House Rules/Options Clearing House

[Mardonius]

Gents:

I was wondering if folks might post some of the house rules that they have used in the past or would like to see employed in the future. If we collected these in one spot, as I propose to do here, then we could have a "clearing house" for sharing some good ideas.

Anybody have some house rules they might like to share? Anyone have any options they might want to see encorporated -- eventually -- into the game?

I'll edit this header posting regularly if we get some responses and list the ideas and commentary that come forward.
As I would like to keep the ideas flowing, I would encourage submitters to put forward new ideas/give momentum to posted ideas rather than criticize already posted ideas.

Once we get some ideas out there, I intend to canvas the collected community and prioritze these ideas. The end product, I envision, woudl be a priortized list of Options for Marshall et alias to work on once they have the systemic bugs worked out.



Thank you
Mardonius


Optional Rule For Consideration:

1. "Hard Civil Disorder" Credit: Jimmer

If in an economic phase, a major power collects no home nation manpower (from it's unceded home nation provinces, conquered minors, and (ceded) home nation provinces formerly owned by other major powers), then that player is out of the game. The nation will be turned over to the AI.

Justification: Napoleon didn't have to make mincemeat out of other powers. In most cases, he won only one or two major battles, and then the war was over (with the equivalent of an unconditional surrender, in game terms). This rule will force players to carefully think through whether they want to chance still being around at the end of an economic month. It would make both conditional and unconditional surrenders much more likely to occur.

Commentary on the "Hard Civil Disorder":
a. " True hard civil disorder would give the captured provinces to the nation controlling it and be MUCH more likely to cause surrenders. I may not object to a bad player leaving and the AI taking over as much as I would object to them losing all of Austria to France for example." -- Murat

2. Creation of a New Leader Credit: Murat

Justification: A D ranked "me" leader - someone random that I can name even if it can only command 1 corps (especially if it is a cav leader). In times of peace it lets you stack with a corp in your capital and pretend that you have outwitted your respective monarch into leaving you in charge.

Commentary on Creation of a New Leader:

a. Maybe give each player a few points to spend on Tactical Strategic Tact Max and Cav capability? Credit: Mardonius

From Mardonius' footlocker (too long ago to remember who first came up with most of these:

3. Minor Country Improved Morale with training. Nations have the option of training minors to 0.5 below their own INF and CAV morale. So the French to 3.5 and the Spanish et alias to 2.5. Requires 24 months to effect. $3 of MP income per economic phase. 50% chance of success on initial try; repeat tries allowed every 12 months with continued expenditures. MP must stack a leader with a corps of each minor nation trained for duration of training. North African States may not be trained beyond 2 morale infantry and 3 cavalry.

4. Increased Corps Size. Allow nations to spend money and time to increase certain of their Corps. Must be in a step function to the next largest corps. Increased corps size may never exceed the size of the nation’s second largest infantry corps or the largest cavalry corps. Does not apply to special corps (Artillery, Guard, Feudal). Nation must spend $5 per economic phase for one year to achieve the increased corps size. Only one corps per nation could be increased in size at one time.

5. Increase number of corps a nation can produce. Allow MP and minor nations to spend money and time to increase the number of their Corps. New corps produced are the smallest of that nation’s type, or if that nation does not have that kind of corps (e.g. Prussian or most minor nations cavalry) they are the smallest in the game. Does not apply to special corps (Artillery, Guard, Feudal). Nation may spend $5 per economic phase for one year to gain the additional corps. Only one additional corps per nation can be produced at the same time. No nation may increase their number of corps by more than 50% of their starting number or by one additional corps, whichever is greater.

6. Increase number of depots with expenditures of time and money. Nations may spend $2 per economic phase for one year to gain an additional depot. Only one additional depot per nation can be produced at the same time. No nation may increase their depots by more than 50% of their starting strength.

7. Increase number of fleets with expenditures of time and money. Nations (MP and Minors) may spend $5 per economic phase for one year to gain an additional fleet. Only one additional fleet per nation can be produced at the same time. No nation may increase their fleets by more than 50% of their starting strength or one additional fleet, whichever is greater. Nations that start without fleet counters may not build one.

