Free technology?

Total insanity.

However, something a bit more realistic would be a list of techs that certain countries get automatically on certain turns.

Germany would get a free tech every other turn, starting with:
Turn 1: Advanced Mech
Turn 3: Super Subs
Turn 5: Advanced Artillery
Turn 7: Rockets
Turn 9: Jets

The UK might be something like:
Turn 2: War Bonds
Turn 4: Radar
Turn 6: Paratroopers
Turn 8: Long Range Aircraft

Other countries, like Italy might only get techs every 3rd turn.
Turn 3: Paratroopers
Turn 6: Improved Shipyards
Turn 9: Increased Factory Production

Some powers, like the US, might get many more techs, but at a different pace
Turn 3: Paratroopers & War Bonds
Turn 6: Long Range Aircraft & Improved Shipyards
Turn 9: Advanced Artillery & Heavy Bombers

Its really up to you….but thats a more sensible way to do it if you want to reflect history.
Or, instead of “free on turn X”, make it just so that that power can make a targeted automatic buy of it’s historical breakthrough for 5 IPCs on that turn (or any turn after)

Here’s another idea. Nations could pay 10 IPCs for a tech. This counts as an automatic breakthrough, no rolling for 6s. Then you roll a die to see which tech you get. So it would still be a bit random but at least you could still get more tech into the game.
As for rolling for the techs, there are a number of ways to do this:
1 - number the techs 1-12 and roll 2 dice. Only problem there is you wouldn’t be able to get Advanced Artillery because that one should be #1 in the lineup.
2 - number the techs 1-12 and roll a 12 sided dice. That would work just fine. People that wanted to do it this way would just have to go out and get a 12 sided dice, or use one from BOTB if they have that game.
3 - roll one 6 sided dice and choose which chart you want the result from. EG: you roll a 6 so you choose between Advanced Mech Infantry or Heavy Bombers. Obviously in this example most would choose Heavy Bombers but if you bought tech on another turn and rolled another 6, then you would get Advanced Mech Infantry since you already have Heavy Bombers. This would probably work the best.

I like the idea of every nation having an edge in one sphere of tech.
And of course every game would be different and not boring!

How about if every major power (Germany, USSR, Japan, UK, USA) gets to choose 1 tech at the start of the game.  You can buy others later as usual, but everybody starts with one.

I like that. The whole game would change as every nation bought differently to take advantage of their tech.

Well, another idea I had was each nation gets a list of “preferred techs” that it is allowed to target.
It can roll randomly, or target one from it’s list.

But we have to realize, by the end of the war Germany and the US pretty much had the whole chart filled in.

Right. In one of my games the 5 main countrys draw event cards at start of there turn where out of 30 cards for each country there is 3 cards that say free tech roll. If you roll a 6, you pick your tech (choice of 6) and can’t use until turn 6. Starting on turn 8, 1 to 3 country’s get automatic techs and they are certain ones. Then on each turn you get more and more tech per turn. You still can buy a dice for 5 icp’s too if you don’t want to wait until you get  tech wether its thru event card or automatic.  Then by turn 16 everybody has there 6 techs.

I’ve been using a tech system for several years now that works like this:
1.  Only 5 major powers may develop techs
2.  Each power has a list of available techs on their set up chart with each tech having a breakthrough value assigned to it ranging from 12-26
3.  Each power may choose the tech they wish to research
4.  Each power may purchase up to 3 research teams each turn @ 3 IPC’s each
5.  For each research team roll 1D6, add totals. These totals are pertinent to ensure continued research will guarantee results.
It works well for us. I can’t say it’s a total original idea as we’ve pieced the mechanics together from several ideas different forums/games.

Maofator,
That’s a very interesting idea for getting techs into the game.
1 - I take it that if your 3 research teams don’t get a breakthrough, you keep them and can add 3 more next turn? For a total of 6 dice rolled?
2 - If so, what happens if you achieve a tech breakthrough? Do you lose all your research teams and start over again @ 3 per turn?
3 - How do you decide which country gets which techs available to them and what the breakthrough value is for those techs?

I’m thinking of trying this out for my game but would like a little more info if you don’t mind.  Thanks.

Absolutely knp. I guess I should elaborate. :-)  A research team is actually just a single die roll that is expended once rolled, but the result is permanent.

Example:  Germany goes after Jet Fighter construction that has a breakthrough value of 18. The German player buys 3 research teams (die rolls) that result in a 3, 5, and 2; for a total of 10. The 10 points is not enough to gain the tech, but the points rolled are permenant. On the following turn, the German player buys 3 more research teams towards Jet Fighters. This time the results are 6, 4, and 3 for a total of 13. With the previous balance of 10 the German player would have a total of 23 which exceeds the breakthrough value of 18 thus granting the player access to the Jet Fighter Tech.

We play that purchasing tech teams, and the tech rolls happen prior to purchasing units, so new techs would be available for purchase the same turn it was achieved.

As for what techs are available to each power, it’s nearly identical for each power except that each power receives a country spacific tech.

Germany: Jet Fighters
Britain: *Landing Craft
Japan: I-400 Subs w/ Aichi Bomber
Russia: Kaytusha Rockets
US: Flying Fortress Bombers

(* Although not really a British tech we find this has the best in-game application for the unit)

Hopefully, that sheds a little more light on the topic. If anyone is interested I can email some additional detailed info. Just message me with your email.