AA Guns

[baron Münchhausen]

@Imperious:

Cruisers rolling a 1 in combat (attack or defense) can choose a hit taken against enemy planes ( owner decides which type)

Now cruisers are fixed for that crappy price. :-D

Either that or they move 3 spaces with or without a port

I played almost like that in my last game.
Cruisers also get 1@1 preemptive strike on defense.
Uk bought many more cruisers and no destroyers.
But Germany was played by a player which was craving for planes and no sub at all…

Maybe in 1940 it is more interresting to get a 3 moves cruiser…

[baron Münchhausen]

@Cmdr:

I doubt having battleships with AA Guns are going to ruin aircraft.  Might make some of the cheap battleship battles a bit more interesting.  I don’t think 2 fighter squadrons should be able to sink a battleship, since it took more than 5 squadrons to sink the Bismarck

However, it can change a lot the initial attacks from Germany against UK Battleships in 1942, and UK against IJN battleship.

[baron Münchhausen]

@Cmdr:

I doubt having battleships with AA Guns are going to ruin aircraft.  Might make some of the cheap battleship battles a bit more interesting.  I don’t think 2 fighter squadrons should be able to sink a battleship, since it took more than 5 squadrons to sink the Bismarck

5 squadrons will be figured by 2 planes unit atmost: 1 TacB and 1 Fgt.

[Derek]

Baron I could read your post, or read an encyclopedia lol
Either way I would fall asleep very soon!

Jen: 1 air unit represents 1 squadron? I highly doubt that, at least 60+ aircraft (a wing) if not more, certainly enough to take on a battleship squadron/task force whatever

Giving all ships AA dice would wreck plane purchases, why buy 3 fighters that would more than likely die to AA fire, when you could buy 3 tanks and 2 destroyers. Or some other combination of land + sea units  vs air units
It would also wreck AAA purchases.

So adding AA dice to ships = added complexity, less plane purchases and less AAA purchases
So it hinders the game and makes it more complicated :P
We would a net negative impact on the overall game experience.

A&A, instead of using a complex battle system as some other games do, simply uses ‘choose your own casualties’. With a couple exceptions(transports, and subs vs aircraft)

Obviously all ships are more than capable of shooting down aircraft, as are infantry and tanks, other aircraft , etc…

If your going to make anything more complicated, at least make it something that would add equally or greater to the overall experience

For example: Letting AAA defend on a 1 during normal combat, as a normal unit (no other OOB changes) actually slightly reduces the complexity of the game, while at the same time slightly enhancing the AAA unit (which this thread was created for) Most importantly, this change would not effect aircraft in anyway positive or negative.
It also would, if at all, slightly shift the balance towards the allies (which currently requires a bid) due to the few extra defense rolls at 1 that Calcutta, London and Moscow would recieve
This would in turn, if at all, reduce the bids in the global game

In summation, we would have a net, slight to moderate, positive gain on the overall game experience

[baron Münchhausen]

@Uncrustable:

Baron I could read your post, or read an encyclopedia lol
Either way I would fall asleep very soon!

A hint: read bold first.
Then, if you want more details go into regular texts. :wink:

Only, if you need the context of the dialogue, read all the first quote.

It is how I see my post and construct them.
Maybe you have better suggestion to get to the point without avoiding important details?
I’m open to it.

[Derek]

@Uncrustable:

Baron I could read your post, or read an encyclopedia lol
Either way I would fall asleep very soon!

Jen: 1 air unit represents 1 squadron? I highly doubt that, at least 60+ aircraft (a wing) if not more, certainly enough to take on a battleship squadron/task force whatever

Giving all ships AA dice would wreck plane purchases, why buy 3 fighters that would more than likely die to AA fire, when you could buy 3 tanks and 2 destroyers. Or some other combination of land + sea units  vs air units
It would also wreck AAA purchases.

So adding AA dice to ships = added complexity, less plane purchases and less AAA purchases
So it hinders the game and makes it more complicated :P
We would a net negative impact on the overall game experience.

A&A, instead of using a complex battle system as some other games do, simply uses ‘choose your own casualties’. With a couple exceptions(transports, and subs vs aircraft)

Obviously all ships are more than capable of shooting down aircraft, as are infantry and tanks, other aircraft , etc…

If your going to make anything more complicated, at least make it something that would add equally or greater to the overall experience

For example: Letting AAA defend on a 1 during normal combat, as a normal unit (no other OOB changes) actually slightly reduces the complexity of the game, while at the same time slightly enhancing the AAA unit (which this thread was created for) Most importantly, this change would not effect aircraft in anyway positive or negative.
It also would, if at all, slightly shift the balance towards the allies (which currently requires a bid) due to the few extra defense rolls at 1 that Calcutta, London and Moscow would recieve
This would in turn, if at all, reduce the bids in the global game

In summation, we would have a net, slight to moderate, positive gain on the overall game experience

I would severely argue against adding any AA dice to any ships. It would (this is a fact) impact planes negatively.

