World War II in Europe game

[jim010]

This has been a project over the last decade and a half for me and a couple partners.

I began developing a European and Pacific theatre WWII game back in the late 90’s - continously refining the set-up, rules and map over that time.  I have had something pretty balanced for a few years now.  I had always wanted to at some point market this game, but to put out a complete game with pieces is quite beyond what I can do.

However, I see that Struggle for Europe and Asia sells only a map and rules, so I could do that too.

Many of the rules we came up with with World War II in Europe (and the Pacific counterpart) I have have seen pop up in later games of Larry’s.  I guess that means that in the end the solutions for certain problems in Axis & Allies will be resolved by different people in similar ways.

World War II in Europe was meant to be a game that would be slotted in between Axis & Allies/Xeno and Rise and Decline of the Third Reich.  My approach was to go from Axis & Allies/Xeno and move up, rather than go from Third Reich and move down.  I have seen many games pop up, like Europe Engulfed, ETO, Struggle for Europe, Flames in Europe etc …, but have yet to see a game where I think it needs to be.

Some of the rules that we had come up with are:

Supply rules
Terrain - mountains, rivers, coast lines, woodland, desert, high alpine
Fortresses
Realistic convoy rules needed to keep units supplied and to collect income over seas
Stack limits
Naval interceptions
Initiative
Winter Rules
2 scenarios:  fall 1939 or spring 1941
Different build times for different units
Armed neutrals

I believe that in this type of game, the rules should be standardized across the board with rare exceptions when called for, as is the case of the Soviet Union, Vichy France and China.  I strove to keep things simple and standardized, but have sophistication, particularly in naval combat to bring that part of the game to life.

Here is a shot of the Europe map.  I am curious to see if there is interest out there.

If you have AAP40 and AAE40 - then you have all the pieces you need to play this.

[CWO Marc]

I assume from the Europe map that you’re following the same approach as the original versions of A&A Europe and A&A Pacific, which is for the maps to show only what’s needed to fight the two regional conflicts, without the two maps being connectable to create a global map?

[jim010]

The maps are directly linkable - although they sit askew to each other.  The pacific map sits next to the Europe map, but is moved down a few inches to link up the zones properly.

[jim010]

Here’s my Pacific.  The set-up is still being balanced, however.

China is special in that it is in a civil war, which is represented in the game.  There are the Koumintang and Communists.

I do not have ANZAC, India and UK separate, though, although the money must be divided up between them.

[jim010]

Here’s how they link:

Japan in this game does not have double the planes that all of Europe has combined.

:roll:

[CWO Marc]

Thanks for the answer.  I’m a bit uncomfortable with seeing the northeastern corner of Africa abruptly disappearing into the Indian Ocean along a straight line, but that’s just a personal preference.  The two halves of the map certainly connect better than the original A&A Europe and Pacific games ever did.

[jim010]

I’m a bit uncomfortable with seeing the northeastern corner of Africa abruptly disappearing into the Indian Ocean along a straight line

Africa doesn’t touch the Pacific map, although Saudi Arabia does.

[crusaderiv]

Supply rules
Terrain - mountains, rivers, coast lines, woodland, desert, high alpine
Fortresses
Realistic convoy rules needed to keep units supplied and to collect income over seas
Stack limits
Naval interceptions
Initiative
Winter Rules
2 scenarios:  fall 1939 or spring 1941
Different build times for different units
Armed neutrals

I’m a member of a WAW club.
A couple of year ago, we introduced the rules you mention + some others.
Terrain/moutain,desert must be included in every wargame but some prefer to create
stupid restriction.
We also introduced a new concept convoy rules with great result.
You should add air supremacy. It’s a must!

[jim010]

The way aircraft work in the game mechanics, air superiority is there.  I had fighters and tac BEFORE Larry brought it to his games.

[crusaderiv]

I also had light bomber, torpedo bomber, air transport.

[Himilayas]

Could you post the rules, I would love to read them, it sounds really neat.

[jim010]

This is something I would like to market, so I don’t want to give it all away - plus the rule book is 24 pages long, but I can give you a summary of some rules.

All ships must be stationed at a port.  A ship must begin and end the turn in a friendly port (unless on convoy duty)

A ship moving in Movement phase (attacks movements are conducted in this phase) must return to the same port it began the turn in.  It may change ports in Redeployment phase

Air units must be stationed at an airbase or CV.  Like a ship, they must return to the same airbase or CV when moving in Movemnt phase.  They can change airbase/CV in Redeployment phase.

Transports can carry a single unit.  If in a convoy, a transport can carry upto $10 (collected from overseas or given to another ally overseas) or supply upto 10 stack pints of ground units - or a combination.

The Italy and Germany move togetehr, as the Allies also move together.  Which side moves first depends on which side has initiative on that particular Front (there are 9 Fronts)

Ther is a Blitzkrieg phase.  If a side has initiative on a Front, tafter all regular combat has been completed, that side may conduct blitzkrieg with any tanks, airborne or tac that had not yet moved.

SupplySupply.  Any units that cannot trace a supply line to a supply source over land or through a convoy is out of supply and cannot conduct combat, and their defense is reduced to 1.  Being cutt offin Russia during winter destroys those units.

Want to know more?

[Himilayas]

Nah thats good. Thanks for sharing.

[The Dessert Fox]

Sounds good but do the Pacific and Europe United kingdom players keep money seperatly like in Global '40?

[jim010]

All money collected by UK can be used by UK.  This means having enough convoys to get all that money safely to the UK, though.  May be easier to produce locally.

[jim010]

I can now e-mail these maps, rules and charts.  If you have AAE40 and AAP40, you have all the pieces needed to play.  You will need to represent unsupplied spaces, fortresses and beach heads.

If interested, PM me with your e-mail.

Cheers

[calvinhobbesliker]

If ships attack other ships, how can they end up next to a friendly port?

[jim010]

If ships attack other ships, how can they end up next to a friendly port?

Besides convoy duty, all ships start in a friendly port.  They move out to perform a mission and return to the same port at the end of the turn.

[calvinhobbesliker]

So ships can move in noncombat after making a combat move?

[jim010]

There’s no non-combat.

There is a redeployment phase.  In this phase, you can redeploy ground units, and rebase ships and planes - even if they have been used.