Baron is there some kind of reference you use to know the correct territory names and spellings? What is it? Because when I revise my map someday and I want it all to be right.
Actually, I look at old pictures of Soviet Union, Republic and Oblast.
http://www.vidiani.com/maps/maps_of_europe/maps_of_russia/large_detailed_terrain_and_transportation_map_of_USSR_1974.jpg
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/commonwealth/soviet_union_admin_1974.jpg
http://www.vidiani.com/maps/maps_of_europe/maps_of_russia/detailed_political_map_of_russia_with_relief.jpg
http://www.vidiani.com/maps/maps_of_europe/maps_of_russia/administrative_map_of_russia.jpg
I closely look on Google map, both Satellite and road map.
And made the inquiry.
It seems there is many possibilities to name a given region: political division (Yakut SSR), geographical division (Yenisey or Urals), ethnical dominance (Buriatya), sometimes a city give its name to a region (Irkustk, Tambov). And across time, the same region might get different names.
When creating a map out of a game, it seems a real challenge and compromise to find the more appropriate name. Simply to not lose track of reference to the game map toponymy. Clearly Chinese regions rise this kind of issues.
Nice links - thanks!
Pretty interesting maps indeed.
One in particular makes me realized that essentially Krasnoyarsk and Yenisey are almost the same region. In addition, Urals mount are further west than north of Mongolia.
It is on northwestern side of Kazakh.
Northwestern of Mongolia and along Yenisey river is the Central Siberian Plateau.
It also showed than on your Map, Novo is correctly put west of Yenisey, but it is directly connected to Kazakh.
So, on your hybrid map, it depends whether which border is more important to keep as accurate. Tambov is not the more accurate to describe what is north of Kazakh but west of Novosibursk. It needs to be in Siberian plain.
The only major city on the eastern side of Urals is Chelyabinsk, aka Tankograd.
So, that region on your map instead of Tambov, should be Chelyabinsk Oblast.
Samara or, in WWII era Kouibychev, is also a valid name.
It is west side of Urals on Volga river. Northeast of Stalingrad.
Also learned that Samara in 1941 was preparing to receive all of Moscow political organs to established a temporary capital in case Moscow was captured.
Since the areas of the map must be divided up roughly in equal size to accommodate game pieces and movement, I’m thinking it may be best to just name each TT by a well known city or landmark/river within that territory, when no clear territory name exists for the area. But Chelyabinsk will definitely be in a revised map - I can see the fun possibilities of having Tankograd there!
I found another interesting point which argue for Japan not going further west than Yenisey TT:
During World War II, Nazi Germany and the Japanese Empire agreed to divide Asia along a line that followed the Yenisei River to the border of China, and then along the border of China and the Soviet Union.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yenisei_River#History
As you can see on the picture, Tunguska (G40 PTO map: Timguska) is on the eastern side which clearly advocate for considering all G40 Pacific map to be the end of Japan expansion in both Soviet Union and China.
It makes sense that only via Persia Japan may reach Moscow with Tank and Artillery, if we assumed Moscow would have give the order to blow off all communication links to the east within Central Siberian Plateau, mainly Trans-Siberian railways.
Why not give the Russians the N.O. called Nonaggression Treaty. The first time in the game that Japanese attacks any red territory, you may place 6 ( you can change this if need be ) Russian Inf for free in that territory before combat. If Russia attacks Japan first they lose the N.O.
This would help Russia once they lose the 8 icps to territory capture some what.
Or skip this rule and add the railway for Russia.
Or you may want make the Russian territories that only border the sea zones worth money. Could be 3 or 4 total icps worth. You also maybe want to give the 4 or 5 icps lost to territories added to other Russian territories by Moscow. Then make any movement on that part of map only 1 movement ( all Northern territories ) that includes tanks and mechs ( due to terrain ) so Japan will never make it to Moscow.
Just thinkin of KISS.
