@Black_Elk:
I like that oil refinery idea. A generic piece or marker which could stand in as +X for a territory at collect income is a very easy way to keep all this stuff visually out in the open. It also seems simple to implement, which of course is my preference. I might try a rule like that sometime as a NO alternative.
Glad you like it, FYI when we play with this rule we give the following nations oil refineries in these territories at the stated quantities:
- Germany (1x Germany, 1x Romania);
- Japan (1x Java, 1x Borneo);
- UK (1x North Persia, 1x Persia);
- USSR (1x Caucus, 1x Siberia);
- USA (6x Central USA).
We treat them as facilities which cannot be destroyed, only captured, but that can be subject to strategic bombing raids (inoperable at 3 damage points). For markers, we just use some blank factory tokens that came with my copies of G40.
On DoW, I agree that removing all restrictions and treating the first round as more abstract is an appealing option.
My only concern is what are the effects (if any) on game balance if you use a G40 SE OOB set up but play with all nations at war from the start? Has anyone done this and if so do you think it is viable? Presumably it inhibits the Axis slightly as 2 extra Allied players can counter them straight away from R1 rather than R3 and R4? Would love to hear some play test feedback on this.