GW Counterfactual Take 3.

[rkr1958]

Turn 5. May/June 1940.

Economics

[rkr1958]

Turn 5. May/June 1940. Production Spiral.

Jul/Aug 1940.

99-Production-1-JA40.png (207.32 KiB) Viewed 799 times

Sep/Oct 1940.

99-Production-2-SO40.png (191.9 KiB) Viewed 799 times

Nov/Dec 1940.

99-Production-3-ND40.png (172.6 KiB) Viewed 799 times

[rkr1958]

Turn 5. May/June 1940. Production Spiral.

Jan/Feb 1941.

99-Production-4-JF41.png (122.16 KiB) Viewed 798 times

Mar/Apr 1941.

99-Production-5-MA41.png (113.05 KiB) Viewed 798 times

May/June 1941.

99-Production-6-MJ41.png (92.62 KiB) Viewed 798 times

[rkr1958]

Turn 5. May/June 1940. Victory Totals.

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99-VT-2.png (22.01 KiB) Viewed 797 times

[jjdenver]

Ronnie, thanks for posting this. Interesting to read. I haven't read it all yet but will load it on my ipad and read it over the next few days.

Near the beginning you mention that the last monthly update was in 2022 and you don't expect any further support for the game. Does that mean you think we won't get any more bug fixes or optional rules implemented?

There are of course some nasty bugs left and also I'd love to see GBA's implemented and USSR-JP peace pact. Reading this AAR is the first time I've heard that there might not be more support?

Also at the beginning you mentioned there might be a situation where the game goes off the rails and has to be abandoned and you asked us to help you avoid that. Can you give an example of what you mean? Like if Germany is preparing to invade USA we should mention that it's a bad idea? Something like that?

[rkr1958]

Ronnie, thanks for posting this. Interesting to read. I haven't read it all yet but will load it on my ipad and read it over the next few days.

Johnny, appreciate that! I've been following your AAR, and the others, with great interest. Good to hear from you.

Near the beginning you mention that the last monthly update was in 2022 and you don't expect any further support for the game. Does that mean you think we won't get any more bug fixes or optional rules implemented?

I'm trying to read the tea leaves on this. I'm just saying out loud what I'm seeing on this site and what my gut is telling me. There's been no official comment from anyone (Steve/Matrix) as far as I can tell on this forum since mid December (4 1/2 months ago). Maybe there's been communication between Steve and his beta testers?

There are of course some nasty bugs left and also I'd love to see GBA's implemented and USSR-JP peace pact. Reading this AAR is the first time I've heard that there might not be more support?

I don't know how far you've read through my AAR, but I'm going to manually implement the GBA optional through game file editing. I feel confident that this is doable, though requires manually making the calculation when a Soviet unit is promoted followed by editing the game file. Doable, but a pain.

Reading this AAR is the first time I've heard that there might not be more support?

As I stated in, Is MWIF on Life Support? Can We Help?, I hope I'm wrong but I do feel we as a community wrt/MWIF are on our own now. I do believe we definitely have the expertise to help each other, continue on and even improve our MWIF gaming experiences but it will take us as a community to do all that.

Also at the beginning you mentioned there might be a situation where the game goes off the rails and has to be abandoned and you asked us to help you avoid that. Can you give an example of what you mean? Like if Germany is preparing to invade USA we should mention that it's a bad idea? Something like that?

Launching Barbarossa in Jun/Jul 1941 whether or not Germany is sufficiently prepared. This happened to me in my last try. With all the house ruled operations that I'm forcing on Germany (i.e., Norway, Greece) I need to show more patience on their part and wait if necessary. I need to accept that my "counterfactual" timeline need not match the historical one and stop trying to force major events (e.g., launch of Barbarossa) to the historical when it doesn't fit.

Constructive criticism on any aspect of my game play is fully welcomed and appreciated. For example, bad MWIF tactics, execution, strategies, etc. You name it. If you see it, don't like it or don't understand it please let me know.

[jjdenver]

Ok thanks for explaining. Ya forcing Germany to go after Norway and Greece. In particular if you make them do so in a historic manner (i.e. don't align Greece) will make it hard for them I think.

