Axis and Allies MB edition: inquiry form included in the box

[thrasher1]

EDIT: I found an image of this very inquiry form. Relevant questions about a potential new Gamemaster Series here:

https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/assets/uploads/files/1610451934068-gamemaster-customer-survey-card-question-7-to-9.png

Original posting here:

Dear all,

At least some of the boxes of Axis and Allies second edition rules (MB) included a kind of ‘inquiry form’ or sheet by MB.
Being asked were questions like:

• What do you want to be the topic of the next Gamemaster Series game?

And then several options were presented like:

• historial
• SF
• …

Does anyone have a scan of an image of this form?

Thanks in advance!
thrasher,

[djensen]

@thrasher1 Would you like me to ask Wizards?

[thrasher1]

Sir,

That would be very nice. Please say hello from me to the ‘old guard’ at Wizards. There just might be some persons who already workd at MB…
But yes, please do.

When I found this very inquiry form in the mid 1990s my friends and I really hoped there would be new GameMaster Series games coming up. Turned out we had to wait quite some years…

[thrasher1]

@djensen ,

Did you get a response from them?

[djensen]

@thrasher1 Looks like I forgot to ask. Given that they can’t find the Zombies setup for 1942 SE, I doubt they have a copy of this.

[thrasher1]

@djensen

Thanks for fast reply. Please ask. And maybe it turns out that they do have these items from the 1980s.

[Midnight_Reaper]

@djensen said in Axis and Allies MB edition: inquiry form included in the box:

@thrasher1 Looks like I forgot to ask. Given that they can’t find the Zombies setup for 1942 SE, I doubt they have a copy of this.

It was sloppy of them to miss the truncated setup for Zombies '42. It is even sloppier of them to not correct it. If people ask on BGG about this, I tell them to use the setup for standard 1942, SE, and then only modify it when the setup for Zombie '42 differs. That seems to work.

-Midnight_Reaper

[thrasher1]

@midnight_reaper

Yes. I hope the will eventually release a FAQ for AAZ and the correct setup for 1942 scenario.

[thrasher1]

I found a scan of the inquiry form / customer survey card.

Someone (thanks!) posted this is a forum:

https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/milton-bradley-gamemaster-series-boardgames.141832/page-2

Direct link to the file:

http://imagizer.imageshack.com/a/img842/7057/w0vt.jpg

[thrasher1]

@thrasher1

[thrasher1]

Well, it is a bit late… after 30 years. But why not answer these questions MB asked is now :)

Please all do and if you have any idea what could realistically have been expected for this sixth Gamemaster Series game: please post here.

(7) Number of Players

Defenitely 3-5 players. Probably individual ‘sides’ could be teamed up in groups or alliances. So most multi-player games would have rules for two persons.
Solitaire play I do not see so much for a Gamemaster Series game to be honest.

(8) Categories / Setting / Period

(A) HISTORICAL:

• Napoleontic
• American Revolution
• Civil War

I would probably have voted for the Napolean option here. But I can imagine that in the US most people would favor a Civil War game. So I think had MB opted to continue the line the next game in the series would have been a civil war game. Blue against Gray? A Nation Divided? Or simply: The Civil War?
Also: probably only Union and Confederate units. Do not think this Civil War game would include other powers like US or France (European intervention) or Native Americans.

The American Revolution would also be very nice. That probably would have included French troops.
Question: I am not from US so please explain to me… why Civil War is so much ‘popular’ then the American Revolution.

(B) MODERN

• WWI
• WWII
• WWIII

I would have voted World War Three here I guess. Hey it still was time of the Cold War. Then again, could that USSR vs. NATO provide a ‘good’ setting for an Axis and Allies like game. Maybe… A problem I see is the use of nukes.

Regarding the option WWII: what would have been the plans for a ‘new’ WWII themed Gamemaster Series game? Axis and Allies part II? Or a new game with a new game mechanic? We can only speculate?

Regarding option WWI: We finally got an Axis and Allies 1914 game. But to be honest I do not think MB would opt for such a game for the next Gamemaster Series game.
Maybe if the line was very successful and there was enough ‘room’ for more games. Then maybe a WWI game was an option.
So what do you think? What would MB have choosen? WWIII? But Fortress America was already there…
Axis and Allies part II? Please share your thoughts here.

[thrasher1]

PART II

Question (8) continued…

(8) Categories / Setting / Period

© SCIENCE FICTION / SPACE:

• Earth vs. Other Planets
• Battle of Alien Races

I defenitely would have voted for Earth vs. Other Planets here. Personally I cannot image the other option to be very interesting/attractive for most players. Except when there was a very interesting backstory/setting maybe…

(D) FANTASY:

• King Arthur
• Dragons, …
• Road Warrior, Future Earth

This would be an easy one: I would surely vote for the Road Warrior option. A near future (maybe post-apocalyptic) game could be very interesting? Clans vs. each other? Survivalists vs. invaders? Citizens vs. the state?

