New to A & A

[JPatrickRemiger]

Hello!

I just bought both 1940 Europe and Pacific 2nd Eds. I really want to play the global version, obviously…but should I start with one of the individual theaters, and which one, or just jump in head first.

Thanks!

[barnee]

Hi @JPatrickRemiger

Welcome to the site. I’d jump in the deep end myself :) Just setting the board up is a ton of fun :)

[mainah]

Keep in mind global is not playing both Europe and Pacific simultaneously - it is a different game.

I went for global off the bat. Played against myself, with my son at my side, a bit. Like 4 rounds, and then reset, do another 4-5 rounds, getting a grasp of the rules and basic strategies.
Grasshopper and general hand grenade on YouTube have some great videos to get you started.

I once tried to play pac alone - couldn’t get into it. Like playing baseball with one hand tied behind your back, just doesn’t work when you know what it’s like to have 2 hands.

What Germany does affects how the allies react, how they spend resources, and thus what Japan has for options and challenges. And vice versa, what the us or Russia does on one side affects what they can do on the other.

Europe is more ground, pac is more naval, and the way airpower is projected is a little different on each side due to the geographical differences. And the economy portion is Completely different between global vs one side.

And then there is tripleA. Play online. I learned more in one game against an experienced player on this site than I. 10 videos and 4 months of self play. Not just strategies, or tactics, but also how the rules interact with each other.

[JPatrickRemiger]

@mainah Thank you! Is tripleA a discord channel or how does it work?

[JPatrickRemiger]

@barnee Thank you!

I’m really pumped about just setting the board up as well!

[mainah]

@JPatrickRemiger

I think there are Axis and Allies discord channels. I play via email or via forum on this site (see play board games or G40 League. As you are new, I would be wary of starting by playing in the League. That would be akin to learning to drive by reading a book, jumping into a double clutch 18 wheeler and taking a load cross country in the winter.

TripleA is a computer program, available on github.

https://github.com/triplea-game/triplea/releases

Once you download the program, you can select the maps/games you’d like to play. On TripleA, Global Second Edition is what matches the box games you purchased. This is a free crowd funded program, and the program will allow you to do some things that the rule book doesn’t allow, but only some things.

[mainah]

The gaps in the rule application are pretty minor. Like being able to activate a friendly neutral by moving a AAA gun into it on NCM (not allowed by rule book).

And sometimes it prevents you from making a move you can legally make - it has had a cruiser blocked my sub from moving accross a seazone during NCM, which is allowed. But it mostly works. And really opens up the ability to play, as you weave it into your schedule when you have time, 1 turn at a time. A G40 in person game with 4 opponents can easily run 3 16-hour days.

[mainah]

@JPatrickRemiger
One last thing - the AI on the game is piss poor. Remember - it’s a fantastic low budget program that replicates the board game for person to person gaming. But it was not developed by Blizzard.

Don’t use the AI for anything more than feeling out the game for the first week or 2 you are learning. You will not develop as a player at all playing against it.

[barnee]

@JPatrickRemiger just to add to what mainah said, here’s a link for first time installation https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/topic/17147/gargantua-s-k-i-s-s-triplea-instructions/30

It’s dated but most of it is still pertinent. If you have any trouble, just ask on the triplea support thread.

[JPatrickRemiger]

@barnee Ok, so I got TripleA downloaded but there were no maps or games available. When I go to download maps it throws up an error.

[barnee]

@JPatrickRemiger I moved us over to the triplea thread

[JPatrickRemiger]

@barnee Other newbie questions

1. The idea of keeping track of currency on paper seems mind-numbing do you use anything else? (Poker Chips, Monopoly Money)

2. I’ve found so many game piece “upgrades” on the market one thing I haven’t found is National Objectives cards. Do you have any leads on that. Having to reference the book every time seems maddening.

Thanks!!!

[mainah]

@JPatrickRemiger

barnee will chime in, and knows far more about the community than I, but I have used monopoy money. I scrounge as I am a frugal MFer. I use change for chips ( as my change jar always seems to have way more than I need).

And while I think there are some print shops for the NO cards, you can always print your own, slap the sheet on some paper board, and get them laminated.

Not flashy, but works.

[JPatrickRemiger]

@mainah Yeah. That’s true. Thanks!

[mainah]

@JPatrickRemiger
The added benefit of making your own, is there are a few tournament rules, and custom tweaks to a game that have different NO’s, and you can always invent your own. And it’s at your fingertips, rather than waiting for someone else’s to ship to you, and stuck with their offerings.

[barnee]

@JPatrickRemiger I think theres a bunch of custom cards out there. The search isn’t great with nodeBB here but something might turn up. Look under customizations

If Friday is payday and your gonna go all weekend, you could use real cash and to the spoils the victor lol :)

Edit
or is that “to the victor the spoils” ? ha ha ha :)

[SuperbattleshipYamato]

@JPatrickRemiger

Welcome!

mainah covered most of the points, and I mostly agree.

TripleA is really good. I estimated it decreased the amount of time it takes for me to play a solo game (by myself, I do that a lot) by 50-90%. Playing by the board is fun though if you have the time.

Definitely play online against real humans. mainah’s right, I learned a lot more from those than solo games. Let me know if you want to play.

AI’s not great, they’re only useful after you’ve become moderately good for quirky projects.

For IPCs, I use the National Production Chart. It’s definitely prone to errors, hence why I like TripleA (computer does it for you).

Personally I started with one theater first to get a feel for the basic mechanics (I progressed from 1941, which I played a ton of), but progressed to Global quickly (possibly one or two games too quickly). If this is your first Axis and Allies game ever, if you want to take things slowly start with one theater.

Once I started Global 1940 I’ve never looked back (only a few times to test single theater strategies).