The manual - with a changelog, storyline, and the changes/new ships for each country - is available here, at foxtechcomputers.com/ironstorm.
The file has been sent to Spooky's and should be online shortly.
Here's quick overview, that I've copied mostly directly from my readme file.
In 1914, the Dutch were on the verge of ordering their first battleships. However, Germany countered by offering three battlecruisers and including the cost of expanded port facilities in Soerabaja. After the ships served in the High Seas Fleet during the Great War, they were returned to the Dutch. Combined with two extra CLs the Dutch now feel fairly confident that they have a strong naval force in the Indies.
For Japan, the navy has been extensively changed. Ship construction since 1930
has been entirely different owing to changes in the IJN's strategy, influenced by a prescient Imperial Japanese Navy Minister.
The real change is not focusing on the single climactic battle, a Pacific Jutland.
The fleet is to form squadrons of fast ships with carriers in support
to go out, find and kill the fleet train that the USN will need to get to the
Philippines, not sink the battleships themselves. Play the man not the ball.
The naval changes are very extensive so it would be best if you looked at the manual (end of the post)
for the full story. The only change in ground troops is that several divisions and
supporting units of the IJA have been released from China (Hankow area) and
moved to Taan. This is in response to the British reinforcement of "Fortress Malaya".
Trust me, you'll need those divisions...
For Britain: Another large set of changes to naval, ground and air forces.
In this scenario the Italians were defeated in 1940 after Libya was conquered
by General O'Connor and the Regia Marina was decimated in a night battle off
Albania. (The root cause of this: No British entry into Greece. Metaxas stays alive
longer.) As a result Mussolini was forced to resign by his own Fascist Grand Council
and an armistice was signed shortly thereafter.
The British immediately transferred forces to the Far East. At the same time,
Lt. General Percivalwas bitten by a mosquito and came down with malaria. His
replacement: General William Slim.
(The British have been much luckier in the war so far, as you can see..)
By December 1941, Furious, Ark Royal, Illustrious, Formidable, Barham, Valiant,
Warspite, Prince of Wales and Repulse swing at anchor in Singapore harbor.
They are backed by an impressive force of cruisers and destroyers, heavy RAF
reinforcements and formidable ground troops. Japan is nervous. Yamashita is sweating bullets.
India has been reinforced, Royal Navy reinforcements only have to travel
from Columbo, and more British troops and ships are on the way (including Hood).
The air force in Malaya is now pretty frightening, too... [:D]
Only minor changes to the US, mostly relating to the placement of ships.
I've upped the Japanese pilot pool to 150 but the replacement rate is still 10.
Some changes to bases have been made - most of the bases in Malaya have extensive fortifications
and a few have increased port and airfield levels. Soerabaja and Bandoeng have also received
special treatment.
Again, I have put the manual - which has much more detail on the storyline, the new additions and a complete manual - online at http://www.foxtechcomputers.com/ironstorm/ . The manual is also included in the zip file of course but if there's anything I forgot to cover here, it's there.
