Check the range of V weapons. Four spaces is too long of a distance. Also, the new tech units it needs to be clear: When you get say King Tigers do all your tanks go “Poof” and become Tigers , or from that point on are any tanks you build…Tigers. The later idea is much more realistic.
Technology
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I was going to say, it would be crap for one country to get ‘tanks’ or ‘aircraft’ and the other side not able to roll a 6…
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Actually, I would like there to be NO fighters to start with, rather starting aircraft are largely unarmed multi-purpose planes; 1-1 in combat but with a range of 4.
That’s what I was suggesting, that no one starts out with fighters and you have to research even a basic fighter before you can build them. If you used 1/1 unarmed planes though, why 4 range? Would the lack of machine guns and ammo really make that much difference?
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Well yes, machine guns were a big weight gain for early war aircraft.
Actually the starting planes would be larger all-round planes, built for reconnaissance roles, and later adapted for light bombing. They could drop a few small bombs (vs ground), and fire hand guns at enemy aircraft, but were hardly fighters. These unit would not upgrade, but would still have their uses.
When the first true fighters appeared they were smaller, lighter, built for speed and hence had a limited range.
I think I’d still like to see planes have the ability to land back in their starting tts; it seems strange that they can only land in an areas just occupied. Makes the game simpler, though. Certainly not viable for bombers/airships, which need to return to base after bombing behind enemy lines.
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There is definitely no tech development in the game rules.
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I’m pretty sure that was confirmed a while ago, but even then… Tech could definitely make a more interesting game.
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Agreed, that’s why I started this post … Official rules or not, Tech research added another level of depth to any of the WWII games I played with it, and I think it makes sense to add tech as a house rule for the same reason: it adds to the gameplay, as long as the tech’s themselves and the rules for research don’t unbalance the game either with excessive costs/chance and/or too great of an influence on the game. New tech should be a historical “game changer” of sorts - until the other side catches up and replicates the new war tech (which, yes, was pretty common).
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Well if we are serious about tech then we should reach a consensus as a community on a few issues and try and get a STANDARD TECH house rule.
12 techs or 6?
How should research work? Roll Random? Tech Tokens? Targeted Tech? A different way?
What should the techs be?Lets not get TOO complicated. And lets draw from what we already have in 1940. War Bonds, Advanced Artillery
Im putting my foot down on planes going from 1/1, to 2/2, to 3/3 to 4/4 no……no no no
Larry wouldnt do that.
Larry would do Jets
And jets means your planes change ONCE and only ONCE to a new stat line.
So aircraft changing to 2/2 is balanced and fair. Not too strong, not overpowered compared to powers without the tech.
Just like how jets don’t become 4/4, then 5/5.Apparently Gas is a must have tech. Machine guns, Radios, Grenades, were all other big advances of the period.
What other advances can we think of.Lets brainstorm.
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Have depth charges where cruisers get some of the abilities of destroyers. Something like, subs can’t submerge when fighting a cruiser. Gives the allies a chance against the rampaging German subs.
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I think Gas is not good. Wasn’t it just as dangerous to the army deploying it as it was to the enemy???
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In the early stages it was, by the end of the war they had gotten the methods of using it down.
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Have depth charges where cruisers get some of the abilities of destroyers. Something like, subs can’t submerge when fighting a cruiser. Gives the allies a chance against the rampaging German subs.
Would suck for a CP to roll this tech.
I think there should be some separate tech for CP and for the Allies.
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Certainly plausible.
Perhaps a good replacement for “Armed Transports”.As it stands my proposed techs are:
Air/Naval Techs
1. Undersea Warfare - Your Cruisers prevent enemy subs from submerging at a 1:1 ratio and your Subs may submerge before the first round of combat.
2. Advanced Aeronautics - Your aircraft become 2/2/3
3. Mine Detectors - Roll a die before your ships attack into a minefield: That many of your ships are immune to enemy mines (your choice).