8. Allow North African Free States to build “Feudal” fleets. Fleets will be of reduced size (5) and have a minus -1 die roll modifier to all combats they are involved in. Count as ½ PP credit each for combat PP. Each NA nation can produce an equal number of fleets as they have corps. Can not provide invasion/coastal supply. NA states may not increase their number of fleets as in (5) above.

9. Improve fortifications with expenditure of time/money. Fortifications may be improved one step by spending $5 per economic phase for 24 months. No fortress may be improved more than one time. No fortress may be improved past 2 flechets (-2 to assault).

10. Improve harbor guns with expenditure of time/money. Harbor defense may be improved 10 guns by spending $2 per economic phase for 12 months. No harbor may be improved by more than 20 guns or beyond 110 guns.

11. Limit use of conquered North African Manpower to the Turks as no other power was able to use their manpower despite repeated occupations.

12. Increase guerrilla geographies to reflect historical realities (Portugal, Naples, Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia, North Africa except Egypt). Active for one year after state is conquered; three years for European countries in North Africa and three years for Turkey in Europe)

13. Allow a +1 PP for making a Free State Free

14. Allow minors to save monies up to $2.

15. Allow a December 1804 (in Grand Campaign) build phase wherein no extra monies can be saved.

16. Reduced naval construction costs. “Heavy Ships” (from Matrix version) can be built for $8. Light ships for $6. These numbers come from some research based around a ration over the $3 INF factor purchase. (I can provide reference links if requested.)

17. Variation on dominant power territories. One (and only one) of the territories required for achieving dominant status may be substituted for any two other territories so long as both of these territories are either contiguous or within two sea zones of a nation’s home nation territory. The combined Money and MP income of the two substitute territories must meet or exceed the combined income of the territory not conquered.

18. Dominant Power Achievement/Loss. A Nation need not be at peace with all enemy nations to achieve or lose dominant status. The nation must only hold or have lost the requisite territories for 6 months.

19. Give one PP to besieger for a fortress/corps garrisoned city falling to starvation

20. Give one PP to defender for a siege being lifted after a minimum of 3 months or for every 3 months the fortress/corps garrisoned city holds out. If the siege is lifted in the third/6th/9th etc month, only 1 PP is gained that month.

21.
It would seem prudent to add a PP when all of the defenders in a fortress/corps garrisoned city die of starvation. Morever, such a starvation is a victory and gives the city to the
attacker, so it would be in line with the PP for a successful storming of a fortress/corps garrisoned city.
Pro as an Option: Neverman, Mardonius

Against: Bresh, Harry Rowland (though could be talked into it), Murat, Delatbabel, Obsidian Dragon, Eske, Hanbarca or pretty much a big chunk of the brain trust....

22. In the box version of the game, DoWs cost 3 pp. In the Computer game, they
cost 4 pp.

This increase derives from Empires in Harm, but in EiH there were many
means of being able to DoW for only 2 pp with a Casus Belli so it balanced
out. As we have no Casus Belli and reduced DoW in EIANW for the PC, it
would seem prudent to revert to the 3 PP cost as the high cost of entering
wars really slows things down, (particularly if you get rid of the PP for
making free states which had served as a counter weight to some degree.)

Pro: Mardoinus, Delatbabel, Borner, Neverman



BREAK TO NEW NUMBERING

Harry Rowland of Australian Design Group approved (my word, he used perferred in the options I put before him) are in bold below:

From my other post:

I was conversing with Harry Rowland of Australian Design Group (one of the original designers of EiA back in 1983) and ran by some options by him. I asked him which options he would be prefer to see in a EiA game, with the aim to getting these programmed into the Matrix Game PC version. His answer -- caveated that he had yet to see them playtested is as follows:

"of those mentioned I prefer 2-8, .... 14 & 16, athough I might be coaxed into some of the others."

So maybe when we get a lag in bug cracking, we can tackle some of these, with these "preferred" options as some of the first.

All the best,
Mardonius


1. Minor Country Improved Morale with training. Nations have the option of training minors to 0.5 below their own INF and CAV morale. So the French to 3.5 and the Spanish et alias to 2.5. Requires 24 months to effect. $3 of MP income per economic phase. 50% chance of success on initial try; repeat tries allowed every 12 months with continued expenditures. MP must stack a leader with a corps of each minor nation trained for duration of training. North African States may not be trained beyond 2 morale infantry and 3 cavalry.



