Technology

Also, lol, just thought of this.

General:  Well, well, looks like we finally have a break through in our tank research development…  Mechanized Infantry, you called it?
Researcher:  Yes, sir!  We have our tanks, and…  we let infantry ride on the backs of them to their destination!!!  It will be revolutionary!
General:  MY GOD. 
Researcher:  Yes, as long as our war machine keeps producing enough IPCs for maximum production, and we can still afford to produce tanks, we’re good!
General:  This could mean… dear god, it won’t take two turns to move infantry two spaces anymore!  As long as they’re paired up with a tank!
Researcher:  This is just what we need!  This will win the war for sure!..

Later that turn, the US rolled Heavy Bombers, and promptly nuked Berlin into the Stone Age.  Axis promptly surrendered.

Yeah, pretty bad synopsis of Axis and Allies tech.

Mike, Is that you in the MSU uniform?

Leave it to IL to move a thread about theoretical technologies ON A GAME THAT HASN’T EVEN BEEN RELEASED YET.

Sheesh.  Let us have a little fun with it at least.

@SgtBlitz:

Where is the German supertank technology, anyway?

A good question! I did a lot of thinking about tanks in my rules set. In the real war, the two best tank designs were the Soviets’ T-34 and the Germans’ Panther tanks. Early in the game, the Soviets have the best tanks (3 hitpoints compared to 2 for most other nations, and 1 for Japan’s light tanks). Later in the game, the Soviets can upgrade their T-34s to T-34-85s. This means they’re increasing their combat dice from 2 (which is what standard tanks have) to 3. Another technology–simplify the T-34–reduces the cost of Soviet tanks from 5 PUs down to 4.

Germany can research the Panther tank tech, which makes its tanks have ten hitpoints, roll ten combat dice, and cost 8 PUs each. By the time both nations are done upgrading their tanks, 8 PUs will buy the Soviet player 6 combat dice and 6 hitpoints worth of tanks, compared to 10 and 10 for Germany. I realize that’s an advantage for the Axis, but–trust me on this one–the Axis needs it!

I didn’t include the Tiger tank design in this rules set, because in the real war, a Tiger cost four times as much as a Panther, but was less than four times as useful on the battlefield.

But the Tiger was almost impregnable from enemy fire. There were accounts of some that took 50+ shells from Shermans and the only thing that was damaged were the treads.

@maverick_76:

But the Tiger was almost impregnable from enemy fire. There were accounts of some that took 50+ shells from Shermans and the only thing that was damaged were the treads.

A very good point. The Tiger I had much better armor than a Sherman, and a better weapon as well. It could destroy enemy tanks from long distances, and many kinds of enemy tanks–including the Sherman–could not penetrate the front armor of a Tiger I from any distance.

But the Panther was like that too. Its front armor was actually better than that of a Tiger I. Its main gun–though a lower caliber than that of the Tiger I’s–actually could penetrate thicker armor than the Tiger I’s could. The Panther’s main gun used a very long barrel and a powerful explosive charge to achieve this. The Panther was also lighter and more nimble than the Tiger I. Part of the reason for the Panther’s lighter weight was because its armor was thinner on the sides and on top than was the Tiger I’s. This made the Panther more vulnerable to flanking attacks and aerial attacks than the Tiger I. The combat value of the two tank designs was roughly comparable, with the Tiger I costing a lot more than the Panther.

Later in the war, Germany ceased manufacturing Tiger I tanks in favor of the Tiger II. The Tiger II (also known as the King Tiger) had the sloping armor of a Panther, and not the relatively vertical armor of the Tiger I. It was better-armored, better armed, and heavier than a Tiger I. Despite its large size and underpowered engine, its mobility was comparable to that of most Allied tanks. Its large treads allowed its weight to be spread out over a large surface area; thereby improving performance. This was a truly formidable tank but, unlike the Panther, was never intended to be Germany’s main battle tank. While I have been unable to locate an exact production cost for the Tiger II, I encountered a statement that the Tiger II was significantly more expensive to manufacture than a Tiger I. The Tiger I, in turn, was between twice and four times as expensive to build as a Panther.

Ultimately, Germany planned to cease manufacturing its existing tank designs; replacing them with the Entwicklung Series (E-series) tanks. The E-50 Standardpanzer was to replace the Panther and Tiger I; and the E-75 was to replace the Tiger II. The main intended benefit of the E-series was the simplification of tank design and reduction of production cost. It was also hoped the program would help solve some of the mechanical problems which had plagued the Panther and Tiger tank designs. (Though parenthetically, significant progress had been made on those problems in any case.)

