List of potential house rules

[Dancing Bear]

Hi all
I'm looking to create a list of potential house rules that are not covered under the existing game options, and was wondering if you can help. Here is list I have so far, which we are considering choosing from for a new game:
1) Austrian Insurrection corp trigger placement areas restricted to Turkish Border provinces (after placement, Insurrection corps can move outside border provinces)
2) Proportional naval losses, both between nationalities and between ship types (i.e. take one heavy, then one light, when both are available)
3) Combat chit security (this one may be unnecessary now). Defender to send chit choice to third party prior to receiving combat file from attacker (Attacker initiates combat by emailing the land movement file, defender then selcts chits for all upcoming combats and sends them to any third party for subsequent verification, followed by normal file exchange)
4) Reveal forces to all players. At end of combat, the size of the attacker and defender forces are emailed to all players (or maybe just those in the combat).
5) Minors gained after a DOW against them can only be attacked by the player that DOW'ed on them, and only used by controlling player to fight the attacker, until control is gained by conquoring or lapse of war.

Can you guys help add to this list?

[bresh]

We use these in one of the games im in.

1. UK and FR can only have unconditional surrender -
a. FRANCE must take 2 fleets, Nelson
b. England must take Napoleon

2. You can only enter the Dardanelles if Turkey allows it or Constantinople is enemy controlled or besieged

3. England and France can never ally

4. Minor countries:
a. Any controlling country cannot use fleet/corps against any country NOT declaring on minor (or at war with minor) until war is lapsed or minor conquered.
b. Cannot declare with intention of lapsing to give to another.

5. You can not lend your forces to a neutral, to avoid them fighting.
I better clarify about the lend forces to avoid fighting, includes letting a neutral transport your corps for invasion. Since game atm does not allow someone to attack neutrals who transport enemy corps. (witch was possible in EIA)

6. Land battles. The Defender needs to send his chit-choise to a neutral/ally player, before the attacker is to send the battle-file (Till system gets more secure eg hidden rolls the "reload is to weak a solution")

Regards
Bresh

[Marshall Ellis]

Thanks Bresh!

Please keep this thread going!

I'm curious:

Why 1a and 1b?

[AresMars]

Marshall,
 
1a) Removing two (2) fleets in the old game would eliminate the heavies in 2 of GB's 7 fleets - that is an almost potential 29% of their heavies - a serious blow to the British "Wooden Wall" - and Nelson of course for the +1 roll modifers and PP bonus...double whamy
 
1b)  It was called the Napoleonic War Period for a reason - loss of a 556A leader reduces the French Military juggernault and the loss of the PP bonus to boot...similar to Nelson above...
 
 

[Jimmer]

Marshall,
 
It appears 1a and 1b are to match up with the original "GB and France can't surrender easily" optional rule from the boardgame. In that one, GB had to take Napoleon, and France had to take 2 fleets and forced access. Further, in the old game, removing a leader as a peace condition required that all powers who were receiving unconditional surrenders also had to choose the "remove a leader" victory condition.
 
I'm not sure where "remove Nelson" came from.

[Mardonius]

Here some we came up with. Some are obselete now that the rules have been adopted to the core game. Others we were never able to implement (British Ttaining) but added in case the ability came around later.

1 For initial war UK and FR can only have unconditional surrender; FRANCE must take 2 fleets; England must take Napoleon
2 Dardanelles Restriction: Unless Constantinople is besieged, you can not sail into or through the Sea of Marmara (the Straits) or blockade Constantinople. Owner of Constantinople and permission there from excepted, of course.
3 Any controlling country cannot use fleet/corps against any country NOT declaring on minor (or at war with minor) until war is lapsed or minor conquered.
4You can not attack a minor that you did not declare war on until war is lapsed or minor
conquered
. Example 1: France and UK are at war. Spain Dows on Portugal. France gets control of Portugal. Britain can not attack Portuguese forces unless War between Spain and Portugal lapses and France gains control. Until war is lapsed or minor
conquered."
5 Naval engagement involving minors fleets must, where possible, involve and equal number of controlling major nation ships. This house rule comes from attempts to "run the guns of a port".
6 No forwarding other's e-mails. You can write whatever you like someone else said, but the forwarding of e-mails w/out permission is not allowed Reason: Makes to too easy for players to compromise diplomatic correspondence and discourages creativity.
7 The defender in a multi-corps battle must send his defense choice to a trusted ally. Reason: lessens chance of cheating. Does not have to wait until an acknowledged receipt; merely has to send it to a third party involved in the game somehow
8 Only official patches adopted
9 Scenario Editor to be used to fix bug issues in PP etc.
10 British training rules for Portugal and Hanover, in close similarity with the board game to be adopted with the scenario editor.
11 Revised PP Cost for occupied Capitals: -3 Paris/London, -2 Constantinople, Vienna, Berlin, -1 Madrid, Moscow and St Petersburg
12 New Kingdoms of Italy, Bavaria, Westphalia. PP only awarded. IF FUTURE PATCHES MAKE THE KINGDOMS VIABLE AS PER THE BOARD GAME, THEN ALL KINGDOM ASPECTS ARE TO BE ADOPTED. When the last province of a Kingdom that has (a) Corps is lost, the Kingdom is dissolved and the creator loses the PP bonus for its creation. It may be recreated. "All aspects" above refers to all aspects in future patches, or so was my intent.
13 Proportional Losses by nationality of casualties. (exempting Cossacks/FK), Guard, Feudals, Artillery)
14 Fleets that were in the blockade box just outside of a port than transfer to the port when the garrison falls may not evacuate troops during the next naval phase. Reason: the blockade box is a separate area than the port but the game program views them the same area
15 Toulon has 90 Guns
16 Reduced Naval construction costs: HS now cost $9 and LS cost $7; balance to be refunded by referee. ADDED: MAX BUILD IN ANY PORT = Capacity of City defined by 1 Spire could build 3 ships. No more than 5 ships per spire may be under construction or completed and not assigned to fleets (captured transports excepted)
17 Lapse of war penalty using PP's:
-1 PP to MP at war with minor if lapse of war occurs without the minor has been invaded.
-1 PP to MP at war with minor if lapse of war occurs without any battles has taken place between MP and defending forces. MP must not be outnumbered, Battles can be siege of capital, land battle or naval battle

