Posts made by lthaut

Hello Axis and Allies community, I’ve started an etsy page to begin selling painted pieces as I work through the various countries for myself. I figured after pouring this much time into figuring out techniques of how to paint these things that others might enjoy the same style of work. I’ll use this forum to post pictures and guides for anyone interested. There’s always more to learn and I enjoy looking through the customization’s to see everyone else’s approach and tricked out game. It’s what got me motivated into miniature painting in the first place.

Thanks rank carcass for the advice. I’m hoping the chessex speckled ones I ordered won’t be too bad but there does seem to be a pretty good contrast such as red dice with yellow numbering.

Chris Henry: it was mostly due to already having a bunch ww2 themed D6 and the players I’m dragging into this game for the first time find it really daunting. Should be fine though and I’m sure after a couple of rounds the game comes naturally. It’ll actually be the first time as a play-through for me as well.

Chessex is a half go. For anyone interested the company can do a small run of 10 for 120 dollars. Unfortunately they must all be the same but as an example a customer could do something like a target symbol for the 1 (similar to HBG’s Amerika), a tiger tank for the the 12, and choose German stylized numbers for the rest. The plus side is that the company has speckled 12 sided dice that I feel match the ww2 theme very well.

Well the Q-workshop is out. Their price point is a minimum run of 50, all the same, for 4.80 dollars per dice. Not bad though if someone wanted to have dice to sell. Chessex can do small runs of 10-12 for a dollar per side. Waiting to find out if each dice in the run can be different.

Yea your right after some thought it really does not convert. I’ve been looking into places to have custom D12 made. Does anyone know if there’s a company that makes WW2 inspired D12 dice? So far I’ve found Chessex that can do custom dice and maybe the Q-workshop which already has WW2 D6. I’ll post price point estimates if anyone’s interested once I hear back from them.

Was wondering if anyone already has a conversion for 6 sided dice to play this game with? Reason: artistic ww2 custom dice….and personally don’t care for D12 systems.

essentially I see this going towards just using G40 with some tweaks. Militia is an easy one; just 1 attack (if it can attack) and 1 defense. Cavalry for its price point probably a 1/1, move 2 unit mostly used to attack partisans. Light tank could be the traditional 3/2 for 5 IPC. For airborne, as they seem useless in the game, could be to throw in the AA DDay rule where they have first strike at least for round 1. Advanced mechanized infantry maybe become a 2/2 unit from a 1/2.

Artillery pairing becomes difficult. I like the idea that all infantry including mech could pair with artillery but from my understanding mot infantry and mech are excluded from this game to pair. Vet infantry also pose an issue. If they were a 2/2 unit would artillery bump them to a 3 like in AA Pacific with the marine infantry or would they be caped off at a 2?

Starts to get tricky with terrain too. Taking from Struggle for Europe and Asia for inspiration there could be a basic rule that difficult terrain (rivers and mountains) negates artillery pairing and armor class units fight at a -1 but can’t go below an attack value of 1.

Thoughts? Opinions?

Here is a rough for the victory points on my map. It may not work with OOB rules but I’m working on two sets of rules to be used with OOB and another with extra pieces. Link for the map is here: http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=38048.0

Number axis have for allied win – historical number – number for axis to win
        Europe pacific global
Turn4 Jun 42 23-31-39 12-18-24 35-49-63
Turn5 Dec 42 24-32-40 12-18-24 36-50-64
Turn6 Jun 43 21-29-37 11-17-23 32-46-60
Turn7 Dec 43 15-23-31 9-15-21 24-38-52
Turn8 Jun 44 12-20-28 7-13-19 19-33-47
Turn9 Dec 44 3-11-19 3-9-15 6-20-34
Turn10 Aug 45 0-(3)-11 1-(7)-13 0-(7)-21
Over Time         Lose-win
Turn11 Dec 45 0-8 0-6 0-14
Turn12 Jun 46 0-8 0-6 0-14
Turn13 Dec 46 0-8 0-6 0-14
Turn14 Jun 47 0-8 0-6 0-14
Turn15 Dec 47 0-8 0-6 0-14
Optional: Japan surrenders if they have 40 or less income after turn 9 and the factory in japan is bombed to its maximum hit points.

