The Research & Development Rule

[Young Grasshopper]

So just to be clear, if you buy research dice for $5 each and don’t roll any 6s, your research has failed and you lose all that money. Considering the horrible risk vs. reward associated with this rule, does anyone honestly think that it’s a good idea to buy research dice?

[Guest]

No…

It’s a waste of time, unless you somehow are loosing but gain a slim chance of winning if you get the right tecn.

Here is the houserule we play, its much better:

Roll each of your purchased research dice:

Success: If you have rolled at least one “6”, you have successfully made a technological breakthrough. Remove all research dice. Continue to step 3.

Ongoing research: Each dice rolled between “2-5”, your reseach is neither a success or a failure. Save the dice to next research and development sequence.

Failure: Each dice rolled at “1” is a failure. This dice is removed from the game.

[Witt]

The unsuccessful attempts should roll over(they do in Anniversary, don’t they?).
As the US would always spend 10 ICPs before a DOW. Just because you can. As Russia why not spend 5, just in case and that would really annoy Germany if you were successful.

[BulwFi]

Yea we play the above house rule, more enjoyable in my opinion. Especially improved shipyard for the US, it is most fun.  :-)

[Guest]

I think there should always be a chance of failure regarding technology.

[BulwFi]

1-2 fail (dice discard) 3-5 almost (keep dice) 6 success!

[Young Grasshopper]

@BulwFi:

1-2 fail (dice discard) 3-4 almost (keep dice) 6 success!

What about 5s?

[BulwFi]

3-5 almost ( keep dice ) changed post*

[oztea]

Another big problem with the tech tree is that it is so haphazardly arranged, it should be four trees so you can be more precise when researching.

Naval Tech (Super Subs, Shipyards, Radar)
Air Tech (Jets, Long Range Aircraft, Heavy Bombers)
Land Tech (Advanced Mech, Advanced Artillery, Paratroopers)
Strategic Tech (Rockets, Increased Production, War Bonds)

[Young Grasshopper]

I would do this:

Germany & United States
1=Fail
2-5=Carry Over
6=Success

Japan & United Kingdom
1-2=Fail
3-5=Carry Over
6=Success

Italy & Russia
1-3=Fail
4-5=Carry Over
6=Success

ANZAC & France (if they control Paris)
1-4=Fail
5=Carry Over
6=Success

China may never develop technology.

[Gargantua]

If you just want to play OOB, I like to spend $5 a turn,  you always get something here and there.

[Young Grasshopper]

@Gargantua:

If you just want to play OOB, I like to spend $5 a turn,  you always get something here and there.

Are you saying that when you play, you spend $5 for 1 chance to roll a 6? That’s quite a gamble.

[Witt]

Yes. I think the morale victory you gain over your opponent cannot be overlooked.
The other side getting a Tech depresses me and turns me to drink!

[Young Grasshopper]

@wittmann:

Yes. I think the morale victory you gain over your opponent cannot be overlooked.
The other side getting a Tech depresses me and turns me to drink!

Depending on the tech, you may be right, but most of the time I say…. So what? Especially if my opponent spent $15-$25 trying to get it.

[Gargantua]

Yea, I spend the $5…

Except maybe not on G1, unless I’m going Barbarossa heavy.

There’s nothing like getting LONG RANGE AIRCRAFT on the first or second turn of the game, and as I recall, OOB, you get the tech right away…  The repurcussions are deveastating.

The reason I don’t spend more than $5… is because each turn, you’re going to ONLY be able to secure a single tech…  thus, you secure the fact that everyturn of the game, you are taking a chance at 1 tech.

[knp7765]

I have some of the researcher tokens from the Anniversary game. You pay for the tokens and if you don’t get a breakthrough, you can try again next round. If you DO get a breakthrough, all your tokens go back and you start from scratch.
Playing like this makes Gargantua’s idea a really good one. Each round purchase a token. Round 1 you roll 1 dice. If nothing, then round 2 you would roll 2 dice, and so on. That could be a cheap and easy way to get a tech or two without depleting your resources in one turn by trying for 5 or 6 dice all at once.

[Gargantua]

In anniversary, you just make sure you are always rolling atleast 1 dice a turn.

[Ghost One]

I agree, its worth taking the risk every turn for a tech that helps a lot. I used to think tech was useless and not worth it until I actually started risking it and saw that you can actually get a few techs every game and is worth it.

[Imperious Leader]

The rule as stated is most defiantly an improvement over OOB. Now most nations will spend the 12 IPC. and get a roll everyturn.

Changes to the listed Techs should also be developed and if grasshopper does this, i can make a file that people can print out for their own games.

I would preclude USA and USSR from research till they are no longer neutral ( at war). That way Germany gets a head start, like they had.

[knp7765]

@Imperious:

The rule as stated is most defiantly an improvement over OOB. Now most nations will spend the 12 IPC. and get a roll everyturn.

Changes to the listed Techs should also be developed and if grasshopper does this, i can make a file that people can print out for their own games.

I would preclude USA and USSR from research till they are no longer neutral ( at war). That way Germany gets a head start, like they had.

12 IPCs? Did I miss something? I thought it was 5 IPCs per dice/tech roll.