Just curious what it is everyone else would like to be seen done in future expansions? Might immediate wishes are (in no particular order):
South America - Would love to see ways to get it more involved. This is alternative history, not factual! Which means I’d love to see Argentina and/or Chile turned to the Axis, and a localized war happen there. Pull the US into another direction that way as well.
Island Warfare - Similar to A&A issues, there still isn’t a lot of necessity to island hoping. Would love to get an island hoping campaign in there, with incentive for the Japanese to actually defend the islands as well. I’ve seen house rules of not allowing ships to be outside of range of a friendly naval base, that could be an intriguing way to guarantee some of this. Would be neat to get the historically important islands into the game somehow. Rabaul, Solomons, Iwo Jima, etc., all get a bit lost I think.
Axis Minors Expansion - Would love to see these be individual player nations as well, like Turkey and Netherlands. Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Finland, and (maybe?) Siam. Maybe they still move/attack/etc. with Germany, but their money is their own, and they build at their individual home countries. Would add cool flavor I think.
Commonwealth Expansion - Similar to the Axis Minors above, would love to see South Africa and especially Canada have their own forces. Same as above, probably still linked to the UK in move/attack, but uses their own money and builds from their own territories.
What do you all have on your minds in regards to this?
I think that the Island hopping is a beautiful idea. I know that in Global war there’s victory objectives involved for the pacific, but it just feels like they’re not nearly as exciting as big wars/battles like the war between Japan and China. The ship idea isn’t bad either, considering ships don’t have an unlimited amount of fuel… Maybe what they could do is add a new unit in an expansion; the fuel tanker, or oil tanker. The oil wars expansion does an OK job of trying to show fuel usage, but each nation just makes too much oil for it to become important in the game. I’ve had to try to come up with ideas on how to make it more important.
I’d like to see an expansion for the Chinese civil war. Imagine in the inner territories, partisans fighting each other, and even minor amounts of units in one another’s territories making a huge difference! Communism didn’t just spread through liberated territories. I know that technically you can stay at war with KMT/CCP if you want, but it wasn’t all just direct conflict, so maybe that would be cool.
Another interesting expansion would be something to do with the French resistance, and more partisan work. In some cases, especially towards the end of the war, they became a huge problem for the germans. Something like that may not have a huge impact but could throw in some real effects.
Any thoughts?
Yea, I know there’s VC’s there. But as you said, they don’t have much to do with the islands. I think one of the only ones really close to that are keeping Japanese ships out of the bottom of the map.
Like I said, I don’t know what it would be yet, but something to spice it up. I used to add a house rule to some A&A Global 1940 games where you had to hold two thirds of the originally Japanese controlled islands, or 6 of 8, however many there are, before you could attack Japan. The idea being they were needed to land planes and build troop strength before an assault on Japan. Not saying it needs to be a rule like that, but something to entice warfare in those areas. As of now, the US fleet can reach Japan from Hawaii in a single turn. It’s conceivable that’s the only focus in a game sometimes!
I have not been sold on Oil Wars, to be honest. The rules seem a bit off to me for it. You’re telling me that it costs Germany the same amount of oil to move all of it’s land units as it does for ANZAC to do the same? Doesn’t make sense to me. I used to play around with a rule (never tested I should add) where the oil you had could combat move 5 units/per oil, or whatever it is you wanted to make it, and that oil had to be present in the same territory where units originated. This would require supply areas to be closely protected, and a gradual build up to happen. The problem with oil to me, is that a game as strategic level as this already has that built in. The money a territory is worth, the units built, etc., all that has an implied resources used to build/manufacture, logistics to move whole corps, and oil/gas/ammunition/food/etc. used to move armies. That’s how I’ve always viewed the monetary values of territories in all A&A games/variants at least.
Interesting take on China/partisans. I see what you mean in terms of having conflict happen between the CCP and KMT, even while they’re “allied” to take on the Japanese.
With your China question, as well as the French resistance question, I can tell you definitively that HBG is actively working on a Partisans Expansion. They seem extremely excited about it. The have the shipment of pieces for it already too, I think they’re just putting the final touches on the rule set. So that might come true in the near future, which is why I didn’t list. I agree, French Resistance was obviously huge, as well has partisan brigades on the Eastern Front. Will look excitedly for this expansion.
Similarly, they also had a commander piece created. My guess is there’s a future expansion regarding that coming as well. Would be interesting to see if they can re-roll missed attack/defense shots or something like that. Or maybe they could soak up one hit a turn or something, similar to tanks in A&A 1914. I think another cool thing would be if commanders could command “multi-national forces”. By that I mean, if say a US commander shares a territory with a mix of USA, UK, and French forces, for example, he can command the entire force of all nations all on the USA turn. That would expend UK and French movement, in this example, for their respective turns of course. Might be too hard to keep track of, but that could be interesting.
As it is today, I think the biggest issue is China. I know they are working on a “China at War” Expansion, and I look forward to shaking things up in that theatre.
Today, it is like playing through the Spanish Civil War - without the Expansion. It can be done, but…
Another Expansion they are working on which I look forward to is “Battle of the Atlantic”.
We are 3 players in my group. As such, we don’t want more playable nations.
Note: HBG have had an “Island Warfare” Expansion in the works, but they cancelled the project. Probably didn’t work out.
Interesting Munck, I had not heard that! Don’t want to derail this thread, maybe I’ll open another, but what is it about China that makes you say “biggest issue”? Unbalanced in your mind? Or just not exciting?
Battle of the Atlantic. I hadn’t really considered that, and don’t have the slightest what that might entail. Could be very interesting!
Kind of like my response to you in the other thread, we just accepted this takes a long time, so we welcome the minutia (we’re also three in our group).
