Suggestion: OIL consumption & upkeep

[James Ward]

ORIGINAL: cpdeyoung

Gentlemen,

What do you know that I don't?

I am playing a very fine player, who has plenty of ideas for foiling my Red Army, and the Allies enjoying their fish and chips.  Has anyone ever beaten Gary's Axis?  Does he just fold in six months or do I have to find a way to take the VP cities necessary to defeat him?  From where I sit there seem to be many decisions, and a heck of a lot of battle, before that desired end with the Axis in the "garbage".

Has anyone played a campaign to the end against a human?  Who won, how often?  Can I just coast forward in the assurance that this game is won?  Are there mistakes I could make which would cost me dearly?  I am pretty pleased with my position, but Gary does not seem to be folding yet.  What do you think should I offer him terms, or has that "unconditional surrender" edict happened yet?

Remember this is not the AI I am facing, and I think both humans in this game are far from ready to call the victor.  Much more important, we are having a ball.

Chuck

While I am enjoying your AAR, and with no disrespect to either of you, isn't it the end of 1941/beginning of 1942 and aren't the Russians about ready to attack into Poland and Hungary? That doesn't sound like WWII to me, it sounds like 1914! [:)]
While I wouldn't write off the Axis in your game he'll have to go deep into the playbook to hang on for another 100+ turns!

[cpdeyoung]

Dear Marty,

I know where you are coming from, and I have trouble not seeing the position as so different from the historical one, or from previous positions I have obtained against the AI; but it does not feel that way from inside the game. The one and only "Russian winter" is almost over, and I see a lot of 5-4 infantry corps out there, and they are very hard to assault. Everything is so different on the offensive. When I concentrate my forces to try and punch through, Gary surprises me elsewhere, and I am scrambling. Without the heavy PP support from Great Britain I think Germany and the Soviets are about equal in production. Of course, my western allies are stronger than his allies, but one needs a pretty substantial advantage in production to generate an offensive. Your WWI analogy may not be far off, and that means a slow grind to Berlin, with Axis counterattacks thrown in the mix. Gary has not thrown his units into the disasters that plagued Hitler. He may not be able to take a strong offensive posture, but the relative postures are no where near 1944 historically.

I am going to be fascinated by how this actually works out.

Chuck

[balto]

This play balance fantasy is not productive.  Instead of posting 10,000,000 times going in circles, someone challenge me as the Allies using Chuck's house rules and it is impossible to be defeated.  Chuck's rules do restrict the axis.., that is my point.  The game stock.., Allies cannot be defeated., using Chuck's house rules.., still cannot be defeated.  The bottom line is any sort of challenge that does not prevent USA from flooding everyone with PP - the Allies will always win.   Uxbridge solution presently is a huge and ingenius leap towards play balance (where it takes 1300 from USA and gives them pre-searched areas).  Mike and I have not played many turns, but it may turn out that even the -1300 is not enough.  Maybe more, maybe less.  But if you challenge an Axis player without Uxbridge's USA fix and you do not devastate the Axis.., you either suck or you are trying to do exotic things (Greece, etc.,) because you know you are beating the crap out of the Axis and you do not want to just crush the Axis Eastern front three turns after the Axis crosses the frontier.., a sadistic Allied strategy.   Any takers??  Of course there will not be any.

[James Ward]

ORIGINAL: balto
The game stock.., Allies cannot be defeated., using Chuck's house rules.., still cannot be defeated.  The bottom line is any sort of challenge that does not prevent USA from flooding everyone with PP - the Allies will always win.  

Remember there are 3 sides to the game. [:)]

Though I do agree that a few tweaks are in order. It is very difficult to win as the Axis. Either the Western Allies or Russia will win the vast majority of games.

[Michael the Pole]

ORIGINAL: James Ward

ORIGINAL: balto
The game stock.., Allies cannot be defeated., using Chuck's house rules.., still cannot be defeated.  The bottom line is any sort of challenge that does not prevent USA from flooding everyone with PP - the Allies will always win.  

Remember there are 3 sides to the game. [:)]

Though I do agree that a few tweaks are in order. It is very difficult to win as the Axis. Either the Western Allies or Russia will win the vast majority of games.

Which, to my mind doesnt meen that the game is unbalanced any more than complaining that the old SPI Alamo was unbalanced. Its a simulation.
You want balanced, go play chess!