Alpha +3.0.beta project

It is not a bad idea, which would ensure Germany went in with all 20 available ground units on G1, rather than grab Normandy or S France, which some do.
Unfortunately, the two French units in the UK are a necessary aid to preventing an easy G3 Sealion. Those 2 units are meant to represent Polish and Czech units which have fled to the UK. They could, of course, be changed to UK units, rather than eliminated.
Have you tried playing with this revised French set up?

Hey Baldo,

keep in mind the 2inf 1ftr in the UK are there for a reason.
I think their main purpose is to give London better chances against Sea Lion, without giving the UK better attack opportunities early on.

Simply removing them from the UK will doom London. ‘Dunkirk’ cannot be done with this game (system, setup). Maybe if you move the BEF from Paris into Normandy as well as adding a French TRS in sz109?!

If this still spells doomsday for the UK just add another French inf/art and a tank in Paris. If Germany destroys both armies in Normandy and Paris G1, the setback must be a lesser shot at Sea Lion for balance purposes, otherwise Germany will just always do this and then Sea Lion for the win.

There also were several French Battleships and a carrier active when France fell. I think the French ships in AA are also just there for balance purposes because it was a complicated situation regarding Vichy France, Free France and the French fleet and to make up for the fact that the RN was much bigger historically.

First of all Global 1940 takes place immediately after Dunkirk. This means that Nearly all British and French armor is gone as they left it behind to the Germans in operation Dynamo to retreat to Britain. Speaking of operation Dynamo, the whole point of there being French troops in Britain is to represent the Thousands of French soldiers that retreated across the channel to Britain from Dunkirk. So the only thing you can really change for historical accuracy is taking out the fighter From UK, but even then there were plenty of Free French air crews that helped out in the battle of Britain after France fell. After Dunkirk, all British and French forces in northern France (and therefore Normandy-Bordeaux in global) were destroyed or retreated to Britain. This includes Infantry so a buffing of Normandy with infantry will give no more historical value to the game than extra tanks in France would (by the way French and British tanks were absolute crap compared to Germany’s Panzers). And if you remember the British actually attacked the French Mediterranean fleet after Paris fell because it was too strong to fall into German hands (the French actually had a number of Battleships in the Med) In global I find the starting position of France to not be in need of much change. With that being said, If your going to change French starting units in a way that would benefit historical accuracy (and possibly game balance) focus more on inf in France and Southern France. As I have said before, almost all of British and French tanks in Europe were completely wiped out as they were almost exclusively stationed with forces in the north for the main offense into low Countries which were destroyed when Germans Blitzed through the Ardennes cut them off in Dunkirk pocket. So to represent this I believe you should swap out the french tank for another infantry or artillery (same with British tank in France). As for southern France, French Military supplied a great number of divisions along alpine wall (Italy) and to a small degree facing Pyrenees mountains (Spain if it decided to join war with Axis)Which is in the global territory of southern France. While they were still outnumbered in the actual war, they weren’t nearly as depleted as they are in global. Considering the fact that it is worth 3 and more importantly is an NO to Italy, I think the 1 inf you were going to send to Normandy would be much better suited in Southern France considering the huge Italian (and German) force that can take it round 1. By no means do I believe that there are no changes that are needed to be made in the name of history regarding France or any power (Inf in FIC, diff China rules, stupidly long bomber range, etc.) And by no means am i saying your suggestions are ridiculous, in fact, I encourage for there to be historical changes to global and love to hear ideas like these. I challenge you to find me a way make Americas income more accurate (and fair). Or, if your hyped up about the French, try and make a simple rule to represent Vichy and Free french forces. I look forward to hearing your ideas Braccon :)

Good luck.  Last year I played around with trying to create a Poland/France variant using the existing Europe map and striving for historical troop strengths.  I worked out ratios for armour, mech, and inf divs as well as arty, AA, and fighters and bombers.  I came up with some rules for initial neutrality and mobilizing France, annexing Denmark and other territories, etc.  (There was lots of limitation on seazone moves…only a few specific things were allowed until 1940 era.)  It was pretty complex as I had the Finns, Norwegians, Eastern Poland, Bessarabia and some other areas involved as well.  I play tested it a few times hoping to get something together that had potential.

It didn’t work out…  Giving extra turns to do all this either creates a German powerhouse or cripples it.  In chess it would be called a very “sharp” position.

Poland capitulated rapidly, but could put up a one turn defense before Russia took Eastern Poland and Vyborg (from Finns).  France still succumbed, the question was whether or not it could delay or cripple Germany.  The UK could choose to go all in putting troops and air in France, but a Dunkirk style evacuation was also possible of limited French and UK troops.  There were map limitations in doing/representing all of this.

What I did get out of the exercise is that it would be an interesting game to create a custom made 1939 map and scenario to represent the initial German (and Russian) expansion and resistance.

@BluGerman:

This includes Infantry so a buffing of Normandy with infantry will give no more historical value to the game than extra tanks in France would (by the way French and British tanks were absolute crap compared to Germany’s Panzers).

From what I’ve gathered some of the French tanks weren’t that bad and they were numerous.  Germany didn’t have all that many of its best Panzers available yet.  Half its force was thin skinned/under gunned I’s and II’s.  They couldn’t penetrate the armour of some of the French tanks.  However, the French tanks had issues with reliabilty, speed, lack of radio, and overloading the tank commander.

The real German advantage was in superior generalship, command and control.  They did a great job of employing combined arms.

