USA

@Flashman:

3 turns @ 20 IPCs = 60 IPCs = 20 infantry. Seems pretty balanced to me.

Note: over half the American infantry shipped to Europe during the war were carried by RN ships.

That’s not really balanced at all.  If Larry’s vision was that the US would show up in Europe on turn 5-6 with 4-6 loaded (with mixed units) transports to tip the balance (or keep it) then your rule would prevent such an occurrence.  Your houserule will ensure the US doesn’t get to Europe until turn 7-8.

Maybe it will work, but I think the “US can’t move” is a more elegant and KISS rule.

My previous post was just to point out that the US can’t get much to Europe before turn 4-5 anyway.  Yes, by oztea’s plan the US will be dropping 2 transports full on turn 3 on Picardy and then 3 full transports every turn after that.  This is of course, if the UK can protect the transports from the German fleet that early in the game.

4 units on turn 3 isn’t going to tip the scales (it will have to move to the front unless Germany already has Paris), but possibly 6 units turn 4 (with the 4 units from turn 3) will help, but they won’t be fighting Germans until turn 5-6 anyway because they have to move across France to get to the front.  So you think this is too early?  Maybe so, but again, before we arbitrarily houserule things maybe we should play the game first.  I’d hate to change this and then have to buff the allies elsewhere (like India) to make up for it- and then maybe that has unintended consequences (Ottoman cannot survive with buffed India), so before we go crazy here lets play a couple games as intended.

@Flashman:

My rule is simpler.

What if Germany attacks America on turn 3 only to find that Wilson has been secretly training a large modern army without telling anyone, least of all the peace-loving American people?

Why would Germany attack America on turn 3 and not know they were slowly (20 IPCs) building an army?

Just because the US didn’t build up an army in the early years doesn’t mean it can’t or shouldn’t.  Germany was the last to build tanks (1918) in WWI, should we let the Allies build them several turns before Germany?

I suppose that when you play the Allies your US could simply not move or produce and just save the money every turn until turn 4, and then just build Infantry.  I’m sure your CP adversary would love this.

@Flashman:

Beyond its small starting force US units SHOULD NOT EXIST before the country goes to war. American citizens did not want their boys being trained up to fight in European conflicts, and wouldn’t have stood for it.

America blatantly contradicting its entire foreign policy in contradiction of public opinion before even declaring war is in no way comparable with Germany deciding to invest in a different arm of service.

I understand that you want to maintain this historical rule in an ahistorical game (full of non-historical oddities), but what buff would you give the allies to make up for the lack of American involvement?

I think that the Germans not able to build tanks until a turn or two after the Allies had them would be comparable to the US not being involved.  It is both political and military decision making that you as the player get to assume full command of at the beginning of the game- they didn’t consider building tanks seriously until after they saw how effective the Allied tanks were.

@Shakespeare:

I think the way it is written is pure genius.

Will the US send loaded transports to France to reinforce Paris and risk sinking or not at the hands of the U-boats? and the prospect of early entry into the war? would it’s troops save Paris only if they arrive in time?

Maybe the US will be forced to consider this harrowing decision! Awesome.

Just another thing to think about on both sides before the 4th turn.

Finally someone I agree with.

@Flashman:

C’est magnifique, mais ce n’est pas La Premiere Guerre Mondiale.

Very true Flashman.  Pourquoi avons-nous passer au français?

My only point is that we can houserule the US all we want but we need to get a feel for the balance of the game before we neuter them (well, neuter them further because at 20 IPCs, they aren’t much better than Italy and Ottoman).

So you have 4 Inf turn 3 in Picardy, which just wait a turn for reinforcements anyway, so you could have moved them on Turn 4 and it would probably have made the same impact.

@oztea:

Yea, but if the US isn’t allowed to move at all before it is at war then there will be NO US forces in Europe until turn 5.

More historically appropriate wouldn’t you say?

Of course, I just hope the game wasn’t designed for the Allies to depend on American troops on turn 3 or 4.

oztea - I agree with you, but I think it would work out even if you didn’t have USA move restricted.  It may be better to move to Europe in force on turn 4 or 5 than slowly build up in Picardy.  If it turns out that the US can do some crazy things if allowed to move early, then maybe its a good idea.

Actually, looking at the map, the US could buy 3 transports turn 1, and have 4 Inf, 2 Art in Italy turn 3… or attacking Belgium on turn 3 or Attacking Ottomans on turn 4… or attacking Berlin on turn 4, or landing in Russia turn 5.

hmm…  have to think on this as to where the best place for the yanks to go.