Posts made by Jennifer

I have to agree with TMTM. I believe the rules, at least in my original box set, have an example of this - complete with drawings.

I kind of agree, Mr. G. The US is extremely dull for the first few rounds and after that they are mildly entertaining as you support Russian and British combat initiatives/defend their territories.

However, America is a vital nation to the victory of the allies.

That is interesting, however what would the rest of Russia’s actions look like?

If you still attacked the baltic and they got a lucky hit with that transport, would you be able to defend Karelia?

Would you have to neglect any other traditional attacks with the absense of that fighter?

Though, you could use the fighter the next round to attack the german fleet if they split up.

Just some thoughts.

If you beat Russia, and Japan continues to play, I’d say build air force units with Russia to sink Japanese shipping.

Of course, if you like, you may also build ICs in SFE, Manch, Kwang and FIC. If you like.

There are times you need an M84 style condition so you arn’t forced to take an island nation when you control most of the board.

The M84 in the game above was after USA, however the US wasn’t set up to attack, only support Russia at the time and had no fleet units in the Pacific to counter Japan’s move. Realistically speaking, no one was even paying attention to the M84 until Japan called it after his turn.

What if you made it M110 instead of M84? (110 being the magic number for the allies to win in the CD-Rom.)

True, but with the fall of Russia you would be in a position to declare that you want an M84 and be able to hold it. After all, with Russia gone you should have 25 IPCs from Japan, 24 from Russia and 32 from Germany at the very least and that’s not counting anything from Africa, Asia Minor or Southern Asia / China. So you’d have 81/84 IPCs and only need to secure India to have your 84.

What I dislike seeing is that mad dash of a loosing Axis player to get M84 and steal victory from the Allies when they are in no way even close to being able to win, or stave the allies off for a few more turns. I’ve seen way too many tournament games ended prematurely by that underhanded maneuver. For instance, the game just before I thought up those rules, the Germans were reduced to no aircraft or armor in Europe, but held Africa. Russia had 18 tanks with the support of around 100 allied infantry vs about 50-ish germans. Japan had been stalled at Yakut SSR but held some strong ground.

The Axis won that game because Japan took Australia to get M84. We can all envision the board (somewhat) and come to the same realization that had the Allies had but one more turn the axis would have been severely weakened with the fall of Ukraine, E. Europe, Caucasus, SFE, Manchuria and Sink/China soon after.

So, what I’m trying to do is establish a way that the Axis can have an M84 victory when they are winning and not as a last ditch effort to stave off defeat.

First off, I believe M84 is a very underhanded way for the Axis to steal victory from the Allies. I am sure that a majority of you do not view it this way, but a game loss (for me) to this rule really kind of saps the fun from the game.

With that said, here’s some ideas I had on the rule to make it less of a steal in my mind:

1. The Axis must announce they are attempting an M84 victory at the start of the round. (For online games this could be the start before Germany’s turn since USA and USSR may go before Germany can see the board. Otherwise, it should be before USSR’s turn.)

2. They must control 84+ IPCs in land value by the beginning of the next turn. (ie, if it was announced before USSR, then just before USSR goes again, or if it was just before Germany, just before Germany goes again.)

3. Failure to retain control of 84 IPCs will cost both nations 8 IPCs, same rules on payment as if they were hit with an SBR.

4. If the Axis should break the 84 threshhold without declaring at the beginning of the round their desire for M84, then M84 does not take place.

5. A bid for M84 may only be declared once per game.

Now, bear in mind that it is way too easy to get an M84 victory. 5 Tanks in Africa (Egypt) will net you 11 IPCs in just one round! You can’t possibly maintain your control of Africa with so few units if the allies want it back, so you really don’t control it - you just occupy it (in my mind.)

The thought behind the declaration of intent and the holding of the land is so that you have sufficient forces to actually hold your land. If you can hold it, then you control it and if the Axis have such strength that hte allies cannot drop them below 84, then they will most likely win.

Also, the limit of one try for M84 is kind of reminiscent of the Battle of the Bulge to me. It can be declared as the last ditch effort to grab resources before conceeding defeat, even if defeat is not the result.

It also makes it so the allies arn’t trying to keep M84 from happening EVERY round and allows for them to make longer range plans.