Evenkiyski District is also east of Central Siberian Plateau, and in part overlap Yenisey bassin.
All indicates that all Soviet TTs on G40 Pacific map are parts of Japanese sphere of influence in Asia as was agreed with Nazi Germany in WWII.
You also get a physical map of regions below.
It helps understand what Narvik meant about adding more TTs between Moscow and Vladivostok in Amur. Distances are so huge in Siberia compared to Eastern Europe.
I have listened to all 3 of you, General, Baron and K, and again, I tell you the real problem is the map.
The distance from Vladivostok to Moscow is 5 times longer than the distance from Berlin to Moscow, on a real map, or globe.
On our A&A map, from Berlin to Moscow is 5 spaces, and from Manchuria is 7 or 8, depending on the route. It should have been 25 or more to get it right. The Siberian Express, as some name it, favor a historical not correct Japanese Tank drive to Moscow. The only smooth way to solve this, is take a pencil and divide every Russian territory east of Moscow in two, so we get at least 16 spaces between Manchuria and Moscow. Then, the border between Russia and China should be impassable, since the Himalaya mountain range continue into the Hindu Kush mountains, and there are no way a Panzer Army could cross that range. Maybe mountain climbers, but not Tanks.
Now, if everybody in the A&A community do this, the sooner the better, and we start a wave, or a map revolution, in 3 or 4 years from now, the next global 3th edition will have 16 Siberian spaces printed on the official map. Trust me, we the players have more power than we know, but we must use it, and send a message to WOTC. Now, with 16 spaces between Manchuria and Moscow, and impassable terrain between Russia and China, we dont need a derogatory non aggression treaty rule. Every sane Japanese player will see that a Tank drive over that distance is a bad idea.
edit, and I hate this suggestion myself, but if you dont want to use a pencil, another solution could be a house rule that deny any attacking enemy land units to combat move more than 1 space in a turn on the Pacific part of Russia. On every Russian territory, starting from Timgusta to Soviet Far East, all attacking land units can only combat move 1 space each Turn. And the same house rule let Russia non combat move all kind of units with the Siberian Railroad 2 spaces each turn.
Actually, I look at old pictures of Soviet Union, Republic and Oblast.
http://www.vidiani.com/maps/maps_of_europe/maps_of_russia/large_detailed_terrain_and_transportation_map_of_USSR_1974.jpg
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/commonwealth/soviet_union_admin_1974.jpg
http://www.vidiani.com/maps/maps_of_europe/maps_of_russia/detailed_political_map_of_russia_with_relief.jpg
http://www.vidiani.com/maps/maps_of_europe/maps_of_russia/administrative_map_of_russia.jpg
I closely look on Google map, both Satellite and road map.
And made the inquiry.
1984 is not an old map and the names mostly changed after 1956. You need to research old 1940’s based maps to gain knowledge of what regions were known as.
You meant 1974, right?
It is another challenge to find older real names and still see the modern correspondence (helping people recognize where it is).
Samara is a clear example. It changed name under Soviet control then came back to its former name.
Any map of the Soviet Union published after Stalin dies should not be consulted for anything. It was all different when he was in control. The SSR’s began to alter the names of cities and regions to reflect their semi autonomous dispositions.
While scrolling, I found this interesting thread on Asian Soviet TTs if you ever make an improved map of your own DK.
Inaccuracies with the Eastern Territories of the Soviet Union/Global 1940 map
http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=38677.msg1588207#msg1588207
Rules often restrict strategic options its not worth due to historical accuracy. Its nothing wrong with Soviet-Japanese war but its better to set all of things to not make Japan necessary even sending token force in Soviet far East.
@Der-Kuenstler Not bad, I myself just Revise the Mongolian rule being rather simple in my current YouTube House rules game/ If JAPAN declares War on Russia in any way, the Mongol troops goes to the Soviets- If the Soviets declares War on JAPAN (including going to China’s defense), RUSSIA don’t get them troops!!!