@trackmagic:

Mike, Is that you in the MSU uniform?

No, unfortunately not. I wish I had played pro-football.  It’s Chris Szarka, Canadian born fullback in the uniform of the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.  The Roughriders will be celebrating their 100th anniversary in this 2010 year.  Training camp starts soon, as league play begins in June and the 98th Grey Cup Game, the CFL Championship, occurs in November.  It is professional football.  I had considered using Szarka’s nick name, the Cannuck Truck, as my handle or whatever one’s identity on the forum is called, but decided to go with my first name and year I was born.  I love the Canadian version of the football game and I referee amateur ball in my area in Northern Alberta. I was raised in the province of Saskatchewan and became a devoted fan of the Riders.  I’m afraid I don’t follow American football, college or professional, so I don’t know what MSU is.  [Dare I mention that I am more devoted to my Riders than I am to A&A, and I’m an A&A fanatic having played it since the first MB version.]

I know what you mean. College football in the US is one of my top 3 hobbies (varies between A&A, F1 racing and College football). MSU =Michigan State University Spartans. They have VERY similar uniforms to the one in your picture. My uncle actually went there.

Spartans!
http://blog.mlive.com/spartans_impact/2008/10/large_101808-msu-osu-gamer.jpg

Good to hear you don’t follow college football, saves a lot of time and arguing about certain ranking systems, but that is another can of worms.

The Ultimate Breakthrough Chart

All of these technologies represents scientific breakthroughs that had or could have had a major impact on the course of the war. Using this single breakthrough chart, one can choose any technology you wish to research. To develop improved military technology, you buy researchers that give you a chance for a scientific breakthrough. Each researcher token costs 8 IPCs and will grant you one die that provides a chance for a breakthrough. For each researcher you have, roll one die. You can only receive one technological advance each turn.

Success: If you roll at least one “6,” you have successfully made a technological breakthrough for the chosen development. Discard all your researcher tokens. Your development becomes effective during Phase 6: Mobilize New Units of your turn.

Failure: If you do not roll a “6,” your research has failed. Keep all your researcher tokens and continue to the Purchase Units phase of the turn.

1. Super Submarines
Your submarines are now super submarines. They attack and defend on a 3 and may not be attacked by enemy aircraft when alone or in company with other submarines, unless an enemy destroyer is present.

2. Rockets
Your antiaircraft guns are now rocket launchers. In addition to its normal combat function, during the strategic bombing raid step of your Conduct Combat phase, each of your antiaircraft guns can make a rocket strike against an enemy industrial complex within 3 spaces of it, to attack enemy production. In each turn, only one antiaircraft gun per territory may launch rockets, and each industrial complex can be attacked by only one rocket launcher. On a rocket strike, roll two dice, take the better result to determine the damage done to the industrial complex, i.e. the number of IPCs destroyed by that rocket. There is no defense against this attack.

3. Radar
You now have radar technology that facilitate offensive fighter control. Your fighters on any territory of your control containing an antiaircraft gun, may now defend adjacent territories or sea zones. They can join other defending units or be alone and act immediately in these battles. Any fighthers that you choose to defend in an adjacent territory or sea zone cannot participate in another battle and move back to the territory of origin after the attacker completes the combat phase and before the attacker starts the non-combat phase. If the territory of origin has been captured then the fighter may move up to one space or else be lost.

4. Jet Power
Your fighters (not bombers) do now have jet power. Their attack value increases to 4.

5. Long-Range Aircraft
Your fighters are now long-range fighters, and your bombers are now long-range bombers. Your fighters’ and bombers’ range increases to 6 and 8 respectively.

6. Heavy Bombers
Your bombers are now heavy bombers. You roll two dice for each bomber when you attack or make a strategic bombing raid. On defense, your bombers still roll only a single die.

@Game:

The Ultimate Breakthrough Chart

1. Super Submarines
Your submarines are now super submarines. They attack and defend on a 3 and may not be attacked by enemy aircraft when alone or in company with other submarines, unless an enemy destroyer is present.

Subs by default can not be hit by planes unless the planes attack with a destroyer.  so the only change is there attack and defense value.

Anyway, these are just the techs from Revised, replacing combined bombardment(which has already been done by adding Cruisers) with Radar, an NA

the tech from the Anniversary edition is a better list and works with the new rules like transports, cruisers and the overall monetary value of the game

Man I am giddy for some news about all of this.