House Rules - which are non-negotiable for you?

[pbiggar]

Which house rules do you insist on to ensure a good PBEM game? I am thinking about another PBEM game in the future and would like to so a survey of House Rules to make a better game.

The overriding rule should be not to do anything gamey, but that is open to interpretation.

Let me know which rules you insist on as Japan or Allies to ensure a good game.

[Chris21wen]

Again a human only one. Pay PPs to move restricted ground units out of their restricted area although I do allow a one hex grace. Anything else commonly associated with house rules I can live with.

Against the AI, lots but mainly centred around sticking to history.

[Sardaukar]

As I play exclusively against IJ AI, I try to have following rules anyway (AI does not mind cheating):

- PP must be paid when moving restricted units out of their area (e.g. China, India etc.)

- no 4-engine bomber naval attacks below 6000 until 1943 (skip bombing was invented then using B-17)

- no naval attacks below 1000 ft before 1943 (skip bombing), attack bombers and fighter bombers are not restricted

[pbiggar]

Any comments from people on sweep height restrictions or land troop massing? Not more than 500,000 men in a hex?

[Chris21wen]

I would absolutely never use either.

I usually play against Allied AI. Apart from the PPs I always let the Allied AI do it's thing when it comes to invasions by severly limiting naval attack missions. Basically once I can see the allies routing ships withing range of bases bombers etc I stop using them. The AI is pretty crap at assessing threats and coveering it's backside.

I also restrict research to more or less historical ground. Any research being carried out at game start has to be completed before that factory can change a/c type. Once researched your free to change as you will. My hypothesis is you now now the flaws in the a/c. If I was designing this game that's how I would set up research anyway.

[Yaab]

I play against Japanese AI and use many house rules. Some of them can be used in PBEM games.

- no fuel as cargo in xAK ships. You can use a hard rule (never transport fuel as cargo on xAK ships) or a softer version (only xAKL with smallest cargo capacity as allowed to transport fuel as cargo in emergency tanker role). This puts greater emphasis on TK/AO ships which, in my games, get more DD escorts, which leaves fewer DDs for offensive actions.

- 2E/4E bombers cannot perform Ground Attack missions in frontline hexes. You can use only LB/DB/FB/F and TB with bombs there. This simulates CAS missions. The game has no friendly casualties simulated for bombing ground units horizontally from 2E/4E bomber formations which leads to unrealistic losses from air 2E/4E bomber raids. There is greater emphasis on training LB/DB/FB/F and TB pilots in Ground Attack skill, which slows operational tempo in my games.

[Chris21wen]

The fuel one I've never seen the point so would never use it. IRL fuel was transported in barrels especially to small bases.

[RangerJoe]

The fuel one I've never seen the point so would never use it. IRL fuel was transported in barrels especially to small bases.

The Avgas, diesel, and the Mogas are considered supplies, the fuel in the game is considered the fuel for the ships and the heavy industry.

[Chris21wen]

The fuel one I've never seen the point so would never use it. IRL fuel was transported in barrels especially to small bases.

The Avgas, diesel, and the Mogas are considered supplies, the fuel in the game is considered the fuel for the ships and the heavy industry.

Not exclusively and it's not something I've ever worried about and never will.

[bradfordkay]

A personal one I have used as allied player is that in the initial months of the war I allow no unit to accept replacements (aircraft, equipment, etc) until supply convoys from either the west coast or Cape Town have arrived at a port from which those replacements can reach the unit needing them. The exception would be commonwealth units in the CBI, which can take replacements from India.

[Chris21wen]

Just remembered another after being clobberd by the AI, agian. It's the AI so it is what it is but against a human no. No HB attacks against a TF, height maybe negotiable. Yeah I know about skip bombing but there is no skip bombing in the game.

[btd64]

A personal one I have used as allied player is that in the initial months of the war I allow no unit to accept replacements (aircraft, equipment, etc) until supply convoys from either the west coast or Cape Town have arrived at a port from which those replacements can reach the unit needing them. The exception would be commonwealth units in the CBI, which can take replacements from India.

