Barney: Playtested your mod some with the AI.
Thought you might appreciate the in depth feedback, since u obviously put a lot of time and effort into the mod. Below are the game notes for ur mod, with my comments in bold
GlobalRedesignT
**In this download, there are a like a dozen different versions of ur map, the differences between which are unclear. I would just keep one authoritative version of your mod, and update it from time to time with all the changes you deem fit to for play testing. **
. . . .
What’s different
NAP Japan/Russia Cost 3 PUs to break the Pact. I would remove this. It is unclear what this “fee” represents, in real world terms, and there are plenty of ways to disincentive war, without imposing arbitrary fees on conduct u don’t want. You already have this with the lend-lease increase, and Mongolian trigger
Mongolians behave the same as OOB. When Russia is at war with Germany and Japan she receives another 2 PU Lend Lease Bonus from SZ 4. The 2 PU lend lease bonus should only apply if Japan declares war on Russia unprovoked.
New/Changed NOs
When Russia is at war with Germany:
“The Great Patriotic War” Theme:Soviet Sphere of Influence. 5 PUs if no Allied units in any original Russian TTs. I like this
“Arctic Convoys” Theme:Acess to Allied Lend-Lesae via the Arctic Supply Route. 2 PUs each if SZs 125 and/or 124 have no enemy warships (all sea units except transports) and Archangel is Russian controlled. Why the addition of sz 124?
“The Northern Trace” Theme:Acess to Allied Lend-Lesae via the Northwest Staging Route. 2 PUs if SZ 4 has no enemy warships (all sea units except transports) and Archangel is Russian controlled. I assume you mean Amur, not Archangel? Should be sz 5.
“Persian Corridor” Theme:Acess to Allied Lend-Lesae via the Trans-Iranian Supply Route. 2 PUs if SZ 80 has no enemy warships (all sea units except transports), French Madagascar, Persia, Northwest Persia are Allied controlled and Archangel is Russian controlled. Simplify this to require allied control of Persia only. Unclear why Madagascar and Archangel are included. Also, since Persia touches Caspian Sea (through which lend lease aide passed, historically) unnnecessary to include North West Persia. For simplicity’s sake, each lend-lease route should be one land territory, and one sea zone.
“Red Advance” Theme:Propaganda Value and Spread of Communism. 2 PUs for each originally owned German, Italian and Pro-Axis Neutral European (includes Scandanavia) territory that Russia controls. This excludes all African TTS, Iraq and Mediterranean Islands. 3 PUs for control of Korea. Is there a historic or gameplay justification for including Korea in the context of WW2? Undermines the goal of discouraging war between Japan and Russia.
“Pacific Island Control” When Japan is at war with any of the Western Allies (excluding Russia) all Pacific Islands valued at 1 or lower receive 1 PU. Controlling Power must be at war to receive bonus.
"UK Convoy Zone"UK receives 2 PUs if SZ 104 has no enemy warships (all sea units except transports). Is there any special/historic significance to this sz that isn’t already captured by the convoy zones in 109 and 119?
“Strategic Islands” When at war with Japan, US receives 3 PUs if the Allies control Midway, Wake and Guam.
“Strategic Islands” When at war with US, Japan receives 3 PUs if the Allies control Midway, Wake and Guam.
“Island Conquest” 2PUs for conquest of any 2 value Pacific Island TT or less, excluding PHIs.
“All Island Conquest” adds the rest of the Pacific Islands to the “Island Conquest” NO after turn 4.
**The Pacific island objectives seem more-or-less like you’re just trying to make the islands worth 1 PU each. The result is a bit convoluted. Why not just make them worth 1 PU each. Or, if you want to use national objectives to get the desired effect, they would be structured the same way existing OOB Nos are. For example:
USA
� 3 PUs if USA is at war and controls Midway, Wake Island, Guam.
� 3 PUs if USA is at war and Allies controls 3 of: Marshall Islands, Caroline Islands, Paulau Island, Marianas.
Japan
� 3 PUs if Japan is at war and controls Midway, Wake Island, Guam.
