Gold mine for new pieces.

@oztea:

Strategic warfare really had no place in WWI

Political intrigue, deal making and deal breaking, revolution and the like were much more responsible for the outcome of the war.

Would the US ever have joined fully without the Zimmerman Note?
Could Italy have been persuaded not to join by the Central Powers?
Could the Marxist revolution have been put down?

I am of the opinion that the US not even be allowed to join the war unless attacked, but their transports be moving IPCs to England and France, would make an attack necessary.

Lets say for instance, US starts with no transports, but are encouraged to build them, and load in each one supplies for the allies.
So the longer the game goes on, the more Germany is going to feel that flow of IPCs into Europe.
Eventually, Germany would be compelled to attack the US transports. Instead of just “US joins on turn 4”

The US was selling to the Central powers just as much as the “Allied” powers in the begining of the war. Remeber Wilhelm was the grandson of Queen Victoria and at first this was seen as just another family conflict between European Countries. Early in the war there was just as much reason for the US to enter on the Central powers side as the So called Allied powers side.

On speculation as to rules, there is also this thread: http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=29102.0

Regarding whether a 1914 game will be a boon for sculpts that integrate with current WW2 era games, I am doubtful. Consider that there is to be no color conformity with other WOTC products (Germany is grey again, and what shade of grey we do not know). And consider that even within WOTC products there is no conformity among sculpts (acromegalic ANZACS), nor thoughtfulness of color selection (chestnut Soviets alongside brown Italians).

@KrisBeKreame:

The US was selling to the Central powers just as much as the “Allied” powers in the begining of the war. Remeber Wilhelm was the grandson of Queen Victoria and at first this was seen as just another family conflict between European Countries. Early in the war there was just as much reason for the US to enter on the Central powers side as the So called Allied powers side.

Wow, could you just imagine the US joining the Central Powers in WW1? Bet the outcome would have been much different.
I had an alternate history story once where the Confederacy won in the Civil War so the US was actually 3 different countries: The Union in the north, the Confederacy in the south and some sort of Western Union west of the Rockies. Due to continuing high tensions between the North and South, the US never entered WW1 and Germany ended up conquering Europe. As a result, there was no WW2 or Nazi Party as the Kaiser retained power.

A possible timetable for nations joining:

Based on 1 turn = 3 months, starting August 1914

TURN ONE:

AUSTRIA (CP), GERMANY (CP)

RUSSIA, Serbia, FRANCE, Belgium, BRITAIN, Montenegro

TURN TWO:

TURKEY (CP)

TURN FOUR:

ITALY (?)

TURN FIVE:

Bulgaria (CP)

TURN SEVEN:

Portugal

TURN EIGHT:

Arab revolt

TURN NINE:

Romania

TURN ELEVEN:

USA

TURN TWELVE:

Greece

Of course any neutral attacked before the scheduled date automatically joins in against the alliance that attacked it.

Too late for USA joining?  Got to give the CP a chance…

I’m not suggesting that every county can be bid for: Turkey would never join the same side as Russia; USA is not likely to attack UK and France.

Most countries (bar Italy) would have a “pro” stance towards one alliance, preventing it from joining the opposition.

I Should’ve added:

TURN EIGHT:

Arab revolt

Regarding pieces - another of my old hobby horses - tank salvage

A high proportion of tanks were captured intact, due to high breakdown levels. Captured tanks can be immediately pressed into service, so maybe each power should have a few tanks of the opposing model.

The vast majority of tanks used by the CP were captured allied units.

Step 1 – Check for New Alliances:
Check to see if any new powers enter the game.  Their forces are immediately set up, and their money is added to the nation that controls them.  This is stated on the set up table.

1. Serbia and Montenegro start as Russian Allies. 5. Romania joins the Allies on turn 6.
2. Italy joins the Allies on turn 3. 6. United States joins the Allies at the end of turn 8.
3. Bulgaria joins the Central Powers on turn 4.                                              
4. Portugal joins the Allies on turn 5. 7. Greece joins Allies turn 9

Too bad Larry said the map only extends to New York and not LA. I was hoping for a Mexican player that could join the Centrals!

@oztea:

Harry Turtledove writes a lot of alternate history that includes a south/North stalemate and it’s implications during WWI and WWII.

And they are awesome

@Emperor_Taiki:

Too bad Larry said the map only extends to New York and not LA. I was hoping for a Mexican player that could join the Centrals!

That would be Awesome!

That would be the expansion map that might include some boxes for the pacific.

If the game has NO’s, The US player should be required to maintain a garrison or lose 5 IPC.

More importantly, the game needs Cavalry and Railguns. Irregular Miniatures or Peter Pig makes a 6 MM Railgun, that is AA size.

Cavalry would have to be 1/72 scale

1/72 is too big. Risk (latest addition) cavalry don’t look too bad.

http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1070

http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1566

http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1026

Some of the 1914 infantry can be used for WWII, for example German infantry (if its the steel helmet type) will be ideal for WWII Chinese Nationalists, Austrians for Chinese Communists, French inf (early type) for Yugoslavs?

@Imperious:

Step 1 � Check for New Alliances:
Check to see if any new powers enter the game.  Their forces are immediately set up, and their money is added to the nation that controls them.  This is stated on the set up table.

1. Serbia and Montenegro start as Russian Allies. 5. Romania joins the Allies on turn 6.
2. Italy joins the Allies on turn 3. 6. United States joins the Allies at the end of turn 8.
3. Bulgaria joins the Central Powers on turn 4.                                                
4. Portugal joins the Allies on turn 5. 7. Greece joins Allies turn 9

I recognize this from many years ago…  :-D

And you will AGAIN, officially soon…

Just wait. And yes. :wink:

I’m hoping the infantry will be early war types; then I could use WWII pieces for late war Elite/Veteran/Stormtrooper units (2-2, promoted not bought).

I suspect it’ll be a mixture: pickelhelm Germans, steel helmeted Brits. The French could be the same sculpts as the WWII version already produced.

But please, not another new shade of brown for Austria…

My impression is that the game as produced will be a little light for some folk here; it won’t seem complete to me without cavalry, bombers, destroyers and at least 2 types of artillery. And, above all, rail transport. I hate to think of the Germans having to build stacks of tanks because the infantry can’t keep up with the armoured rattle towards Moscow…

I agree, which is why they shouldn’t be bought simply because they can move faster than art & inf. At a strategic level they should move at the same rate (i.e. 1 overland, u/l by train), but then this is true for WWII as well.

Tanks should be an expensive breakthrough weapon, produced purely to boost attacks blocked by defensive attrition.

There’s even a good case for tanks being 4 in attack and 0 in defence, but probably it’ll be 3-1.

A possible bonus ability is to negate barbed wire defences. One of the main objectives of artillery bombardments prior to massed infantry attacks was the clearing of paths through wire. If the tanks go through first, assume they clear paths for the infantry on subsequent turns.

Maybe armies can construct wire defences on any internal border? Until it is cut, attacking infantry fight at a disadvantage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbed_wire#In_war