Matrix Games Forums

The game design explained in the first sentence of rule 9.1.2 Production Points on page 66 seems to create a hideous unfairness to the German and Japanese player -

"Each turn before the German player turn, every undamaged Resource Center on the map will create one Resource Point (Resource Centers with any damage will not create a Resource Point)". So, there is a creation phase, if you like, once a season just before the German turn, not, as I initially thought, before every player turn.

Thus, if, for example, Germany damaged a Resource Center in England to level 1 it would cost the Wallies 5 supplies, equivalent to 1 PP, to repair it. This means that it would be repaired in time to create a resource point before the creation phase. Effectively, production is uninterrupted, though it costs the Wallies 1PP.

However, if the Wallies damaged a Resource Center in West Germany to level 1 the Germans could not repair it in time before the creation phase as they have already had their turn. They have to wait until next season where, like the Wallies, it costs them 5 supplies, 1 PP, to fix. Unfortunately, the resource center is out of action in the creation phase which means a resource point is not created. Effectively this may very well cost the Germany another 1 PP unless they have a surfeit of resource points which is often not the case.

Result - attacks on German (and Japanese) Resource Centers is TWICE as damaging as those on Wallies and SU.

Why?

Firstly, if my interpretation of the rules is incorrect, please put me straight.

Secondly, if I have this right, can anyone explain whether this is a design flaw or deliberate, and if deliberate, what is the basis for making the Axis Resource Centers so vunerable?

Hi Tom

I understand your argument but you can also look at it another way. The Axis players are the only ones to have guarranteed access to all the RP's that their regions have produced. The other players all have the risk that the Axis can spot where the Resource Pools are and go capture them. After all the Axis players have another advantage which is the first use of any new build troops from the previous turn, thus they have better offensive opportunities.

BTW can anyone tell me what happens when a factory is captured/damaged. Is all the production scheduled in that Region lost? If so, potentially a CV that may have been building for many turns would get destroyed? I guess irl the production would be lost so this would be fair in the game.

Mike

Mike

Fair point - swings and roundabouts. You could add the Axis getting first go at free trade resources as well. I guess you have to play to your side's strengths and watch out for your weakenesses.

On your query about factories, I was pretty sure that if they are captured anything they were producing was destroyed but I've just ran an experiment to prove it - cleared everything out of West Germany in Spring 1940 and then invaded and took the region with the Wallies. Everything on the West Germany production spiral was vaporised so, yes, you could have wasted a lot of PP on a CV for no return. You obviously have to be careful about what you produce on vunerable regions. Also, a suicidal invasion can pay massive dividends if you are successful as your opponent, even if throwing you out of the region straight away, has to spend many supplies repairing the damage AND loses, perhaps, a lot of units on the sprial.

Not quite 100% but fairly sure that damaged factories do not lose any units from the production spiral. But (page 66) factories at damage level 1 produce 1/2 normal factory points rounded down, factories at damage level 2 produce no factory points. The effect of this will be that the region won't be able to produce as much as normal - less supplies, less research and less units can advance on the spiral. You may find yourself having to choose which units have to have their production delayed ...... or the computer will choose for you.

Tom