Alpha+ 1

Some early thoughts on rejigging the naval setup:

1. Move the British BB off India to the Grand Fleet. It has little use where it is, but back home it would just about equalize the initial naval battle (which will become standard German practice as things stand).

2. Compensate Germany by giving it a transport with the HSF. This can then be used to threaten invasions in the Baltic and North Sea.

3. Break up the Turksih navy. In August 1914 Turkey didn’t have a navy, certainly not a modern one.

4. Replace the two Turksih cruisers with German ones (this makes it historically correct; these probably represent the same ships after all). One (Konigsburg) starts in SZ 26 off East Africa. T’other (Goeben) starts in SZ17 or 18 depending on possible tweaks to Turksih and Italian entry rules (see below).

5. I’d really recommend giving Battleships and Cruisers a commerce raiding ability:

If a surface warship starts a turn in an uncontested SZ and does not move this turn, it may fire one shot at any adjacent enemy controlled land tt. The damage is taken in IPCs equivalent to the roll of 1 dice per ship, but no more than the value of the tt being bombarded. Different ships in the same SZ may bombard different tts.

In my test game the German HSF defeated the RN, and is now sitting in SZ 9. The Allies plan to assemble a new fleet in SZ 8 to commence cross-channel movement, with little concern about the German BB & Cruiser sitting off London.
But if the German ships can start bombarding the English coastline they would have to be removed ASAP, completely altering Allied strategy.

Likewise the cruiser off East Africa. It can do little damage down there, but is an annoyance to the Allies and could threaten the Indian transport convoy.

Regarding Turksih and Italian entry. These countries joined the war a little after the other Europeans; nearly a year later for the Italians.

I suggest that they are not considered to be at war until either they are attacked, or their own turn begins. This would mean:

The Goeben could either start in SZ 17, or from SZ 18 move to SZ 20 and the safety of the Turksih minefields without running afoul of the Italian navy. It could then trigger the Turksih war declaration and convert to Islam. This could be part of a general rule allowing A & G to supply Turkey with units in Constantinople and SZ 20.

This actually places the Austrians in an awkward position; do they attack Venice and bring Italy into the war early, and thus cut off the Goeben from reaching Constantinople?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pursuit_of_Goeben_and_Breslau

No power would have seriously considered attacking neutral Switzerland and/or using it as a passage for attacking Italy. For those who doubt that simply read about the 12 Isonzo battles on the A-H/Italian Alp front.

Switzerland must be impassable in this (or any) WWI game.

This has nothing to do with balance. And if, the game is poorly designed.

It definitely seems weird to fight in Switzerland, after decades of playing A&A with it neutral and impassible.

Switzerland must be impassable in this (or any) WWI game.

Yes right. You are only invading it because it is a game and you can, and for whatever reason it benefits the German player due to the map configuration.

In the real world, The kaiser respected their sovereignty as did the rest of the world.

… and the mountains are too high! :-D

Don’t they have nice high speed trains you can take through the mountains?

Yeah, lets have Swiss hover trains as a tech!

Really, I’d make Switzerland a mountainous area, with combat effects making it more difficult to assault. It should also have 6 defenders. Where did 1 come from, when Norway has 4!

of course you could always house rule it to 6.  It isn’t like every Switzerland male has a rifle or anything…

Beats me how they can afford it.

Oh.

That.

@Flashman:

Beats me how they can afford it.

Oh.

That.

I’ll claim ignorance.  What are you talking about?

Big bank vaults?

@Flashman:

Big bank vaults?

Lol.  Got it.