@ FMG - I know that you have stated previously in this thread that you are still working with the modeller to choose the naval sculpts which are to be used, but I was wondering if any had been settled upon yet. I gather that from the images sent to you by the modeller, the Italian CV, BB, and CA will be the Aquila, Littorio, and Zara classes, respectively, but the others are still unknown. I don’t mean to be annoying, so if you don’t want to (or can’t) share this info with us yet, please feel free not to. I can’t help but ask such questions, as this is an exciting project which just seems better as more info trickles out to us.
EDIT - I see three new posts have been made while I was typing all of this stuff up; it may no longer be relevant, as I haven’t had time to read the new posts yet, but here is what I have been writing intermittantly for the last half hour or so.
EDIT 2 - National colours, as suggested by Imperious Leader could work as well; just switch units upon capture. It depends on what would work better for FMG, especially in terms of cost.
On another note, if this set is successful, do you plan to do a “common unit” set, with a new IPC, AA Gun, and maybe some other units? I know it is a bit much to expect now with the vast effort and expense which you are committing to the current set, but it could be an idea for the future (if the current units are successful, as noted). You could possibly even produce two different IPC’s; a small-scale one [maybe with a peaked roof, as in the old A&A PC Game, and one stack], and a larger scale one (with a longer rectangular shape, the multiple horizontal peaked roof parts of the current unit albiet with more detail than the current ugly 1930s-cartoony-looking one, and two or three stacks); house rules could perhaps be developed as to their output levels. The current AA gun is OK for a shared unit, but I never seem to have enough of them, so it doesn’t hurt to have more (and with a better mold).
Other ideas for shared units could include a shipyard (required for production of naval units, although this might over-complicate the game and make production too expensive. I would suggest a shared bunker/pillbox unit, but you are already providing one per each nation already.
Another idea I had was for an incomplete capital ship piece; one would have to purchase the incomplete hull for a certain amount of IPC’s (maybe 7?), and then either complete it as a CV or BB for the remaining amount the next turn, or suspend or cancel construction next turn, as the military and economic situation of one’s country allows. This could be representative of Germany’s large scale cancellation of Z-Plan ships in favour of more important strategic needs, or the USSR’s similar suspension of a number of its own BBs and CBs upon the commencement of Operation Barbarossa. As well, incomplete hulls could be captured by occupying powers, much as Germany managed to capture a number of incomplete hulls from France, the Soviet Union, the Netherlands, and Italy upon occupation of those nations. The greater amount of time needed to produce large fleet carriers would not only be historically accurate, but could make a new class of light or escort carrier a more viable strategic option (as was the case for Japan, or to a more limited extend for the US). I don’t know how much support there is from the community for such a unit, though.
I assume that if a common unit set is released, it would be a flat, light gray, as the current A&A common units are coloured. If not, then likely a flat white, as per the common units of the original MB A&A common units.
