Killer mods Barney!!! I’m eager to check them out. Nice work, as always!
I agree with you Toblerone, on all those points. I pine for a somewhat less cumbersome game, or one that uses more cards and chartboards rather than NOs that you have to memorize and track. The information could be duplicated in the rulebook for easy reference or in case a card is lost, but I favor a box that comes packed with more materials of that sort.
:-D
As to Russia, I feel as you do, they are consistently nerfed, and would be more fun to play with a gradual but regular boost to income, rather than more starting units.
In terms of a reboot, for a 5 man like Classic, I would prefer a game where the primary KGF focus for the Western Allies would be the Liberation of France and conquest of Italy (not the Baltic amphibious hit on G). I have suggested in the past that a starting factory in France might be a way to achieve this, since it would force a more dramatic D-Day, and a more resilient German defense. Right now (and in most previous A&A games) France is designed for the double dip, and light trading. Most competent Allied players will set up their KGF (and even their “cross channel” invasion into France) from Eastern Europe or Scandinavia. And the Berlin hit itself, usually comes from UK/USA in Axis and Allies.
But for a more historical style of play, it would be nice if the Berlin hit, or at least the deathblow to G, came most often from Russia! Russia on a land invasion, not UK/USA on amphibious. And to this end, it would be nice if it was Russia, and not UK, that dominated and determined the balance against G on the eastern front during the KGF endgame.
Its hard for me to imagine how that would work, without a fairly substantial production redesign for Russia, and a more substantial anchor point for the Anglo-Americans in western Europe.
It probably also requires a different focus for Japan, one other than the Center (Moscow/India/Suez), but oriented more against North America/Australia. Even a China focus, as opposed to just steamrolling into the Center for J would be better. I think a Russia boost would work well to this end. Thinking more about the standard 5 man games like Classic/Revised/1942.2 where China is USA controlled (rather than AA50 or Global where China is a separate player nation.) For ease of use and general game flow I favor the 5 man, with Italy under German control and China under USA control. The prospect of a real 6 man might be cool, but I think I’d want something more simplistic than the 7 man AA50 with all those NOs.
I have lots of ideas for a potential reboot, but I think you’re correct in the “just set it” idea.
I think part of what we’re dealing with now in Global is this issue that the game has been out for a while with no fresh successor board to distract us. Sec edition 1940 is fairly similar to the first edition. Over time people have come to see that, absent a dedicated but sub-optimal Sea Lion from G, the situation with Russia is much the same here as on all the older boards. Basically designed for center collapse and the Moscow crush. Russia rarely fights an offensive war during the endgame, unless the KGF is already well under way and succeeding, or if G botched their endgame on a London gambit. This creates a rather bizarre endgame where Russia has a hard time turning the corner, and instead reverts to their familiar “just stay alive and try not to die too soon!” role. The real war looked rather different at its conclusion than most A&A games do, where the Soviet Union came out of the conflict dominating most of Eurasia and contesting the post war balance of power among the Victor Nations.
I think it would be cool if A&A showed a bit more of a nod to the Soviet contribution in World War II. A&A has always been a bit jingoistic in favor of the Anglo-Americans.
:-D