How many months....GP

[bradfordkay]

A personal one I have used as allied player is that in the initial months of the war I allow no unit to accept replacements (aircraft, equipment, etc) until supply convoys from either the west coast or Cape Town have arrived at a port from which those replacements can reach the unit needing them. The exception would be commonwealth units in the CBI, which can take replacements from India.

How many months....GP

As long as it takes to get a supply convoy from the west coast USA or Cape Town to the area in question. It is acceptable to me for a convoy to start in a closer location if that location has received a large convoy from the origin bases. For example: Pearl Harbor receives a convoy from SF. It can then send a smaller convoy to Canton Island and units there can now upgrade. Cape Town sends a convoy to Tjjilatjap, so units in Soerabaja can upgrade a day or so later.

[Tanaka]

Which house rules do you insist on to ensure a good PBEM game? I am thinking about another PBEM game in the future and would like to so a survey of House Rules to make a better game.

The overriding rule should be not to do anything gamey, but that is open to interpretation.

Let me know which rules you insist on as Japan or Allies to ensure a good game.

I've put these together over the years:

HOUSE RULES:

Stacking Limits Used

No super deep invasions turn 1 (15 hex limit).

Allies: No infantry transportation in AK/AKL. (no such restriction for the Japanese since they were a lot tougher with their own men)

Allies: No daytime PBY torpedo attacks

Transport fuel/oil only in TK, AO and in dedicated fuel/oil capacity of some xAKs.

Allies: No full speed off-map movement.

No CV Hunting turn 1.

Dec 7: Allied orders limited to ships out at sea and not at bases. No new Allied TF creation and no orders to air and ground units outside China.

Paratroopers: No fragments. Landing concentrated at one base.

No sub invasions.

Only allow landings/invasions at dots hexes or bases.

Units cutting retreat must be a realistic size of brigade or above; What does cutting retreat mean = surrounding a hex completely with units and no direction to escape.

All PT Boats in the same hex must be in the same task force.

Minimum 4 ship task forces if multiple task forces in hex.

Maximum mission altitude for fighters restricted to band with maximum maneuverability.

Only strategic night bombing (city attack missions) (no airfield or port attacks)

No night strat bombing until 1944. 3 squadrons 44. 4 squadrons 45. 50 planes max. 1 squadron per hex. No China Strat bombing.

No crossing borders without paying the PP costs for moving units of restricted commands.

Exceptions: American units can move freely in Canada, and Thai units may move freely in Burma and Malaya. Thai forces can leave Thailand for any purpose to a max 4 hexes from the Thai border. Same for Indian troops within 4 hexes of Indian border.

No ”gamey” air unit resizing using carriers. (i.e. using Akagi to resize a squadron to 80 aircraft) LBA Air group resizing via carriers limited to max 36 planes / air group.

Allies: Army 4E bomber altitude only 10,000 ft or higher.

Army aircraft low-level naval attacks under 2000ft only by designated "attack" bombers (no restriction for Navy planes).

Allies: AVG must remain in Burma or China.

No switching land unit to air HQs etc. to do this cheaply. Must pay PP.

"Tanks only" attacks limited to one attacking tank unit.

No using training to dodge sweeps to ambush bombers.

No Jakes on subs.

No using reserve mode to avoid movement penalties from air bombardment.

In general no "gamey" cheap tactics.

[bradfordkay]

Which house rules do you insist on to ensure a good PBEM game? I am thinking about another PBEM game in the future and would like to so a survey of House Rules to make a better game.

The overriding rule should be not to do anything gamey, but that is open to interpretation.

Let me know which rules you insist on as Japan or Allies to ensure a good game.

I've put these together over the years:

HOUSE RULES:

Stacking Limits Used

No super deep invasions turn 1 (15 hex limit).


Dec 7: Allied orders limited to ships out at sea and not at bases. No new Allied TF creation and no orders to air and ground units outside China.



