suggested house rules for RHS

[Mistmatz]

As the title said I'm interested in learning more about that.

There are many commonly used houserules around eg regarding 4E production, unit upgrade, NavAttack heights and so on. Are there rules that should be added or skipped due to the nature of the RHS mod, or is it best to go with the same rule set one would go with a game of CHS?

In particular I'm interested in your opinions for a 7.x, RHSCVO game. Pbem of course.

[el cid again]

This is covered to some degree in the RHS manual.

There is a primary house rule meant to simultaneously do away with the need for a lot of house rules and at the same time create some uncertainty about what the other side might be up to? This rule is:

if you don't think the historical commander whose decision you are simulating would do it, don't do it

There is a special case for this rule in my view as well

if it is not physically possible to do IRL, don't do it (because clearly the historical commander would not do what could not be done)

Many of the house rules used by many players are based on confusion about history. A clear example of this is the "don't upgrade to four engine bombers" rule: that was the rule rather than the exception IRL - so the rule is a mistake. However, the Tag Team discussion of house rules did produce a variation: never upgrade a 1 engine aircraft directly to a 4 engine aircraft: the unit must go through a two engine upgrade step first. And while I hate to tie players hands, it seems to me that going from 1 engine to 2 engines one day and 4 engines the next is unreasonable. But since that is a violation of the primary rule (if a real commander would not do it, don't you do it) - I don't need to say this as a rule. Anyone who you do not trust to get this sort of thing right cannot be a good opponent anyway: you are bound to run into gamey stuff.

In spite of the above: (1) a rule meant to substitute for most house rules and (2) an opinion that a lot of house rules are a bad idea, nevertheless there are some RHS house rules which are mandatory:

a) Armored trains must move on a rail line (duh). If they retreat off a rail line, they may only move directly back to the rail line, not some other direction, or not move at all.

b) In RHS Level 7, Aden is a meta base, and is off limits to Axis attack. So are the two shipping tracks leading to Aden. Note this does NOT say Muscat is off limits nor that the entrances to the shipping tracks are off limits - and that is quite deliberate.

c) In RHS Level 6, the map edge shipping track is off limits to Axis movement or attack. Period. Note however this does NOT mean the Panama mini map or the ship tracks from the Eastern Pacific to it are off limits - JUST the map edge ship track - from the Panama Box to the Indian Ocean entry point. Axis units may never enter any hex of the track nor may air units be set to attack units in the track (air units near the track must be range limited to prevent such attacks).

d) In RHS Level 7, the Axis MAY enter the ship tracks between the Indian Ocean and the Madagascar mini map - but ONLY with vessels CL and below in size (including submarines and transports and auxiliaries). There is also one ambiguous case: a seaplane carrier might be classified as a carrier and excluded, or as an auxiliary and permitted to enter - and only the AXIS player knows which classification he has used. Air units on both sides IN the ship tracks between the Indian Ocean and Madagascar must range limit their air missions to 1 hex. Air units in the Indian Ocean near the Madagascar mini map - or in the mini map itself - must be range set so they do not cross the "barrier" between the maps - but they MAY enter the barriers themselves. That is, an air unit on Madagascar may not set a range greater than the distance to the nearest barrier hex which borders the Indian Ocean. but it may patrol/attack any unit closer than that, even inside the barrier.

e) In RHS Level 7, the Axis MAY enter the Panama mini map and the ship tracks to it from the Pacific Ocean (just as they can in Level 5 or 6) and there is NO restriction about the size of ships that may do so. However, air units in those tracks are treated the same way as case d above - range must be set to 1. And air units in the Pacific or Panama are also treated as in case d above - they may not cross the barrier and actually enter the other map - but are limited to the width of the barrier.

f) In RHS Level 7, the Axis may not enter the map edge ship tracks between the Madagascar mini map and the Panama Mini map. That is, no Axis naval unit may ever enter any hex of hex row 149 ever. Nor may an Axis naval unit enter any hex row 131 or greater in the ship track/barrier area on in the Southeastern map area. HOWEVER, Axis air attacks/patrols are permitted in hex row 149 from Capetown to the SW map corner. ALSO, Axis air units in the Pacific Ocean are permitted to enter the ship tracks in the Southeastern map area - but not to CROSS such a track into the Caribbean Sea - nor to ever enter any hex of hex rows 147, 148 or 149 where these are ship tracks. ALSO, Axis air units in the Panama mini map may enter the ship tracks OR cross Panama and attack units in the Caribbean sea.

g) In all Russian Passive Scenarios (CVO, RPO and AIO), the Axis may not invade or attack the Soviet Union in such a way that the Soviets are not activated. If ANY attack is made on the Soviet Union by a human Axis player, that player must insure that Soviet activation is triggered by also invading in the right place to cause that to occur.

[Mistmatz]

El Cid, thanks for your elaboration on RHS house rules.

I have a question regarding the 4E bombers though. In stock and CHS and probably other mods as well, unlimited upgrade to 4E bombers is often considered a game breaker (despite historical accuracy).
Now I'm wondering if in RHS the 'game breaking' will occur as well if there are no rules to prevent that. Going from 1E to 2E and finally 4E over a certain time (how long?) seems to be a solution, but maybe there are other effects to consider.
For instance how about allied economy? Is the RHS mod set up to prevent a big wave of 4Es due to factory/supply limitations or does the modelling of the aircraft makes them a little less effective as other mods?

Trying to find a good solution (aka house rule) for an upcoming RHSCVO game. Looking forward to your input.

[el cid again]

I think the 4 engine bomber controversy is bogus at its heart. But perhaps I was too harsh to think that way: maybe it was a real problem pre RHS. We killed uber bombardment (both by bombers and by battleships) in its tracks by using a square root of effect function for anti-soft value. [2/3 of square root if an AP bomb or shell; 1.5 times square root for a mortar]

Since you are right - conversion to four engine bombers is historical - it should be allowed. But in RHS the tag team agreed not to go from 1 engine directly to 4 engines - for pilot skill reasons. Instead, you convert to 2 engines for a period of time in between.

Another factor in RHS is that our two engine bombers often are superior for some missions. These include torpedo bombing, and attacks with great gun values/rockets. A B-25G or H may be preferred for anti- shipping missions - as indeed may a two engine Japanese bomber - and I don't think a player is wise to always use 4 engine bombers just because they are available. In the latest scenario - a long term Japan enhansed one in which the war was planned longer than since July 1941 - the Ju-88 has such a load and accuracy (as a dive bomber) Dili worried it might wipe out everything in its path. And in other scenarios, the Ki-48 II is a dive bomber - and it carries two 550 kg bombs- no piker at all. Two engine bombers should not be regarded as inferior - just different- and not everything is best done by a 4 engine plane.

[mlees]

I am fiddling around versus the Japan/AI in RHSCVO level 5. My best shipkillers is the Hudson. The Vildebeasts are doing very well, too, once their exp goes over 60-sumthin. The B-17D isnt too shabby, but the low replacement levels means I have to rely on mulitple plane types to try and present a semblance of resistance to the Japanese.
 
The 250lb bomb appears plenty effective against DD's (when they finally hit) and merchants.
 
(I thought I was doing well, until Singapore fell. Now I'm getting spanked by air raids led by 85+ zekes. Ugh.)
 
I also do not use air units with less than 55 or so exp, except for the dutch. This limits my redeploying the stuff starting in CONUS quite a bit.
 
But anywhoo, the aircraft pools that I see when I press the "upgrade" button do not show an abundance of 4 engine stuff yet. (I am in Mid Feb, '42)