AARHE: Phase 3: Revised NA's

Indications from the latest Q&A would seem to confirm that A&Aonline won’t have a lot in the way of set up adjustment, at least in early access. So I’m suggesting this rule as the only thing I can think of right now to reset the playbalance in a way that will actually work with the game we get.

I still don’t know what sort of patterns would ultimately develop on balance, but at least it is a way to get something new going for a 1942.2 that strictly uses the boxed starting set up.

I imagine this only works for PvP, so not sure how they will handle solo play vs the AI.

GRASSHOPPER’S INVITATIONAL - HOUSE RULES

Victory Objectives & Tokens: New Victory Condition Rule

Once a victory objective is achieved, a victory token will be awarded, the side with the most victory tokens at the end of the day wins the game. Victory tokens are awarded immediately upon completion regardless of when, or how the objective was achieved. Also, a token can never be taken away once earned, and they may never be awarded twice for the same objective. It doesn’t matter which round the game ends, however, a win or a tie can only be declared at the end of a full game round.

Tournament Rule: On top of any victory tokens earned during each game, teams that win their game outright will receive a bonus victory token, and teams that finish a game without allowing their opponent to claim a victory token will receive a bonus victory token. Tie breakers for declaring teams that advance to the medal round games will be total game victory tokens first, followed by any bonus victory tokens next.
Here is a list of all victory objectives for each side…

Axis Powers

London -The Axis control London
(R&D) *The nation that takes control
Moscow -The Axis control Moscow
(R&D) *The nation that takes control
Calcutta
-The Axis control Calcutta
(R&D) *The nation that takes control
Sydney
-The Axis control Sydney
(R&D) *The nation that takes control
Africa
-The Axis control Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Tobruk, Alexandria, and Egypt.
(R&D) *The nation that controls the most
Pacific -The Axis control 6 victory cities on the Pacific map
(R&D) *The nation that controls the most Europe
-The Axis control 7 victory cities on the Europe map
(R&D) *The nation that controls the most

Economy
-All 3 Axis powers have a combined total of 136 IPCs on the income tracker
(R&D) *The nation that is earning the most
Allied Powers

Berlin
-The Allies control Berlin
(R&D) *The nation that takes control
Rome
-The Allies control Rome
(R&D) *The nation that takes control

Tokyo
-The Allies control Tokyo
(R&D) *The nation that takes control
Africa -The Allied powers control all non-neutral territories on the continent of Africa
(R&D) *The nation that controls the most
Liberation
-The Allies have liberated London, Paris, Calcutta, or Sydney
(R&D) *The United States
Philippines
-The Allies have liberated the Philippines
(R&D) *The United States

Asia
-The Allies control the Burma road as well as Hong Kong and Shanghai
(R&D) *The United Kingdom

Pacific
-There are no Japanese Capital ships on the board
(R&D) *The United States

Fortunes of War: New Research & Development Rule

Research rolls are no longer used to develop breakthroughs, instead, a system called “Fortunes of War” will be used where nations get free development rolls when victory objectives have been achieved. Once a victory token is gained, the nation with the corresponding (*) instructions listed with each objective will choose a breakthrough chart, and make a free “Fortunes of War” roll with the resulting breakthrough taking effect immediately after their turn has ended.Any breakthroughs gained by the UK regardless of which side of the map a token was achieved will effect all UK purchases and all UK units on the board.

Modifications to oob breakthroughs are in red italics, Paratroopers have been replaced with Super Carrier Decks, and breakthroughs among the 2 charts have been re-positioned for balance.

Breakthrough Chart #1

Heavy Artillery
All artillery now support up to 2 attacking infantry and/or mech infantry each

Rockets
Each operational airbase may launch a rocket at an enemy facility up to 4 spaces away, roll 2 dice per rocket and apply the highest result for damage.

Jet Fighters
All fighters now attack at 4 or less, and defend at 2 or less when escorting or intercepting.

Long-Range Aircraft
Maximum movement range for all air units is now increased by 1.

