Grasshopper's Alternative R&D

[Axisplaya]

@Young:

Just courious Axisplaya, which tech would you modify?

Here are some modifications that come to my mind after a brief thinking.

9.Radar
All interceptors now defend @2

all AAguns should fire @2 also.

14. War Bonds
The cost of all units has decreased by $1.

This one is just way too strong. Used by nations who are likely to build lot of ground units (so Axis to speak clearly), this result in hundreds of IPC swing over the course of a game.
It has to be a version of improved shipyard, maybe extended to planes, but not to all units IMO.

16. Jet Fighters
All fighters now attack @4, and defend @5.

Would like them intercept @2 instead of defenfing @5, and intercept @3 coupled with radar tech.

18. Coastal Guns
Each AA gun may fire 1@1 on enemy surface warships in an adjacent sea zone from which an amphibious assault is being conducted.

Added to the Amphibious assault case, i would also make it a possible combat move during the player’s turn. Targeted surface warships may reply and try to destroy the AAguns (or other units attacking). If the combat involves other attacking units than AAguns, then AAguns can’t be taken as 1st casualties, but as last ones.
Also, the AAgun would fire @2 if coupled with radar tech.

20. Nuclear warfare
Place a bomb marker under one Bomber, than fly that Bomber over 1 hostile territory or sea zone and remove 5 units (defenders choice). Also, if it is a territory, it no longer has any IPC value. If the bomber carrying the bomb is destroyed, so is the bomb.

this one would need some more definition about the rules to intercept such a bmb.

Also, Russia could be rolling for tech as soon as R2 since they can always DOW Japan on 1st round.

Also, to be more in the spirit of the original Global tech system, i would say that if you roll a tech you already have, then the tech is lost (while you keep moving on the ladder) with one exeption : Long Range Aircraft, when you get to select another type of air unit.
Afer all, missing a tech with this is only a loss of 5$…

Stuff like that…

[Young Grasshopper]

@Cmdr:

Dont suppose you want to play a game to test it, YG?

Sorry, not on line yet.

[Young Grasshopper]

Great Stuff Axisplaya,

You have definitely given me some ideas.

[Young Grasshopper]

Changed a few things and explained things better, I hope you like.

[crusaders1]

I like the progressive tech approach - makes sense. I would be in favor of adding 4 more techs so you can just use 6 sided dice and go through 4 progressions. Some ideas for the extra 4 techs would be Heavy tanks, special forces, and a maybe a repair tech which allows you to repair damaged facilities for less IPC’s. I can’t think of a 4th right now.

[Jennifer]

Amittedly, I’d seen the coastal guns before, but this is how I saw them (in another game)

Germany could fire coastal batteries at any ONE ship in the English Channel (I guess that would be SZs 109, 110 and 112 based on what sea zones it effected there).  On a roll of 3 or less, the ship was sunk (or damaged in the case of Battleships and presumably Carriers now as well).

If “France” (what was originally Western Europe) was not German at the start of their turn, they could not fire their shot, of course.

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Note:  What if War Bonds were 3d6 take the best 2?

[Young Grasshopper]

@crusaders1:

I like the progressive tech approach - makes sense. I would be in favor of adding 4 more techs so you can just use 6 sided dice and go through 4 progressions. Some ideas for the extra 4 techs would be Heavy tanks, special forces, and a maybe a repair tech which allows you to repair damaged facilities for less IPC’s. I can’t think of a 4th right now.

Not a bad idea, and it would help to use this ladder on line. However, being able to reach tech #12 as early as round 2, or tech #18 in round 3 is way to unbalancing.

[Young Grasshopper]

@Cmdr:

Amittedly, I’d seen the coastal guns before, but this is how I saw them (in another game)

Germany could fire coastal batteries at any ONE ship in the English Channel (I guess that would be SZs 109, 110 and 112 based on what sea zones it effected there). � On a roll of 3 or less, the ship was sunk (or damaged in the case of Battleships and presumably Carriers now as well).

If “France” (what was originally Western Europe) was not German at the start of their turn, they could not fire their shot, of course.

---

Note:  What if War Bonds were 3d6 take the best 2?

Yes, but if “Coastal Guns” is a tech that all powers can achieve and benefit from, than your interpretation won’t work as it only applies to Germany and the English Cannel.

[Jennifer]

Just a pondering, but, what if there were 6 technology “trees” where the technology got slightly better with each “level”?

For instance, just cause it’s easier for me to think up on the spot:

Improved Factories: (Tree 4)
Level 1

• Improved Shipyards - per rules
  Level 2
• Improved Facilities - get the extra builds from the technology as it is now
  Level 3
• Improved Airfields - Fighters cost 9, Tactical Bombers cost 10, Strategic Bombers cost 12 (no change from normal)
  Level 4
• Improved Training - Infantry Cost 3, Mechanized Infantry Cost 3, Artillery Cost 3, Armor Cost 5 (Why mech = regular?  Because people will still do regular because of transport rules, others like Germany, Japan, India and Russia (and Italy?) might just go straight mech for blitzkrieg.)
  Level 5
• Improved Naval Bases - One Free Submarine or Transport per round, placed at any OWNED naval base.
  Level 6
• Improved Air Bases - Fighters/Tactical Bombers move 6, but Strategic Bombers now move 8 (Would be nice for America, Australia, India and Japan at least.)

