didnt change.
you would have to work your way to Tier 4 to unlock nuclear weapons and still have to upgrade your bomber to carry them and fighters to escort it.

I treat the Nuclear bomb like a unit.
you build it at an IC. you can ship it on a troop transport to another area if you want to chance it, it just cant move on its own
only rule is to deploy it, the bomb and the bomber must leave from the same zone.
i was even thinking that any Allied Bomber could do it, same as allied troop transports.
US could build the bomb and UK fly to Washington to pick it up and fly it over for example but i dont think a nation would trust another to deploy a such a weapon in real life.

Thank you for your thoughts!

@general-6-stars said in 1942 R&D Tree Idea:

Seems like spending to much for tech.
Would u rather buy 5 inf instead trying to get dug in defenders ? Of course luck of roll

5 IPCs was/is the same rule that has always been associated with Research and Development from what i found.
it is also an optional rule.
if you dont see the value in upgrading your units, then dont.
it just adds another element to the game.
All i did was take the same R&D and make it linear.

@general-6-stars said in 1942 R&D Tree Idea:

So if I have mech inf tech. Next turn I want Advanced Technology. So I would need a roll of according to chart rolls would be a 1,2,4,5 or 6.

You understand what I’m getting at ? Or maybe I’m not getting it.
Or if I have Naval escorts and roll for Advanced Technology I would need a 1,2,4,5 or 6.

If you have Mech Inf, and you wanted Advanced Tech, you are in 2 seperate lines.
you would need to 1st unlock war bonds or long range aircraft or scramble fighters or naval escorts for a Tier 1 that connects to the Tier 2 Advanced Tech.
just follow the lines.
like plumbing… water flows from one box to another.

if you had Naval Escorts and you want Advanced Tech, then all you would need to roll is a 1 or a 2.
the numbers that are on the line connecting the boxes

@general-6-stars

Another way is like ok have War bonds. Need as mentioned for advanced technology. From war bonds I need a 4,5 or 6.
But if I have long range air it shows I only need a 1 or 2 to get Advanced Technology.
Then I can only go for Heavy bombers based on color code and Advanced Technology?

so if you have War bonds, you can use that path to get to Advance Tech as you have a 50% chance of getting it off a 4, 5, or 6 (your nation has better funding or whatever…) versus trying to unlock it from Long range aircraft which you would only have a 33% chance of unlocking off a roll of 1 or 2.
then yes, from Advance Tech, you can unlock any advancement that branches off of it, into Tier 3.
The colors mean nothing other than to assist you if you were focusing on building just a strong navy or going for a Nuke

@rozkoe Axis and Allies 1942 Tech Tree v 2.pdf

Attached is the 2nd Version to the Research and Development Tech Tree format.
Moved around some Tech and added more.

Made some changes if you are interested in following
@Nolimit @barnee

AA1942 - Tech Tree v4.pdf