Historical Mod

[Aranthus]

I had mentioned this in another thread, and TrogusP96 had asked me to post this, so here it is. To use it, first copy the original game files and save them to a secure location. Then copy and paste the individual Data and Bitmap files into the folders that Wif uses. Don't just copy and replace the folders, because what I have posted here are only those files that I changed. This mod uses the graphics from the Kif mod and the three country mod that recolored Spain, the Netherlands and one other country. I have not included all of those graphics files. Please note a few things about this mod.

1. It is intended to be historic while being at least a little playable. It is heavily balanced against the Axis. They didn't lose the real war by accident, and this mod reflects that they actually had no reasonable chance to win.

2. It is a first draft, so some things are missing, such as unit descriptions, and also some of the graphics are fudged.

3. It has not been tested.

4. It is not written in stone. In fact, there are several things that would need to change. Among them:

A. US production is too high, even though it is more historically accurate (In terms of how production is measured, it should be twice what the game portrays). The reason is that while some US units should simply be better than their Axis opponents (US battleships), they were also much more expensive. A South Dakota should probably cost 3/6 rather than 2/5. Since that is hard coded into the game, the only way to balance that out is with reduced US production. Also, much of the American advantage was that their forces were so much better supplied than the Axis, and that also is not directly reflected in the game. If you don't want to mess with US production then you should not copy the Standard Map TER.CSV file.

B. US late war bombers are probably too strong, so I will need to scale them back a little.

C. US early land unit factors should be reduced to somewhere between the original numbers and this mod.

[Jagdtiger14]

I read somewhere that the US economy was 2xGermany plus 2xJapan...I'm not sure when that would be?...I would say 1942, 43, 44.

[tom730_slith]

After playing several solitaire Global Wars it seems to me that the Axis also simply does not have the man power to conquer - control - and continue conquering as one would hope. Because of this I ALWAYS try to align ALL the Balkan states, including Yugoslavia plus find a way to get either Turkey or Spain (or both!) on the Axis side.
It's amazing the difference it makes when you can have Hungarians, Rumanians, Yugoslavians, etc as occupying forces - especially in occupied Russia!
I even tried a game with Vichy responding more belligerently to the Mers-el Kabir attack and being a "co-belligerent" with the Axis. They mainly protected French colonies and harrassed CW shipping and Naval units. Plus of course they allowed Axis forces to go thru Syria to get at Egypt and later Iraq - as historically but with better results.
Either extra ground units (including HQTRs) or extra Naval units or both are really needed. With the right combo of both and some good strategy (and luck) the Axis can make the world a very ugly place!

[Jagdtiger14]

Tom: Not sure if its coded yet in MWiF, but in the board game there is the Ukraine option. All of Ukraine is partisan free for the Axis, and the Ukrainian forces are plentiful!

[brian brian]

The game pretty much gives away logistics - one Convoy Point in each zone across the Atlantic keeps Ike's Army Groups in supply. Some of the US production is hidden in playability simplification.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14

Tom: Not sure if its coded yet in MWiF, but in the board game there is the Ukraine option. All of Ukraine is partisan free for the Axis, and the Ukrainian forces are plentiful!

It isn't coded yet.

Taking the option as Germany has a big downside.

9.8.7 The Ukraine
This optional rule simulates a possible political decision that could have been made by either Germany or the USSR. Neither of them made this decision, so it is purely a "what if" optional rule.

The Ukrainian army represents the forces that could have been raised by both sides if a more tolerant attitude had been displayed towards the Ukrainians. At the start of the game, all Ukrainian units are removed from the game.

At the start of any Peace step, the major power controlling Kiev can expend an offensive chit to create the Ukrainian minor country.

If an Axis major power creates The Ukraine, Germany must destroy 1 of each type (militia, garrison, infantry, motorized, etc) of SS corps on the map or the production circle (owner's choice). If a corps of a type isn't on the map or production circle, 1 of that type taken from the force pool must be removed from the game instead (owner's choice). If the German player refuses to do this, then the Ukraine is not created.