It’s a thought, I didn’t really look at over all game play effect, I just wanted to demonstrate what it MIGHT look like.

The idea is, Nations would have to select what tree they want to invest in and roll a die for success.  I was thinking Level 1 might be automatic, level 2 requires a 5 or less, level 3 requires a 4 or less, level 4 requires a 3 or less, level 5 requires a 2 or less and level 1 requires a 1 to succeed.  So technology gets progressivly harder to attain, but each level makes the technology stronger than the previous level.

Granted, this means Germany, Russia, Japan and USA might be the only ones with level 4 or better technologies with America shooting for level 6s, but then, who had the freedom to spend time and money researching?  Eh?  I was told in my Ukrainian school that the Germans knew the war was over not when they lost battles, but when they shot down American bombers carrying Chocolate Cake for Christmas.  That’s when they realized America had the money and power to waste resources on CAKE!  Well, same could be here.

Dunno, take it, leave it, improve on it, whatever makes ya all happy.

[Young Grasshopper]

Thats a whole different tech structure all together, my question is, do you like the tech ladder as is, and would you play it with your table top gaming group?

[Jennifer]

Yea it was just a thought.  It’s still a ladder, but it’s more like 6 ladders and you choose your nation’s own destiny.

I do like what you have, I was just pondering other things, building off your foundation.

[Guest]

The thing I like most about your system is that a person could spend as little as $1 on tech.  If they spend more their chances are better.

Here is a different idea for the ladder itself.  Suppose you had 3 simple charts that people could choose to narrow down what they might get.  What I am thinking is separate charts for land, sea and air.

Air technology chart

1. Long range aircraft - all planes move 1 extra space
2. Jets - fighters hit @4
3. Heavy bombers - bombers roll better of 2 dice in attack or SBR
4. Paratroopers - 2 infantry from an airbase may join an attack up to 3 spaces away, subject to AA fire.
5. Radar - facilities hit @2 during SBR
6. Rockets - airbases cause 1d6 damage to an enemy facility up to 4 spaces away

Sea technology chart

1. Super subs - subs attack @3
2. AA cruisers - 1AA shot per cruiser
3. Yamato class battleships - take 3 hits to sink
4. Super carriers - can carry 1 fighter and 1 tactical or strategic bomber
5. Mega transports - carry 2 infantry plus 1 artillery, mech, tank, or AA
6. Shore defenses - naval bases fire @1 at each surface warship during an amphibious landing in an adjacent sea zone.

Land technology chart

1. Marines - infantry attack @2 in amphibious landings
2. Heavy artillery - support 2 infantry
3. Advanced mech - attack @2 and blitz
4. Heavy tanks - attack @4
5. Advanced AA guns - AA guns fire @2
6. Increased factory production - minors produce 4; majors produce 12

Another thing that might be fun would be:
ESPIONAGE
Spend $5 and if you roll a 6 you get to have a tech that is already owned by an enemy power.

[Jennifer]

Oh, I like your espionage~!

[Jennifer]

Maybe make it a 5 or 6 to get an allied tech (USA/UK/France only?)

[Young Grasshopper]

Or steal one tech from an enemy power.

[Guest]

OK how about you pay $5, roll a 6 and then roll a second dice to get one of these:

Espionage technology chart

1. Steal enemy technology - you get 1 tech of your choosing that is owned by an enemy power, and they lose it
2. Copy enemy technology - you get 1 tech of your choosing that is owned by an enemy power, and they keep it
3. Sabotage enemy technology - you get nothing, but an enemy power loses 1 technology of your choosing.
4. Copy technology from a friend- you get 1 tech of your choosing that is owned by a friendly power, so you both have it
5. Share technology with a friend - a friendly power of your choosing gets a technology that you already have, so you both have it
6. Double crossed - You get nothing but an enemy power of their choosing gets to share one of your technologies!

[Young Grasshopper]

I edited the Espionage Tech. My R&D ladder is about 99% done, and I’ve started to make the card deck, I will have a file to share soon, but for now, here are some screen shot on an illustrator file I’m working on.

Essentially if you gain a technology, you claim it’s card, and if you upgrade that tech, you pin a paperclip on it, if you upgrade it twice, you pin 2 paperclips to it. For long range aircraft, place a green paperclip for fighters, a yellow for tac bombers, and a blue for S. bombers. For War Bonds, pin a green paperclip army, a yellow for air force, and a blue for navy.

[Young Grasshopper]

More cards.

[Young Grasshopper]

Nice work Vance, you have good ideas.

[Guest]

Thanks YG.  If you don’t mind I think I will post “espionage” as a separate house rule that could work with your tech system, or with just about any tech system for that matter.  You never know someone might use it or get an idea from it.  I love the idea of STEALING the other guy’s tech LOL