War Bonds
During the collect income phase, roll 2 dice and collect IPCs in the amount shown on the highest roll. (For UK war bonds, Calcutta will gain IPCs from the lowest roll, London will gain IPCs from the highest roll).

Blitz Tactics
Mech infantry now attack at 2 or less if paired with a tank as well as artillery, they may blitz without tanks, and they may tow 1 artillery unit each during the non-combat movement phase.
Breakthrough Chart #2

Super Submarines
All submarines now attack at 3 or less.

Anti-Aircraft Radar
All ainti-aircraft fire from AA artillery, or AA guns built into facilities now defend at 2 or less.

Improved Shipyards
Battleships, Aircraft Carriers, and Cruisers are now 3 IPCs cheaper, and Destroyers, Submarines, and transports are now 1 IPC cheaper.

Mass Production
The mobilization capacity of all production facilities has been increased by 2. Also, you may remove 2 damage markers for the price of 1.

Super Carrier Decks
All aircraft carriers may now carry up to 3 fighters and/or tactical bombers each.

Heavy Bombers
When attacking during a battle or a SBR, roll 2 dice for each strategic bomber and select the best result.

Bonus Income: New & Modified National Objectives

Germany (in addition to all original NOs)
-5 IPCs if an Axis power controls London

Soviet Union (2 NOs which will replace the original National Prestige NO)
-5 IPCs if there are no Axis warships in sea zone #125, and the Allies control Archangel as well as London
-5 IPCs if there are no Allied units on any original Russian territories

Japan (in addition to all original NOs)
-5 IPCs if Japan controls all original Chinese territories

United States (in addition to all original NOs)
-5 IPCs if the United States are at war with the Axis powers

UK Europe (in addition to all original NOs)

5 IPCs if there are no German submarines anywhere on the board other than in the Baltic Sea (sea zones 113-115), the Black Sea (100), and the Caspian Sea (unnumbered)

ANZAC (in addition to all original NOs)
-5 IPCs if the Allies control Cairo (when at war with Germany/Italy)

Payload & Navigation Modifiers: New SBR Rules

The +2 damage bonus for each strategic bomber during strategic bombing raids will now be distributed like such…

+1 Damage - if the strategic bombers rolling for damage have departed from an operational airbase.
+1 Damage - if the strategic bombers rolling for damage did not encounter an enemy interceptor.

Capital Purge: New Rule

When a capital is captured the first time, all cash on hand will to the nation which takes it, however, each time the same capital is captured after the first, all cash on hand will go to the bank.

I’ve finished my video series on house rules and I’m ready to move on to something else. The last one that I uploaded is turn 2 through the rest of the game playing all 10 of my house rules. It gives you a good idea of how they work in a game situation in case you would like to try them or maybe they will give you some ideas of your own on how to improve upon my ideas to fit your vision of what G-40 should be. Here is a list of them;

Special Forces Unit/Airfields
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkbTDATv1bI&t=1408s

Japan vs. Russia
I decided to go with a rule that split Asia from Europe. The only passage is south of the Himalayas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JoMX7mwLy0&t=9s

Heavy Tanks/Tankograd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aET6BEPAXNQ&t=6s

Heavy Tanks 2/ Partisans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8K4Vo5lORA&t=15s

American Minorities at War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO8gcDu6Pw4&t=24s

Railways/Hospitals/“The Spy”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSz5Il0CRyE&t=12s

House Rules First Turn Run Through
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjWCCiFYgzA&t=21s

House Rules Turn 2 Through the Rest of the Game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUl4bBxZbfg&t=13s

@Black_Elk:

That’s a clean map Ryuzaki_Lawlie!

The color selection is ideal. Though the black impassibles still jump out at me

From a design standpoint the only things that catch my eye are the two round sea zones surrounding Japan and Hawaii.

It feel like you need one in the Atlantic to balance things out aesthetically. Have you considered the possibility of one surrounding the British Isles?

Or maybe Iceland? Or maybe both?

