Has anybody drawn one of these up yet for AAA? Some simple little chart with each country, the cost, and each National Objective beside where players can simply put up their flag each time they have achieved one?
Like:
Germany: +5
France,
Northwestern Europe
Germany
Czechoslovakia/Hungary
Bulgaria/Romania
Poland
If not, let me know and I’ll draw one up.
You’re talking 1941 with NOs in your analysis right Jen?
Anyway, I find the game plays better without them. I think it’s more balanced without them. From what I’ve been reading, the game so far has had a slight Axis advantage with NOs, and a slight Allied advantage without them, am I right?
Regardless, no NOs promotes a more open play style and doesn’t require a player to always take the same territories or zones with the promise of bonus cash. Sure, Germany is always going to go hard to Russia - no question. How everybody else reacts differs from game to game. NOs I find limit this.
But yeah - the game is always going to be long with good players, no matter what optional rules you use. 1942 however, I can checkmate Russia with Germany in 4 rounds. I can isolate Japan and cut off her mainland and wipe out her fleet in 4-5 rounds with the USA. And this is with or without Objectives.
In all the games I’ve played, whether they be 1 player (yeah, I play myself sometimes :cry:), 2 player, or the dozen 6 player games I’ve played, I find the most balanced game is:
1. 1941 scenario
2. No National Objectives
3. Tech
We’ve been splitting games between Axis victories and Allied victories, and I’m not playing with a bunch of chumps, though I’m not saying they are masters either.
The National Objectives I find push for a quicker game due to more money being put out, but I do not believe they are balanced or necessary for playability. Also the byproduct of National Objectives is that they push for a prosaic and programmed game. I prefer the game to be balanced and all over the place without the game designers pushing one play style.
Now I know there are a lot of arguments that the National Objectives push for the more historical war, but who cares. If we were going for realism, I never would have had 4 Japanese Infranty and 4 Tanks in Western Canada. You never would have had 4 Italian Tanks sitting in the Cacausus. The game is balanced in my experience when it is played with the above conditions.
1942 - National Objectives or not, is broken. It plays almost exactly like Revised. Germany stronger, Japan pathetic. Again, just my opinion.
As for my 1941 strategies:
1. Industrial Complex in Manchuria in J1. possibly another Complex in Kiangsu once you’ve made some space. After that, the Tank Empire of Japan.
2. Italy is the thorn - that is all. Play her that way. Hit Egypt, hit Russia. That ‘no pass’ into Seazone 16 stuff is baloney. Italy’s only making 10 without National Objectives, so how hard can they possibly hit Russia even with their fleet hitting the Cacausus? They are a nuisance that can easily be crushed by any of the allies if they concentrate on them.
One game we played the Italian player had 30 IPC WITHOUT National Objectives (mind you his luck was through the roof, and the allies underestimated Italy early on. In reality, all Italy can ever be is the thorn, which the allies can squish at any time.
3. Germany - ALWAYS built one fighter every round.
4. UK - built factories in Africa and India. I see the Tank Empire of Britian right now.
5. Russia - my tendancy is to always build Infantry, but I saw a very effective all tank policy where they were gaining ground in Germany and supporting the Chinese. German player was new, so who knows if that works all the time.
6. USA - Try and hit Japan right away before they can consolidate their fleet. Built anti-fleet in Pacific, lend transports to Britian in the Atlantic.
- The Skagerrak acts like the Suez Canal, and is impassible to ships unless you control both Northwest Europe and Norway at the beginning of your turn. (This isn’t my idea; someone over at another forum came up with it.) It could really help breathe a lot of life into Germany’s Baltic fleet, since it’s generally only going to be hit with planes.
never
never
One bomber per bombing raid, per nation, per turn, per complex.