2. Increased Corps Size. Allow nations to spend money and time to increase certain of their Corps. Must be in a step function to the next largest corps. Increased corps size may never exceed the size of the nation’s second largest infantry corps or the largest cavalry corps. Does not apply to special corps (Artillery, Guard, Feudal). Nation must spend $5 per economic phase for one year to achieve the increased corps size. Only one corps per nation could be increased in size at one time.



3. Increase number of corps a nation can produce. Allow MP and minor nations to spend money and time to increase the number of their Corps. New corps produced are the smallest of that nation’s type, or if that nation does not have that kind of corps (e.g. Prussian or most minor nations cavalry) they are the smallest in the game. Does not apply to special corps (Artillery, Guard, Feudal). Nation may spend $5 per economic phase for one year to gain the additional corps. Only one additional corps per nation can be produced at the same time. No nation may increase their number of corps by more than 50% of their starting number or by one additional corps, whichever is greater.



4. Increase number of depots with expenditures of time and money. Nations may spend $2 per economic phase for one year to gain an additional depot. Only one additional depot per nation can be produced at the same time. No nation may increase their depots by more than 50% of their starting strength.



5. Increase number of fleets with expenditures of time and money. Nations (MP and Minors) may spend $5 per economic phase for one year to gain an additional fleet. Only one additional fleet per nation can be produced at the same time. No nation may increase their fleets by more than 50% of their starting strength or one additional fleet, whichever is greater. Nations that start without fleet counters may not build one.



6. Allow North African Free States to build “Feudal” fleets. Fleets will be of reduced size (5) and have a minus -1 die roll modifier to all combats they are involved in. Count as ½ PP credit each for combat PP. Each NA nation can produce an equal number of fleets as they have corps. Can not provide invasion/coastal supply. NA states may not increase their number of fleets as in (5) above.



7. Improve fortifications with expenditure of time/money. Fortifications may be improved one step by spending $5 per economic phase for 24 months. No fortress may be improved more than one time. No fortress may be improved past 2 flechets (-2 to assault).



8. Improve harbor guns with expenditure of time/money. Harbor defense may be improved 10 guns by spending $2 per economic phase for 12 months. No harbor may be improved by more than 20 guns or beyond 110 guns.

9. Limit use of conquered North African Manpower to the Turks as no other power was able to use their manpower despite repeated occupations.



10. Increase guerrilla geographies to reflect historical realities ( Portugal , Naples , Sicily , Corsica, Sardinia, North Africa except Egypt ). Active for one year after state is conquered; three years for European countries in North Africa and three years for Turkey in Europe.



11. Allow a +1 PP for making a Free State Free



12. Allow minors to save monies up to $2.



13. Allow a December 1804 (in Grand Campaign) build phase wherein no extra monies can be saved.



14. Reduced naval construction costs. “Heavy Ships” (from Matrix version) can be built for $8. Light ships for $6. These numbers come from some research based around a ration over the $3 INF factor purchase. (I can provide reference links if requested.)


15. Variation on dominant power territories. One (and only one) of the territories required for achieving dominant status may be substituted for any two other territories so long as both of these territories are either contiguous or within two sea zones of a nation’s home nation territory. The combined Money and MP income of the two substitute territories must meet or exceed the combined income of the territory not conquered.



16. Dominant Power Achievement/Loss. A Nation need not be at peace with all enemy nations to achieve or lose dominant status. The nation must only hold or have lost the requisite territories for 6 months.



Yammahoper's comments on the above 1-16

1) Neat idea.

2-3) The armies in the game are well balanced against each other. Will GB with 3 extra corps and 30i factors really allow them to unvade the continent, or just give some extra corps to throw around the map at minors and bloat their $/MP rating? As things are now, if the nations allow the current Fr to FILL its army to max, then they are done. I feel this option will change the entire balance the game currently has, and not for the better.

4) Why? Do nations need the ability to project power on multiple fronts? As is, supply on defense is easy while invasion is difficult. Being invaded AND trying to invade stretches all nations very thin. The 7 depots works beautifully. No new depots are needed.

