Industrial Complexes should help with Tech

I have to disagree.  Imagine Japan building a micro in western China or the Novosibirsk area.  That would allow a quick overrun of the unprotected Soviet territoriies while the Russians are cornered in Moscow.  It tales a fast unit four turns to get from the Chinese coast (where factories can be built) to Moscow, while a micro could bring troops to the front immediately.

Even a micro in the Shan State or Yunnan could be detrimental to India simply because of the added range. Though a micro is not as economical as a minor, it gives Japan a privilege it rarely ever gets early on: building inland.

Sub: (Classic) National Advantages - A new way to help balance Classic

Here is 7 of n for discussion of my Classic House Rules

Here are my optional rules for national advantages for the different national powers in the Milton Bradley edition of A&A. These rules are not completely developed and need more play testing. These rules are meant for two purposes - to add some flavor to the various powers and to give a boost to a less-experienced player. A veteran player can give a new player a boost by letting them pick a couple of these advantages before play begins.

I don’t recommend using National Advantages and Research in the same game as that can lead to some wonky results.

Soviet Union
Penal Battalions: Gives a +1 to defense rolls of Infantry, Paratrooper, and Trooper units in the second round of combat (not the first round, the second).

Treaty of Non-Aggression with Japan: If Japan attacks, it will have blood on its hands. If this happens, the Soviet Union will receive three infantry units, to be placed in Yakut, Soviet Far East, or the territory under attack if it is not one of the proceeding two, as the Soviet Union sees fit. The advantage Penal Battalions will not be usable against Japan on the first turn of defense against Japanese aggression. The treaty expires on the turn after Germany is conquered by the Allies. (To be paired with Japan’s “Treaty of Non-Aggression with the Soviet Union”.)

Germany
Panzers and Panzergrenadiers: The elite armored troops of the Wehrmacht - Panzers (Attack 4, Defend 3, Move 2, Cost 6); Panzergrenadiers (Attack 3, Defend 4, Move 2, Cost 6). Not more than a combined total of 5 Panzers and Panzergrenadiers may be active at one time. The German player may re-designate up to 3 Armor and up to 2 Troopers, of player’s choice, as Panzers and Panzergrenadiers before the start of play.

Stuka Dive Bombers: German Fighters are especially potent in the attack. For each attacking German Fighter that rolls a 1 for its attack roll, 2 enemy defenders are destroyed.

Wolf Packs: German Subs cost 6 IPC and whenever two or more are attacking in the same sea zone, they each attack on a +1.

United Kingdom
Commonwealth of Nations: UK may place purchased infantry units in the Commonwealth Nations (Eastern Canada, South Africa, India, Australia and New Zealand) without needing a factory to be built. One infantry placed per territory per turn, UK must have current ownership of the receiving territory, not more than three infantry total per turn. If a factory has already been built in the target territory, then the one infantry placed in that territory due to Commonwealth of Nations will not count against that territories normal placement limits.

RADAR: UK Anti-Aircraft fire defending the United Kingdom territory hits on a roll of a 1 or a 2.

Empire of Japan
Banzai Charge: Gives a +1 to Infantry, Paratrooper, or Trooper attacks for the first round of combat.

Long Lance Torpedoes: Gives a +1 to Cruiser and Submarine attacks for the first round of combat.

Treaty of Non-Aggression with the Soviet Union: If the Soviet Union attacks, it will have blood on its hands. If this happens, Japan will receive three infantry units, to be placed in Manchuria, Kwangtung, Japan, or the territory under attack if it is not one of the proceeding three, as Japan sees fit. The treaty expires on the turn after the last of the United Kingdom and the United States are conquered by the Axis. (To be paired with Soviet Union’s “Treaty of Non-Aggression with Japan”.)

Unites States of America
Legacy of Kitty Hawk: Gives a +1 to all regular combat rolls (attack and defense) by US air units, and a +2 per bomber to IPC damage inflicted by successful US Strategic Bombing raids.

Old China Hands: US may place purchased infantry units in Chinese territories (Sinkiang, China, Kwangtung, Manchuria, and Indo-China) without needing a factory to be built. One infantry placed per territory per turn, US must have current ownership of the receiving territory, not more than three infantry total per turn.

