Travel Axis & Allies set?

@SuperbattleshipYamato

Added new rule clarification:

If the British units in Paris are destroyed prior to France’s turn, France gets 4 infantry for free.

@dsumner

Cool! I can’t wait! Keep going!

@buttersurge
Nice work. Any info on the scenario set up or homebrew rules?

This article is more properly termed ‘Creating your own Axis and Allies map, nations and land territories.’ This article is on how to create your own individual and variable land territories. I base the following on a statistical analysis on the A & A Classic game and my design is independent of any other source.
If you examine the Classic map (or any of the other maps) you note the nations (what I call the major powers) and also the neutral or occupied nations (what I call ‘territories’). All these territories (land spaces) whether part of a player nation, or otherwise, have numerical PF values. When you statistically examine these values you are able to extrapolate some value ranges and, for the major powers, whether they may be single territory nations (island or land) or whether they are multiple territory land powers. All this can be randomized as follows using 3D6 dice. Hence we will begin;

Roll 3D6 for size of great power where; 3-11=single Territory Great Power (62.5%) or 12-18= Multiple Territory Great Power (37.5%)
a) If Single Territory roll 2D6 where; 2-5= Island Great Power (28%) or 6-12= Land Great Power (72%)
b) If Multiple Territory roll 2D6 where; 2=2 Territories (3%), 3-4= 3 Territories (13%), 5-6= 4 Territories (25%), 7-8= 5 Territories (31%), 9-10= 6 Territories (19%), 11=7 Territories (5%) & 18=8 territories (3%) I used Fra & Italy as single territory great powers plus the regular 5 player nations to give better percentages & I weighted the multiple territory great powers to not have too few or too many territories (as you may see).
** There is a range of PF values for the individual Great Powers. I made the range run from 8 to 13 ( a difference of 6).this is weighted, as well, to have most Great Powers to be the same (for balance purposes), hence; Roll 3D6 for the Production Factors (PFs) of your Great Power where; 3-4= 8PF (2%), 5-7= 9PF (14.5%), 8-10=10PF (33.5%), 11-13=11PF (33.5%), 14-16=12PF (14.5%) & 17-18= 13PF (2%).
A Single Territory Great Power is given the numerical PF value as indicated.
However, a Multiple Territory Great Power has all territories, except the first, initially assigned a PF value of 1. The first territory is always the territory with more PFs than any other. Then, for every territory initially at 1, a further 3D6 roll is made where the territory value changes as follows; 3-9 = 1PF (value remains as 1) (37.5%), 10-13= 2PF (46%) & 14-18= 3PF 16.5%). * This may increase the Multiple Territory Great Power PF total above 13 but in only rare instances of many territories and higher die rolls.
There are, therefore, three different types of Great Power, namely;
A) A Single Territory Island Great Power such as Japan or the United Kingdom
B) A Single Territory Land Great Power such as France, Germany or Italy
C) A Multiple Territory (Land) Great Power such as the Soviet Union or the United States
The next step in territory creation is to determine how many nearby ‘neutral’ territories will be somehow adjacent or 1 sea space away from your Great Power (if an island). Hence; Roll 3D6 to determine the number of nearby neutral territories where; 3= 1 territory (.5%), 4=2 territories (1.5%), 5=3 territories (3%), 6=4 territories (4.5%), 7-8= 5 territories (16.5%), 9-12= 6 territories (48%), 13-14=7 territories (16.5%), 15=8 territories (4.5%), 16=9 territories (3%) , 17=10 territories (1.5%) & 18=11 territories (.5%).
Next, one must randomly determine and in some manner, an orderly way, in what direction from your Great Power these neutral territories lie. Here there will be differing results so long as they are randomized without bias. Specifically, where one has an Island Single Territory Great Power the first random roll will determine in what direction the nearby neutral territory land mass will lie the requisite one sea zone away. The direction and what the arrangement of these neutral territories will be can be either a clump of territories rather round in shape or may be an extended chain of neutral territories (or some combination) all depending on the random dice rolling. After determining these neutral territory positions it is only necessary to determine the PF values of these neutral territories, as follows; Roll 3D6 to determine the PF value of each neutral territory where; 3-11= 1 PF (62.5%), 12-13= 2 PF (21%), 14-15= 3PF (11.5%), 16=4PF (3%), 17=5PF (1.5%) & 18= 6PF (.5%).
Following these steps above will result in a Unique Great Power and related nearby neutral territories all with specific PF values. This is just to create one of, at least, five Great Powers. As in the original A & A Classic map there will be at least one neutral continent similar to South America. One will also need to have several ‘large islands’ meaning other multiple territory islands and also some single neutral territory islands to fill in the map. All of these territories will use the #4) 3D6 roll listed above to determine their PFs.
Note that one must use the PF points total from an A & A map and extrapolate from this, normally, as if one had five players, hence one should have five real life players make up their own unique Great Power as illustrated above.
Also, one must make a map of sea zones and number these zones so that these new ‘lands’ may be randomly placed on a map. Sea spaces can be numbered sequentially. Furthermore, there is the matter of ‘names’ for land territories (land spaces). Some manner of logic should be used. I chose & my friends chose specific nationalities and then we used an atlas to randomly pick specific names (we used randomized atlas index entries). Using random alphabet letter generation also helps. Note one will have to create borders. Adhere to roughly equal sized areas (for ease of unit placement & room for same). Note this whole process of making new paper maps & of course a sea map board will take some time.
Although this suggested random map creation system seems difficult it is not if one has some guidelines to follow and one follows it to conclusion.
Lastly, you will have a unique A & A game map whatever A& A version you like playing and You and Your Gaming Friends will have their own ‘unique Great Power’.

