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Canoerebel -> RE: The Shattered Sword: John 3rd vs. Anachro--BTS (12/20/2018 3:51:12 PM)
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Players (especially those with a record of being "AFBs") inquiring about your mod may sometimes be rude or contemptuous in a hurtful way, but most of the time I think they're genuinely interested. That was the case a few days ago, when I posted about the seeming abundance of new (to me) combat ship and carrier names.
Almost universally, players agree that the Japanese player must have considerable "bumps" in their OOB (and other things, like industry and research) in order to make the game interesting enough to play into the late years. It is in all our interest to keep the Japanese players engaged and enjoying the game.
In recent years, we've seen that experienced Japanese players can play deeply into the game and that, sometimes, they rip apart the Allies to the point that the game may be (not is, "may be") swinging too far. Maybe. Maybe not.
The introduction of 4EB into the Japanese OOB diminishes one of the few advantages an Allied player has, at least early in the game. The Allied air force typically fights at a disadvantage and with real issues with fighter and bomber pools (the PP system to by more planes may counter that; I don't know yet). A Japanese player with a serious pool of long-range 4EB that can hit industry in India or Oz or USA could be an real issue. The damage would be felt and the Allied player would have to stretch his resources further to defend bases deeper. That could be a balance issue...or not. It's worth discussing without player on either side getting hysterical or calling names or simply defaulting to "every the opposition does is wrong/stupid/silly." (You're not doing that, but some folks do.)
The early game has become increasinly favorable to the Japanese, with some exceptions (notably Obvert's vs. Lowpe). It's probably the late game in which Japan might need a boost; not the early game, when Japan is frequently running over the Allies all over the place. That would be my concern, but I don't have enough date to state anything with specificity or finality.
Behind all of this is my own notion that too many players avoid the Victory Points system. Therefore, they have their own measure of the game. If Japan is dying as it did in the real war, they're "losing." If Japan is doing better, "they're winning." As the game ages into 1944, they start losing stuff like crazy. It's awful. They feel awful. They feel like they're losing. The game is no fun.
But the Victory Point system, as managed by players like Lowpe, Obvert, Lokasenna, and many others, reveals a much different picture. In my game with Obvert, the Allies have been on the offensive for a long time, dealing out alot of punishment (and taking some). Poor Erik....has a 7,000 point lead as we approach April 1945. The "war" says that Japan is losing. The game says Japan isn't losing. It gives Obvert a reason for, and a method of, fighting effectively late.
Yet, alot of Japanese players dismiss the points system for reasons beyond my comprehension. Their contemptuous of it, even. As though playing the game as it was designed to be played is flawed.
If Japanese players (and probably most Allied players too) played the game the way it was designed, more games would go into 1945 and there would be less of a need to unbalance historic OOBs and to overrun China etc.
The game works. It's we players who don't.
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