When the Ukraine is created, all hexes in The Ukraine controlled by the creating side become Ukrainian home country hexes. As more hexes in the Ukraine become controlled by the creating side, they immediately revert to Ukrainian home country hexes.

All hexes in the Ukraine controlled by the other side remain under their (i.e., the other side's) control. However, their status changes to conquered Ukrainian hexes (except for Soviet controlled cities which remain part of the Soviet home country for supply only, and even then only until occupied by an Axis controlled unit).

Immediately upon creating the Ukraine, the Ukrainian militia is placed on the production circle to arrive as a reinforcement in the following turn. The remaining available Ukrainian units are added to the force pools and may be purchased from now on. In future years, as more units become available, those units too are added to the force pools. Soviet militia from cities in the Ukraine are removed from the game if they are not on the map. And if they are on the map when the Ukraine is created, then they are removed from the game when they are destroyed (i.e., they do not go back into the force pool).

Once created, the Ukraine is treated as a separate minor country with Kiev as its capital aligned with the installing major power (e.g. all blue factories are available to the owner, Kiev is a secondary supply source, etc). It can be conquered and liberated in the same manner as any other minor country.

Before the Ukrainian minor country is created, Soviet (not Ukrainian) partisans may be placed there. As soon as the Ukrainian minor country is created, remove all partisans in The Ukraine. Soviet partisans may no longer be placed there. Instead, whenever a roll for partisans in the Soviet Union is called for, you also make a separate roll for partisans in The Ukraine. The partisan number in the Ukraine is 10 and only affects enemy major powers (i.e. equivalent to the green partisans on the Partisan table).

For example, the Soviets control Kiev in May/Jun 1944. At the start of the production step, they expend an offensive chit to create the Ukrainian state. All partisans in the Ukraine are removed. During the next partisan step, the Partisan table calls for partisans to be rolled for in the Soviet Union. You would make two rolls, one for partisans in the Soviet Union and one for partisans in the Ukraine.

If a unit controlled by an Axis major power (except Ukrainian) enters or declares war on The Ukraine, the USSR can break the Nazi-Soviet pact during any Allied declaration of war step.

[Jagdtiger14]

Yes, it has its downside. But over-all its considered too pro-Axis and not played with often...for me only once and it was in a tournament situation (worked out well).

Personally, I like it. I'll gladly negotiate for it as the Axis player.

[Centuur]

I don't know if this one is pro Axis. The loss of some of the SS units, together with the 15 BP's of an offensive chit is pretty high. The Ukrainian forcepool isn't that good at all (apart from the HQ). I think it depends a little on what the year is and the number of factories railed out of the country by the USSR.

[Jagdtiger14]

The extra production makes up for the O-chit...although a BP today is more valuable than a BP tomorrow.

No partisan's in the Ukraine nation, plus using the Ukraine units for anti-partisan duty in USSR (most SS units often see front line combat). If you plan ahead you can give up lessor value SS units.

The HQ is HUGE in my opinion if only concerning supply issues.

[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14

The extra production makes up for the O-chit...although a BP today is more valuable than a BP tomorrow.

No partisan's in the Ukraine nation, plus using the Ukraine units for anti-partisan duty in USSR (most SS units often see front line combat). If you plan ahead you can give up lessor value SS units.

The HQ is HUGE in my opinion if only concerning supply issues.

It's the extra production that is somewhat questionable. For as long as the Ukraine isn't created, the Soviets will rail out a blue factory each impulse. They will probably prefer to rail out Ukrainian factories before moving the Leningrad factory to the east. This is because they lose valuable production for the rest of the game, instead for only a couple of turns. And it would be a bad Soviet player, if you can conquer Kiev in the first turn of Barbarossa...

[tom730_slith]

ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14

Tom: Not sure if its coded yet in MWiF, but in the board game there is the Ukraine option. All of Ukraine is partisan free for the Axis, and the Ukrainian forces are plentiful!