4. Observation Balloons - In battles where no aircraft are present, one of your artillery counts as having air support.
5. Advanced Mines - Your Naval mines strike enemy ships on ‘2’ or less.
6. Naval Aviation - Your Battleships may serve as a landing space for one of your own aircraft. Battleships attack and defend at 5 with naval air superiority.Land/Economic Techs
1. Tank Pioneer - You may build tanks before turn 4, after turn 4 you can buy tanks for 5 IPCs.
2. War Bonds - At the end of your turn roll two dice, collect the higher number as IPCs
3. Chemical Warfare - Roll a die before attacking a territory, 1-3: remove that many enemy infantry; 4-6: No effect (One Territory Per Turn Only)
4. Conscription - Each time you buy 4 Infantry, receive a 5th free.
5. Radio Communications - During combats where friendly forces are also in the contested zone, roll a die. That many friendly artillery may also participate in the attack
6. Advanced Transportation - Roll a die, that many of your infantry may move 3 spaces this turn (amongst friendly territories worth 2 IPCs or more) -
6 Techs only. This does not look like a 12 tech game.
Every 4th turn a player may select one free tech
Example:
On turn 4 each player may select one free tech
On turn 8 each player may select one free tech
Tanks are no longer automatic ( unless you research or select it)Six Techs:
Bombers: Your fighters can now perform SBR attacks to the limit of IPC they are bombing. They can also move +2 spaces
Gas Attacks: If you got at least one artillery, you can assign one gas attack during your attack against a territory. You get one extra die roll (3 or less) in combat.
Gas Masks: If you are attacked by gas, roll one die and 3 or less cancels the gas attack against you.
Strategic Artillery: Any adjacent artillery you control may fire in battle hitting at 1
Tanks: tanks may be built use OOB rules
Battle-cruisers: Cruisers may move +1 extra space and take 2 hitsIf you want to research Tech early, pay 5 IPC for each roll, but the technology you get is random ( the only ones you get to choose are on every 4th turn)
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According to djensen’s battle board photo, fighters are 2/2/2.
“Remove one enemy fighter for each die roll of 1 or 2.
Remaining fighters strafe enemy positions.
Remove one enemy land units for each die roll of 1 or 2.”Edited to fix spelling.
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IL battle cruisers is OP
A 9 ipc unit that moves 4 and takes 2 hits12 techs has been the norm since anniversary edition, i think we can get 12 good ones
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Also it would be wise to have either tech tokens OR free (random) tech.
Chemical warfare could wrap together both the attack.and the masks.
But frankly, I don’t even think gas masks warrant being a tech.Perhaps mine detectors could be changed to “in a naval battle half of your ships are immune to mines” and perhaps advanced mines can be wrapped in with this tech.
If some techs have duel roles then allied powers or central powers both want a tech for different reasons.
Also I don’t see what everybody’s hard on for bombers is.
Though if everyone clamors for it maybe it deserves to be a tech in some way. -
I agree with IL though that if there will be gas attacks there should also be some counter measure to prevent gas attacks from becoming to prevalent (that or make the effects less to start off with.
Could make it another dual technology, where once you have developed “chemical warfare” you get to make gas attacks on opponents, and also reduce (or are immune to) the effects of enemy gas attacks. If you pioneered chemical warfare technology you were also probably on the frontline of figuring out how to make sure it didn’t kill your own troops too.
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I agree that techs should be free, maybe based on a random roll. I think if you make them cost IPC’s, you’ll have to add in income to balance the game. Everyone was doing research during this period, and copying from the enemy as they rolled out new techs. Definitely agree with making a tech common after a turn or so. Maybe put a national marker on a tech that is unique to that nation, then flip the marker when it becomes common.
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Perhaps mine detectors could be changed to “in a naval battle half of your ships are immune to mines” and perhaps advanced mines can be wrapped in with this tech.
There are mine detectors that detect land mines, and there are minesweeper vessels which clear naval mines by various techniques (dragging cables, etc.), but I’ve never heard about naval mine detectors. Modern minesweepers can probably do a certain amount of mine detection using underwater drones equiped with TV cameras, but I’m not aware of any naval mine detection technology existing during WWI. If it did exist, I’d be interested in hearing about the details.
Regarding the concept of “mine immunity”, I think the closest one can realistically come to it is “enhanced mine resistance” via the use of anti-torpedo bulges.
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Navies tried clearing paths through suspected minefields with depth charges.
Special mine clearing units did exist and worked around the clock in 1918 to reopen shipping lanes that the UK had closed. I think like 80% of all naval mines were laid by the UK.On the subject of gas masks, in the gas attack tech, the fact that it kills a random number (or none) of the enemy reflects the opponent having masks.
Perhaps the tech should be:
Roll a die and apply the following
1-2 remove that many enemy infantry
3-4 remove that many enemy infantry (no effect if the enemy also has the Chemical Warfare Tech)
5-6 no effectThat way masks are rolled into chemical warfare.
We could get this down to 6 techs if some techs do something slightly different that the CP needs or allies need.But I still think 12 is better.