Focused Research

@midnight_reaper that’s a cool idea and I might have to try it. However I don’t like the idea of getting advancements for free, which is why I like some sort of facility to buy. Since the G40 R&D board seems to have the better advances on one side I’d say you have to roll a 1-4 to get the 1 column, and 5-6 to get the second. Maybe even through in an added cost to get 1-3 & 4-6. But again with that, I think countries should have to build the facilities in their capitol instead of anywhere and starting with them.

@magnum I’m not yet convinced that letting them pick what they want, and potentially the same thing, is a problem. If anything, this will give them the opportunity to try out different strategies, involving research, and see how they work.

FEEDBACK WELCOMED

Hello everyone. I’ve been lurking here for years and wanted to reach out and get some feedback from our house rules on new tech development house rules for use on our Anniversary map. We went out to solve 2 problems, 1) the randomness of tech breakthroughs and 2) the game changing ability of certain techs. We wanted a system where you picked what tech your research with some sort of progressive path to a breakthrough. We have 20 techs that can be researched (at 1 per turn) in 4 categories, land warfare, air warfare, naval warfare and “special”.

Most of the tech breakthroughs provide advantages only in the first round of combat and we think provide some flavour to the game but I wouldn’t mind getting some more eye on this to see if anything stands out as too powerful or not worth the 4 + IPC investment.

We’ve played 3 games now with the progressive research model and it’s been fun.

I should add that while we play on the Anniversary map (neither of us have room for Global unfortunately), we use the following rules from other games or house rules.

Tanks cost 6 IPC Industry have built in AAA AAA unit from 1942.2 SBR Escorts and Interception BB has built in AAA, rolls 1 dice at 1

Last note is we wanted to increase abilities without adding new units to the game. The map just gets too crowded once you start including new units.

Would welcome any thoughts you have. Thanks in advance!!

**** New Tech Research Rules ****

To make an investment in a technology, the player spends 4 IPC to start a project, limited to starting 1 project per turn, however doesn’t announce with projects they are starting, places a country roundle on the progress tracker starting at Phase 1. Players can only have 1 ongoing project per category (Land, Air, Naval, Special). During the research phase, the player rolls 1 free dice for each research project and may purchase as many additional dice rolls as they want for each of the research projects prior to rolling (see additional dice cost below). The player needs to roll the number on the progress chart and if achieved, the country roundle is placed in the “breakthrough” box. If roll is not successful, the country roundle is moved up one and each subsequent turn achieving a ‘breakthrough’ becomes easier. If the player gets to Phase 3 without achieving a breakthrough, the roundle is moved to the DELAYED box and the technology is achieved in the research phase of the next turn. Having a tech in DELAYED does not block a new project in the same category from being started.

While the progress of each step is announced, including a breakthrough, the player does not reveal the technology breakthrough until the technology is used. For tracking purposes, keep your breakthroughs in the “secret” box until it is used then move to “revealed’.

link text

Land Warfare

Heavy Tanks, tanks attack at 4 and target select land units on a roll of 1 during the first round of combat.

Heavy Tank Destroyers, tanks defend at 4 and target select land units on a roll of 1 during the first round of combat.

Mechanized Warfare, Inf/Art/AAA paired with tank move 2, Inf/Art can blitz with tank.

Advanced Artillery, infantry paired with artillery defend at 3 during the first round of combat.

Elite Infantry, attacking infantry roll 2 dice in the first round of combat. Only 1 roll gets the attack combined arms bonus when paired with artillery.

Air Warfare

Heavy Bombers, bombers add 3 IPC damage during strategic bombing raids. Heavy bombers hit by AAA fire are removed from play AFTER they roll for bombing damage.

Escort Fighters, fighter units starting in the same territory with a bomber may move up to 6 and escort the bomber to target during strategic bombing mission

Advanced Aircraft, land based fighters attack at 4 first round of combat. Land based fighter escorts/interceptors roll at 2 during air combat round of Strategic Bombing raid. Bombers roll 2 dice in the first round of combat, picking the best result.

Jet Fighters, defending land based fighters have a hit priority aircraft and roll 2 dice during the first round of combat and roll 2 dice at 2 to hit during Strategic Bombing phase.

