I have enjoyed playing 3 different large map Axis and Allies variants. This one looks exciting. I have some feedback, questions, and suggestions:
1. Victory condition. I love the Axis victory conditions that allow for an individual axis to get victory or for the combined forces to gain victory. This will certainly accomplish the goal of preventing the allies focusing exclusively in one theater. One point of feedback: The victory condition is 10 victory cities for either Axis power, or 20 total. If the axis have a total of 20 victory cities, doesn’t that mean Germany or Japan must have 10? (Is the 20 total mathematically redundant?) i.e. if Germany has 10 and Japan has 10 victory cities, that is 20 combined. Should the individual number be raised or the total number be lowered?
2. German Blockhouse. Would Germany every buy these? At 5 IPC, wouldn’t a tank just be a better defense? What advantage is there to a Blockhouse that would make it preferable to a tank in defense?
3. 2-hit tank for Germany. While 99% of the time I favor the simplicity of fewer unit types over the complexity of many unit types, I am very intrigued at the 2-hit tank suggestion for Germany. Especially with a production limit of 1 per turn or something similar. This would create a most interesting combat option for Germany.
4. Balance. Our group has played many games of the Global War large map that is somewhat similar to this one. We found the Axis to be extremely overpowered. This was primarily caused by an unstoppable Japanese Navy. On the surface, this map seems to suffer the same overly huge Japanese navy. Howeever, it does seem to be offset by a low Japanese starting income and difficult situation in China. How much play testing has been done? Am I incorrect in my initial assessment of the Japanese navy?
5. May I help out by making the setup charts? I have made some rather nice looking ones for one of the other large Axis and Allies variants. I am not proposing to change the set up, rather make some attractive looking set up charts that are easy to use and assist game play.
Craig