Posts made by questioneer

testing
Rolls: 2@1 3@3; Total Hits: 22@1: (5, 3)3@3: (2, 6, 2)

Hi, I’m looking for someone to play AA50- 1941, with or without NOs, but no tech.  I know how to input the dice roller now, but what do I do about a map?  Do I just use my board at home or is there a Battlemap for AA50 I use or what?  Need some help getting started.  Thanks

Questioneer
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Rolls: 2@1 3@2 4@3 2@4; Total Hits: 32@1: (2, 1)3@2: (6, 3, 3)4@3: (3, 4, 4, 6)2@4: (5, 1)

@Tarling:

Wow Questioneer, way to throw venom, malice and personal attacks into that post. As an almost solely FTF player now venturing into online play I’d like to say that I think online play is no less challenging than ftf play. Online play tends to bring up a wider variety of players and play styles, which I think makes it more challenging than ftf (gaming groups, friends, etc tend to have a similar assortment of people). If your argument is that only ftf at tournaments counts for anything, then you’re insisting that a tiny minority of all A&A players should declare what the game should play like, including ONLINE play.

To counter your chess analogy: look at professional poker. For years now the people winning the WSOP have been online players. It’s not the same but…well none of these are the same!

Personally I’d say play with tech for now in a league setting. The game just came out and no one could claim to be an expert at AA50 just yet. If after this season the results are clear that tech far and away won most games, then that will be the first credible evidence as to its efficacy.

Personal attacks???  Is that what you call telling the truth???  Oh, but assuming that I “don’t play smart” isn’t insulting- hmmmm. right.

On the poker thing, you’re right, its NOT the same.  FTF is better for credibility.  thanks for proving my point.

Lastly, I’m not knocking on those that want tech, I just want a CHOICE to turn the option off.  Remember, National Objectives and Tech are OPTIONAL rules according to the official rules.  It should be treated that way in the league also, not forced to play them.  That’s why Larry instilled them as OPTIONAL.

uuggh - times 2 :roll:

Questioneer
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@Cmdr:

Which is exactly my point, if everything is at risk, then you have to use strategy to manage the risk and stop relying on dice calculators to give you favorable odds all the time!

This is supposed to be a game of skill, not a game of statistics right?

Anyway, with darn near 100 games right now (15 of which are active) and all of them with technologies, I’ve yet to see a game lost because someone got a tech suddenly or a game won because suddenly someone got a tech.  Generally, the person who won did so after recovering over a long period of time after getting the technology, or was already winning and the technology just sped things up a bit.

heavy bombers can seem like a game breaker if you already have 15 bombers on the board.  If you only have 1, it’s not quite so powerful!

Advanced Artillery the turn before your tanks arrive at the door of moscow (where you already have infantry and artillery) could allow you to take moscow a turn early, but at that point, you were probably on the brink of taking moscow anyway, all it did was allow you to do it one round earlier than you would have if you had to wait for that last wave of reinforcements.

If you don’t defend your fleet adequately enough and the 4 fighters your enemy has turns into jets and that little extra “oomph” gives him the punch needed to win, it was not because he got the tech you lost, odds were probably good he could have won without the tech, just not as well, it was bad strategy on your part.

In other words, if you cannot win the game when technology is a factor (for you or against you) then perhaps you need to play more games and learn some skills on how to deal with technology?  You are aware we’re the only online club I know of that does not play with technology in our AAR league and tournaments, right?  No one else seems to have a problem with technology.

You also need to be aware that getting a technology is not a sure thing.  In AAR it was much more sure than now, at least you could buy the dice for a specific technology.  Now you have a 1 in 36 chance of getting the tech you want. (You have to get a 6 and then get the number you want on the next roll!)   That’s only going to happen 3% of the time.

You want to eliminate an important part of the game and unbalance the entire thing over a 3% possibility???  Your odds of getting shot down on an SBR run is 6 times greater than the odds your enemy is going to get a technology s/he wants!

Wow!!!  Unbelievable!!!  There are so many of your points that we so disagree on I cant fit it on this post.  Each of your paragraphs needs a swift rebuttle.  I will start with one and do the rest later.

I commend you for playing online, it gives you good practice.  I am a tournament chess player.  Many people play online and OTB(over the board) too.  Online ratings can be very skewed- a person can have an online rating of 2000 yet be only a 1400 player OTB!  To compare OTB play versus online is ridiculous.  OTB is far superior.  Playing 100 games doesn’t necessarily make you better. 
If you played 100 OTB games then I would be impressed.  Besides, your online record wasn’t that great in 07/08 was it? :cry:
Last time I checked, your name was not listed at GenCon in the Masters tournament for OTB play- ah, alas, I digress.

