Axis & Allies style scenario

[simon_hibbs]

I've played a few WW2 scenarios, but generaly they seem to
involve huge numbers of units, rapid unit production and
massive cash ballances. I'd be much more interested in a
simpler scenario, on a small world map along the lines of the
classic board game A&A.

First of all, if anyone knows of such a scenario I can save
myself a lot of time and effort Otherwise, a small scenario
using the existing unit graphics and game mechanics should
make a nice first scenario project for me.

What I'm thinkig of doing is scaling the city sizes and the
technologies the civs start with so that production and
advancement are at a low enough level that the game
doesn't get swamped with units. What would be the best
way to do this though? Would I be better off just increasing
the production costs of the units?

Any comments?


Simon Hibbs

 

[Andrew Livings]

If you're going to use a small world map then you're inherently reducing the number of cities, and by extension, production of units, so I don't imagine you'll experience the kind of "swamping" you'd usually find.

Having never played the A&A board game (or the computer version) I cannot advise you on conversion. You might want to look at Dorian Crede's Cold War scenario though; not your subject, but a good scenario on a smaller world map. http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Alley/8953/civscen.htm (What's his homepage, anyone?)

 

[Andrew Livings]

tada: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arcade/2142/

 

[Morten Blaabjerg]

Someone made an Axis & Allies scen along the lines you describe some time ago. I can send it to you, if you'd like to see it for inspiration (don't remember where I got it). Just pop me a line and send me your email adress, if you want it. Its fairly ok, but a little boring, and doesn't really have the quick pace of the board game. The WWII scen I think that comes closest to the intense feeling of the A&A board game, is actually Kobayashis Zweiter Weltkrieg (even though that has lots of units and techs, and doesn't have anything to do with the board game). I think it is because Koby uses a very dramatic unit concept, with very dramatic Att/Def/FP/HP scores for the units. This creates a lot of hazard, especially when playing it multiplayer. I don't recall a multiplayer game I have been so anxious about, as playing the Allies vs one of my friends playing the Axis, in ZWK.

I'd recommend you look into terrains/railroads for something close to a way to illustrate the "moves" of A&A, and use the cities as key points on the map to be passed/conquered before moving into zones behind. Only problem is railroads can be pillaged..... -maybe you're better off skipping roads and settlers altogether, and simply make the terrain squares and movement costs appropriate for each unit; so that armor will really be able to "blitz" while infantry will not.

 

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by Morten Blaabjerg
The WWII scen I think that comes closest to the intense feeling of the A&A board game, is actually Kobayashis Zweiter Weltkrieg (even though that has lots of units and techs, and doesn't have anything to do with the board game). I think it is because Koby uses a very dramatic unit concept, with very dramatic Att/Def/FP/HP scores for the units. This creates a lot of hazard, especially when playing it multiplayer. I don't recall a multiplayer game I have been so anxious about, as playing the Allies vs one of my friends playing the Axis, in ZWK.

I did not pay Morten to say that - unfortunately JohnVal simply refuses to put ZWK into his damm Top 100 list. Curses!

Back to the thread. Use terrain with zero movement cost to link cities (I tried that as a wormhole once) You could probably replicate the entire Axis and Allies map accurately in its entirety this way.

 

[simon_hibbs]

I'll definitely have a look at ZWK, the way unit attributes have
been used does sound interesting.

Using zero movement cost terrain is an interesting idea. I wasn't
realy looking to recreate A&A exactly, but that is a nice way to
represent strategic movement.

My main intent is to produce a scenario where decisions are
made at a strategic level, rather than the players having to
micro-manage. I love playing Civ2 as-is, but I get frustrated
with scenarios that require a lot of play-time managing
factors not realy relevent to the theme of the scenario.

Thanks for all the comments and advice.


Simon

 

[WarVoid]

John Mavin, who has written some very nice scenarios, made a very accurate version of the Axis & Allies game for Civ2. You can download this off his website.
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Realm/8827/scenarios/civii3.htm