As you probably know I think the game generally favors allies and an allied player can usually take a phlegmatic attitude to most happenings in 39,40,41. Where MWIF goes a bit off the rails compared to boardgame WIF7 is that there are no GBA's so taking out USSR which was already too easy now becomes even easier in MWIF. There is no modelling of supply line difficulties as thousands of panzers smash across the Urals.

Anyway I wanted to make one point about GBA's which you are probably already aware of. If you modify the unit to become a GBA that doesn't exactly replicate the effect of GBA's. One other effect that strengthens USSR is that they get "extra" units because iirc the original unit goes back into force pool and can be rebuilt.

So if my wp 7-3 INF is upgraded to an 8-4 wp GBA INF. I can still also build my wp 7-3 INF back again in 2 turns. Gives me more strong units and wp units on the map.

[rkr1958]

Anyway I wanted to make one point about GBA's which you are probably already aware of. If you modify the unit to become a GBA that doesn't exactly replicate the effect of GBA's. One other effect that strengthens USSR is that they get "extra" units because iirc the original unit goes back into force pool and can be rebuilt.

So if my wp 7-3 INF is upgraded to an 8-4 wp GBA INF. I can still also build my wp 7-3 INF back again in 2 turns. Gives me more strong units and wp units on the map.

GBA unit counters are already in the game file. They're just in the removed force pool. When a unit is promoted I will edit the game file to return the unit that's being promoted to the force pool, where it then can be rebuilt. The appropriate GBA will then be edited to replace (i.e., put on map & in location) of the promoted unit. So, barring mistakes on my part, I will implement the GBA optional as written.

There are 12 GBA counters available in the game file: (1) 2 Mot, (2) 3 Inf, (3) 1 Cav, (4) 2 Mech, (5) 2 Arm, (6) 1 Para & (7) 1 Mtn.

I will update in the future my game file editing (capture) document, and thread, to include a section on how to do this.

[rkr1958]

Ok thanks for explaining. Ya forcing Germany to go after Norway and Greece. In particular if you make them do so in a historic manner (i.e. don't align Greece) will make it hard for them I think.

I'm not forcing Germany to go after Norway and Greece but more incentivizing them to do so.

HR19. Operation Weserubung.
The British RN mines the waters along the Norwegian Coast during the Mar/Apr 1940 turn. If the weather is snow or blizzard in the Arctic on the last impulse of that or any following turn then Germany must idle the 3 traded Swedish RPs (or the equivalent) unless Oslo is axis controlled.
On the surprise impulse of a German DOW on Norway:
(1) Norwegian naval units may only be setup in Bergen, Stavanger, Kristiansand or3 Oslo.
(2) Both Norwegian land units must be setup in Oslo.
(3) Germany gets unlimited naval and air actions.
(4) German controlled naval units, including subs, not already at sea may only move to sea areas adjacent to Norway or remain in port.
(5) Germany may NOT initiate a naval search in any sea area and the allies in any sea area adjacent to Norway containing only German controlled units.
Allied corps and army size land units may only embark into Norway through a port. This house rule is no longer applicable after Norway has been conquered.

So Germany could ignore Norway but would lose 3 RPs every turn that ends with snow or blizzard in the Arctic. Historically Germany invaded Norway in early April. In my counterfactual it's late August (late JA40 turn) and Norway still hasn't been invaded. Germany plans to get around to it on a non-interference basis with wrapping up the French campaign and then moving to the Balkans.

HR 11. Breaking the Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact.
The optional rule that makes it easier to break the Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact in the latter half of 1941 (i.e., JA41-ND41) is NOT used. However; Germany may also break their neutrality pact with the USSR if the axis control both Belgrade and Athens.

999-USSR-WAR-7.png (17.43 KiB) Viewed 694 times

so in a historic manner (i.e. don't align Greece)

Do you mean align Yugoslavia by first conquering Greece? If so, that's certainty a consideration but may not be doable given the time & current situation in my specific game.

And, like Norway, Germany isn't forced to invade Greece. They just have to deal with the HR consequences if they don't.

