Oh, I so agree. The current A&A 1914 board design (I’ll be nice here) is unfriendly. Africa too big, Europe too small, etc, etc…. That example is an absolute piece of art.
So, it has been a few months, (More like 9) since I started this post. As I push my life stuff out of the way, I finally have enough time to work on the map it self. Some gripes I have found about the OOB map are
So , I am(starting this weekend) , going to start the map and create the fixed OOB map first and see how that works out.
Cheers
I’ve only played WW1 once (I took Russia, the UK, and the US), and I agree with most of your criticisms. My only pushback is that having relatively few Russian and Ottoman territories was actually fairly nice – there was still enough room to maneuver, and I felt like the territories were worth fighting over. It was very refreshing having 2 IPC and 3 IPC Russian territories instead of an endless sea of 1 IPC frozen wastelands!
I eagerly await your Pacific territories, destroyers, railroads, and extra production centers – the game sorely needs those. I also look forward to seeing what you do with the Irish rebellion.
My suggestion for an additional feature is to have sub convoy zones, like in the Great War map for TripleA. My friends and I mostly agreed that the UK didn’t need to counter the German navy, because control of the sea zones west of the Baltic didn’t actually accomplish anything for Germany – with no convoy zones to raid, and no realistic hope of conquering England or Norway, the German battleships just weren’t that interesting.
My experience with 1914 is also very limited. It’s the only A&A board I don’t own, something about it just didn’t grab me. Hard to articulate what exactly, but it was at least in part due to the map.
I’ve made 2 attempts to design a Great War themed game in tripleA from the ground up with a dude named Surtur, using the basic mechanics and rules from Axis and Allies. This was before 1914 came out, so we didn’t really have the benefit of anything official to go on, just a basic desire to somehow make a World War 1 game out of A&A. In both cases there was a real tension between the desire to accurately depict the conflict in Europe and the Middle East, while somehow also showcasing the wider global conflict (which was admittedly much more limited in scope than a WW2 game can provide.) In one case we used an abstracted representation of the secondary theaters (the one Argothair mentioned above), in the other we used a fully global world map projection.
I can say I wasn’t really happy with either approach in the end. But I know I also wouldn’t be entirely happy with a map that focused only on Europe, which is basically the A&A 1914 approach. For it to really feel like a World war, I always thought that you needed the whole world in there somehow, though I’m totally aware of how challenging that problem can be for the Great War. I think the game Empire Total War by Creative Assembly, had an interesting idea that could maybe be used for WW1. That game was designed to culminate in the Napoleonic Era, though I think it was modded for a Great War scenario in the afterlife. Anyway, it had a primary campaign map that focused on Europe, and then two secondary campaign maps one for North America and one for India. Sadly the game was buggy at launch, and it’s sequel dropped the secondary theaters in favor of Europe alone. Alas, it never fully explored the potential of having a separate Africa, East Asia, or Pacific campaign theater. I remember feeling bummed that CA ditched the title, before those were added in an expansion. I always thought that WWI game set in 1914 would be cool with 1 primary theater for Europe/Midway East, and 3 secondary theaters… A North Atlantic theater, an African theater, and a Pacific theater. But how to organize that on a single map board that scales well, is pretty rough. Even Europe by itself is pretty tough.
Probably you’d want to avoid the Western Front box idea, which was our solution to keep the basic A&A mechanics, in favor of different rules campaign movement/combat, which is basically what 1914 does. Not sure how relevant that it is to the current discussion, about fixes to the 1914 board. Not a huge fan of the diamond layout, it was a turnoff for sure haha.
But yeah add me to list of people who is definitely interested to check out the global version!
I also think that map YG linked is pretty damn slick. It’s too bad he had copyright issues. I wonder what those were exactly? If it was the map projection itself, or just the window dressing art? If the latter I’m sure there are images he could use in the Commons or the Internet archive that would work equally well. Too bad though, because it was a really nice looking map
Feel free to add any ideas you have for the game. I’ll consider anything as long as it’s feasible Ex. Cavalry. As long as I figure out how to work map making software, I’m good.
I think one thing which might help is to create a sub-forum in houserule thread exclusively for 1914.
It will help you get a grasp of all issues people habe with actual Map.