� 3 PUs if Japan is at war and Allies controls 3 of: Gilbert Islands, Solomon Islands, New Britain, New Habrides.**
Removed NOs
Russia Controls Berlin for 10 PUs
Japanese Strategic Defense Perimeter, control of Guam, Midway, Wake, Gilberts and Solomon Islands for 5 PUs
Territory Value Changes
Sierra Leone is now Pro Allied Neutral (it still shows up as true neutral).
ABs and NBs
ABs are required to build fighters, TBs and bombers. Bombers may only be built in TTs with originally owned starting factories. The additional restriction on bomber production seems unnecessary, since you already require an airbase to build them, and spamming strategic bombers from newly constructed minor factories is not really a problem with the game. The less special rules the better. So Germany may only build bombers in Western Germany and Germany. Germany must also have a AB. May not build at a AB with 3 or more damage.
NBs are required to build all naval units. BBs,CVs,CAs and Escort Carriers may only be built in TTs with originally owned starting factories. These TTs must also have a NB. May not build at a NB with 3 or more damage.
Primitive Terrain
Non Coastal Asian and Soviet Far Eastern TTs all land units may only move 1. Air units exempt. Once you’re out of China and past the Urals, Novosibirsk and Kazaksthan movement restriction ends. Discussed on page 8 of this thread. Note: If you don’t start in a primitive TT you can move your full movemnt including moving through primitive TTs. Primitive TTs are editable.
New and Modified Units
Bomber A3 +1 when paired with fighter 1:1, D1, M6 +1 with AB, C12
Tac Bomber A4, D3, M4 +1 with AB. No boost when paired with fighter or tank. Why do tac bombers have a higher default attack value than strategic bombers? Are these changes really necessary. What are they designed to addressl?
AAgun A0, D1, 1 AA shot at up to 3 planes for first rd of combat only, M1 no restrictions, C5. Game starts with these.
AAgun1 A0, D0, 1 AA shot at up to 3 planes for first rd of combat only, M1 no restrictions, C4.
CruiserAA A3, D3, M2 +1 with NB, C10. 2AA shots for first combat rd only. Only 1 shot per plane max. Bombard 2. Game starts with OOB Crusiers only. OOB crusiers bombard at 3. Why the reduced bombard? Also, if going to give cruisers AA capabilities, just make it 3 planes, so its consistent with existing AA guns. Is there any reason why it would be only 2?
Escort Carrier A0, D1, M2 +1 with NB, C9, may carry 1 fighter or tac bomber. Has anti sub capability same as DD. Love this unit, especially. Don’t understand giving it destroyer capabilities when regular aircraft carriers don’t have them.
Transport333 Same abilities as OOB transport except may carry 3 inf or 2 inf and 1 other land unit. (will also carry 2 heavy land units which is not intended). Use caution when purchasing as they have the same image as OOB transport. Since u’ve changed some initial unit placement, would it be better to simply remove the OOB transports from the board completely if ur going to increase transport capacity? Also, see below, for discussion of Marines below
Militia A0, D1, M1, C2. Limited by country. Discussed on page 3 of this thread. May only conquer Completely empty TTs. No infrastructure. Includes primitve. Consider making the restrictions on the number of militia uniform across all factions.
Flying Tiger Same abilities as fighter. When ending turn in Chinese controlled TT it changes into a Chinese fighter. US starting PHI fighter is a Flying Tiger. US may only have 1 Flying Tiger at any time. May fly over and land in UKP TTs when US is neutral. Cool
Marines Same as infantry except +1 during amphibous attack. Artillery bonus stacks. So A3 with artillery on amphibous attack. Limited by country. Japan 4 US 6 UK 1 UKP 1 ANZAC 1. **Rather than putting faction-specific limitations on the number built, consider increasing the cost to 4 or 5 and giving the marines the added benefit of being able to travel 3 to a transport. So your standard transport can either carry the usual number of infantry/big units, or 3 marines. Can be accomplished by giving transports 10 carrying capacity, making marines 3, infantry 4, other units 6. **
Very impressed with what you have accomplished here. Keep up the good work!