Last Patch? Final change suggestions

[WanderingHead]

Were there any other major tech advances for uboats that might be more reasonably in 1942?

If it were in in 1942 the probability would need to be lowered. Say 15%, then the cumulative probability is
Wi42 15%
Sp42 28
Su42 39
Fa42 48
Wi43 56
Sp43 62
Su43 68
Fa43 73

Or, the '43+ research bump could be increased to 6+die(4) like some of the other events.

[Lebatron]

Well if your interested in adding a new U-boat event how about adding one called improved batteries. It could start in 42. Yet I would prefer it to stay at 20%. As I stated above, I could live with the snorkel event staying in 43 but would like to see it receive the higher range of free points like the LST event. Going from EV4 to EV5 needs more than just a 3 point bump.

I agree with MA that the current 1+d4 or 6+d4 bumps could use a little extra muscle. However I would prefer more base and not more randomness. So I feel the d4 works well enough. We should start with at least +2 more on the base.
3+d4 and 8+d4 seem like a good starting point. But I would even support 4+d4 and 9+d4 if others felt it needed it. This second option is closely related to MA's suggested amount but without using a d6.

[Lebatron]

ORIGINAL: Marshall Art

I may have been mistaken by the new feature that is in GG 3.0 and projected it into the stock scenarios. However to allow unrelated events to activate in the same turn is a good idea regardless in what scenario. Hope you agree at least on that [;)]

Yes in some cases I do use that when it's important to not have a minor event block an important response. Like in the case of Portugal getting invaded and Spain responding.

[Lebatron]

Refreshing my knowlege on the subject, I would say that my suggestion should be reversed. I would have the snorkel event start in 42(small size bump) and place the improved battery one in 43(large size bump). The improved battey tech event is based on the type XXI. It's key improvement was a battery capacity 3x better than Type VII. Also it could travel faster underwater than on the surface. Of all the tech events that could be tied to the development of the Type XXI I would say one refering to battery tech would most apply.


If you were looking for a third tech event for U-boats. I would suggest one based on the developement of pattern running torpedoes. This event could give incentive to go from trop 3 to torp 4. 

[SGT Rice]

From a play balance perspective I'd like to offer a little feedback from the first round of the Lightning Tourney. The new transport rules make it significantly more difficult for the WA to carry out the basic function of transporting men, supplies and resources around the planet.

In a 'normal game' of AWD (a fictitious creature I just created) the basic route around the Cape of Good Hope will be reduced to 25 point capacity and require 3 additional transports in the gaps between ports (South Atlantic 9 next to French West Africa, South Atlantic 17 next to French Equatorial Africa and Indian Ocean 1 NW of Madagascar). The basic route across the North Atlantic gets reduced to 25 capacity. The Murmansk run can vary wildly, as it did in our test game ... after Karelia fell I had to use 5 transports (3 in the Barents Sea) just to get 15 supply points from the UK to Russia.

I rather like the effect this has from a simulation standpoint; in areas where they lack shore installations, patrol vessels, patrol aircraft, etc. the Allies would have to organize more convoys, zigzag more, etc., etc. So I think this is a very good change that should be kept ... but we probably need more games under our belts to understand if the U-boat men still need play balance help. But it would be REALLY nice if tech events were moddable like political events, so they could be used as a play balance tool in the future [&o] (hint, hint).

One further note about the Cape of Good Hope route: the convoy gap off of West Africa that I referred to above could go away in a future mod, if the map were altered to insert the CW possession of Sierra Leone with the major port of Freetown (which should fit into French West Africa kind of like Gibraltar fits into Spain). Don't know why I didn't remember this place back during playtesting; I've stared at its major port symbol on a WIF map a thousand times. Here's an informative newsclip; from a May 26, 1941 article in TIME magazine titled "Africa's Hong Kong".

The harbor of Freetown, which is Britain's best between Cape Town and home, lies on the south side of the River Rokell's estuary, five miles from the open sea, landlocked by forest-smothered, humidity-choked countryside. It is a huge roadstead, capable of mooring the largest fleets. It has a seaplane landing as well as facilities for watering, coaling and minor repairs. For the last few weeks its ample anchorage has been taxed by a constantly shifting flotilla of about 100 merchant ships of all pro-British registries.

The Battle of the Atlantic first made Freetown important—as an assembly point and stopover for north and southbound supply ships. With the necessity of concentrating on convoys in the North Atlantic, the Royal Navy was unable to give heavy protection to ships very far south of Dakar. Convoys gathered at Freetown, 500 miles to the southeast.

But last week the Freetown base suddenly became more important than ever. With Dakar and Casablanca reportedly about to be turned over to the Nazis, it was Britain's—and might be the Americas'—most strategic base on the east shore of the South Atlantic. If raiding action were to come from Dakar and Casablanca, counteraction would have to come from Freetown.