I like the sound of that NO, except a one off of 5 might prove sufficient. Italy needs to have its NO’s clipped(interesting pun) as it can grow to preposterous strength income wise when compared to the UK.
A Battleship would be more reasonable too, but replace the DD or CR, not add it to them.

We do have to return to the non question of Vichy, of course. It so well and good giving France what it is due, it is another removing it when its capital falls.

I hope you are having fun with your venture. I shall follow it with interest.

@bracconebaldo:

Still don’t know how to do with infantries
and plane in london…but wait…when i’ll finish every set up…

You could simply leave them there ;-). Sounds like they are perfectly in place since Dunkirk indeed has already happened (if 1 game turn = 6 months, entire first half of 1940 must have been done) and there are the czech/polish ‘armies in exile’.

Stronger French navy sounds fun but very sharply at the point of balancing/unbalancing the game… You don’t want to give the oportunity for early DDay without decent American investments.
So where to add what.

Possible German control of the French fleet was a nightmare for the Brits. If it was a real possibility is a different discussion I think. What matters to me is what followed: in operation Catapult UK attacked/boarded French ships everywhere from the English ports all the way down to Alexandria.

As a possible simulation of this with simplicity and balance, the French navy could be at least as strong as the Italian navy and upon the fall of France Germany gets control of it (replace it with German ships).
The RN must ofc be stronger as well to deal with this, giving her at least the tools of launching Operation Catapult if the UK so desires.

Some French ships went on fighting as Free French after all this but I think it is too far away from simplicity if this has to be simulated as well.

Morning. Italy, my native country!
Obviously, it is  easy to comment on your changes, but could prove premature without knowing all  the nations’ changes to better perceive if overall balance has been overturned. despite this, I realise you wanted accuracy over balance.
I could agree with you over the Bomber, but would rather see a swap for a Tac as Italy developed into a nation with a reputation  for  good Torpedo Bombers. The one real strategic bomber was never developed in any sort of number.

I am not sure giving another Mech is that  accurate either. Italy’s African forces were very static, hence their poor showing in the vast and quick moving desert campaign.

Subs,  I agree with you. Italy was very famous and adept with the mini sub. Not sure about placing one off East Africa. Do you know of some stationed there?

Thank you once again for your time and efforts. I am interested.

About submarines…yes we had some of them in AOI bases.
Ok. Thanks.

Italy should really not have any Mech, but one gives some variety.
The only mech units would have been intrinsic to the one(good) armoured Division, the Ariete.

Planes up to you. I think having two Fts helps combat UK’s Taranto on T1, so might be necessary. See what others think.

NOs: I think fewer!
A rampart second Roman Empire annoys me, it is so ridiculous a notion.
We Italians are peace loving, pasta eaters and football watchers, with no time to spare for warfare.

This is in response to both Italy changes and Atlantic UK changes

Italy: I like it historically, but balance wise i am scared. Italy is really the only minor power in the game that can grow into a great power (specifically by taking Egypt and border European nations) and I am scared taking away strat bomber and tanks will limit its ability to become a major power. But hey, i haven’t played Italy with this setup so i may just be crazy :p (and the extra subs will probably counteract this anyways)

Atlantic UK: Love it…. absolutely love it… maybe not the inf in normand-… nope… France is gonna fall anyways so another inf in Normandy wouldn’t really do much, so dare I say your changes are PERFECT… That UK NO is SSSOOOO needed to add on to the lame ass UK NO OOB and It made my day when i saw it in your changes…

Fantastic Job and I can’t wait to see more :)

@ShadowHAwk:

@BluGerman:

Also Subs are pretty easy to kill it is not like they can hide like in the real war

actually subs are perfect at hiding. If there is no destroyer in the area the sub cant even be attacked at all by anything (given of course that you were smart enough to opt to submerge your subs)

You’re not there yet, but I have supportable opinions about some things on the Pacific board

The battleship in Z37 is presumably to represent the Prince of Wales (and the Monitor or whatever, if memory serves) but those capital ships were not sent to Malaya/Singapore until 1941 (again, if I remember the research I did awhile back correctly).

Australia is absurdly over-powered and arguably should not be a separate playable power.  Not sure if 2 infantry in Egypt is actually enough, though.  From what I read, Australia had more of a presence in North Africa than Australia itself.  Anyway, 3 fighters for ANZ (compare this to Germany or Italy or really any power on the Europe board) is ABSURD.

Chinese fighter is also…… a joke.  Flying tigers didn’t exist until 1942.  I thought this game started in 1940.
3 aircraft for India is no doubt too much also.  Basically Pacific powers have too much compared to Europe powers, even after the “aircraft reduction” plan Larry did after the laughable disparity that was OOB.  Japan had like 25 planes and Germany about 6 or something - it was stupid.  Anyway, the disparity is still there.
Major complex in India is ridiculous as well.
Somebody suggested a mid-level complex that builds 5 be introduced to the game (costs 20 to build), and this would be ideal for India.  Problem with Minors and Majors is there’s no in-between.  Big difference between 3 and 10 units…

You can’t change the title of the thread, but I think you should go ahead and consider it Alpha 4  :-)
Or “player’s edition”.
You’re doing great work (putting a lot of thought into things) from what I’ve seen.

If it helps you at all, peruse some of the brainstorming ideas I’ve had (and this reflects some input from others, so far), available here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhOB4pSke42ydGh6d2NwRDJRRzBteEsyU1EtNGhXVUE#gid=2
There are different tabs at the bottom (I have ideas for NO’s as well, for example)

I will probably be incorporating some of your starting setup ideas - maybe you would like some of my ideas too, who knows

Makes sense to share ideas and help each other develop a better G40.