5-6) Are these new fleets using EiH rules? if so, what possible good are 5 factor fleets except to give Sp and Gb, even the Tu cheap and easy political points? They cannot carry corps, and (assuming they are light fleets) they cannot provide supply. If the original EiA rules are used, you will now have North African corps spread across the map as they are used to invade the Italys and points further north.

7-8) annoying bookkeeping in a board game, but for a computer game, why not?

9) This rule could work and place a limit on GB it may need. Other options might be to allow a nation MP from only one North African nation, though I prefer the rule as offered (only Turkey, other MP only gain $).

10) I like this one too.

11-13) Eh. I would like to see minors save and spend their money BEFORE they are attacked, then the computer building and deploying all available forces in corps and garrisons. As for saving $ after a MP owns it, Eh. I don't think it would hurt, but I cannot see how it would greatly improve anything.

14) EiA and the computer EiH have fairly balanced economies. Throwing a lot of extra cash into the hands of the brits is only going to give them more $ to bribe with. What is gained here? Will Sp and Fr suddenly be able to build big navies and try the brits? If so, will GB always be inevetiablly defeated after a certain point where they cannot out pace Ru, Fr and Sp naval builds?

15-16) What is wrong with the original "must be at peace with all MP" rule in original EiA? If dominant status is to be created and this rule altered, the XX Months seems a descent compromise, if one is desired (I do not).


DC Whitworth's Comments and New Ideas:

I can see a lot of value in some of these suggestions, however if you are going to start tinkering with the economic aspects as much as that I would suggest taking a step back and completely reworking the economic system.

e.g. Perhaps have it so that the mere fact a corps exists costs money (to maintain the underlying unit support structures so they are ready to go at a few months notice), it costs more to keep it in the field.

The idea that you can have troops on the board for free (in garrisons etc) might need to be addressed too.

Also since most of the ideas are money based there is the issue that the richest nations get more powerful.

Specific comments -

6. Is there any historical justification for this ? Isn't this overstating the likely effectiveness of such fleets ?

12. Why only $2 ? Why not allow then to carry any amount of money forwards ?

13. A neat idea in principle but another case of the rich getting richer. I'd rather give each nation a small amount of fixed reinforcements and a couple of available corps counters.

14. Definitely something that needs to be looked at. I've almost never seem anyone engage in serious ship building. EiANW has made it even worse if anything.

16. I like this. What was wrong with the original "must be at peace with all MP" rule was that I've seen games where (GB usually) will deliberately declare war on someone for the sole purpose of stopping them becoming dominant and then make no effort to pursue the war.

Since you are in suggestions mode I would propose that a rule is needed for additional leaders. What if you're playing with leader casualties and Napoleon gets killed early ? Should another leader appear ? Should an inferior leader be allowed to change his tactical maximum ?

[Jimmer]

How about "Hard Civil Disorder"?
 
If in an economic phase, a major power collects no home nation manpower (from it's unceded home nation provinces, conquered minors, and (ceded) home nation provinces formerly owned by other major powers), then that player is out of the game. The nation will be turned over to the AI.
 
Justification: Napoleon didn't have to make mincemeat out of other powers. In most cases, he won only one or two major battles, and then the war was over (with the equivalent of an unconditional surrender, in game terms). This rule will force players to carefully think through whether they want to chance still being around at the end of an economic month. It would make both conditional and unconditional surrenders much more likely to occur.

[Murat]

True hard civil disorder would give the captured provinces to the nation controlling it and be MUCH more likely to cause surrenders. I may not object to a bad player leaving and the AI taking over as much as I would object to them losing all of Austria to France for example.

Oh and one of my favorite house rules was having a D ranked "me" leader - someone random that I can name even if it can only command 1 corps (especially if it is a cav leader). In times of peace it lets you stack with a corp in your capital and pretend that you have outwitted your respective monarch into leaving you in charge.

[Mardonius]

Here are some that I have collected (only one or two come from me) over the years:

1. Minor Country Improved Morale with training. Nations have the option of training minors to 0.5 below their own INF and CAV morale. So the French to 3.5 and the Spanish et alias to 2.5. Requires 24 months to effect. $3 of MP income per economic phase. 50% chance of success on initial try; repeat tries allowed every 12 months with continued expenditures. MP must stack a leader with a corps of each minor nation trained for duration of training. North African States may not be trained beyond 2 morale infantry and 3 cavalry.