If another MP choses to support the minor with a counter DoW vs. first MP, no lapse of war will occur.
Examples:
a) Worst case: GB DoW Sweeden (-2PP), Russia controls, GB does nothing -> lapse of war -> GB -1PP for no invasion and -1PP for no battles -> GB total -4PP, which is 1PP less than conditional surrender. I think GB's action is comparable to a de facto surrender to Russia, so this is fair.

b) Failing invasion: GB DoW Sweeden (-2PP), Invasion fleets loses to smaller swedish navy -> No invasion -> lapse of war ->GB -1PP for no invasion -> GB total -3PP (+ lost naval battle). GB has humiliated herself.

c) MP DoW minor, forgets to act. Cost total -3PP. This is fair I think.

d) MP DoW minor, sends inferior force and is eliminated. Cost total -2PP + lost battle. This is fair too.

e) MP DoW minor, sends corps with 1 inf. which is killed in sortie by 2 inf in capital. Costs -1PP for no equal size battle, total -2PP. Cheapest "intentional" lapse of war possible. Not easy to provoke a sortie tho', so won't be a very reliable 'intentional' lapse of war.

f) MP DoW minor, sends equal size corps, loses battle, retreated out of minor, lapse of war. No extra PP cost. Aggressor has made convincing effort (even if it may have been intentional to lose the battle). Total cost -2PP.

If you want additional penalty to what could be intentional lapse of war use this:
-1PP if lapse of war occurs sane month as DoW (or the month after).

[NeverMan]

ORIGINAL: bresh

We use these in one of the games im in.

1. UK and FR can only have unconditional surrender -
a. FRANCE must take 2 fleets, Nelson
b. England must take Napoleon

2. You can only enter the Dardanelles if Turkey allows it or Constantinople is enemy controlled or besieged

3. England and France can never ally

4. Minor countries:
a. Any controlling country cannot use fleet/corps against any country NOT declaring on minor (or at war with minor) until war is lapsed or minor conquered.
b. Cannot declare with intention of lapsing to give to another.

5. You can not lend your forces to a neutral, to avoid them fighting.
I better clarify about the lend forces to avoid fighting, includes letting a neutral transport your corps for invasion. Since game atm does not allow someone to attack neutrals who transport enemy corps. (witch was possible in EIA)

6. Land battles. The Defender needs to send his chit-choise to a neutral/ally player, before the attacker is to send the battle-file (Till system gets more secure eg hidden rolls the "reload is to weak a solution")

Regards
Bresh

LOL, we used almost these EXACT house rules, particulary the first 4 and ALWAYS 1 through 3. We didn't use 6 since I'm talking about ftf games I played.

[Marshall Ellis]

ORIGINAL: AresMars

Marshall,

1a) Removing two (2) fleets in the old game would eliminate the heavies in 2 of GB's 7 fleets - that is an almost potential 29% of their heavies - a serious blow to the British "Wooden Wall" - and Nelson of course for the +1 roll modifers and PP bonus...double whamy

1b)  It was called the Napoleonic War Period for a reason - loss of a 556A leader reduces the French Military juggernault and the loss of the PP bonus to boot...similar to Nelson above...

AresMars:

I should have been more specific. I understand how severe these items are but my question was why make them mandatory??? BUT I now see that this is to prevent GBr or Fr from executing an easy surrender.

[AresMars]

No worries Marshall!
 
Jimmer had a better response.....
 
I am guilty of having played in the same group as Dancing Bear, so we almost always had the REQURIED "optional" rule (as stated by Jimmer) _and_ Nelson
 
 

[Dancing Bear]

Combined, this is a pretty complete list. Are any others missing?

[Marshall Ellis]

Question, is 4a to keep players from abusing a minor that they simply gained control of? i.e. Gaining control through rolls then being able to use its forces in other conflicts?

[pzgndr]

Combined, this is a pretty complete list.

Question now is how many of these could/should be implemented as default rules or game options. 7 players can agree on whatever house rules they want but if you introduce AI-controlled players then it would be nice to have the AI conform to the same set of rules. The computer can also enforce house rules between human players, but only if coded into the game.