I had asked about this when I first got MWIF. I played the board game years ago and thought having the Ukrainians on board for the struggle in Russia was a big help. Most folks thought the trade off of SS units was too much of a cost, but since it isn't coded yet for MWIF it really is a moot point. In the board game version how many Ukrainian units appear immediately and how many have to be built? Is the HDQTRS there immediately? Let me know if you have the answers. Also, if a Moderator knows what we can expect when the code gets finished that would be cool as well.

[Courtenay]

ORIGINAL: tom730

ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14

Tom: Not sure if its coded yet in MWiF, but in the board game there is the Ukraine option. All of Ukraine is partisan free for the Axis, and the Ukrainian forces are plentiful!

I had asked about this when I first got MWIF. I played the board game years ago and thought having the Ukrainians on board for the struggle in Russia was a big help. Most folks thought the trade off of SS units was too much of a cost, but since it isn't coded yet for MWIF it really is a moot point. In the board game version how many Ukrainian units appear immediately and how many have to be built? Is the HDQTRS there immediately? Let me know if you have the answers. Also, if a Moderator knows what we can expect when the code gets finished that would be cool as well.

The rules for the Ukrainian option are in the manual. They have not been implemented yet, but the rules are in the manual.

No optional rules will be coded for a while. There are still bugs to gotten rid of.

[Jagdtiger14]

It's the extra production that is somewhat questionable. For as long as the Ukraine isn't created, the Soviets will rail out a blue factory each impulse. They will probably prefer to rail out Ukrainian factories before moving the Leningrad factory to the east. This is because they lose valuable production for the rest of the game, instead for only a couple of turns. And it would be a bad Soviet player, if you can conquer Kiev in the first turn of Barbarossa...



_____________________________ Peter

Normally, the Odessa factory gets blocked from being railed, but if the Soviets put a bunch of units at risk, they could get it out. The Soviets have 4 factory rails...say its M/J...that last one is on Allied impulse 8.

Depending on weather and depending on the units USSR is willing to risk, Kiev can fall in M/J (if that's the first turn of Barb)...it normally does in our games, although we do not play with the Ukraine option so there is no rush. In our games, the Soviet player is normally not willing to risk too many assets west of the Dnieper.

[Centuur]

It depends a bit on the decisions made in the Balkans by the Axis. I tend to claim Bessarabia with the Soviets ASAP, which means that the Germans can only prevent this by attacking Yugoslavia on the third impulse of the game. If that happens, you are right that the Odessa factory is difficult to rail out by the Soviets.
Attacking Yugoslavia also means that Germany is telegraphing it's intentions towards the Soviets that a Barbarossa 1941 is very likely to happen.

If I claim Bessarabia with the Soviets, I'm always able to rail out the Odessa factory. And a good Soviet player should not allow a Barbarossa to start in early M/J 1941. But that last thing also depends on what the Japanese are doing regarding the Soviets. A Japanese - Soviet war has advantages and disadvantages on both sides...

[AlbertN]

I am not entirely sure of the "good" of Ukraine. To me it seems a huge investment which will hardly pay off over time. Unless the Soviet forces are already tattered and broken - which I doubt by that stage.

[Jagdtiger14]

The one time I played with it, I was Germany and it seemed to work out well for me (see post #9). It was a tournament game. The Soviets made a fatal error though and I caught them in a war vs Finland while I had a M/A'40 DOW on them. So I cant say it was a real test. I really liked the HQ, and had no trouble with partisans.

Oh, and as for the Odessa factory, beware German PARA on the surprise impulse. Often its not worth getting out the Odessa factory when compared to the loss of Soviet units if they are out there on this mission...although the factory in Odessa has greater value if the Ukraine option is in play.

[Centuur]

You are absolutely right about the PARA, especially if it can use an Italian ATR...

[brian brian]

If you want to add a small item to the mod for historical purposes, change the control of Si-An to the Nationalists, as they held it throughout the war, more worried about Mao than the overstretched Japanese.

[Aranthus]

Thanks. I will confirm that, and add it, if it can be done. I think you can do that with some of the map files.