2. Increased Corps Size. Allow nations to spend money and time to increase certain of their Corps. Must be in a step function to the next largest corps. Increased corps size may never exceed the size of the nation’s second largest infantry corps or the largest cavalry corps. Does not apply to special corps (Artillery, Guard, Feudal). Nation must spend $5 per economic phase for one year to achieve the increased corps size. Only one corps per nation could be increased in size at one time.

3. Increase number of corps a nation can produce. Allow MP and minor nations to spend money and time to increase the number of their Corps. New corps produced are the smallest of that nation’s type, or if that nation does not have that kind of corps (e.g. Prussian or most minor nations cavalry) they are the smallest in the game. Does not apply to special corps (Artillery, Guard, Feudal). Nation may spend $5 per economic phase for one year to gain the additional corps. Only one additional corps per nation can be produced at the same time. No nation may increase their number of corps by more than 50% of their starting number or by one additional corps, whichever is greater.

4. Increase number of depots with expenditures of time and money. Nations may spend $2 per economic phase for one year to gain an additional depot. Only one additional depot per nation can be produced at the same time. No nation may increase their depots by more than 50% of their starting strength.

5. Increase number of fleets with expenditures of time and money. Nations (MP and Minors) may spend $5 per economic phase for one year to gain an additional fleet. Only one additional fleet per nation can be produced at the same time. No nation may increase their fleets by more than 50% of their starting strength or one additional fleet, whichever is greater. Nations that start without fleet counters may not build one.

6. Allow North African Free States to build “Feudal” fleets. Fleets will be of reduced size (5) and have a minus -1 die roll modifier to all combats they are involved in. Count as ½ PP credit each for combat PP. Each NA nation can produce an equal number of fleets as they have corps. Can not provide invasion/coastal supply. NA states may not increase their number of fleets as in (5) above.

7. Improve fortifications with expenditure of time/money. Fortifications may be improved one step by spending $5 per economic phase for 24 months. No fortress may be improved more than one time. No fortress may be improved past 2 flechets (-2 to assault).

8. Improve harbor guns with expenditure of time/money. Harbor defense may be improved 10 guns by spending $2 per economic phase for 12 months. No harbor may be improved by more than 20 guns or beyond 110 guns.

9. Limit use of conquered North African Manpower to the Turks as no other power was able to use their manpower despite repeated occupations.

10. Increase guerrilla geographies to reflect historical realities (Portugal, Naples, Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia, North Africa except Egypt). Active for one year after state is conquered; three years for European countries in North Africa and three years for Turkey in Europe)

11. Allow a +1 PP for making a Free State Free

12. Allow minors to save monies up to $2.

13. Allow a December 1804 (in Grand Campaign) build phase wherein no extra monies can be saved.

14. Reduced naval construction costs. “Heavy Ships” (from Matrix version) can be built for $8. Light ships for $6. These numbers come from some research based around a ration over the $3 INF factor purchase. (I can provide reference links if requested.)

15. Variation on dominant power territories. One (and only one) of the territories required for achieving dominant status may be substituted for any two other territories so long as both of these territories are either contiguous or within two sea zones of a nation’s home nation territory. The combined Money and MP income of the two substitute territories must meet or exceed the combined income of the territory not conquered.

16. Dominant Power Achievement/Loss. A Nation need not be at peace with all enemy nations to achieve or lose dominant status. The nation must only hold or have lost the requisite territories for 6 months.

[Mardonius]

Here is another optional rule that can make cities much more like the fortresses that they were:

Assualts on cities can be made by no more than twice the amount of the city capacity. Example: Paris has 5 spires and can hold a garrison of 25. No more than 50 factors may be used in an assault

Here is another one that we used in the board game: Guard may be committed in city assaults as per field battles

[fvianello]

I like the first one (limit on assaulting force size)

[MitchLedford]

Hard civil disorder modification:

Prussia was occupied by France after Jena/Auerstadt but did not surrender until after Friedland. At the time of the battle of Friedland, France occupied what would be the equivalent of all the Prussian provincial capitals. Prussia then was occupied by France until after 1812. Once the occupation was lifted by the Russians, Prussia promptly declared war on France.

I think therefore that if this hard civil disorder is adopted, that Prussia should be exempt from it.