My group never really got into tech rolls b/c we keep introdusing new guys into it and it just seems easier to leave that out for beginers. Now we seem to be at a point when it could come in handy.
What advice do you veterans have for this? Do you wait further into the game before spending you hard earned IPC’s on tech? Or do you always buy one or two chances throughout the game?
Thanks in advanced,
LT
This is in the classic forum, so I’ll keep my thoughts on classic only.
I wait, personally, until Japan and/or Germany or Russia or whatever is so over crowded with infantry that any frontal assault is dubious. (After a while, a single bad round can really kill the attacker/defender.)
Then I go 4 dice for tech the rest in bombers until I get heavy bombers.
The problem is, in classic, tech is a crap shoot. So you could get something lame like Super Submarines that you don’t need at that point.
under those rules i eliminate option 6 because it ruins the game, instead if you roll the 6 twice you can choose the tech you want, whereas rolling techs 1-5 just give you that technology.
I was reading on the Caspian sub group that tech shouldn’t even be an option on a short term game.
What do you think about useing it on a longterm game?
LT
These ideas you got are valueless, because strategy is adaptation to what the other person is doing. To place finite ideas such as “you will commit to technology only on long games and avoid it when the game will be short…” has no bearing on reality. On turn one your opponent may go tech and get lucky…and if you don’t match soon its possible you will lose, so if your following a ‘script’ that some bloke made…then your following a silly checklist written down and NOT enjoying a fun game because your worried if your not following the script somebody else wrote.
My advice is to write your own script and commit it to memory and just have fun. Don’t play other peoples ideas on what to do because the game has not been solved and their are many ways to win the game and it has not been solved by any means.
That advice could go for life as well.
IL,
I wasn’t trying to go “based on someone else’s script.” I was just wondering if other players incorperated tech rolls into their games. My group never really did b/c we were always introducing new players to the game so we left this variable out until we felt comfortable moving to that level of game play as a group.
I am simply looking to see how others use or avoid this option in their games.
LT
ok fair enough. On the old CD rom game tech was an option you can toggle off presumably for that reason.
IL,
I have grown to enjoy our “disagreements.” The reason being is we both explain our side and see the other persons point of view. This is how debating is supposed to be even if we don’t end up taking the other persons stance on that matter.
So please don’t think I have attacked (or plan to attack) you. I just enjoy the fact we can discuss our points of view here in a casual setting.
LT
No of course not. It never crosses my mind until you mention it. I am always passionate about my views. I don’t care if people agree or disagree, but its my job to make sure they are not twisted or misunderstood for their intentions.
Tech rolls make no sense. The only useful ones are heavy bombers and long-range airplanes.
We have been using Axis and Allies Classic in our summer gaming class for 5 years now, and also for the War and Diplomacy class for a longer period. Some of the kids are experienced gamers and some are not. In most classes, we average about half and half. We have not had any problems with the new players using tech rolls, probably because we play in teams of two students per country and try to pair new players with experienced ones. Normally, the most experienced players get Germany and Japan. How well the Allies do depends on how well the three teams cooperate. So far, we have had about as many Axis wins as Allied wins. We have also had several cases of the Allies being saved by the proverbial bell as the class ends for the session.
Overall, tech rolls do not seem to present any problems to new players, and rarely do we have to intervene and say that they are spending too much on them. Normally, just the reverse.
Wow that was some very interesting insight.
Thank you,
LT
i never really bothered attemping any tech. even if i managed to roll a 6, i never got the tech i nominated. very frustrating!
When my friends and I first started playing A&A we always went for tech, it was a race for who could get heavy bombers and win the game. Of course we also built huge silly stacks of infantry in Moscow and Western Europe and used America as nothing but a fighter/bomber factory for UK. Later on we never went for techs, they were not removed from the game, but there was no time to waste the IPC’s on a “maybe” since every single IPC was needed. For Germany that was one less tank to throw at Russia, or one less transport for the UK. Whatever the reason it was just not a good investment.
What’s really funny is we got a new player for our group last week and he was tech crazy, it was like a fever that quickly spread and soon I was rolling for it every turn like a little kid. I ended up with jet fighters and rockets with Germany for the first time in years and I felt like a kid at christmas!
Anyway, techs are cute and can change the game, but really if it comes down to it they are a luxury for those who have IPC’s to spare, and if your enemy has IPC’s to spare then your not doing your job buddy.
Danger Mouse,
I think I am in your boat. It would be great to have but it is playing a lottery.
LT