(9) Chose one category

This is a hard one… But I think I would have voted for ‘historical’ here.

To all: please tell us what you should have voted back in the 1980s or early 1990s. Or what you would vote for now.

[Midnight_Reaper]

This was a little before my time. So, I’ll give my “today” answers.

(7) Number of Players: 3-5 players.

(8) Categories / Setting / Period

(A.) HISTORICAL: (U.S.) Civil War

(B.) MODERN: WWIII

(C.) SCIENCE FICTION / SPACE: Battle of Alien Races

(D.) FANTASY: King Arthur Knights & Castles

(9) Chose one category: (C.) SCIENCE FICTION / SPACE

That’s what I have.

-Midnight_Reaper

[Midnight_Reaper]

@thrasher1 said in Axis and Allies MB edition: inquiry form included in the box:
{snip}

Question: I am not from US so please explain to me… why Civil War is so much ‘popular’ then the American Revolution.

I can’t tell you why it’s so dominate in the U.S. market. I can tell you why I’d rather see a new U.S. Civil War game (Civ War) than a new U.S. Revolutionary War game (Rev War).

1. The U.S. Civil War was the Second Revolutionary War. It was the southern (slave) states telling the northern (free) states that slaves would be freed over their dead bodies. Of which the Union/Federal/Northern Army obliged.
2. More to do in a Civ War game. Everything there might be in a Rev War game would also be in a Civ War game, plus you could have merchant raiding, technology trees, cross-border raids, etc.
3. The Civ War was, in some ways, the first modern war. Between the steam ship, rifles instead of muskets, trains, and telegraphs, the Civ War was more violent and faster moving than the Rev War.

Is that what everybody who prefers the Civ War to the Rev War thinks? Heck if I know. I can speak for myself alone.

-Midnight_Reaper

[Imperious Leader]

@midnight_reaper I prefer a space game of alien empires. I was even looking at making and plotting star systems in such a way that exactly mirrored 1942.2 space by space. Then getting some guy to 3D small scale ships. The game could have alot more technologies and even races with unique qualities ( like the Cylons). Of course this is with D12 dice so their is good differentiation of warship classes.

[thrasher1]

@midnight_reaper I prefer a space game of alien empires.

What setting you had in mind?

@midnight_reaper I was even looking at making and plotting star systems in such a way that exactly mirrored 1942.2 space by space. Then getting some guy to 3D small scale ships. The game could have alot more technologies and even races with unique qualities ( like the Cylons). Of course this is with D12 dice so their is good differentiation of warship classes.

Interesting approach. But why ‘clone’ that very map?

[Midnight_Reaper]

@thrasher1 said in Axis and Allies MB edition: inquiry form included in the box:

@midnight_reaper I prefer a space game of alien empires.

What setting you had in mind?

Something like “Masters of Orion (I’m thinking more like the original computer game rather then the later board game.)” or “Twilight Imperium (which dropped its 4th edition a few years ago.)”. In short, let’s make aliens ALIEN. Do something wildly different from WW2 or WW3 or Humans vs. Martians vs. Venusians.

Use ground unit rules and amphibious attack rules from A&A for landing troops, attacking space stations, and dirt-side action. Use naval unit rules and associated amphibious attack rules from A&A for fleet-to-fleet combat and for getting troops where they need to be. Use air unit rules from A&A for fast-striking raiders and fleet defenders. Use the initiative system from Shogun (Yes, the linked game says Ikusa. The name got changed for a reprint in 2011) for suspense - who knows who will go first in the next round? Use the cities and roads building from Conquest of the Empire to build stations and wormholes, to support the fleet and move it around more quickly.

Something like that, I suppose.

-Midnight_Reaper

[Imperious Leader]

@thrasher1 Well the mental aptitude on the architecture of the spaces saves alot of time. I can balance the game really well if alot of the homework is done already. 1942.2 has a better layout than probably every AA game. I didn’t used to think that, but over time yes.

The sea zones would be empty space, and every land area a star system, and i would consult actual star systems using England as “Sol” system

[thrasher1]

@midnight_reaper

Re: Shogun. Yes the first incarnation was Shogun. Got that one.
Then it was re-released as Samurai Swords. Wish I had bought an extra copy. Then later: Ikusa.

Personally I do not think that last one is a ‘strong’ name.

[Imperious Leader]

@thrasher1 Which ever direction the project takes, the warships need to be : Mothership /Deadnought, Battleship, Battlecruiser, Carrier, Light Carrier, Heavy Cruiser, Destroyer, Submarine?, Transport, Fighter, Bomber