That’s a bummer to hear about Island Warfare. I remember hearing about a potential expansion a while back, but never heard more. Didn’t realize it just got cancelled! Hopefully they worked their way back to it!
Interesting Munck, I had not heard that! Don’t want to derail this thread, maybe I’ll open another, but what is it about China that makes you say “biggest issue”? Unbalanced in your mind? Or just not exciting?
Battle of the Atlantic. I hadn’t really considered that, and don’t have the slightest what that might entail. Could be very interesting!
Re China:
It’s very hard for CCP to do anything except stacking everything they’ve got in Communist China - even with lucky recruitment rolls. I know you can fly down Russian planes and attack together, and I can’t see other real options to get an offensive going. LL from Russia is in reality too expensive. In our next game, we will start playing with Manchuoku. I hope this will improve things a bit for CCP.
For both CCP & KMT, you need to “win” the civil war before you can start building factories. Perhaps it is due to our start in 39, but I fail to see how either side can ever win before 1945.
I hope the new Expansion provides more options - esp. for a 1939 start.
Re. BoA:
I think it started from the notion that the convoy rules in v.1.2 (current) are a bit flawed (favour the Allies). Simply put, subs are typically not a good “business case” for Germany. I know they are working on revising the convoy rules for v1.3 to solve this.
Anyway, BoA will probably give us more units, like the German Condor planes.
I hope they will include Submarine pens as a facility + will include “Wolfpacks” as a concept somehow.
Interesting take on China. I get what you’re saying for sure. Very true, Soviet LL is a risky business when you know what’s coming from Germany eventually, especially when you’re already, presumably, sending some LL to Republican Spain. I think you’re right, probably no way to “win” the civil war in the 1939 start. I doubt they meant for it to be fully “won” very often though.
Though I will say, remember for your 1939 start that “If one side retakes a territory from a foreign power they keep control of it.” So it’s possibly the CCP could grow a bit if they pick their spots right. But all in all, I completely understand the want for a expansion here.
Definitely agree with you on convoy raiding. Every Allied escort getting a free shot at every Axis sub is tough. Essentially assures subs getting destroyed. I think one thing that would largely help with that would be to simply say each Allied escort gets only one shot total. But again, I could certainly see an expansion helping with this too, and adding some flavor!
This reply is to the first post.
2). There was an Island Warfare expansion planned a long time ago. It was cut due to a very high number of new pieces and cost. It had a lot of cool pieces in my opinion and I think that the promo video is still on YouTube. I hope that they will be able to bring those piece designs back in future expansions.
4). Canada at War is in development. I have no idea where it is at though. I don’t think anything is currently being planned for other minor commonwealth territories, but I could be wrong.
Expansions are always cool but some additional focus on the base unites would be nice. Would be good to see some new sculps to replace the tokens/chips (i.e. heavy artillery, advanced subs, etc.).
SJ
Some ideas for expansions…
A Red Star Ascendant expansion with an emphasis on the Russian Civil War and Polish-Soviet War, to include cavalry, armored cars, and armored trains, along with special units like Cossacks, White Guards, Red Guards, and the Czech Legion.
A Southern Cross expansion that gets into the ABC naval rivalry, with options for Argentina to join the Axis.
A Great War expansion that allows players to construct trenches, employ assault troops, and use airships.
Expansions are always cool but some additional focus on the base unites would be nice. Would be good to see some new sculps to replace the tokens/chips (i.e. heavy artillery, advanced subs, etc.).
SJ
They actually have a heavy artillery piece at the HBG store for all nations I believe (excluding neutrals). Maybe not one for Soviets, but they could have made the US one in USSR color. They have a lot of sub pieces as well that I’m sure you could use to signify advanced subs for at least some nations!
Some ideas for expansions…
A Red Star Ascendant expansion with an emphasis on the Russian Civil War and Polish-Soviet War, to include cavalry, armored cars, and armored trains, along with special units like Cossacks, White Guards, Red Guards, and the Czech Legion.
A Southern Cross expansion that gets into the ABC naval rivalry, with options for Argentina to join the Axis.
A Great War expansion that allows players to construct trenches, employ assault troops, and use airships.
You’re getting into some pre-1936 ideas here! Very interesting thoughts though. Would be a lot of fun to expand the Russia stuff in a pre-WWII game!
Would be good to see some new sculps to replace the tokens/chips (i.e. heavy artillery, advanced subs, etc.).
For advanced subs, Germany is the most likely (only?) country you will need. I use these, which are great:
http://www.historicalboardgaming.com/Battle-Pieces–German-Exp–Type-XXI-Super-Sub-x5_p_1369.html
I made a rule where everyone gets to roll for a free weapon in July 39 so it could be a case where anyone could get Super subs. I’m using the 1941 subs for super subs because they are a different sculpt than the G-40 ones;
http://www.historicalboardgaming.com/U-Class-Submarine–United-Kingdom-AAA-41-_p_930.html
For the germans I’m using the ones that Munck posted. For the Japanese;
http://www.historicalboardgaming.com/Battle-Pieces--Japanese-Exp--IJN-I-400-Submarine-x5_p_1772.html
For the ANZAC I’m using G-40 first edition sculpts for subs and second edition sculpts for super subs.
Back on topic, the Interwar Game they are trying to develop is heavy on the Red Star Ascendant expansion that Trenacker suggested;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaCFG0SK-tk
The 1914 version of the game that they are developing will have all of the Great War ideas and much more;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYm8RQqzOuQ
From the recent newsletter, it seems HBG are working on a “1946 Expansion with overlay”:
They expect it to be released this fall.
Looks very interesting :-)