Thanks YG  :-)

http://www.mediafire.com/download/kg4t4861cj7j46y/1940_Redux.rar

21600x9901 JPEG 1940 Redux map by lthaut. This file is for nonprofit and intended for original owners of the 1940 global board game only. Developed from Ambilzi & Grasshopper�s G40 map files and the medal system developed from Struggle for Europe and Pacific board game. I’ll still have to refine a medal point system and possible house rules that make the game more realistic to use with the points. There are 100 points total on the map with medals being worth 1-3 points. I have included a JPEG of the medals ranked in order 1-3. Hope you enjoy.

-edited quality level to maximum-

Rules: http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=38159.0

Thanks for the comment YG. I was contemplating that particular side of the issue and I think your right about the unnecessary attention. I feel better about it I’ll just release the map on here next week and hope people enjoy it :-). Would you have any suggestions for those blow up boxes?

…well attempting to get permission a second time on a 1940 map I’ve been working on based off of YG’s. About the only thing left to do with it are blowup boxes. I’m kind of curious from other gamers what you might think are congested areas that would be good for these blowup boxes. The limit is on four boxes for Europe and three for the Pacific. Any feedback would be really helpful, thanks.

Yea I see the logic behind that. I was hoping for an environment like some video game companies have with mods, since the fans are essentially the only thing that keep the game alive. Oh well at least Fall Out 4 comes out soon  :-D. With encouraged mod support. I might pop in here every now and then to post pictures of my personal use custom map with painted units. Might inspire someone else to do something cool  :mrgreen:.

I found a nice painting guide by Flames of War that’s pretty helpful. Not so sure how their own Vallejo color shades will turn out though.

Well this is unfortunate I had to remove the link due to a reply by Wizards of the Coast. I’m going to try to get a more in depth reply from them other than a “we’re unable to grant you permission to use our intellectual property in the manner you have requested”. It’s possible it may have just been over a single issue.

Update: Been pretty busy with University work but almost finished with the final version of the map. I ran into a multitude of problems with the medals and learned more than I ever actually wanted to about Photoshop and military awards. Alternatives also failed as I found the limits of Photoshop and the purpose Illustrator serves if I had the program. I eventually went back to the Close Combat medals since they had uniform lighting and resolutions. I don’t think I’ll be able to find a home for any flash art though so chances are I’m scaling back on the scope of the project.

After the maps out I’ll re-investigate the possibility of a full rules conversion I plan to use and that others might find interesting. Through limited play-testing a couple points of note from changing the movement mechanics was a prolonged battle for the Atlantic and Germany being able to brush the outskirts of Moscow in 1941.

Something interesting that was pointed out to me by a Hearts of Iron forum member was that an alternative win condition can be a definite end date in the game at which point there’s varying degrees of a win for both sides. The PC game Combat Mission has a pretty neat VP breakdown that may or may not be prevalent to this.

< 1.25 to 1 - draw
< 1.75 to 1 - minor victory
< 2.50 to 1 - tactical victory
< 5.00 to 1 - major victory

5.00 to 1 - total victory

Here’s a list of the point break down that is subject to change upon further suggestions. Currently I’m customizing various medal png photos for better resolution and selection. Originally I had Southern France, Northern Italy, Western Germany, and Kiangsu given 2 VP’s so that each country would have a 2nd level medal but these are areas that could definitely be redistributed.

3 VP: Germany, United Kingdom, Russia, Caucasus, japan, western United States, southern Italy, France

2 VP: Southern France, western Germany, northern Italy, Ukraine, Volgograd, Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Iraq, Persia, India, Kiangsu, Philippines, new south wales, Hawaii

1 VP: Scotland, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Baltic states, Poland, Vyborg, greater southern Germany, Hungary, Romania, western Ukraine, Smolensk, Rostov, Vologda, Spain, Gibraltar, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Tobruk, Alexandria, Egypt, Sicily, Greece, Crete, Turkey, west India, Ceylon, Szechwan, Burma, Jehol, Malaya, amur, Okinawa, Iwo Jima, Marianas, Marshall Islands, Coroline Islands, Gilbert Islands, New Guinea, New Britain, Solomon Islands, New Hebrides, Victoria, Fiji, Samoa, Midway, Aleutian Islands

As for how many are needed for a win at a current year I’ll have to go through and mark historical VP then decide the number that goes in both directions that would be considered doing significantly better historically.

I see, while for the most part it’s a direct adaptation from the other board game, it falls more into the historical and political influence based around campaigns and their objectives both axis and allied. I’ve only made minimal changes to redistribution with incentives in mind pertaining to strategies that might be used.