PACIFIC TERRITORIES
CHINESE
Chinese Territories are going to be like the G40 with a few exceptions
Tsingtao - German Occupied
Hong Kong - British Occupied
Macau - Portuguese(Pro - Allied Neutral) Occupied
Tianjin - Austro - Hungarian Occupied
Beijing is its own territory
JAPANESE
Each home island + Tokyo is its own territory
Formosa
Hainan
Korea(North and South)
Iwo Jima
Okinawa
Saipan
(Pro Allied) - Siam
GERMANY
Mariana Islands
German New Guinea Â
Caroline Islands
Palau
Bismarck Archipelago
Nauru
Micronesia
German Samoa
UNITED STATES
Seattle & San Francisco are now Victory Cities
Pacific North West
California
Hawaiian Islands
Wake Island
Johnston Atoll
Guam
Alaska
Aleutian Islands
The Philippines
FRANCE
New Hebrides
French Indochina
Saigon
More to come shortly
@Baron:
I think one thing which might help is to create a sub-forum in houserule thread exclusively for 1914.
It will help you get a grasp of all issues people habe with actual Map.
I should do that
That seems like a lot more detail in the Pacific than would really be needed, unless your whole map is on the scale of New World Order, with 300+ territories. The Pacific is fun, but it was a very secondary theater in ww1.
The west coast of the US could be cut down, and I’m building another map with more detail. But yeah for the current OOB board I’ll have to shrink it down.
The Europe side needs to be readjusted for sure. That’s one thing for sure.
New Territories -
Western US
Alaska
Aleutian Islands
The Philippines
Guam
Wake Island
Midway
Johnston Atoll
Korea
Northern Japan
Southern Japan
Formosa
Hainan
Gilbert Islands
Fiji
New Hebrides
French Indochina
Mariana Islands
German New Guinea
Palau
Bismark Archipelago
Narau
Micronesia
German Samoa
Tsingtao
Hong Kong
Tianjin
Macau
Hawaiian Islands
New Zealand
Eastern, Central, and Western Australia
British Columbia
Western Mexico
Iwo Jima
Okinawa
China just like G40
Russian Far East
Siberia
Other Russian territories in the far East
Siam
I think that’s all, after down sizing. Any other pacific territories?
About how many Sea Zones? 30 more?
I have started on such a map already. What i got is Europe carved out by nation according to her 1914 borders. Of course this includes the top of Africa and middle east. If you go just Europe i can send you the file CS3.
Just make an entirely new map and forget anything related to the old 1914 AA map. Don’t even call it 1914 Redesign
@Imperious:
I have started on such a map already. What i got is Europe carved out by nation according to her 1914 borders. Of course this includes the top of Africa and middle east. If you go just Europe i can send you the file CS3.
Just make an entirely new map and forget anything related to the old 1914 AA map. Don’t even call it 1914 Redesign
THANK YOU! That would save me so much time creating the maps. I would love to have the copy of the map.
NEW ITEMS IN THIS GAME SO FAR
1. New Map
- Pacific Side (30+ more Sea Zones)
- Europe Enlarged and Africa shrunken down
- New Sea Zones in the Atlantic (Map Projection corrected)
- New Territories
2. New Playable powers
- Japan(Secondary Allied Power)
- China (Secondary Allied Power)
- UK Pacific*
*ANZAC is included, other wise Canada would have to be free
3. New Units
- Colonials and StormTroopers (2,2,1) Cost - 4 Have to be built in the capital
- Cavalry (1,1,2) Cost - 4
- Destroyers (2,2,2) Cost - 8
4. Impassable Zones
- The Sahara
- Pripet Marshes
- The Himalayas
- Switzerland
5. Neutral Nations
a. Pro Allied
- Romania (Only Russia)
- Albania (Only Italy)
- Siam (Only Japan)
- Entirety of Central and South America(Only the US)
- Belgium (France only)
- Liberia (US)
- Greece(turn 3)
b. Pro Central
- Darfur
- Montenegro
That’s all for now…
Some thoughts…
Boer Revolt - The British worried about Afrikaner sympathies throughout the war, and put down a minor rebellion involving about 12,000 unreconstructed Boers (the so-called Maritz Rebellion) in 1914. Not sure how to make this a factor in the game without card play, although I suppose you could condition the appearance of a few infantry worth of rebels upon a German victory in South West Africa.
Rumania - Contrary to popular sentiment and the views of his own government, King Carol I was sympathetic to the Central Powers. Romania was in fact signatory to an 1883 defensive treaty with the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Perhaps a bid?
Bulgaria - With its large, competent army, Bulgaria was seen as a prize for both alliance blocs.
The Netherlands - The NEI make the Dutch an economic superpower of sorts. May be worth thinking about how they come into the game.
Russian Civil War - You might look at how Historical Board Gaming does the Spanish Civil War and see if you like any of the approaches they take.