Word reached the U.S. last week that the British, conscious of Freetown's new strategic importance, were taking steps to strngthen it. The 22,424-ton Monarch of Bermuda, late of the pleasure trade deposited "between 3,000 and 5,000 troops" there, adding to the port's reputed garrison of 30,000. Freetown would never become a Singapore, but it was repidly becoming Africa's Hong Kong—a base dedicated to defensive harassment and delay.

This nicely highlights many of the reasons why the new tranport rules are such a good addition to AWD. Whaddya say Jesse, got another map mod in you [:D]?

[WanderingHead]

ORIGINAL: Lebatron
5. Change the neutral view mode so the Allied turn season is displayed correctly.

I've looked into this. I think it opens too much of a can of worms.

The issue is simply that after the WA turn is over and the game is saved, it is already the next season. At that point, it is more properly called "the start of the German turn" than the "end of the WA turn", and perhaps posts with images should simply reflect that fact.

I can't (easily and safely) change it so that the save is still the WA turn. It needs to know which player can open the file to play the turn.

I could simply fool the turn display, but that is ultimately more confusing. There is more to it than that. There is the Winter graphics, and the correct display of production and resources, etc. At least now it is all consistent and straightforward.

It is best to leave this as it is, and just be aware that a save after the completion of the WA turn is the beginning of the next German turn.

ORIGINAL: Lebatron
6. My post regarding the view replay feature gathered a lot of support. It would be nice if you reconsidered giving it a try. Hiding movements that are in fog of war would be a great improvement.

Looking at the implementation of this. It looks doable.

The replay only knows about the first and the last region of the unit's move. Unfortunately it can't look at any intermediate regions, as perhaps it should. I'd propose the following:

if either the first or the last region is visible to the viewing player, then the move will be visible. Otherwise, if FOW is enabled then the move will be invisible.

An alternative is that you force all such moves to replay fast (not the setable non-player animation speed), so it is seen that something happened and you get the general gist, but you can't 100% figure it out.

The question is whether this should be forced on everyone. I think it is reasonable though.

ORIGINAL: Lebatron
7. Fix replay playback speed to the non-player animation speed setting instead of the player animation speed setting.

I changed it so that all playbacks use the non-player animation speed.

[GKar]

ORIGINAL: Lebatron

6. My post regarding the view replay feature gathered a lot of support. It would be nice if you reconsidered giving it a try. Hiding movements that are in fog of war would be a great improvement. This topic was discussed @here@

I'm usually too lazy to watch all movements in replay thus such a change would level the playground for me. [X(] [:D]

[WanderingHead]

ORIGINAL: SGT Rice
My biggest request for a quick fix would be to scrub the list of random political events and make them a little less random.

For example, the Iraq coup event has a 5% probability whenever it shows up in the event queue, regardless of the current geopolitical situation. I've seen examples when:

a) The coup takes place while Italy was neutral and there were no Germans within 1000 miles of Iraq, and
b) Numerous cases where the Germans have occupied Syria and/or Palestine, then had to occupy an undefended Iraq, torching the rail and resources in the process.

I think its obvious that in case (a) the coup should never happen and in case (b) it should be virtually certain. My suggestion is that all the coup events should have variable probabilities based on the proximity of Axis/Allied controlled territories and units. We took a little step in that direction with the Spanish coup; I think more needs to be done.

I think what you are saying is actually to have more geo-political context driven probabilities of some of the events. I.e. the probabilities are adjusted based on things like which regions are controlled by whom.

I've done a lot of that in GG. Could you take a look and offer any further specific suggestions?

I personally very much like using this approach for increased political realism and uncertainty, as I said before.

[SGT Rice]

Brian; here's a specific proposal for Middle East politics.

#.#.# - Arab region (Cairo, Transjordan, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia) coups

The Arab populations of the Middle East would have risen up against the colonial powers if the Axis powers had made any legitimate threat to take control of the region. Each of the five regions listed above checks for the event separately.

Requirements: Arab region has not been previously Axis-controlled, Axis controls at least one adjacent land region.

Probability: 0% base, +25% for each adjacent Axis-controlled land region (Cyprus counts as an adjacent land region for Cairo, Transjordan, Syria). +5% for each adjacent Axis land/air unit, -5% for each adjacent (including those in-country) Allied land/air unit.

Effect: If Arab region is not occupied by Allied ground units, it becomes German controlled, 1 militia and 1 supply created. If Arab region is Allied-occupied then up to 5 supplies (if any in the region) are destroyed and the rail infrastructure (if any) is damaged one level. Event may trigger twice for each region.