News flash: AXIS & ALLIES ANNIVERSARY EDITION due out oct 23 08

[Flying Tiger]

1941 start date per Larry.

I would be OK till October if I could just see the map……please let me see it.

I’m really interested on wether or not it will be an all Axis and all Allies turn or 1 country at a time.

[Imperious Leader]

I think it will be this:

1941 start date  ( thats June 1941 the start of Barbarossa)

Germany
Soviets
Italy
England
Japan
USA

this will be a big change. Also i think the allies wont be able to attack Japan on turn 1 because they start THEIR war latter on turn 2.

This is my opinion

[Crazy Ivan]

:-o
Wow! Cool Avatar IL
But how do you move your units on it?
  Gotta click real fast I guess. :wink:

[Imperious Leader]

not really. if you lift click on it it will stop so you can load up the units.

[Antholin]

That would be pretty sweet if Germany would start first. As they will not be dealing with the Meditteranian & Africa scenes yet, as it is primarily Italy’s show. They would be better able to concentrate on squaring off with the Soviet Union and keeping up their U-boat tactics to hinder the Allies. Hopefully Itally will have enough of a military buildup to actually assist Germany and not draw rescources and troops away that are needed for the Soviet front and the Atlantic wall.

[Imperious Leader]

Yea im tired of having the Soviets start the war. That way Germans don’t start having to retake stuff they started the game with.
Also, the Germans can probably leave the Baltic and don’t have to worry about a Soviet block that they need to kill off just to get a good jump out of the Atlantic.

[tekkyy]

I am wondering about what changes they made to make Italy a fun player
besides landing in Africa what else could the player do?

[Adlertag]

@Imperious:

I think it will be this:

1941 start date  ( thats June 1941 the start of Barbarossa)

Germany
Soviets
Italy
England
Japan
USA

I think it will be this

1941 start date ( thats desember 1941 the Pearl Harbour attack)

Japan
Sovjet
Germany
Britain
Italy
USA

Now everybody are at war from Turn one, and no ahistoric gameplay as Britain attack Japan in Pacific as IL’s suggestion open for

[Krieghund]

@tekkyy:

I am wondering about what changes they made to make Italy a fun player
besides landing in Africa what else could the player do?

Assuming that the Italian player’s turn is between the UK and US turns (which is a logical place to put it), Italy would significantly change the dynamics of the game in western Europe.  It would have an opportunity to aid in the Axis defense there by breaking up the UK attack / US reinforcement combination.

Italy could also aid in the assault on the USSR in the south, creating a similar dynamic for the Axis (although on a lesser scale) on the eastern front.

[tekkyy]

ah yeah
Italy between UK and US can disrupt US reinforcement
western europe and even Algeria
yes new gameplay dynamics indeed

[Adlertag]

I can also imagine an all Axis turn followed by an all Allies turn.

I also have a feeling they use the mechanics from Guad, so all players load and move transports, then BB’s, CV’s, aircrafts, tanks, inf etc, and then all players attack air units, then attack naval units, and last attack land units. Now this work well in Guad, but I dont know about Anniversary ed and 6 players, might be a mess

[Funcioneta]

@tekkyy:

ah yeah
Italy between UK and US can disrupt US reinforcement
western europe and even Algeria
yes new gameplay dynamics indeed

Were do you put Japan then? 2 consecutive axis turns is too much maybe… or add China  :-D and make the turn as this

USSR
Germany
UK
Japan
China
Italy
USA

Also, a good addition would be different scenarios: 1939, spring 1941, spring 1942 maybe…

[Pervavita]

in keeping with no China (as thats how it is), i would say the best is:

Germany
USSR
Japan
UK
Italy
US

why?
it makes no sence for Russia to go before Germany as Russia should be reacting to Germany. also it allows Russia to start with W Russia in there hands and not have the German front streached unless they want it to be. also it makes W Russia if liberated by US/UK go back to Russia as it should IMHO.
Russia goes next so they can react and also move before Japan so Japan dosn’t kill there Eastern front before they can react.
then Japan, this allows Japan to make the Pearl harbor attack if they want with out interuption and also have the inishative in the East.
UK next as they can now react to the war that just hit them on both fronts (granted they were already at war with Germany, but not so much Japan so thats why hear).
Italy, this way no Axis or Allies are back to back, other wise they would go around the time of Germany, but that would make for too much of a 1/2 punch for both Axis and the Allies. (Germany take Italy reinforce or UK take and US reinforce).
last is the US as they don’t enter the war till after the Japan attack, but the reason for so far after Japan is simply break up.

now i have sceen ppl say make an Allies turn and an Axis turn, i don’t care for this personally. it may be fun to try, but i think it causes problems in that it would basicly be a 2 person game with just a straight up back and forth push. not that this is nessisarally bad as it would allow the UK/US to land together, but it also allows the 3 Allies to make a big push together.
Russia is always in a tight spot with it’s need for lots of infantry but not much other stuff. by doing the linked turn if i was US or even UK i would focouse on Air and not ground units to send to Russia and then let Russia clame the teritories well the UK/US provide all the Air power=punch. end result would be in game turms now of Russia having a huge Air force to gain land with a huge army of infantry and artillary. i think this would dominate in Europe. 1 US bomber ariving each turn and 2 UK fighters a turn with the Russian stacks of infantry. i doupt Germany and Italy could fight against such a huge force that could attack them together each turn.