Poland/b] - Maybe a nation that can emerge late in the game?
Some thoughts…
Boer Revolt - The British worried about Afrikaner sympathies throughout the war, and put down a minor rebellion involving about 12,000 unreconstructed Boers (the so-called Maritz Rebellion) in 1914. Not sure how to make this a factor in the game without card play, although I suppose you could condition the appearance of a few infantry worth of rebels upon a German victory in South West Africa.
Rumania - Contrary to popular sentiment and the views of his own government, King Carol I was sympathetic to the Central Powers. Romania was in fact signatory to an 1883 defensive treaty with the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Perhaps a bid?
Bulgaria - With its large, competent army, Bulgaria was seen as a prize for both alliance blocs.
The Netherlands - The NEI make the Dutch an economic superpower of sorts. May be worth thinking about how they come into the game.
Russian Civil War - You might look at how Historical Board Gaming does the Spanish Civil War and see if you like any of the approaches they take.
**Poland/b] - Maybe a nation that can emerge late in the game?
So, first things first, boer revolt. Never thought about it, how about 1 infantry(rebel still needs color) pops up after a German victory in South Africa
Next, Romania. Might make it a dice roll, on whose side it goes to or a bid, might do the same for Bulgaria.
The Netherlands is Interesting to say the least. Since it stayed neutral throughout the war. Maybe if Paris or London falls, they go to war.
The Russian Civil War, hmm. I don’t know how to implement that, like you said looking at global 1936 might help.
Poland, if I did that, then Ukraine, Finland, and the Baltic States would have to be released as well. Might do it though.
Another thing I was considering was having Italy being decided by dice rolls and bids.
Thanks for your post, gave me some great ideas.**
How Italy enters the war
Since Italy was on the fence until the Entente offered her a treaty in 1915 (Austrian Land Grab), Italy now gets to “choose†which side they fight for. A dice roll is now required for Italy to enter the war. A 20 - sided dice is rolled by Italy, Britain , and Germany at the start of the Italian turn.
Tied / Italy Rolls Higher - Italy Stays neutral
Germany Rolls Higher - Italy Joins the Central Powers
Britain Rolls Higher - Italy Joins the Entente Powers
Britain and Germany can pay 5 IPC’s for a one time +2 to the roll(The number on the dice with the +2 bonus cannot exceed 20 but you can go up to 20 with the bonus). These are purchased on their respective turns. Britain and Germany can only have one each at any given time. If Italy is not at war by turn 4 , It joins the side that has the higher dice roll(France and Austria will roll in this event). If a tie occurs, the dice will be rerolled until one side comes out as the victor. Italy can be attacked by either power. Any foreign movement of troops into Italian territory before its declaration of war is considered an act of war on Italy and it joins the opposite side of the power that attacked Italy.
Any thoughts on this?
The map should perhaps just feature Europe with middle east and Africa.
The other parts of the globe are a waste to represent. Germany had not more than like 10,000 men and a few light cruisers in total outside of those areas. Who’s gonna fight them and who cares to bother with them?
Japan will capture Tsingtao ok big deal. Japan will capture Marianas and Carolines ok big deal. The British hunt down the cruisers… great. Then that half of the map is crickets…
The worst case scenario is the Kaiser invades USA and invades India ( they made plans for this look it up google).
Instead of global map the sideshow areas could be on a smaller scale map showing those assets in boxes or a chain of boxes?
@Imperious:
The map should perhaps just feature Europe with middle east and Africa.
The other parts of the globe are a waste to represent. Germany had not more than like 10,000 men and a few light cruisers in total outside of those areas. Who’s gonna fight them and who cares to bother with them?
Japan will capture Tsingtao ok big deal. Japan will capture Marianas and Carolines ok big deal. The British hunt down the cruisers… great. Then that half of the map is crickets…
The worst case scenario is the Kaiser invades USA and invades India ( they made plans for this look it up google).
Instead of global map the sideshow areas could be on a smaller scale map showing those assets in boxes or a chain of boxes?
So first things first , the map, can you send me that when its done?
The Boxes is what was used in the 1914 game on Triple A. Ill put more detail in the boxes. Ultimately, yes it would be crickets. The boxes are the best way to go in a situation like this. However, I am also creating a Global map on the scale of New World Order with this game and G40. Both boards will have alternate setups(G40, G41,G42) (G14,G16) (E14,E16). Makes the game more interesting.
will have alternate setups(G40, G41,G42)…
What>? You want to use 1914 borders for a 1940/42 scenario?
