@Uncrustable:
I thought in revised it did fire during NCM
To me it should
Some may think that a version of A&A included Always Active AA gun.
Maybe it is because it was an option in Iron Blitz computer version of A&A.
As I remember, Always Active AA gun means it fire also during NCM.
It was a basic rule that, during Combat Move, any territories flyed over can use any AA gun to try to shot down planes.
About introducing more possibilities to fire with the AA(A) gun, I agree with the principle, it gives more strategical chalenges.
But not in practical situation of game balance. That’s the problem.
I already promote, in my previous posts, an AAA with odds at 1/12 instead of 1/6 for every occasions it could fire at plane.
You can see easily the balance issue:
**Suppose 3 StrB has to fly over 1 territory with AAA before reaching the war-zone territory in which their is also an AAA.
Actual rule: each StrB endure 1@1 = 3 planes are shot at.
With Always active AAgun: each StrB endure 3@1 = 3 planes x 3 shots = 9@1.
1AA for coming in, 1AA for fighting over, 1AA for returning home.**
If you want something balance Always Active AA gun which respect Axis System:
You allow only 1 plane per AAA (instead of 3).
You allow any AAA 1@1 against any one aircraft in any territory flied over.
You limit the max roll to the number of aircraft present, i. e. 3AAA against 1 plane mean a single roll @1 against this aircraft.
With this House Rule, the same 3 StrB didn’t face the same fate:
At all, their is only 3 AAA shots against them (instead of 9 shots for Always Active AA):
1AA shot for coming in, 1AA shot for fighting over, 1AA shot for returning home for all the group instead of each StrB.
In this way, you get the same odds as actual OOB rules:
Actual rule: each StrB endure 1@1 = 3 planes are shot at.
However, with this HR, if you have only 1 plane it is at higher risk since this single aircraft endure 3 rolls @1 (instead of only 1 roll@1 in the OOB Global rule).
Consequence?
To minimize the casuality efffect, air raid will be made with at least two or more planes on the same target using the first plane as a screen/buffer against AAA.
To destroy more aircrafts, you will need more AAA to put in the flight path of the attacker.
Their is still a paradox:
the non-fighting territory get 2 chances to fire against moving plane (CM and NCM) while the war-zone territory get only 1 chance during CM.
To rectify this situation, I will use what was suggested by this post:
@P-Unit:
If change were to happen I’d like AA to fire before every round, one attack per AA unit, similar to subs Surprise Strike round. Still, no combat move. Still simple and works well within the existing rules.
we should give each AAA unit an unlimited number of preemptive fire, but up to 2 shots against the same plane, never more.
So, in our same example about 3 StrB against 2AAA in two different territories.
During first round in the combat-zone, 1 StrB#1 was fired at.
Second round in the combat-zone, another: StrB#2 or the same StrB#1 can be fired at.
Third round in the combat-zone, a third or second plane can be fired at.
Fourth round, StrB#2 is shot for the second time.
Fifth and Sixth round (if their is), StrB#3 can be shot at.
Final result: maximum of 8AAA shots will be fired over 6 rounds of battle. 2 inbound CM/outbound NCM and 3x2 in the war-zone CM.
If their is only one single plane making the same bombing run, it will face: 4 shots maximum, 2 shots inbound CM/outbound NCM and 2 in the war-zone, CM.
If their was two planes or more: 6 shots maximum , 2 shots inbound CM/outbound NCM and 4 in the war-zone, CM.
Is it better balance?
(Even if it allows up to 4 shots on a single plane, a maximum of 2 on each plane during battle but it is limited by 1 shot/AAA/round instead of a bloody first cycle of preemptive strikes against 3 planes/AAA) ?
Does AAA will become a more interesting buying?