OK, finally a discussion on something I’m actually a paid expert on.

Stuka: Shielding RF is actually quite simple. There are varying degrees of shielding from aluminum braid to reverse RF signals to even more advanced (and probably over everyone’s head here) methods.

As part of my job I have to shield ATMs and Vaults from RF signals but allow for just one signal to come and go as necessary. It’s quite a challenge and a bit of fun.

And no, it would have absolutely no effect on the electronic signals that control the mechanics of the aircraft. Many of the systems on an aircraft that are necessary for it to continue flight are simple electrical circuits - it either has current or not. The on-board computers, on the other hand, are running at 1MBs (average speed) which can more then readily allow the computing devices to remove all - if any - electrical interferance.

Nae, more dangerous then a mere cell phone would be lightening or bad gas. (the last is a joke, considering you’re on canned air up there.)

Also, I see no reason to ban smoking on planes. It is quite possible to seal off a section of the plane and put them on their own canned air.

Also, it is quite nice to be able to inform your party that you will be arriving late or early without having to land first and then wait, or make them wait because your plane was delayed 14 hours in Frankfurt, Germany and no one bothered to tell O’Hare International Airport so your family could check up on your arrival time.

Also,if you want to ban cell use, may I recommend banning it in the car when you SHOULD be concentrating on not hitting ME!?!? In a plane you are nothing but a passenger, your use of a cell isn’t going to determine the life or death of other innocents on the road. (Personally, I pull over and call a person back if I need to talk on the cell in the car, out of respect for hte other drivers and so that my pretty new truck doesn’t get scratched!)

There’s no way that cell phones, or blackberries, or pagers are going to interfere with the plane. In fact, some planes offer phones in the seats of the plane, so we know that it wont have any effect on it’s mechanics at all.

Given that, I see no real reason to ban them.

However, some have worried that the phone could be used to trigger a detonation device and that would be a reason to have them off. (I don’t agree, but I see their point.)

I landed on 2 and 3. Needed enough force to win before leaving the beach head.

In our game I didn’t exactly have a choice until turn 3 and by then it was too late.

AS:

Africa is different then W. USA. A) It is many more territories. B) It is not next to my capital.

Also, I may give Germany all of Africa if I think I can take Berlin before it will be a major factor.

Step 1)

Invade with 1 infantry and support with as many BBs as you can get.

Step 2)

Blow the heck out of the factories.

Step 3)

Get as many allied bombers and fighters there to pound the defenders into oblivion.

This assumes that the island territory in question is either Japan or UK and that they are the last to fall.

Had Germany waited to defeat Britian before declaring on Russia, eithe rRussia would have declared on him (which I believe Stalin had planned to do) or he would have declared afterwards.

I don’t think Germany’s decision about Russia had any bearing on Japan’s decision on Pearl Harbor.

If the German’s allow the allies to get 5 rounds then the Germans should be seriously checking their strategy for holes. (There may not be any holes, your opponent could just be better or the dice could look unfavorably towards youm but you should check anyway.)

Ah, did not know. Live and learn, eh? Okay, well the basic thought was that as long as the person’s under the care of a lisenced physician then I don’t see the harm in legallizing the substance. After all, we’ve discovered that some poisons, used properly, can actually heal. (Botox for instance or chemo.)

What is curious to me is: who was the first moron to say “Yup, doc, go ahead and inject that poison into my face!”

No, but I’m sure you can agree that the same requirements for writing a perscription for penecillin or codiene should be applied to a perscription for medical marijuana.

I didn’t stand in line. It’s well documented in Illinois that when a Daley is on the throne the state votes Democrat in presidential elections. Basically, when Daley is on the throne, most republicans don’t even bother showing up.

Too bad in this case the state was actually contested. If more republicans showed up we could have been a Bush state. Ah well, some of the people have spoken. heh.

(Yes I did vote, and yes it was a butterfly ballot and no I wasn’t confused!)

I forget which state, but one of the states last night had a marijuana legalization bill on their ballot and it passed. Though, it had to be perscribed by a practicing physician much like codiene and other “possibly” addictive substances.

Thought it was relevant.

I think it should be illegal to keep names off the ballot. If you are running for office and can get 100,000 sponsors then you should be on the national ballot.