1914 - Declining the Armistice

I think a good idea for 1914 would be to require at least 1 infantry to be stationed in every territory by the end of a power’s turn (the infantry must be from the power controlling. If they don’t, they won’t get the IPCs from this territory. Not only does it potentially make the game more historically accurate (to symbolize the need to keep civilian populations under control during wartime), but it probably also makes the game more balanced, as the Allies will probably be more burdened with this (since they have substantially larger colonial possessions).

@Eqqman

Nice personal story.

It’s amusing, for almost every point you wrote I heard someone say that was a World War 1 myth. I’m not saying it is.

So yeah, thank you for letting me know. As demonstrated by my games with The Good Captain, the Central Powers can indeed win in the game if the skill level between players is different enough.

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Chaos in the Balkans:
Hungary and Romania are at war, Germany has annexed Austria, Yugoslavia suffered an unfortunate die role and has been forced to disintegrate into a Pro-Fascist Croatian state and a smaller Serbia. Italy managed to seize Albania without loss, and Czechoslovakia is reinforcing its border with the Nazis.
The UK has pledged to declare war on any power invading Greece.
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Swedish Disaster:
The Swedes attempted to peacefully take over Norway to prevent any major nations from entering Scandinavia, but the plan backfired. Not only did another unfortunate die role cause the Norwegians to resist, but the German and British players were offended by the assault, and Germany turned a blind eye to a British force that liberated the Norwegians and devastated Sweden’s hopes of a powerful, neutral, United Scandinavian state.
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Spain in Flames:
The civil war rages on in Spain, just as a deadly naval encounter ended in mutual annihilation for the Nationalists and Republicans. The free world does not want a Fascist Spain, and the U.S. Player has sent generous air aid to the Republicans. With Franco’s Army of Africa having headed for the mainland, I, as France, took advantage and seized their Moroccan colony. Unfortunately, I earned a -1 diplomacy points for this “aggressive” act.

These house rules are meant to make the game more realistic while staying as simple as possible.

Battleships cost 14 IPCs. They cost 1 IPC to repair.

Switzerland has an IPC value of 4.

The U.K. can only produce up to 4 units per turn in India. If India is captured by the Central Powers, the Central Powers cannot produce units there.

If a capital is captured, the IPCs are discarded and not taken by the capturing power.

Neutral territories that are not home territories still get units if invaded.

Sea units, except submarines, must end their movement when they enter a sea zone with enemy mines.

Units that retreat from a contested territory cannot move into another contested territory. They may move into any adjacent friendly territory.

There is a combat move and a non-combat move. During the combat move, units can move into neutral, contested, and enemy territories. The non-combat move comes after combat. During the non-combat move, units that did not move during the combat move and did not conduct combat can move into friendly territories. Land units can move an unlimited number of territories during the non-combat move within their original territories.

Optional Manpower Rule

Keep track of the infantry that are destroyed for each power. If a power has had 2x the number of their infantry destroyed as their starting IPC value (rounded up), they may only collect half of the total IPC value of their territories when they collect income (rounded up). If a power has had 4x the number of their infantry destroyed as their starting IPC value (rounded up), they may only collect the IPC value of their capital territory when they collect income.

Setup Changes:
Add one German Fighter in Munich
Add two German Submarines in Sea Zone 22
Add one Ottoman Battleship in Sea Zone 20

Rule Changes:

British Empire may only build up to the territorial value in their India factory.

If a Capital or India is captured, the nation that captured it may build on it, but only up to half of the territorial value, if odd numbered, remove one value and divide in half from there.

Germany may declare an unrestricted submarine warfare anytime during the game, if declared, following all combat, all German Submarines may roll a die for a two or one to subtract IPCs from British Empire alone while the United States is neutral, in addition, role a die for the United States, if in itself is a two or one, the United States may enter the war immediately. Once the United States enters the war, the rule itself also will apply to the United States.

Tanks now cost 11 IPCs, but you get two of them.

Switzerland, if attacked, all true neutrals on the board become friendly to the opposite alliance.

The United States territory (the capital), once the United States is at war, increases it’s base IPC value by 5 every turn, at the end of the United States’ turn. (Basically, the United States territory would be worth 25 by the end of round 4, for example)

New Victory Conditions:

Central Powers win the game if they control at least four of, India, Moscow, Paris, Rome, London, Egypt by the end of United States’ turn, or if they captured the United States.

Allied Powers win the game if they control at least four of, Berlin, Venice, Budapest, Constantinople, Munich, Ankara, or by holding two Central Power capitals, both at the end of Ottoman Empire’s turn.

My play group has just recently, which resulted in a land-slide victory for the Central powers, and the discovery of some rule flaws. Rules changed:

Romania and Arabia now have different mobilisation objectives. (by Flashmans request)

Italy and USA now have much more static entrances.

Colonial mobilisation has been  limited. (Can only mobilise units equal to IPC value of that territory)

Portugal can now be a colony.

Neutral Greece’s entry is now more historic.

Persia no longer has rail-roads. (Flashman)

Given the British dominion a transport capacity of 3. (simple error)

Colonies can only mobilise convoys under the same owner as the territory.

ALL neutrals (including aliened) are now full neutrals. (they can only be mobilised at certain points in the game)

Serbia now has 5 Infantry.

Made it so powers don�t start with ‘convoys’. (Simple error)

Railed in units now attack @ full strength. (players found it more fun this way)

Feel free to suggest rule changes.

Sorry, how does that avoid the unhistorical attack?

Austria shelled Serbia, but not march over the border until some time after.

Given the choice, most Austria players would probably avoid attacking Serbia R1.

I also think USA should not automatically go to war until Russia has suffered a revolution/collapse, so the Central Powers have to balance crushing Russia versus bringing the Americans in.