[Funcioneta]

OK, let’s talk without China:

No problem with USSR going after Germany if it’s june 1941 or spring, 1942 scenarios. However, 1941, december or  1942, december, need USSR first as they were counter attacking. This is only for historical accuracy, maybe for gameplaying is better start at 1941, june and go 1st Germany, 2nd USSR.

However, Japan before UK is another totally different issue. It would prevent any counter from India to Egypt and any KJF based on India’s IC. This should be avoided unless UK gets massive deployed units at India or receive a Burma buffer territory to prevent Japan taking India (even in 1941, june -> FIC was Japanese and Japan also had her China holdings). In any case, it would need some work (specially june, 41 scenario, unless USA receives Dutch Indies or such).

[Funcioneta]

Ugh, it’s even worst… Italy couldn’t take Egypt and India issue would still there  :-o

I’d suggest (without China, assuming 1941, June):

Germany
USSR
Italy
UK
Japan
USA
Check for victory

It let’s Italy conquer Egypt and UK retaking or going for India’s IC (her choice). Of course, Italy, couldn’t prevent the reinforcemnet UK+USA, but think about it as a lessened D-Day.

The best of this order is that puts the lesser Axis power in the middle, not inbalancing playing Germany and Japan too near.

[Imperious Leader]

Germany
USSR
Japan
UK
Italy
US

Actually i like this better than my suggestion. Because simply Japan goes before UK. It also separates Italy from Germany further so Italy can react better to what Uk countered against Germany and try to recapture stuff.

Your brilliant! good job.

[Imperious Leader]

No problem with USSR going after Germany if it’s june 1941 or spring, 1942 scenarios. However, 1941, december or  1942, December, need USSR first as they were counter attacking. This is only for historical accuracy, maybe for gameplaying is better start at 1941, june and go 1st Germany, 2nd USSR.

I don’t think the game will be Dec 1942, but also don’t think it a Dec 1941 scenario is possible.

I would prefer that it starts in June 1941 with a possible scenario for Spring 42 for the basic game.

I think the main reason why the German player needs to move first is to finally solve and end the bidding system in these games so the Axis don’t need anything to compensate for the fact that they need a good start to have a chance.

[Pervavita]

a simple fix for the India thing is make the India teritory (maybe all of SE or Eastern Asia) like it is in A&A pacific. UK has a factory to start with and a India buffer teritory so UK can’t lose the factory early.
as for Africa, Italy could take Egypt first turn still as i’m sure Italy will have a moderatlly large navy on it’s first turn, Egypt won’t have more then a few units so can’t hammer into the Italian troops and win, so between the Italian navy drop and whats already there it should be little trouble. it just allows the UK to evacuate if it wants or make some kind of gambit to counter. i always personally haited that the UK got ripped apart on G1. this if done right prevents the tare apart of both Egypt and navy in Europe region well at the same time wouldn’t allow UK to make for a large strike of any kind… in other words UK keeps some starting units (or can) but dosn’t gain any real ground.

[Funcioneta]

@Imperious:

I think the main reason why the German player needs to move first is to finally solve and end the bidding system in these games so the Axis don’t need anything to compensate for the fact that they need a good start to have a chance.

Agree, the bid sistem should be eliminated, but it also can be done simply putting more units on deploy. 1 ITA art to lyb and maybe 2 GER infs at ukr could be enough.

I think deployment will be greatly changed anyway with Italy and starting in 41, june (even with dec, 41, a good starting date, I think).

And I agree, the indian IC and Burma buffer territory would solve the problem.

[Crazy Ivan]

:-o
All Speculations aside, If it doesn’t work for us, we will change it to what we do like, eventually  :wink:

As far as the bid system goes, that has always been a good way to pick sides. removes the arguement potential about who gets to play what.

OoP;
    Germany
    Russia
    Italy
    UK
    Japan
    USA
This seems like the least painful way to insert Italy, due to Germany / Russia switch. The Italins can still reinforce the German advances and do ther usual thing in Egypt.
And Uk can still get to mess with Japan, which I personnly don’t like, but UK can only do one of two important thigs, retake Egypt or attack Japans fleet.
  Japans holdings will be less than revised, as US will still hold the Phillipines and other Islands, wake, Solomans, etc… And Uk will hold New Gunia and Borneo.
Map changes should include:
    the Alution Islands of Alaska being two seperate areas, as fighting did take place there, granted not critical, but the Japanese there could not have been ignored either.
  Japan, Australia, India, and even Egypt-Sudan should be 2 areas.
    Greater China should be 3 areas.
Capitals should be circle territories within their greater territory. Once the greater territory is captured, the Capital is limited to only a certain amount of Infantry reinforcements, let’s say for arguments sake, 4 Infantry. Capitals are also not blitzable. As in Classic, “special small territories” World edge boxes can be used to hold the extra capital troops.
And I like a “Buy and placement phase” prior to the first player going, where everyone makes their buys at the same time, and then places their buys at their ICs’, like in Samurii swords. This may have to be done in sequence in a on line game, but not a big progaming problem. PBEM is another ball of wax altogether, Hmmm, anyone got any ideas there.
  And if paratroops and Marines and Guards units, and super-tanks and such can be added, all the better! :-D
Well, that is my wish list, What’s yours?