I’ve just updated my Flames and Steel rules set. To those already familiar with it; it’s become a lot better. To those who haven’t seen it before, it is based on the following key concepts:
Unit stats include anti-land, anti-naval, anti-air, and strategic bombing values. Fighters are very strong at anti-air, but not overly useful for much else. Dive bombers are good at anti-land and anti-naval, decent at anti-air, but very mediocre at strategic bombing. Strategic bombers can, if left unchecked, have a devastating impact on an enemy’s economy; but are mediocre at other tasks.
Most units have multiple hitpoints. The way that unit targeting works means that the first injured unit will get destroyed before the next non-injured unit becomes injured.
Research plays a pivotal role in this game; and there is no element of luck involved in research. You pay a fixed research cost, and you get your technology.
Industrialization is also of key importance. Nations’ economies typically grow stronger over the course of the game.
Controlling the ocean is more important than ever. Having transports physically located off the coasts of islands and the more remote land territories is necessary to collect income from such places.
Naval combat has become a paper-rock-scissors of sorts. Fighters destroy dive bombers, dive bombers destroy surface ships, escorts destroy planes and subs, battleships destroy escorts, and subs destroy battleships.
Manpower points play a key role in this game. No matter how much territory you conquer, the size of your infantry force will always be limited by your nation’s population base.
The impact of luck has been reduced. All die rolls hit on a four or less; though some units get to roll more dice than others. A player rolling three dice, each with a 2/3 chance of hitting, has a less than 4% chance of coming away without a hit. Conversely, a player rolling 12 dice, each with a 1/6 chance of hitting, stands an over 11% chance of not getting a hit. (Exactly two hits are expected in both cases).
Please let me know what you guys think. And in particular, if there’s anything in the Rules Variants section you think I should include in the main rules set.
I like some of the concepts but the whole idea seems kind of complicated :|, remember, KISS. :-)
under 10 pages of actual ‘new concept’ rules would be nice.