@SS-GEN Thanks for the reply!

Yeah, I’ve adopted that Vichy idea in other games in the past, essentially for the 1940 games. It’s simple, but adds some unknowns, and stays true to history. When the Allies landed in Torch, they had no idea what to expect from the French forces. While not much blood was shed against them, there were varying degrees of French resistance to the landings, from surrendering immediately, to straight up changing sides, to fighting back with all they had. So I’ve done a simple rule: once the Allies attack a Vichy territory, you roll a dice for each unit. 1-3 they become Allied, 4-6 they become Axis (were neutral before) and fight back. You do this for each territory as it’s attacked, helping with the uncertainty of what different garrisons might do. If the Axis move into Vichy territories at all, the French forces fight against them immediately.

Anyways, I’m getting off track :)

So yes, the Vichy aspect would be part of this, on top of the rest.

I agree with you, you couldn’t go too far out of Africa. I wouldn’t envision this game going any further North than Rome. Maybe even just to Reggio di Calabria at the tip of the boot even. That was only a thought if the Mediterranean wanted to be used at all. This would still encompass Sicily and Malta, so that would still be interesting. If not, I say just a map of North Africa, stretching from Morocco to Cairo, or Tunisia to Cairo, depending on the time line preferred.

So sounds like, by your omission of mentioning the USA, you’re in favor of an early war scenario?

Given that my thought process here is an A&A official game, I don’t think hexes is envisioned here. I think Battle of the Bulge does that, but again, have not played. I suppose you could, but I’d be in favor of what you say, chopping up territories into multiple smaller ones.

I think a one round of combat situation would work for this game. A lot of North African fights weren’t as drawn out as in other theaters (save some of the more famous ones). To that end, I’d even say one round of combat, then everyone disengages until the next round. The dessert made communications hard, I think this would well simulate that small tactical battles that had to happen.

Again, given the scope of an A&A game, I don’t know well how weather or terrain may fit into the mold. I think you maybe have something done to simulate the dessert. Whether that be no blitzing for combat, affecting free moving, etc., but not sure. But that’s part of why I’ve posted here! To see what others may think! I agree, lost to consider here, though the guys on this forum are usually up for that :)

Probably Confederate infantry attire would strongly resemble British or French kit, to include either the Adrian, or, even more likely, the Brodie helmet.

One imagines that the Union would take its cues from the Germans, or, even more likely, the Russians, meaning either no helmet, or else some version of the stahlhlem. It’s also possible that one might see a distinctive steel hat more akin to the M1, or even a kind of “stovepipe” or “top hat” in steel.

I’m trying hard to think up certain National Advantages. Perhaps Confederate cavalry would be able to execute a kind of blitzkrieg. Would it be likely that a nation without much native automobile production, but having to cover a long border with a relatively small standing army, would develop a heavy emphasis on motorization?

As early as Bull Run, both armies were learning the military value of railroads.

@Imperious:

Is this the same map as global 39? or close?

No. This map is based on the old AAE and AAP. At the time I wanted a way to play both maps seemelessly. AAG40 acomplished the goal of this project, albeit in a slightly different way. Therefore, this map has been mostly forgotten since then.

no way. That map is bigger than huge.