Small points of note to the rational of these changes/non-changes are: Sicily, Vyborg, Ceylon, and Crete worth a point to get them into the game and their historical importance; politically Szechwan 1 point representing the unofficial Nationalist capital and Jehol as the demilitarized zone; Russia broken up to be a fair trade between north, center, and south group (Caucasus worth most points, center for capital and railroad network, north because I feel that’s a tough nut to crack if you take it as the axis); Strict neutrals sometimes being a point if the axis feel lucky or desperate; Amur worth a point for the border wars and incentive to possibly attack the USSR.

Other notes in mind: Normandy not worth points but Holland being 1 point and 3 ICP will probably railroad a more built up defense (while not actually in Holland it’s incentive payoff for invading Calais instead of Normandy). Hong Kong not worth VP’s but worth 3 IPC and possible British base plus port makes it important. Cairo worth only 1 VP because of the intercept with NO’s, canal, and bases. Eastern America not worth anything because I didn’t want to waste VP’s there and I don’t think the Germans went further than long range bomber design concepts to extend out that far.

I should add as an example that say Summer of 1943 is listed as 33-59, means that if the axis have 33 VPs or less then they lose as this represents a significant allied push but if the axis hit 59 or more VPs then they win. The game already kind of starts with this in mind I think as the axis start out with more point valued units but less territory with the opposite for the allies. Another variable strategy to winning can also be grabbing enough VP territory early and if you can hold onto it then you win as the axis player. Also an example of competing victory points can be seen in the pacific as a lot of the islands are worth points around Japans planned defense parameter but the Dutch East Indies are not worth points so it’s a choice to go for NO’s that can help later or go for a VP island campaign.

You are correct LHoffman that it goes along the lines of greater power- greater success and the opposite with lesser power. The two things that I had in mind for this was 1st a sort of prediction to that economic threshold that at a certain point you’ll more than likely win if you have enough IPC and the 2nd was the question of what is an Axis win at which in this case of the VP’s (also how that Struggle board game works) is a competition against the real life progress. Ultimately I think that kind of goes in line with this board game as it’s exciting to see if you can do better than what happened in real life despite just being an abstract game. I’ll definitely have to check out that other thread and catch up to speed.

To answer some of the what if’s I believe an over time could work for this. Say if a player wins and it seems like there is still a chance for a rebuttal then once during the game over time can be called that lasts for 4 turns and win conditions checked after the 4 turns. If a stalemate is reintroduced at the end of the over time then game continues but next win condition that is met is a for sure win. Assuming that a total game can be 15 turns at 6 months taking it up to 1947.

It’s not so much that the Axis win by holding victory conditions and the Allies surrender, it’s more of a win in terms that they were more successful in real life which draws out the war. Hope that answers some things let me know if I missed anything. It’ll definitely be interesting to see what sort of winning conditions HBG comes out with once their 1936 game is available.

Yup the territories are staying mostly intact except for the medals. I think what I’ll have to do is post 2 screen shots side by side, one being enlarged medals, and the second having just one medal at the current size but color coded. I originally planned on the color coding by ripping yellow, orange, and red off of the map to stay within he same color range but as you said makes it less interesting.

The purpose of the victory point system is three fold. My main goal or mission statement sort of speak is to get closer to games like World at War and Hearts of Iron in complexity while at the same time making the play time shorter and still fun. Sounds like competing goals but the VPs accomplish this by ending the old mechanic that once a side reaches an economic threshold they can usually compound statistically into a long drawn out win. I’m not saying that I’m a really good player but this is usually what happens when I play with friends that are equally matched in play styles. Similar to RTS games I think the fun factor drops off once you reach that economic threshold because now it’s just a game of steam roll your opponent. In terms of complexity now there’s various cost benefit choices to make such as do I tactically engage to destroy enemy forces, take a territory for its economic value, accomplish national objectives, or go for victory points? This supports more varied strategies while making useless territories important like Crete, Sicily, Vyborg, and others especially in the Pacific.

How it works is that as the game progresses the Axis have to be in control of less and less territories to win and if they lose too much the Allies win. This more closely reflects the end game stages of chess or checkers. Struggle for Europe and Pacific already had this system in place so it was pretty convenient to see how they distributed the points in this system which I’ve mostly converted over. One point of note though is that because they have a different movement mechanic feedback will probably be necessary to figure out what the right winning number conditions are. So far straight from the Struggle for Europe and Pacific global game the numbers will loosely be in these ranges:

Summer 1942 37(lose) -65(win), Winter 1942 37-64, Summer 1943 33-59, Winter 1943 28-52, Summer 1944 23-40, Winter 1944 17-27, Summer 1945 12-12.