I think 1941 is well placed in regard to the intent of Larry Harris, which was stated as having a two-fold purpose… an intro game for new players to A&A and/or a shorter game for veterans that can be finished much quicker than other versions.
They trimmed a LOT of things out of 1941 vs what was in 1942, and I’m sure that’s what you don’t like about 1941… but at the same time, the things they trimmed out are things that make the game quicker to teach, less demanding during the game (the massive reduction in IPC gathering/spending) and make the game shorter… these are things that make the game easier to learn for first time A&A players that would not be the case in 1942 if you used that as an intro.
Also, 1941 isn’t supposed to be an introduction to strategy gaming for kids… when you say “you want to teach your kids A&A introduce them to chess first…”, 1941 isn’t supposed to be an intro to strategy gaming, it’s supposed to be an intro to A&A gaming. A much better intro to strategy gaming is Risk, which is more A&A light than anything else (and a much closer cousin to A&A than Chess).
I think the biggest problem with 1941 (and I agree with you on this)… is it’s packaging/marketing… without doing any previous research, or looking into the product line, I could totally see someone going to the store, seeing 1941 either by itself or next to 1942 and thinking its really no different, just starts in a different year, and is like any other version of A&A… I agree with you there, it really should be painfully clear on the box that it’s some sort of “introductory” version or a “bare-bones, A&A-light”. It shouldn’t look identical to 1942 aside from the year on the box. I think veteran A&A players, or adults with a decent grasp on strategy gaming should be directed to 1942 or 1940.
I don’t expect someone with a basement decked out with not one, but two massive tables dedicated to Global 1940 with (very awesome, might I add) custom table work, massive rows of extra units, bins, dice, etc, to have even one iota of care about 1941… it’s CLEARLY not for you. Heck, 1941 is not for me… personally, I HATE THE GAME! Despite my personal feelings for 1941, I realize it has a purpose, and I agree with Larry Harris that it does fill that gap between something like Risk and something like the larger/longer-playing games of 1942 and 1940. Mismarketed with packaging that makes it look no different from 1942 with a different year on the box? Oh sure, i’ll give you that. It just needs to be better defined so it doesn’t fool people that should be playing 1942 or 1940 into buying 1941 by mistake. I don’t like the game Candyland either, but I realize it has a target market and is properly marketed.
Young Grasshopper… I got tons of respect for what you do for the community, your Youtube channel and your awesome home setup… but I’m going to have to agree to disagree with you on 1941. I think it has a purpose in the lineup if you think of “Starter/Advanced/Expert” and compare it with “1941/1942/1940”. It’s just poorly marked, and I’ll agree with you there, its a bit deceiving. Anyways, how about this… I promise never to go on your Youtube channel and recommend 1941 to anyone!
:-D
P.S.
I can’t stress enough my personal distaste for 1941… I like 1942 much better, but I think 1941 is a good bridge between something like Risk and 1942 for kids (an adult could skip 1941)… anything to bring new players into the hobby is a good thing, I think. The other oddity I noticed, was that when I went shopping to pick up both 1941 and 1942… I went all over town and to store after store after store, and all I could find was 1941. I had to order 1942 to get my hands on it. I think that’s an issue there.
