This article is more properly termed ‘Creating your own Axis and Allies map, nations and land territories.’ This article is on how to create your own individual and variable land territories. I base the following on a statistical analysis on the A & A Classic game and my design is independent of any other source.
If you examine the Classic map (or any of the other maps) you note the nations (what I call the major powers) and also the neutral or occupied nations (what I call ‘territories’). All these territories (land spaces) whether part of a player nation, or otherwise, have numerical PF values. When you statistically examine these values you are able to extrapolate some value ranges and, for the major powers, whether they may be single territory nations (island or land) or whether they are multiple territory land powers. All this can be randomized as follows using 3D6 dice. Hence we will begin;
a) If Single Territory roll 2D6 where; 2-5= Island Great Power (28%) or 6-12= Land Great Power (72%)
b) If Multiple Territory roll 2D6 where; 2=2 Territories (3%), 3-4= 3 Territories (13%), 5-6= 4 Territories (25%), 7-8= 5 Territories (31%), 9-10= 6 Territories (19%), 11=7 Territories (5%) & 18=8 territories (3%) I used Fra & Italy as single territory great powers plus the regular 5 player nations to give better percentages & I weighted the multiple territory great powers to not have too few or too many territories (as you may see).
** There is a range of PF values for the individual Great Powers. I made the range run from 8 to 13 ( a difference of 6).this is weighted, as well, to have most Great Powers to be the same (for balance purposes), hence; Roll 3D6 for the Production Factors (PFs) of your Great Power where; 3-4= 8PF (2%), 5-7= 9PF (14.5%), 8-10=10PF (33.5%), 11-13=11PF (33.5%), 14-16=12PF (14.5%) & 17-18= 13PF (2%).
A Single Territory Great Power is given the numerical PF value as indicated.
However, a Multiple Territory Great Power has all territories, except the first, initially assigned a PF value of 1. The first territory is always the territory with more PFs than any other. Then, for every territory initially at 1, a further 3D6 roll is made where the territory value changes as follows; 3-9 = 1PF (value remains as 1) (37.5%), 10-13= 2PF (46%) & 14-18= 3PF 16.5%). * This may increase the Multiple Territory Great Power PF total above 13 but in only rare instances of many territories and higher die rolls.
There are, therefore, three different types of Great Power, namely;
A) A Single Territory Island Great Power such as Japan or the United Kingdom
B) A Single Territory Land Great Power such as France, Germany or Italy
C) A Multiple Territory (Land) Great Power such as the Soviet Union or the United States
The next step in territory creation is to determine how many nearby ‘neutral’ territories will be somehow adjacent or 1 sea space away from your Great Power (if an island). Hence; Roll 3D6 to determine the number of nearby neutral territories where; 3= 1 territory (.5%), 4=2 territories (1.5%), 5=3 territories (3%), 6=4 territories (4.5%), 7-8= 5 territories (16.5%), 9-12= 6 territories (48%), 13-14=7 territories (16.5%), 15=8 territories (4.5%), 16=9 territories (3%) , 17=10 territories (1.5%) & 18=11 territories (.5%).
Next, one must randomly determine and in some manner, an orderly way, in what direction from your Great Power these neutral territories lie. Here there will be differing results so long as they are randomized without bias. Specifically, where one has an Island Single Territory Great Power the first random roll will determine in what direction the nearby neutral territory land mass will lie the requisite one sea zone away. The direction and what the arrangement of these neutral territories will be can be either a clump of territories rather round in shape or may be an extended chain of neutral territories (or some combination) all depending on the random dice rolling. After determining these neutral territory positions it is only necessary to determine the PF values of these neutral territories, as follows; Roll 3D6 to determine the PF value of each neutral territory where; 3-11= 1 PF (62.5%), 12-13= 2 PF (21%), 14-15= 3PF (11.5%), 16=4PF (3%), 17=5PF (1.5%) & 18= 6PF (.5%).
Following these steps above will result in a Unique Great Power and related nearby neutral territories all with specific PF values. This is just to create one of, at least, five Great Powers. As in the original A & A Classic map there will be at least one neutral continent similar to South America. One will also need to have several ‘large islands’ meaning other multiple territory islands and also some single neutral territory islands to fill in the map. All of these territories will use the #4) 3D6 roll listed above to determine their PFs.
Note that one must use the PF points total from an A & A map and extrapolate from this, normally, as if one had five players, hence one should have five real life players make up their own unique Great Power as illustrated above.
Also, one must make a map of sea zones and number these zones so that these new ‘lands’ may be randomly placed on a map. Sea spaces can be numbered sequentially. Furthermore, there is the matter of ‘names’ for land territories (land spaces). Some manner of logic should be used. I chose & my friends chose specific nationalities and then we used an atlas to randomly pick specific names (we used randomized atlas index entries). Using random alphabet letter generation also helps. Note one will have to create borders. Adhere to roughly equal sized areas (for ease of unit placement & room for same). Note this whole process of making new paper maps & of course a sea map board will take some time.
Although this suggested random map creation system seems difficult it is not if one has some guidelines to follow and one follows it to conclusion.
Lastly, you will have a unique A & A game map whatever A& A version you like playing and You and Your Gaming Friends will have their own ‘unique Great Power’.