Just think of this scenario: Give cruisers 1 AA dice, now what is going to happen during EVERY game round 1 in global 1940?

There are already 3 cruisers that Germany attacks and 1 in the med that either Germany or Italy attacks.

This would not slightly, but moderately shift the balance early game towards the Allies. So now players would start bidding for the Axis to counter this.

So we would have a net of zero on balance, added complexity (a negative), while cruisers become more viable (a positive), but planes (even if slightly) become less viable (another negative, maybe)

so 0 - 1(or 2) + 1 = 0(or -1)
A net gain of zero to a negative, on the overall game experience.

[Derek]

@Baron:

@Uncrustable:

Baron I could read your post, or read an encyclopedia lol
Either way I would fall asleep very soon!

A hint: read bold first.
Then, if you want more details go into regular texts. :wink:

Only, if you need the context of the dialogue, read all the first quote.

It is how I see my post and construct them.
Maybe you have better suggestion to get to the point without avoiding important details?
I’m open to it.

Ok well it definitly adds complexity to the game, there is no doubt about that.
It also (if it even slightly adds to AA rolls) hinders aircraft, atleast slightly.
If im wrong and it reduces AA rolls then it hinders AAA and whats the point?

So either way thats 2 negatives, to 1 positive (enhancing AAA)

But 2 things are not taken into account yet….
1-what does it do to game balance, and
2-does it make AAA too powerfull

Even if both 1 and 2 are slim to zero, we still have a net negative impact on the overall game experience

So at best, its a slight hindrance to the game, and at worst, it wrecks the game

Why i ask would you want to implement this? It is a high risk with no rewards…

[baron Münchhausen]

@Uncrustable:

I would severely argue against adding any AA dice to any ships. It would (this is a fact) impact planes negatively.

Just think of this scenario: Give cruisers 1 AA dice, now what is going to happen during EVERY game round 1 in global 1940?

There are already 3 cruisers that Germany attacks and 1 in the med that either Germany or Italy attacks.

This would not slightly, but moderately shift the balance early game towards the Allies.
So we would have a net of zero on balance, added complexity (a negative), while cruisers become more viable (a positive), but planes (even if slightly) become less viable (another negative, maybe)

so 0 - 1(or 2) + 1 = 0(or -1)
A net gain of zero to a negative, on the overall game experience.

Uncrustable,
you said this thing:

It also would, if at all, slightly shift the balance towards the allies (which currently requires a bid) due to the few extra defense rolls at 1 that Calcutta, London and Moscow would receive.
This would in turn, if at all, reduce the bids in the global game

If you agree to give 1 single AAA roll for each cruiser, then it seems you won’t need any more bid.
Maybe it can slighlty change the tide toward Allies.

I think it can be an acceptable shift in balance (and it depends on which AA you give to cruiser:

@Imperious:

Cruisers rolling a 1 in combat (attack or defense) can choose a hit taken against enemy planes ( owner decides which type)

Now cruisers are fixed for that crappy price.

Either that or they move 3 spaces with or without a port

Or 1 AA preemptive strike from a defending cruiser. (This one change much more the tide, I think.)

[Imperious Leader]

Or 1 AA preemptive strike from a defending cruiser. (This one change much more the tide, I think.)

vs. Roll one and that player can force the other player to lose any plane.

hmmm.  The first one is weaker, but the AA roll should be either attacker or defender IMO.

Yea that is a small change but fair for both sides.

[Derek]

Baron, you took what i said out of context, i talked about the balance implications of giving AA to cruisers…
I will highlight it in bold below…

Giving all ships AA dice would wreck plane purchases, why buy 3 fighters that would more than likely die to AA fire, when you could buy 3 tanks and 2 destroyers. Or some other combination of land + sea units  vs air units
It would also wreck AAA purchases.

So adding AA dice to ships = added complexity, less plane purchases and less AAA purchases
So it hinders the game and makes it more complicated :P
We would a net negative impact on the overall game experience.