Advanced Radar and ATC, Industrial complex AAA rolls hit on a 2 or less during Strategic Bombing. Up to 2 land based fighters may scramble from land territory to defend in land or sea combat in adjacent land or sea zones including strategic bombing (copied from Sired Blood’s rules)

Naval Warfare

Heavy Battleship, take 3 hits to sink, roll 2 dice first round of combat including shore bombardment. Considered fully operational with 1 hit, half attack/defend/AAA with 2 hits. Battleship AAA defences roll 2 dice.

Advanced Carrier, Carriers take 2 hits to sink & can carry 3 fighters. Carrier based fighters ‘target select’ naval or air units on a roll of 1 during naval combat.

Advanced Submarines, subs attack at 3 first round of combat, each sub in excess of enemy destroyers in a naval battle may sneak attack/submerge.

Heavy Transports, transports may now carry 3 units. If 3 units are carried, 1 must be an infantry.

Naval Logistics, all naval surface combat units (Battleships, Carriers, Cruisers, Destroyers) move 3.

Special Tech

Improved Shipyards (standard rules)

Increase Factory Production, factories on territory IPC 2 or less produce 1 extra unit, factories on territory IPC 3 or more produce 2 extra units. Factories now cost 10.

War Economy, during the collect income phase, players get 1 additional IPC for each 10 IPC it has on the income tracker + results from IPC modifier roll below.

Roll 6 = 4 IPC
Roll 5 = 3 IPC
Roll 3-4 = 2 IPC
Roll 1-2 = 1 IPC

Full Mobilization, repair factory 1 IPC per 2 points of damage. At the start of the ‘Purchase Units’ phase, the player rolls 1d6. A roll of 1-4 grants 1 free infantry unit, roll of 5-6 grants 2 free infantry units. These units are placed during the ‘Mobilize New Units’ phase using standard placement rules.

Mass Production, players may purchase multiple units of the same type at a discount.

Tanks (6 IPC), purchase set of 3 tanks for 16 IPC (-2)
Artillery, purchase set of 3 artillery for 10 IPC (-2)
AAA Artillery, purchase set of 2 AAA guns for 8 IPC (-2)
Fighter, purchase 2 fighters 17, IPC (-3)
Bombers, purchase 2 bombers for 20 IPC (-4)

**** End ****

Research is super fun, but can seriously unbalance the game if a player gets lucky with their first couple rolls. Therefore, we play that the player chooses which tech to research, however better techs have a lower chance of being successfully researched.

The mechanism of researching is the same, you buy research tokens (dice rolls), roll for success, if none hit the tokens are banked for next turn and can roll again at no cost, if successful the tech is gained and the tokens are removed and must be rebought to do more research . The cost of each token (die roll) is increased to 8 IPC (normally is 5). But, tier 1 techs will be successfully researched with a roll of 3 or lower, tier 2 with roll of 2 or lower, and tier 3 with roll of 1:

(3/6 chance) 1. adv artillery, inc factory prod . || mech infantry, war bonds
(2/6 chance) 2. long-range aircraft, radar . . . . || paratroopers, rockets
(1/6 chance) 3. heavy bombers, super subs . . || jet fighters, improved shipyards

To balance out how multiple techs are gained, we separated complimentary tech into opposing groups to prevent them from easily being researched too quickly back-back and becoming OP. To research a tier 2 or 3 tech at least one tech from the tier below must be already obtained from WITHIN the branch. Note, the techs are separated into left and right branches.

So to get heavy bombers (left, tier 3), you could research adv artillery or factory prod (left, tier 1) then radar or long-range air (left, tier 2). Then, to get jet fighters (right, tier 3), you’d have to also research 2 corresponding lower tier techs in the right branch, because adv artillery/radar/etc. don’t count towards the necessary lower tier techs for the right branch.

Thoughts?

@Bob77:

Would this be at the beginning of game turn or each players turn?

Each players turn.

Hi all!
I made this new research table breakthrough for A&A Global, cause i think the original ones was too weak. Stuff like War Bonds or Improved Shipyards are strange concepts imho (spend money to recieve money back overtime ? :? ). Those rules can be used of course on every A&A game, not only Global 1940.