The original idea for these dates to from before A&A Revised produced its own version of National Advantages. The intent with these rules is not to rewrite the Milton Bradley edition of the rule book into the Avalon Hill edition of the rule book but to discuss a modern version of my rules from 2003. Some of these are similar to Avalon Hill’s ideas for National Advantages and some are quite different. If players prefer an admixture of the A&A Revised National Advantages and this list, there’s no reason why those National Advantages that are not similar to each other couldn’t be compiled into a larger list of National Advantages.

-Midnight_Reaper

I have a tech chart for Germany, Japan, USSR, Italy, UK, ANZAC, USA. China gets no tech love 'cuz China gets no IC love. All I’m missing is the French.

There should be something to encourage Germany to go for things like rockets and super subs.  It could really use them.

Germany could get rockets when the Allies try to make a landing in Europe.  That’s around when they got them historically.

@WILD:

So as the defender you bring in 2 reinf 2nd wave. The attacker doesn’t like the odds and has no eligible units to reinf so he retreats. The defender would then have to pull his 2 reinf units back and they would be idle for 1 complete round? Sounds like a good bluff and you might hold on to the country. Keeping track of idle units might be hard, because you could end up with several nations with idle units causing some confusion. Don’t get me wrong I like the idea of the defender having options for reinforcements or retreat. I think its silly to think the defender would just sit there and let the enemy dictate the battle with out using all his resources. Maybe someone else will chime in with an idea or two.

yeah hopefuly

@bugoo:

As far as tech goes I would propose a point system.  Assign a point value to each tech.  Purchase researchers as normal.  Roll as normal for research, but add up the total rolls and apply them toward the selected tech.  You could assign different researches to different techs, but cannot change the tech they work on once purchased.  Once point value is reached, tech is gained said researchers are lost.  For example.

As US I want heavy bombers eventually, they are worth 30 research, so on turn 1 I purchase one heavy bomber researcher.  I roll and get a 3.  Now I need 27 more research to get heavy bombers.  On turn 2 I decide I want super subs, and since that tech isn’t as powerful I only need 15 research to get them.  I purchase 2 researchers, both for the subs as I want to sink japan’s navy now.  I roll a 2 for my heavy bomber researcher, leaving 25 left, and then roll a 4 and a 5 for my subs, leaving 6 left and with any luck on turn 3 i’ll get my super subs.

This will allow you to slowly work at a tech, rush for it, and choose to go for the good but expensive techs, or take an easier, faster, tech, or all of the above.  Now all nations may buy a heavy bomber researcher turn 1, but hey there is nothing wrong with that!

Hello.  I am digging up this as the tech lovers/haters discussions have started to heat up.

I re-read your thoughts and am wondering if you ever did anything more with this idea of a tech pointing system.  Did you ever come up with point targets for each tech?

The neat thing about this is that it can be easily tweaked with out re-writing the whole process.

Or you could go one step further and adjust the targets by country too.  For example, make super subs very low (read affordable) for Russian super subs or something like that, or even harder for the wealthy countries (like extra points for USA for Long Range)

@dpdlc:

I never understood, how researching a technology would instantly upgrade your units for 0 cost. While doctrines is a change in tactical thinking, using units differently. You don’t actually have to build anything or upgrade anything, but the techniques in battle change and represent a learning experience.

In real life:

Germany focus on armored manuver warfare, to encircle their enemies.
France focused on static defenses.

US focused heavily on heavy bombers and daylight raids.
While Brittain focused on night bombers.

Russia focused on heavy preliminary artillery bombardment, for battles.
while the US had artillery available quickly to lower lever units. (“RADIO”)

Japan developed the expertise and techniques for night battles.

I think these things add a  little bit to flavor in the game.

Hi dpdlc,

What you’re describing sounds like the National Advantages available in A&A Revised.  These were nation specific advantages that reflected certain tactics, special units, or strategies used by the different A&A nations.

It’s a shame they took these out of AA50 because you are absolutely correct, when balanced appropriately, they can add tremendous flavor to a game (check out AAR: Enhanced which uses a much more balanced set of national advantages compared to AAR OOTB)

That is a pretty cool rule.