[jjdenver]

Yes that is what I mean. My goodness my brain was not working at that time. Align Yugo by taking Greece by invasion. So nevermind about my Greece comment. If Germany can align Yugo it's a medium-sized win for them.

[Falken]

Hi..

Just wanted to say that please keep posting your AAR-Template revisions as you update them. Although I seem to be the only one downloading them, I have to say, that once I started using it, I can't stop. I can no longer play the game without the template. It helps me think, strategize, and is good for history for future games.

Just wanted to say thanks. For all others, you should try it. The work effort in the spreadsheet is amazing. Just migrated to your version #6, which I think is the latest.

The other cool thing is your notes on "house rules". I try to stay historical, and it's helping a lot for me to stay close to "what was" and "what was feasible".

[rkr1958]

Hi..

Just wanted to say that please keep posting your AAR-Template revisions as you update them. Although I seem to be the only one downloading them, I have to say, that once I started using it, I can't stop. I can no longer play the game without the template. It helps me think, strategize, and is good for history for future games.

Just wanted to say thanks. For all others, you should try it. The work effort in the spreadsheet is amazing. Just migrated to your version #6, which I think is the latest.

The other cool thing is your notes on "house rules". I try to stay historical, and it's helping a lot for me to stay close to "what was" and "what was feasible".

Will do. I'm on rev 8, which I've added several auto report generation features and tabs. I find that it save me a heck of a lot of time. Below are 4 example.

Auto Economic Report Generation. Just enter turn # in yellow cell.
Of course, economic data for all MPs and that turn must have been entered in the appropriate MP tabs.

999-ECON-Example.png (97.09 KiB) Viewed 654 times

Land Combat Report Example (All Japanese LC to date).
I now have 31 metric keys (MK tab) that by entering the enumeration # for a specific automatically changes the header. Also, this report was generated by only having to copy and pasting the global numbers into the LRG (Log Report Generation Tab).

999-LC-Example.png (92.68 KiB) Viewed 654 times

German Ground Strike Example.

999-GSTK-Example.png (99.76 KiB) Viewed 654 times

German Naval Combat Example.

999-NC-Example.png (61.9 KiB) Viewed 654 times

I really need a set of instructions with this rev.

[Falken]

Revision #8... oh wow.. I see future migrations in my upcoming games ... once you are happy with it, just post on this AAR if able.... thanks again...

[jjdenver]

About JP garrison. What is "DC" unit?

Also JP needs HAQ in 43 JA but in 44 MJ doesn't need. Can you explain this more? Why and do I properly understand it?

[rkr1958]

About JP garrison. What is "DC" unit?

Also JP needs HAQ in 43 JA but in 44 MJ doesn't need. Can you explain this more? Why and do I properly understand it?

HR 3. Soviet & Japanese Uneasy Peace in Asia.
The USSR & Japan will meet the garrison requirements laid out in the table below. Units must be within 3-hexes of an enemy (i.e., Soviet or Japanese as appropriate) controlled hex to satisfy these garrison requirements. Any unmet requirement must be remedied as quickly as possible using the necessary land, air and/or sea actions. Neither side can DOW the other until Jan/Feb 1945 (turn 33).

DC = defensive chit, OC = offensive chit, both of which I included for completeness which I'll explain. I built the garrison table below from various 4-map & 2-map WIF scenario at-start forces for Soviet Asia, Japanese Korea & Manchuria. The time epochs are the start dates for each of those 7 scenarios. The first 2 started with no pact between the USSR & Japan. The last 5 scenarios (or time epochs) started with a pact that was struck on the 41 Mar/Apr turn. DC & OC are the number of offensive chits that each would draw at the beginning of a specific scenario. For my purposes (and house rule) these chits have no use. Again, I just included them for completeness.

For me these garrisons and house rule keeps my solo game between China & Japan competitive. One significant reason is having only 2 HQs available for China for 1939 & 1940. That is, they have to keep 1 in Manchuria, along with mot, mil or two, garr, cav, 2 terr. That's a significant number of forces which when moved to China tips the scale significantly in Japan's favor.