I just want to share this new research with you all, and listening at your feedbacks, you veterans!  :-D
Please let me know what do you think!
Enjoy!  :lol:

(N.B.: 1,2,3 Ground and 1,5,6 Air/Naval are the same of standard rules)

NEW RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT RULES BY ZAIBACH

Research and Development sequence
1. Boost research
2. Roll research dice
3. Roll breakthrough dice
4. Invest in research

1. If you don’t have any research token in your reserve, go directly on step 4. If you have at least one research token, you can choose to boost research for that turn. If you do so, spend 5 IPCs: only for that turn the research is boosted.
2. Roll a die for each research token in your reserve, +1 die if you boost the research for that turn. If you score at least one “1”, you made a breakthrough: remove all research tokens from your reserve and go to step 3. If not, skip step 3 and go to step 4.
3. Choose one table and roll a dice to determine the research you’ve gotten.
4. You can choose either to invest or do not invest in research. If you do not invest, you lost all the research tokens in your reserve. If you do invest, you spend 5 IPCs and add one research token in your reserve.

Example:

On first turn Japan starts with 0 research token and so go directly on step 4. He decides to invest in research, spending 5 IPCs and taking one research token. On second turn Japan decides to boost his research, spending 5 IPCs. He then roll two dice, one for the token and one for the boost. He scores 2 and 5, no breakthrough. He then decides to continue investing in research, spending 5 IPCs, acquiring a second research token. On third turn Japan decides to not boost his research, and then roll two dice for the two tokens he has. He scores 6 and 1, breakthrough! He remove all the tokens and got a research. Then he decide to continue investing in research, spending 5 IPCs. He now has one research token in reserve.

GROUND TABLE

1. Advanced Artillery. Each of your artillery units can now provide greater support. One artillery unit can support up to 2 infantry and/or mechanized infantry units per attack. Up to 2 infantry and/or mechanized infantry units when coupled with 1 artillery unit have attack values of 2.
2. Rockets. Your air bases can now launch rockets. During the Strategic and Tactical Bombing Raids step of your Conduct Combat phase each turn, each of your operative air bases can make a single rocket attack against an enemy industrial complex, air base, or naval base within 4 spaces of it. This attack does one die roll of damage to that facility. Rockets may not be fired over neutral territories.
3. Paratroopers. Up to 2 of your infantry units in each territory with an air base can be moved to an enemy controlled territory 3 or fewer spaces away that is being attacked by your land units from adjacent territories and/or by amphibious assault. When moving, paratroopers must obey the same restrictions that air units do. If the territory being attacked has AAA (antiaircraft artillery) units, the paratrooper infantry units are subject to antiaircraft fire in the same way as air units. If attacking along with land units from adjacent territories, paratroopers may retreat as normal.
4. Improved Factory. Each of your industrial complexes can now produce additional units beyond their normal production ability. Major industrial complexes can mobilize up to 12 units, and minor ones can mobilize up to 4 units. Also, your industrial complexes have now built-in Artillery. Major industrial complexes have 2 built-in Artilleries and minor ones have 1 built-in Artillery. You can use this Artilleries in battle only for defence. This special Artilleries are added on the battle board but can’t never be taken as a casuality. If in any round, after remove casualities, there are no other defence units except for built-in Artilleries, they are immediatly removed. In any case, at the end of the battle, remove them from the battleboard.
5. Accurated Bombardment. Your Artilleries can now be parried with Fighters. This improve the Artillery both Attack and Defence by 1 (from 2 to 3). A single Fighter can both be parried with an Artillery and a Tactical Bomber in the same moment.
6. Fast Tanks. Only on the first cycle of combat, your tanks can support infantry/mechanized infantry (just like artilleries).

NAVAL/AIR TABLE

1. Super Submarines. The attack value of your submarines is now 3 instead of 2.
2. Antiaircraft Cruisers. Your Cruisers have now a built-in AAA (antiaircraft artillery).
3. Torpedo Bombers. Your Tactical Bombers are now equipped with a single Torpedo. Only during the first round of a Naval Combat, both Defending and Attacking Torpedo Bombers roll an extra dice called “Torpedo”. Those dices have attack and defence value of 2 (3 if coupled with a fighter). Enemy aircrafts cannot be hitted by “Torpedo” dices. When you have to allocate hits, first of all allocate “Torpedo” dices, and then proceeds with the others.
4. Dreadnought Battleships. Your Battleships now have long range cannons. Before a naval battle begins (even before AAA phase), there is a single special round fight. In this special round only Battleships attack and defence with a value of 2, and submarines and aircrafts cannot be taken as casualities. For each Fighter on your side you can increase one Battleship attack and defence to 3. Casualities are immediatly removed and cannot take place in the normal battle.
5. Long-Range Aircraft. All of your air unit’s ranges are increased by one space.
6. Heavy Bombers. Your strategic bombers are now heavy bombers. When attacking, whether in a battle or a strategic bombing raid, roll two dice for each bomber and select the best result.

