PBEM Convoy Restrictions - disabled

[balto]

I was driving Chuck insane last night with all of my email. I am hoping he will clear up this THREAD because I am still a little unclear.

Apparently when the AI is the Allies, it follows certain restrictions on convoying USA PP to both GB and Russia. In PBEM, this is disabled which allows you to send all of the USA PP to GB and Russia. Which explains why I was crushing the Axis AI, I did not know about these restrictions.

Anyway, with that said, Chuck could you post those rules with the dates that the Allies are to follow for USA PP to GB/Russia?

Thanks again Chuck.

PS - So next patch, input those restrictions.

[cpdeyoung]

What Balto is refering to is a "house rule" restricting neutrals from sending PP to beligerents. This is prohibited as a clear "causa belli" in most cases. The exception is the "Lend Lease" which the USA is allowed when the Lend Lease events fire. It is clear that the United States was a neutral, actually semi-isolationist, and that only the device of Lend Lease altered this. There certainly was trade between neutrals and beligerents, but pure support such allowing Italy, as a neutral, or the USA, to send floods of PP to their "silent partners" would have resulted in a declaration of war. As it is these "neutral" convoys cannot even be attacked by the harmed party.

In the game Gary and I are playing the following rule is in force : "I play with the house rule that the USA cannot start "lend lease", ie. convoys to beligerents, till the game events fire. Belligerent nations can send convoys to neutrals. "

In the game Balto and I are considering I phrased it more completely : "Gary and I are playing with a house rule I would like you to consider. We are playing that a beligerent can ship PP to a neutral by convoy, but not vice versa. Neutral to neutral is Ok. However neutral to beligerent is not, until the Lend Lease events fire for the neutral USA. Beligerent to beligerent is allowed. I think this is in the spirit of the game."

I have gamed the unlimited tranfer of production points from neutral to beligerent and it is unplayable, in my opinion.

Any thoughts?

Chuck

[cpdeyoung]

Just to give interested folk an idea I ran a scenario where the USA sent 90PP convoys to GB, followed by 60PP to GB, and 90PP to France. This is what the front line looks like in June 1940.

The Germans cannot breach this line, given the continuous feed of 150PP per turn.

[balto]

Hi Chuck,

So is this the rule: (1) USA can give 50PP to GB when Lend Lease (3/41, I think) occurs. And (2) when Russia fights Axis, they too can get 50PP from USA. (3) So at the most, USA can give up 100PP after Russia is in war?

Is that it?

[cpdeyoung]

Pretty much. Of course they can research their own weapon development, and build units, and do diplomatic actions. Pearl Harbor comes at about the same time as Russian Winter.

If someone has the diplomatic power they could try to influence the USA to enter early, and you could always build a event which could trip a pre-Pearl entry, but if the USA is itching to get into the war ASAP I doubt a wise German would even start the war. Of course the Germans are being led by Hitler, who Gerhard Weinberg, in a book Gary and I are both reading, says had "a grotesque underestimation of United States military potential".

Don't think GB and the USSR are not happy to get the PP, they are. GB is also happy when US troops start showing up, and the Sovets are often anxious for the "second front". You can try this all out against the AI with this cool tool, the simulation engine - WW2:RTV!

Chuck

[cpdeyoung]

One other thing, I like to see the motivation of the actual American government of the time honored, but if you want you could fool around with American convoys to other neutrals such as Greece, Jugoslavia, Norway, etc.  How Roosevelt would have sold this to the taxpayers I do not know, but it would not be prohibited by the "house rule".
 
Please remember, I am no authority on anything here.  These are how I play the game, and I have played against one human player, and we are about up to May 1940.  You can see things in many ways, and differently from how I see them!  I think of WW2:RTV as a fun engine, but perhaps not as a tournament class contest.
 
Chuck

[balto]

Chuck,

Great response. I now see the wisdom of your convoy restrictions (max 50PP post lend lease), and max 100PP (50 GB+50 USSR) post Russia entering war.

With that said, I am up for a PBEM. I will take either side. I am a little unclear on how PBEM works if you take multiple countries, but if I am Allies I would like to have Poland, GB, France, USSR, USA, Netherlands, and Belgium. If I am Axis, I think I pretty much would need almost all of the axis countries because you are moving their units.., so if I am Axis, I guess I would want Germany, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia (?), and last but not least..., Spain.

Thank you.

[cpdeyoung]

Great, Gary is going to be away most of today, so let's get started.  I don't think I can switch mindsets to the Axis, so please give me the neutrals you mention, plus Norway. You take the ones you mention.  Send me a first turn, with your attack on Poland, and we will take it from there.  If you want we can AAR the game, or not, if you just want to play without the burden.
 
Chuck