A&A, instead of using a complex battle system as some other games do, simply uses ‘choose your own casualties’. With a couple exceptions(transports, and subs vs aircraft)

Obviously all ships are more than capable of shooting down aircraft, as are infantry and tanks, other aircraft , etc…

If your going to make anything more complicated, at least make it something that would add equally or greater to the overall experience

For example: Letting AAA defend on a 1 during normal combat, as a normal unit (no other OOB changes) actually slightly reduces the complexity of the game, while at the same time slightly enhancing the AAA unit (which this thread was created for) Most importantly, this change would not effect aircraft in anyway positive or negative.
It also would, if at all, slightly shift the balance towards the allies (which currently requires a bid) due to the few extra defense rolls at 1 that Calcutta, London and Moscow would recieve
This would in turn, if at all, reduce the bids in the global game

In summation, we would have a net, slight to moderate, positive gain on the overall game experience

**I would severely argue against adding any AA dice to any ships. It would (this is a fact) impact planes negatively.

Just think of this scenario: Give cruisers 1 AA dice, now what is going to happen during EVERY game round 1 in global 1940?

There are already 3 cruisers that Germany attacks and 1 in the med that either Germany or Italy attacks.

This would not slightly, but moderately shift the balance early game towards the Allies. So now players would start bidding for the Axis to counter this.

So we would have a net of zero on balance, added complexity (a negative), while cruisers become more viable (a positive), but planes (even if slightly) become less viable (another negative, maybe)

so 0 - 1(or 2) + 1 = 0(or -1)
A net gain of zero to a negative, on the overall game experience.**

[baron Münchhausen]

@Uncrustable:

Ok well it definitly adds complexity to the game, there is no doubt about that.
It also (if it even slightly adds to AA rolls) hinders aircraft, atleast slightly.
If im wrong and it reduces AA rolls then it hinders AAA and whats the point?

So either way thats 2 negatives, to 1 positive (enhancing AAA)

But 2 things are not taken into account yet….
1-what does it do to game balance, and
2-does it make AAA too powerfull

Even if both 1 and 2 are slim to zero, we still have a net negative impact on the overall game experience

So at best, its a slight hindrance to the game, and at worst, it wrecks the game

Why i ask would you want to implement this? It is a high risk with no rewards….

The long demonstration is to show that in a long battle (6 rounds+), AAA (@1/12) will prevail over OOB AAA rule probability.
Hence, usually after the first few rounds, defending player will take AAA as casualty because OOB AAA will not fire anymore after first round.

So any player will think twice before taking them as casualty, since each AAA can still take 1 shot at 1/12 ( you can roll 1D12 and take a hit on a roll “1”, if you prefer.)

On first and second round, OOB are better.

On the third to the fifth round, OOB is similar.

But you get much more rolls against planes than OOB (and much funny “continuous stress” for the attacking player.)

Your AAA and this one are two different ways of rationalizing AAA.

And I like both, for my part.
Even, yours slightly modified (as I proposed earlier: Option 3) can be able to open different tactical use of AAA, if you give it offensive capacity.

[Derek]

@Uncrustable:

Giving all ships AA dice would wreck plane purchases, why buy 3 fighters that would more than likely die to AA fire, when you could buy 3 tanks and 2 destroyers. Or some other combination of land + sea units  vs air units
It would also wreck AAA purchases.

So adding AA dice to ships = added complexity, less plane purchases and less AAA purchases
So it hinders the game and makes it more complicated :P
We would a net negative impact on the overall game experience.

A&A, instead of using a complex battle system as some other games do, simply uses ‘choose your own casualties’. With a couple exceptions(transports, and subs vs aircraft)

Obviously all ships are more than capable of shooting down aircraft, as are infantry and tanks, other aircraft , etc…

If your going to make anything more complicated, at least make it something that would add equally or greater to the overall experience

For example: Letting AAA defend on a 1 during normal combat, as a normal unit (no other OOB changes) actually slightly reduces the complexity of the game, while at the same time slightly enhancing the AAA unit (which this thread was created for) Most importantly, this change would not effect aircraft in anyway positive or negative.
It also would, if at all, slightly shift the balance towards the allies (which currently requires a bid) due to the few extra defense rolls at 1 that Calcutta, London and Moscow would recieve
This would in turn, if at all, reduce the bids in the global game

In summation, we would have a net, slight to moderate, positive gain on the overall game experience

**I would severely argue against adding any AA dice to any ships. It would (this is a fact) impact planes negatively.

Just think of this scenario: Give cruisers 1 AA dice, now what is going to happen during EVERY game round 1 in global 1940?

