AAG40- rules change every time we play

[dnalevelc]

My friend and I play a lot. We call it lunch moves. We set up a board in my living room for weeks at a time, making moves at lunch breaks. After playing on a huge print out of the 1942 map with 2 sets of men and chips, so often we can set up from memory, we got the 1940 game, and have been loving the new stuff, tactical bombers, mechanized infantry, air and navy bases are wonderful additions.

From reading the books and setting up just one time, I decided it would be best to superglue the starting bases to the map to ease the pain of set up time. (figuring upgradable complexes could be stacked on top of, and IPCs of damage could be represented off map if need be, no problems so far). I then read an errata forum that announced a set up snafu in the anzacs, placing a minor complex in south wales, and taking the complex out of new zealand, also giving a naval and air base to the philipinnes. No problem, but the more I read into the forums, the more rule changes I see.

I guess you have been living the rules so long, you left me and my buddy behind. We like having the actual manual to reference to through restrictions in our faces for bragging rights, but it seems we have to go online for this now. My question to you cats, should we go by the Alpha 3 rules? http://www.harrisgamedesign.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=6149
We really want to play some pros in cincinnati or columbus, we have some good plays, but now we are starting to wonder how different the rules would be if we tried to up our game with the vets.

We played a round, where japan took sydney first turn, and killed it, until I read that bombardments cannot occur in seazones that were hostile in combat, or that transports cannot unload if there is a submarine present. I think we play a few rules incorrectly. One I have been trying to stick my partner on is the damaged acs, once damage is taken, planes have to land a space away. I let him take hits on the ac, then I withdraw my attack, sinking his planes.

All in all, I see the objectives in the book, I see them in the above link, and I see a big difference. I see a difference in aa guns. I see differences in the mongolian front. Im starting to wonder what rules I would be presented with at an event.
Can any veterans lend a hand? We play weekly, and I have even started a database to track trends in purchases, losses, kills, ipcs gained, national objectives, etc. We have a killer japanese strategy we cannot counter, but I wonder if it is because we are playing with a bad set of rules.

[KillOFzee]

Yup, it was probably not the best idea to put superglue on your board, but what’s don is done. Unfortunately, the alpha 3 rules are the most updated and probably most balanced rule set out there as of now. There are quite a few changes to the placement of factories and air/naval bases and such. I don’t participate in tournaments myself, but is is most likely you will play with alpha 3 rules. It is probably best to play with these rules even when just playing for fun, as the original set of rules are pretty unbalanced. You should, IMO, get updated on the new rules, and start playing with them.

[Young Grasshopper]

Agreed, the latest rules offered by Larry and his team are the best to play IMO. Even if there are aspects you don’t like about it, it’s best to stay upto date and play what the rest of us are playing, if you play the latest rules and decide that you would rather play OOB or Alpha+2 instead… that’s respectable.

[Derek]

they have only changed one time (and it was minor settup changes involving no ICs or bases) since November of last year

so its really not that bad

they changed for the greater good (mostly due to user input involving balance and errata)

they are easy to print and all you need is a small binder to combine the new rules with the books from OOB

[dnalevelc]

so, I assume there is an alpha set for the individual games? we enjoyed oob japanese obliteration of the allies first round. I cant imagine how you would explain USA west coast having the 10 and 40 with the new rules. I dont see a war time economy bonus like in the oob game. I feel like this is an entirely different game with new setup instructions, I appreciate the hard work of the play testers, but a 3rd set of revised rules, really, I want a new Rule book. Maybe a new map board too. meh.

[Derek]

Just go read them lol

USA still gets a massive bonus when at war :P

the newest alpha is probably the last and is about as balanced as it can get

http://www.harrisgamedesign.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=6149