Questioneer

P.S.  if its a game of skill than why add another chancy component to your gameplay to mess up the strategy!!!- Uggghh.  :roll:

I fail finding the way of chasing the economic advantage of axis. If you find it, better for the gameplay (but don’t start speaking about KGF, it’s dead in AA50). Japan is unstoppable unless USA builds all in California coast, and if USA does that, the combined income of Germany (40-45) and Italy (20-25) will beat USSR (28-35) and UK (25-28). Anyway, Japan still outproduces USA by 60-43.

KGF, dead in AA50???-brave words my friend.  Oh its alive, and even better than Revised if you play the Allies right and hit Europe hard.  Against a forceful KGF, Japan’s best moves are to either
a.) try hitting the U.S. through Alaska- hard!! or
b.) get to Africa ASAP and help Italy.

Denying Italy income is the key for the Allies, if Italy continues to makes 10 or less dollars, than the Axis in Europe will fall- that simple.  Z3 and Z12- remember those zones.  What are they?  Massive navies from the Brits and the Americans giving multiple threat options that Germany/Italy cannot contain by round 3.  And if your playing with NO’s, its even better for the Allies.

Questioneer
:-D

@Cmdr:

You should actually win all of them, Questioner.  They all have 85-99% odds of success, give or take.  I posted the numbers somewhere, and I don’t feel like going to Frood and running them again just to post them again.

your right, but what i meant is that you thin yourself out too much verses a strong KGF.  I realize that taking some risks as Germany is necessary if you are going to win with them, but against a good allied player, he’s gonna find an imbalance or crease to take advantage of ( I can expand on this more later if you want).  Unless you play with a bid or something, in which case I would put it in Africa.

@Cmdr:

If you suddenly lose because someone got a tech, then you were playing hard, but not smart.

In other words, the best players will assume the enemy has all 12 technologies and act accordingly taking risks where they must, but being ready with a plan to recover should the technology come and the battle turn so as not to lose the war.

Exactly my point!!!  Then it would be hard to do much of anything, everything would be a risk!!!  Look, the game already has the chance factor with the dice rolling, why skew the game on potential game breaking tech.  Don’t get me wrong, its fun and all, but leave it for the casual games, not tournaments.  Just ask those who play at “real” tournaments at GenCon and Origins- most like the no Tech options. 
I understand your strong opinion for tech, but there is just as much of a voice for “no tech”.  So good luck lobbying.

Questioneer

I would like to play without techs-period.
I don’t want to play hard and then suddenly lose because someone got Heavy Bombers.
The Tech is better than Revised but I would like an option to play games without it.
I think there should be an option to play with or without the NOs also… the option to play with or w/o the 2 new optional rules Larry gave us on his new FAQs on Jan 12th. as well.

Thanks

Questioneer

Can someone give me some instructions on how to play online or in this league??

thanks

Questioneer

@Cmdr:

Jennifer’s Basic German Strategy Guide for 1941:

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Germany:

You need to do maximum impact on Russia as fast as possible with Germany, only diverting enough equipment as needed to protect Italy’s fleet that first round.

For this, a 4 prong offensive might be best.

1)  Amphibiously assault Karelia.  You should get it every time with various losses, once I even got it without loss, which was a fun game!

Cost analysis:
-3 Infantry, -1 Fighter: Cost 19 IPC
Destroy 5 Infantry, 1 Artillery: Benefit: 19 IPC
Capture AA Gun: +6 IPC
Collect for Land: +2 IPC
Collect for National Objective: +5 IPC

Net: +13 IPC (+7 if you don’t consider taking the AA Gun into account.)

2. Hit Baltic States, East Poland and Ukraine.

Cost: 1 or 2 Infantry >> -6 IPC
Destroy 7 Infantry >> +21 IPC
Collect for Land >> 4 IPC
Collect for NO >> 5 IPC

Net: +24 IPC

3)  Attack Egypt.  This isn’t meant to TAKE Egypt, but to weaken the British severely.  I’ve found that if you do not even attack Egypt with Germany, Italy can be wiped out in short order and has NO CHANCE at getting the second National Objective ever.  Not to mention, Egypt is a great place for a British Industrial complex later in the game.

Cost: 2 Infantry, Artillery, 2 Armor >> -20 IPC
Destroy: 3 Infantry, Artillery, Armor >> +18 IPC
Net: -2 IPC

4)  Naval assaults on England.  Primarily you have to clear the Cruiser/Destroyer from SZ 12 to protect the Italian fleet.  I usually attack the destroyer in SZ 6 too since it’s the only thing your submarine can do anyway and it’s a 50/50 shot at sinking another British ship.