Torpedo Bombers, Example:
A Japanese Aircraft Carrier and an American one are standing in the pacific ocean. They have both one Fighter and one Torpedo Bomber.

During the Japanese turn, the Japanese attack with his Fighter and his Torpedo Bomber on the sea zone with the American Aircraft Carrier. The Japanese has 1 dice of 3 for the Fighter, 1 dice of 4 for the Tactical Bomber, and 1 more dice “Torpedo” of 3.
He rolls and obtains 6, 4, 2 respectively, inflicting 1 normal hit and 1 “Torpedo” hit.

The American has 1 dice of 2 for the Aircraft Carrier, 1 dice of 3 for the Torpedo Bomber, and 1 dice of 4 for the Fighter. His “Torpedo” dice is lost, because there aren’t ships on Japanese army.
He rolls and obtains 5, 5, 3 respectively, inflicting 1 normal hit.

The Japanese assign the hit to his Fighter, which is destroyed.
The American first of all have to assign the “Torpedo” hit, he has to assign it to the Aircraft Carrier, because it has to be assigned on ships, which is now damaged. Then he assign the normal hit at his Torpedo Bomber, which is destroyed.

At this point the Japanese decide to pull back with his Torpedo Bomber, returning on his Aircraft Carrier.
The American Fighter cannot land in the Aircraft Carrier, because it’s damaged, and cannot also land in any place, so it’s destroyed.

With this attack the Japanese, losing only 1 Fighter, has inflicted a devastating blow to the American fleet, destroying two Aircrafts and damaging an Aircraft Carrier!

@Gargantua:

Also… the research facility cost the same as all the other facilities for simplicity sake (15), not that it’s a huge deal…  and they also operated the same (built in AA, up to 6 damage, operable at 2 or less damage).

I think handing out free research facilities at the beginning of the game may make things very tech heavy, but I understand the need to get some of the smaller nations involved. I suggest a price ladder for multiple facilities…

1st Lab = $5
2nd Lab = $10
3rd Lab = $20
4th Lab = $40
5th Lab = $80
6th Lab = $160

This way, 1st Labs are practically free for UK, Russia, Italy, and India, but there is still a small risk for having one. It also makes nations who want more research rolls, to pay accordingly for them. I would still like to see ANZAC, France, and China ineligible, however, I like your idea of an invading nation choosing to steal a tech by destroying the captured facility, or keeping it for themselves, it solves some issues when capturing.

I could be mistaken… but Purchasing TECH, might actually come BEFORE the repair units phase… in which case, a bombed facility, wouldn’t be able to roll for tech - until AFTER repairs, and a turn where it isn’t damaged again.

Don’t we want players to spend for repairs, roll for research, and purchase developed weapons all in the same turn?

No, your comments are not in red!  You may have run afoul the “LIST” command (I did a lot, that’s why each blue line has it’s own start color and end color command.)

For now, as I mentioned in the Delta thread, if you choose to test technologies, use the aforementioned rule that JimmyHat quoted, except, instead of using the technology descriptions use the following:

TECH1:  Advanced Artillery + Improved Mechanized Infantry
TECH2:  Jet Fighters + Long Range Aircraft
TECH3:  Paratroopers + Heavy Bombers
TECH4:  Improved Industrial Complexes + War Bonds
TECH5:  Improved Shipyards + Super Submarines
TECH6:  Radar + Rockets

Technologies just like Larry’s rules without change.  The reduction to 6 and the combinations of which ones were already voted on.  It could change after we get testing back or have untested discussion, but at least it’s somewhere to start.    Note, IF YOU WANT TO TEST THEM, then you may.

Report games and specific issues and counter strategies seen in the Delta thread (for now, I may move them to their own thread later.)  We’ll reconvene in a few weeks.