I still think Mercator is a bit tight in Europe, a little stretching there might be ideal, even if it was just along the vertical axis. I think the map would still read fine, but you’d get a few more pixel for units into those key European spots. Also if you were willing to shrink South America slightly you could almost curve off a 10th of the map height at the bottom of the screen (which is notorious for players forgetting units in the south sea hehe) without really needing to change Africa/Australia of the pacific. Basically a slight bend would go a long way, even if using Mercator for the baseline.

Oh and I think the possession colors for Dutch Borneo and British Sarawak and North Borneo should be reversed.

My only suggestions :)

Nice work man. That would be a fun map to form the basis of a 1939 game, or any year from 39 on.

I like that you have not yet imposed on the map any extraneous information such as IPC values or VC. This means the map is adaptive for many purposes. I like the general division of territories. Only that the projection is a bit large at the poles for my tastes. If we could shrink them up slightly I think the map would be ideal. Its really more about screen dimension for me when it comes to the Big World Map that Wandering Head made. These days most screens are very long relative to their height, so standard Mercator always seems blown out a bit in tripleA to me, especially at the south end, and of course Europe is always tight. I wish the center picker for tripleA was better at housing units to smaller scales. Its a little better than it used to be, especially with the guiding lines, but still Europe loves to clutter up haha.
:-D

Again though, great design direction!

I’ll probably shift the continents (turning their general direction), and stretch out northern Africa and Europe, will probably require North America to get a bit skinny, but I think the big benefit from this, is that potentially more European spaces can be added. This will allow me to add more to the Mediterranean however (and it really needs the space), perhaps round out where Rome is. Africa, I think needs a bit more work. South America possibly as well, but I sort of need an idea of which cities can be considered major not only there, but elsewhere. Vladivostok will defiantly get added in with it’s own space.

I picked black for impassables, since it tells me that there is nothing there, no play space, it’s simply temporary, and they are there for the designer’s benefit.

I’m not sure where else to put a rounded Sea Zone, I’m considering more though.

@CWO:

@knp7765:

Oh yeah, you need to play the game all the way to the bitter end. Don’t let the Axis surrender. You have to smash ALL their precious units and take that capital.

In the immortal words of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Conan the Barbarian (who was himself quoting Genghis Khan): “Crush enemies…see them driven before you…hear the lamentations of the women.”  In the context of Global 1940, “the lamentations of the women” probably refers to the lady of the house saying “Haven’t you guys finished playing yet?” sometime around 2:00 o’clock on a Sunday morning.

LOL… my drunken games of Classic Edition with 4AM finishes were over years ago, now it’s a 9AM to 9PM time slot (maybe a little longer if ask nicely), but it won’t be long before we’re limited to playing Bridge and Lawn Bowling.

@empireman:

did they go after UK? or after another country?

At the beginning of the game I bought a sub and another destroyer and went on a submarine hunt.
Then they helped reinforcing the british after being liberated by the USA. They captured Brasil and Invaded gibraltar and North-Africa alongside the Americans. In the end they were able to invade Norway. The allies claimed victory shorty after that. I found them fun to play with.

I’m thinking of just putting them in as a complete independent force from the beginning starting with the 7 IPC’s from Canada.

Either way they were an original addition to our game without interfering with balance issues. I gave them a spot going behind the UK but maybe it’s better for them to go behind Italy’s turn. That’s something I still have to tweek :)

yes… :-D

I can see what your doing…(avatar)

@theduke:

that sounds like 2nd or 3rd edition rules (i.e. “original” axis and allies), not 1st edition. are you sure? i’m taking about the very 1st edition… an edition basically no one plays anymore.

The 1st ed was w/ unlimited IC’s.  Even ones you purchased.

Very unbalanced b/c GBR would get an IC for Persia, and move all of the India units to Sinkiang to allow US to buy the IC on the first round.  Round 2 and beyond sees $ 60+/turn worth of allied armor pouring onto the Eurasia landmass to take everything over.