Cost: 1 or 2 submarines >> -6-12 IPC (none of which you need)
Destroy: Cruiser and 1 or 2 Destroyers >> +20-28 IPC

Net: +8-22 IPC

As far as builds go, I’m thinking that in 1941 we need more and more armor than we did in Revised.  We cannot neglect infantry, but we can bring that Armor/Infantry ratio up closer to 50/50.  Remember, Russia starts with no fighters, so they’re trading tanks just about every round, so Germany can also afford to trade tanks.

If you find your builds getting maxed out you can build a complex in Poland.  This is a 3 IPC territory, so you’ll be producing 3-5 units there easily (with Improved Factories) and it’s limited in damage it can take from allied bombing runs! (6 IPC max.)  This by itself would make it a more valuable building location than France, but wait, Jim, there’s more!  Poland is two zones CLOSER to Russia than France is!  That means you can put Infantry into Poland and have the Armor in Germany catch up with them the next round in East Poland.

Technology:  Tech is the backbone of this game.  I have not seen a single game played where one side had technology and the other side did not and still won.

Okay, tech is a bit random, so what?  You have a choice on what chart you roll on, so that’ll help a lot, and really, outside of Super Submarines, I don’t see a “bad” technology on the charts. (Thinking about it, if we fixed Super Submarines to negate Battleship 2 hit abilities, then they would be good!)

I like chart 1 for Germany.  Improved Factories are great (especially for a poland complex or even Karelia.)  War bonds are okay, at least they can offset SBR damage.  Mechanized infantry and paratroopers are wicked. (Paratroopers are great for getting Italian National Objectives and liberating things like Finland and Norway.  I’ve even toyed with a Sea Lion attempt from the air once or twice.)

Should Germany SBR?

I guess that sort of depends.  Definitely not on round 1!  But later, it can be helpful if England’s being a nuissance or if you think Russia got lucky and you need to knock their income back down.  But generally speaking, those German bombers are really nice for hitting the enemy ground units and not so much the complexes.

Caveat:  England has no Industrial Complexes outside of England itself, Japan and Italy have taken away all of England’s National Objectives, should you SBR?   In this case, I would hit England with 3 or 4 bombers and the reason being that England’s only earning in the low 30s, upper 20s.  if you can do 10-16 IPC damage (which 3 or 4 bombers should easily do) then you’ve eliminated them as a serious threat to France.  Note, in most games, America is hardly a threat to the woman hood of France let alone the German army there.  This would mean you could pull most, if not all, of those troops out and send them towards Russia.

Key Territories:

1)  East Poland is a HUGE territory for you!  From here you can hit Baltic States, Belarus, East Ukraine and Ukraine.  As long as you have a stack here, your National Objective in this region should be secured each round.

2)  Karelia:  As Russia’s weakest link, you may as well go for this one first.  It’s worth +7 IPC a round (5 for the National Objective and 2 for the territory.)  It also allows you to trade Arkhangelsk (threatening his NO) and to threaten Scandinavia (Finland/Norway.)  The miracle happens if you get Improved Factories and Karelia, now you’re dumping +4 Infantry a round up there!

3)  France:  You need to defend France from British incursions as soon as possible.  Normally this is Italy’s job, but Italy can find itself hard pressed if things go poorly.  For England, France is worth 11 IPC.  For Germany France is also worth 11 IPC.

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Most useful units:  Infantry, Armor, Bombers (Artillery if you have Advanced Artillery)

Very similar to what I do, however, it is very hard to win all of these, it thins you out too much.  I usually don’t do all of these.  I don’t play with Tech though (fun sometimes, but it makes the game too dicey).  Can you do this w/o tech???

Questioneer

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@Cmdr:

Most games of “50” I’ve played where America ignored Japan the game ended with a dozen Japanese fighters in Berlin and Russia completely dominated by Japan.

Rarely do I see a 100% offense against Italy/Germany result in a win for the allies.

Really, ever try an efficient KGF?  By round 3, Germany can be looking at massive navies at Z3 and Z12 each landing 12 units of material with air support-yikes.  Russia gets stronger in the east and pushes back, Italy loses Africa.

Personally, I think the Allies are at the advantage in 41- if you play them right- they just out produce and squeze the life out of Germany.  The new Geography makes the Japs too slow- they just get there too late.

Brit Z3 navy and American Z12 navies bring multiple threats and Germany collapses.

Want some details??? :?
Questioneer

I have tried this and been on the winning end and the losing end of this.  The move is risky, but not sound strategically.  Holding off is the better way to do this.  If you risk all to get Egypt for Italy on G1 you will be giving up something else on another front (Russian front, France, naval or air support).  Don’t get me wrong, winning this battle is awesome but risky- definitely, a gambit.  The question to ask yourself is whether or not you can live with losing the battle!!!- especially in a forceful KGF game.

:|

Questioneer