Originally posted by Mr.Frag
The Allies can loose on VP, but it takes an huge effort by Japan due to the dot building campaign that the Allies can undertake for VPs to offset all their troop/plane/ship losses.
This is a questionable aspect of the victory conditions in this game, at least in terms of play balance. Simply having large bases in rear areas should have less of an impact on victory. Did the Allies develop New Caledonia into a series of bases comparable to Pearl Harbor in size? No!! Fact is, the US basically had to wrangle the rights to use Noumea as the French were not very accomodating, to say the least. But in UV, the Allies simply build a whack of huge bases side by side which INEVITABLY (and as such, should be of little victory point value) play no tangible role in the game outside generating bogus VPs.
Perhaps giving the Japanese player a greater point handicap at the start would solve this discrepancy, and force players to watch victory points for lost units more closely. As it stands now, players just throw everything into the breach, regardless of risk and escalating losses. Can't see the Allies historically throwing lives away as is done in this game, as there were huge moral and morale consequences to be reckoned with, both in theatre and on the home front. As such, perhaps having some form of morale and operations point level mechanism is needed also.
There are, however, a fair number of decent base locations the Japanese can develop as well. Problem is, the Allies have a major advantage playing this game due to the fact the Japanese must hold onto the bases and have them well supplied at the end of game to benefit, all in the face of what certainly will be overwhelming Allied strength. Has anybody had any success as the Japanese trying this strategy?