I developed this house rule and table below a few years ago because I've always struggled with had to handle the Soviet Union and Japan. I wanted to for some games to force a neutrality pact between them but didn't really want to manually keep track of garrison values, chits, etc. I thought what better way than to let the various WIF scenarios define those garrison values for me because in all the scenarios, the USSR and Japan are at peace and for all scenarios starting on or after 41 Mar/Apr have a neutrality pact between the two.

By the way, I don't see any HQ-A for Japan in any of the epochs?

[jjdenver]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #1. Asian Front.

1. Even through I set up the Chinese (Nationalist) and the Japanese I looked over the situation in northern and central China for a while and decided to "redirect" Army Group Umezu and redefine their objectives.

2. Their focus was shifted to southern China and flanking of the weakly held southern flank to the capture of Kweiling, RP [90,38], Nanning, Kumning and physical closing of the Burma Road.

3. Their initial objectives for the capture of Changsha, RP[86,142] & Hengyang were deferred indefinitely.

4. It's amazing that in even playing both sides I can such an opportunity as I've apparently created for Japan.

Hi Ronnie, if it's ok I'll just comment as I go along. If you think it's "polluting the thread" too much I can try to consolidate more but it might mean I don't comment at all as I can only read in spurts. About this strategy. If JP is going against the natchi I think it's almost always or always worth it to take out Changsha. It's not too difficult, it kills some natchi, and it allows the JP army to "straddle the weather line to take advantage of moving where it's clear so that there isn't a 2-3 turn "pause" when bad weather sets in. Going straight for Kunming sounds interesting (not sure if it's good idea or not) but I think I wouldn't give up so easily on Changsha. Also if you don't like these kinds of comments then just PM me and I'll hold back. I'm interested to read along to see how this turns out.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #1. Asian Front.

1. Even through I set up the Chinese (Nationalist) and the Japanese I looked over the situation in northern and central China for a while and decided to "redirect" Army Group Umezu and redefine their objectives.

2. Their focus was shifted to southern China and flanking of the weakly held southern flank to the capture of Kweiling, RP [90,38], Nanning, Kumning and physical closing of the Burma Road.

3. Their initial objectives for the capture of Changsha, RP[86,142] & Hengyang were deferred indefinitely.

4. It's amazing that in even playing both sides I can such an opportunity as I've apparently created for Japan.

Hi Ronnie, if it's ok I'll just comment as I go along. If you think it's "polluting the thread" too much I can try to consolidate more but it might mean I don't comment at all as I can only read in spurts. About this strategy. If JP is going against the natchi I think it's almost always or always worth it to take out Changsha. It's not too difficult, it kills some natchi, and it allows the JP army to "straddle the weather line to take advantage of moving where it's clear so that there isn't a 2-3 turn "pause" when bad weather sets in. Going straight for Kunming sounds interesting (not sure if it's good idea or not) but I think I wouldn't give up so easily on Changsha. Also if you don't like these kinds of comments then just PM me and I'll hold back. I'm interested to read along to see how this turns out.

Don't mind at all and please continue!

About this strategy. If JP is going against the natchi I think it's almost always or always worth it to take out Changsha. It's not too difficult, it kills some natchi, and it allows the JP army to "straddle the weather line to take advantage of moving where it's clear so that there isn't a 2-3 turn "pause" when bad weather sets in. Going straight for Kunming sounds interesting (not sure if it's good idea or not) but I think I wouldn't give up so easily on Changsha. Also if you don't like these kinds of comments then just PM me and I'll hold back. I'm interested to read along to see how this turns out.

General Umezu agreed with you.

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[rkr1958]

Turn 6. Jul/Aug 1940.

Weather & Actions

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War Log Counts.

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War Directive Counts

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[rkr1958]

Turn 6. Jul/Aug 1940.

Reinforcements.

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Trade Agreements.

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Initiative.

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[rkr1958]

Turn 6. Jul/Aug 1940. Middle East. Allied #2.

Actions.

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War Logs.

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USSR DOW Persia.

02-AL-Middle-East-USSR-DOW-Persia.png (1.63 MiB) Viewed 541 times