No night strat bombing until 1944. 3 squadrons 44. 4 squadrons 45. 50 planes max. 1 squadron per hex. No China Strat bombing.


Army aircraft low-level naval attacks under 2000ft only by designated "attack" bombers (no restriction for Navy planes).

Allies: AVG must remain in Burma or China.

I don't agree with the house rules of yours that I left visible in this response.

The Dec 7 turn restriction on allied air and ground units is a little off. The units in the Philippines, NEI, Malaya and Burma had knowledge that the balloon had, indeed, gone up being that daylight arrived there several hours after the PH attack. The fighter squadrons in the PI had been up on CAP but were in the process of landing/refueling when the Japanese bombers arrived over their airfields. I can accept not allowing Asiatic Fleet forces to sortie, though they could have done so.

Several of the strategic B-29 night bombing raids in 1945 were larger than 50 aircraft, the largest being nearly 280 aircraft.

Many (most?) of the low level attacks on Japanese shipping were done by B-25s, which are not listed as attack bombers in the game.

I feel that the AVG could be used in Assam to protect the bases that are used to fly supplies to China.

These actions do not fall under a "gamey" description, IMO.

[RangerJoe]

The first low level naval attacks were by B17s. However, it was felt that 2E bombers were good enough for that and the 4E bombers had better jobs to do.

[LargeSlowTarget]

Good list, Tanaka-san! I agree with most, but not all. In any case, a nice basis for starting pre-PBEM negotiations.

[Tanaka]

Good list, Tanaka-san! I agree with most, but not all. In any case, a nice basis for starting pre-PBEM negotiations.

Thank you LST! Please tell me the ones you disagree with! I am not set in stone with all of these just collected over the years!

By the way I just found out my Grandfather served on LST 1018 during the war and your forum name immediately came to mind! My Mom remembered him always calling them Large Slow Targets! LST 1018 was involved in the Western New Guinea operations, Morotai landings, Leyte operations, Tacloban, San Pedro Bay, Mindoro, Phillipine Isands...

[Tanaka]

Which house rules do you insist on to ensure a good PBEM game? I am thinking about another PBEM game in the future and would like to so a survey of House Rules to make a better game.

The overriding rule should be not to do anything gamey, but that is open to interpretation.

Let me know which rules you insist on as Japan or Allies to ensure a good game.

I've put these together over the years:

HOUSE RULES:

Stacking Limits Used

No super deep invasions turn 1 (15 hex limit).


Dec 7: Allied orders limited to ships out at sea and not at bases. No new Allied TF creation and no orders to air and ground units outside China.



No night strat bombing until 1944. 3 squadrons 44. 4 squadrons 45. 50 planes max. 1 squadron per hex. No China Strat bombing.


Army aircraft low-level naval attacks under 2000ft only by designated "attack" bombers (no restriction for Navy planes).

Allies: AVG must remain in Burma or China.

I don't agree with the house rules of yours that I left visible in this response.

The Dec 7 turn restriction on allied air and ground units is a little off. The units in the Philippines, NEI, Malaya and Burma had knowledge that the balloon had, indeed, gone up being that daylight arrived there several hours after the PH attack. The fighter squadrons in the PI had been up on CAP but were in the process of landing/refueling when the Japanese bombers arrived over their airfields. I can accept not allowing Asiatic Fleet forces to sortie, though they could have done so.

Several of the strategic B-29 night bombing raids in 1945 were larger than 50 aircraft, the largest being nearly 280 aircraft.

Many (most?) of the low level attacks on Japanese shipping were done by B-25s, which are not listed as attack bombers in the game.

I feel that the AVG could be used in Assam to protect the bases that are used to fly supplies to China.

These actions do not fall under a "gamey" description, IMO.

Thanks for your input! This is just my collection I put together over the years and are all up for debate and discussion!

I think the rule for the 50 aircraft limit was because more than that was just too devastating in the game...

[RangerJoe]

So no Army fighters and/or fighter bombers can do strafing runs while also dropping bombs on ships?