There are already 3 cruisers that Germany attacks and 1 in the med that either Germany or Italy attacks.

This would not slightly, but moderately shift the balance early game towards the Allies. So now players would start bidding for the Axis to counter this.

So we would have a net of zero on balance, added complexity (a negative), while cruisers become more viable (a positive), but planes (even if slightly) become less viable (another negative, maybe)

so 0 - 1(or 2) + 1 = 0(or -1)
A net gain of zero to a negative, on the overall game experience.**

However…giving cruisers +1 movement, does not hinder planes in any way, enhances the cruiser (slightly, which is all it needs).
It would however, allow Germany to use its cruiser in the Baltic against the UK fleet in the Atlantic, BUT, the Allies start the game with more cruisers ( 5 for axis vs 11 for allies) so this would balance out or if anything swing it again towards the allies. (which would be a positive, if at all)

So lets say balance change of zero to 1, enhanced cruiser is a +1, and it adds slightly to the complexity (cruiser at +1 move is not hard, and is an OOB rule in 1914)

So the balance change plus the complexity change equals out to zero, that leaves us at a net GAIN on the overall game experience

[Derek]

@Baron:

@Uncrustable:

Ok well it definitly adds complexity to the game, there is no doubt about that.
It also (if it even slightly adds to AA rolls) hinders aircraft, atleast slightly.
If im wrong and it reduces AA rolls then it hinders AAA and whats the point?

So either way thats 2 negatives, to 1 positive (enhancing AAA)

But 2 things are not taken into account yet….
1-what does it do to game balance, and
2-does it make AAA too powerfull

Even if both 1 and 2 are slim to zero, we still have a net negative impact on the overall game experience

So at best, its a slight hindrance to the game, and at worst, it wrecks the game

Why i ask would you want to implement this? It is a high risk with no rewards….

The long demonstration is to show that in a long battle (6 rounds+), AAA (@1/12) will prevail over OOB.
Hence, usually after the first few rounds, defending player will take AAA as casualty because OOB AAA will not fire anymore after first round.
So any player will think twice before taking them as casualty, since each AAA can still take 1 shot at 1/12 ( you can roll 1D12 and take a hit on a roll “1”, if you prefer.)
On first and second round, OOB are better.
On the third to the fifth round, OOB is similar.
But you get much more rolls against planes than OOB (and much “a continuous stress” for the attacking player.)

Your AAA and this one are two different ways of rationalizing AAA.
And I like both, for my part.

So which is it? Is your AAA improved from OOB? or weakened? im not sure you even know lol

But either way is a negative

Whether it is a weakened AAA or a stronger one, which weakens aircraft.

Add to this the fact that your AAA is very complicated compared to OOB

My extremely simple change to AAA defense does not affect aircraft, AT ALL

For example: Letting AAA defend on a 1 during normal combat, as a normal unit (no other OOB changes) actually slightly reduces the complexity of the game, while at the same time slightly enhancing the AAA unit (which this thread was created for) Most importantly, this change would not effect aircraft in anyway positive or negative.
It also would, if at all, slightly shift the balance towards the allies (which currently requires a bid) due to the few extra defense rolls at 1 that Calcutta, London and Moscow would recieve
This would in turn, if at all, reduce the bids in the global game

In summation, we would have a net, slight to moderate, positive gain on the overall game experience

[baron Münchhausen]

@Imperious:

Or 1 AA preemptive strike from a defending cruiser. (This one change much more the tide, I think.)

vs. Roll one and that player can force the other player to lose any plane.

hmmm.  The first one is weaker, but the AA roll should be either attacker or defender IMO.

Yea that is a small change but fair for both sides.

That is one of the reason, if I drop something about AA and cruiser it will be the initial preemptive AA@1.
But, you should know that on a Battle simulator, if you oppose 60 IPCs worth of unit:

5 Cruisers on defense against 6 planes on attack: planes survives 75%/ CA 21%.
3 Battleships on defense against 6 planes on attack: planes 62% / BB 32%.
Battleship will prevail vs Cruiser.  But both still loose against fighters.

If you had 1AA fire at beginning for cruisers, now it is almost even combat: Fgt 49% / CA 48%
Battle calculator imply 6 rolls@1, but as the HR said it will be only 5@1, since there is only 5 cruisers. It means Fgt have more than 50% of survival and CA less than 48%.

It helps but 6 fighters will still be slightly better for the same cost than 5 Cruisers.
5 StrB vs 5 cruisers = 71% /21% survival.
With 1AAA shot: 43% / 51% chance of survival.

I found this more statically significant to give an even chance of survival for the same worth and value of unit.

And in all the scenarii, any “1” from cruiser doesn’t change anything, since it is all planes attack.

[Imperious Leader]

Just think of this scenario: Give cruisers 1 AA dice, now what is going to happen during EVERY game round 1 in global 1940?

They get ONE roll at the start of combat for each cruiser. It is not the case that they get a roll against EVERY PLANE.

One freaking roll will not significantly effect plane buys. It will make cruisers worth their cost.

It will protect Italy from UK1 ( you will get 2 rolls). Also, it does not have to be preemptive. Just one extra roll for any player with cruiser

[baron Münchhausen]

So which is it? Is your AAA improved from OOB? or weakened? im not sure you even know lol

But either way is a negative

Whether it is a weakened AAA or a stronger one, which weakens aircraft.

On a short battle OOB will prevail (so planes will have much more impact on the first few round), since it base on the assumption that all AA fire in the first phase and no more after.

On a longer run, OOB is weaker (so planes will have lesser chance of survival but they got some better chance to mark a hit in the first few rounds).
And it is logical to think this, since planes are much longer expose on the battlefield.
More, it is around a much historically real 1/12 odds to survive against AA fire than 1/6.
(I still can not tell in which post I read it was around 10%.)
This AAA unit is HR to always fire against plane and nothing else.

Your AAA has simplicity of the game mechanics on his side, but it creates an hybrid AAA division able to fire at planes and everything else.
Let’s suppose a situation where the only plane was shut down on the opening phase.
Your AAA unit will continue firing against attacker, as any regular unit.
The other AAA unit will stop firing since their is no target for them, as an exclusive AA unit.
That is the big difference.

[baron Münchhausen]

@Imperious:

Just think of this scenario: Give cruisers 1 AA dice, now what is going to happen during EVERY game round 1 in global 1940?

They get ONE roll at the start of combat for each cruiser. It is not the case that they get a roll against EVERY PLANE.

One freaking roll will not significantly effect plane buys. It will make cruisers worth their cost.

It will protect Italy from UK1 ( you will get 2 rolls). Also, it does not have to be preemptive. Just one extra roll for any player with cruiser.

That would be an interesting option (but a slightly different than a regular first strike AA roll.)
This means that cruiser on first round will get 2 rolls:
1@1 against plane and
1@3 against any unit (attacker’s choice).

Will you chose between 3 moves or this first no preemptive shot against plane.
Or will you give both to cruiser?

[Imperious Leader]

1@1 against plane and
1@3 against any unit (attacker’s choice).

The Cruiser would either need to choose one, or obviously a stronger option is they get both.

I would choose one: either AA or 3 space, not both.

[baron Münchhausen]

cruiser at +1 move is not hard, and is an OOB rule in 1914.

It is a real incentive to add this to cruiser in Global.

But is it really a good incentive in 1942?

What can do cruiser wandering alone while the rest of the main fleet is at a slow 2 spaces pace.
It seems to me that overexposing cruiser on the front line give nothing.

Maybe for reinforcement situation when many ships are lost 5 sea-zone away.

It will only take 1 turn to joined both Cruisers fleet and a main crippled fleet: 3 spaces+2 spaces= 5 sea-zones.

[baron Münchhausen]

@Imperious:

1@1 against plane and
1@3 against any unit (attacker’s choice).

The Cruiser would either need to choose one, or obviously a stronger option is they get both.

I would choose one: either AA or 3 space, not both.

In summary:
A- Attacking and defending cruiser hit a plane on “1”.
B- Defending cruiser get 1@1 AA preventive strike.
C- Defending cruiser get an additionnal 1@1 AA regular strike on first round.
D- Cruiser get 3 spaces move.
E- C+D.
F- A+B (I played 1942.2 with this HR).
G- B+D (as below)
H- Any other combination?

I found this:

Imperious Leader:
AS you may know Cruisers were the primary naval unit that were built for AA defense and id say (to keep it simple) they should have a free roll just like an AA gun against attacking enemy planes hitting at a 1. Plus they were built for speed and should move 3 (along with Carriers). AS you also know at Midway the Japs sent their faster Carriers ahead of the main body of slower ships so they can strike quickly and leave the area. The downside is they were not protected or supported by ships such as Cruisers to help shoot down planes as they prepared to launch into torpedo attacks.

Stats:  Cruisers cost 12, attack/ defend at 3, moves at 3 takes one hit.
If you want other ships battlecruisers, light cruisers, heavy cruisers i got some info for you as well.