From: jdesmond@pacsibm.org (John Desmond) Subject: Origins of WW II variant * Origins of World War II * Notes, clarifications, and new scenarios - part 1 This is an attempt to write a scenario for * Origins of World War II * (by the Avalon-Hill Game Co.) that would be balanced, interesting for all five players, and playable with the standard rules. If you want a historical background, call it the 'Franco-American Alliance to Maintain the 'Versailles' Status-Quo' scenario; and if that doesn't suit you, call it 'Marvin'. PF ALLOCATIONS Turn | USA | France | Britain | Russia | Germany | ---------------------------------------------------------- 1 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 10 | ---------------------------------------------------------- 2 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 14 | ---------------------------------------------------------- 3 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 18 | ---------------------------------------------------------- 4 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 22 | ---------------------------------------------------------- 5 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 26 | ---------------------------------------------------------- 6 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 30 | ---------------------------------------------------------- NATIONAL OBJECTIVES | USA | France | Britain | -------------------------------------------------------- Alsace-Lorraine | - | C - 4 | - | -------------------------------------------------------- Austria | NC - 1 | U - 1 | U - 2 | -------------------------------------------------------- Baltic States | NC - 2 | U - 1 | U - 2 | -------------------------------------------------------- Britain | U - 4 | U - 3 | x | -------------------------------------------------------- Czechoslovakia | NC - 3 | C/U - 2 | U - 2 | -------------------------------------------------------- France | U - 4 | x | U - 4 | -------------------------------------------------------- Germany | U - 2 | C/U - 2 | C/U - 3 | -------------------------------------------------------- Italy | U - 2 | C/U - 2 | C/U - 2 | -------------------------------------------------------- Poland | NC - 4 | U - 3 | U - 3 | -------------------------------------------------------- Rhineland | - | C/U - 2 | - | -------------------------------------------------------- Romania | U - 1 | U - 1 | U - 1 | -------------------------------------------------------- Russia | U - 2 | U - 2 | U - 2 | -------------------------------------------------------- USA | x | U - 2 | U - 4 | -------------------------------------------------------- | Russia | Germany | ------------------------------------------- Alsace-Lorraine | C/U - 2 | C/U - 2 | ------------------------------------------- Austria | C/U - 1 | C - 4 | ------------------------------------------- Baltic States | C - 4 | C - 2 | ------------------------------------------- Britain | U - 2 | U - 1 | ------------------------------------------- Czechoslovakia | C/U - 2 | C - 2 | ------------------------------------------- France | U - 2 | U - 1 | ------------------------------------------- Germany | C/U - 3 | x | ------------------------------------------- Italy | - | C/U - 1 | ------------------------------------------- Poland | C - 3 | C - 2 | ------------------------------------------- Rhineland | C/U - 2 | C - 5 | ------------------------------------------- Romania | C - 3 | C - 2 | ------------------------------------------- Russia | x | U - 2 | ------------------------------------------- USA | U - 1 | U - 1 | ------------------------------------------- The 'NC' points are as in the standard game. The points for 'C/U' means that that player gets those points if she has * either * a control * OR * an understanding in the target country at the end of the sixth turn. The point for a US understanding in Romania represents the attempt of Standard Oil of New Jersey to take over the Ploesti oilfields. Notes, clarifications, and new scenarios - part 2 Other interesting scenarios for *Origins* are the 'Strong Weimar Republic', designed by Richard Noonan and printed in the *Avalon-Hill General* v.10 #5, PF ALLOCATIONS Turn | USA | France | Britain | Russia | Germany | ---------------------------------------------------------- 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 6 | ---------------------------------------------------------- 2 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 | ---------------------------------------------------------- 3 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 14 | ---------------------------------------------------------- 4 | 8 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 18 | ---------------------------------------------------------- 5 | 10 | 20 | 16 | 14 | 22 | ---------------------------------------------------------- 6 | 12 | 24 | 18 | 16 | 26 | ---------------------------------------------------------- NATIONAL OBJECTIVES | USA | France | Britain | -------------------------------------------------------- Alsace-Lorraine | - | C - 3 | - | -------------------------------------------------------- Austria | NU - 2 | U - 3 | U - 2 | -------------------------------------------------------- Baltic States | NC - 4 | U - 1 | U - 3 | -------------------------------------------------------- Britain | NU - 2 | U - 2 | x | -------------------------------------------------------- Czechoslovakia | NU - 1 | U - 1 | U - 3 | -------------------------------------------------------- France | NU - 2 | x | U - 4 | -------------------------------------------------------- Germany | NU - 2 | U - 3 | U - 2 | -------------------------------------------------------- Italy | - | U - 1 | U - 1 | -------------------------------------------------------- Poland | NC - 5 | U - 3 | U - 4 | -------------------------------------------------------- Rhineland | NU - 2 | C - 2 | U - 1 | -------------------------------------------------------- Romania | - | U - 2 | - | -------------------------------------------------------- Russia | NU - 2 | U - 2 | U - 1 | -------------------------------------------------------- USA | NU - 3 | U - 2 | U - 4 | -------------------------------------------------------- NATIONAL OBJECTIVES | Russia | Germany | ----------------------------------------- - Alsace-Lorraine | - | - | ----------------------------------------- - Austria | U - 1 | C - 3 | ----------------------------------------- - Baltic States | C - 6 | U - 2 | ----------------------------------------- - Britain | U - 1 | U - 2 | ----------------------------------------- - Czechoslovakia | U - 1 | U - 2 | ----------------------------------------- - France | U - 1 | U - 3 | ----------------------------------------- - Germany | U - 1 | x | ----------------------------------------- - Italy | - | U - 1 | ----------------------------------------- - Poland | C - 6 | C - 2 | ----------------------------------------- - Rhineland | - | C - 4 | ----------------------------------------- - Romania | C - 4 | U - 2 | ----------------------------------------- - Russia | x | U - 3 | ----------------------------------------- - USA| | U - 4 | U - 1 | ----------------------------------------- - Notes, clarifications, and new scenarios - part 3 and the six-player variant by Lew Pulsipher, from the * Avalon-Hill General *, v.10 #3 The Italian player's turn is second on even-numbered turns and third on odd-numbered turns PF ALLOCATIONS Turn | USA | Italy | France | Italy | ----------------------------------------------- 1 | 3 | - | 5 | 8 | ----------------------------------------------- 2 | 5 | 10 | 7 | - | ----------------------------------------------- 3 | 7 | - | 9 | 12 | ----------------------------------------------- 4 | 9 | 12 | 11 | - | ----------------------------------------------- 5 | 11 | - | 13 | 12 | ----------------------------------------------- 6 | 13 | 12 | 15 | - | ----------------------------------------------- Turn | Italy | Britain | Russia | Germany | ------------------------------------------------ 1 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 12 | ------------------------------------------------ 2 | - | 10 | 8 | 16 | ------------------------------------------------ 3 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 20 | ------------------------------------------------ 4 | - | 14 | 12 | 24 | ------------------------------------------------ 5 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 28 | ------------------------------------------------ 6 | - | 18 | 16 | 32 | ------------------------------------------------ NATIONAL OBJECTIVES | USA | Italy | France | ------------------------------------------------ Alsace-Lor | - | - | C - 6 | ------------------------------------------------ Austria | NC - 2 | NC - 4 | U - 1 | ------------------------------------------------ Baltic Sts.| NC - 4 | - | - | ------------------------------------------------ Britain | NU - 2 | U - 5 | U - 4 | ------------------------------------------------ Czechoslov.| NC - 4 | NC - 2 | U - 2 | ------------------------------------------------ France | NU - 2 | U - 4 * | x | ------------------------------------------------ Germany | NU - 2 | U - 3 * | U - 2 | ------------------------------------------------ Italy | - | x | U - 2 | ------------------------------------------------ Poland | NC - 5 | - | U - 2 | ------------------------------------------------ Rhineland | NC - 2 | U - 2 | U - 3 | ------------------------------------------------ Romania | - | NC - 1 | U - 1 | ------------------------------------------------ Russia | NU - 2 | - | U - 2 | ------------------------------------------------ USA | x | - | | ------------------------------------------------ | Britain | Russia | Germany -------------------------------------------- Alsace-Lor | - | - | C - 1 | -------------------------------------------- Austria | | | C - 4 | -------------------------------------------- Baltic Sts.| - | C - 5 | C - 2 | -------------------------------------------- Britain | x | U - 2 | U - 1 | -------------------------------------------- Czechoslov.| U - 2 | U - 3 | C - 3 | -------------------------------------------- France | U - 6 | U - 2 | U - 1 | -------------------------------------------- Germany | U - 3 | U - 6 | x | -------------------------------------------- Italy | U - 3 | - | U - 1 | -------------------------------------------- Poland | U - 3 | C - 4 | C - 3 | -------------------------------------------- Rhineland | - | - | C - 5 | -------------------------------------------- Romania | - | C - 3 | C - 2 | -------------------------------------------- Russia | U - 3 | x | U - 2 | -------------------------------------------- USA | U - 5 | - | - | -------------------------------------------- No German U in France = 2 to Italy No Russian U in Germany = 2 to Italy Notes, clarifications, and new scenarios - part 4 Rules Clarifications: A 'control' in another player's home country has these effects; 1 - That player cannot place PF's in his homeland - nor can anyone else 2 - The controlling player has a 'permanent understanding' with the controlled country 'Control' in any country, once established, cannot be challenged 'Understanding' and 'Control' counters cannot coexist in a country No more than TWO players can share control in a country A failed attempt to oust an opponent's 'Understanding' counter from your home country only stops you from attacking, in that turn, counters, in other countries, of the player(s) who has that understanding in your country. Counters of other players in other countries may be freely attacked. In a 2,3 or 4 player game, a player may put a temporary ally's 'Control' counters into any area called for by the objectives chart. Its 'Understandings' and PFs may be placed anywhere possible Players receiving points for 'No Understandings' in a country get those points even if that country is 'Controlled' by another player. * Alternative Victory Condition * - If Germany wins by 17 points or more, WWII breaks out. Germany LOSES the game, and the player with the next highest point total wins - UNLESS - * Decisive German Victory * = Exclusive German control of Poland, Rumania, and the Baltic States, and Understandings with England and France (ie. a 'limited war' against Russia in the 1940's) * Alternative 'Diplomatic Conflict' resolution formula * The country with the larger # of PFs wins Winner's loss equals loser's strength SQUARED, divided by winner's strength (round fractions to nearest integer, 0.5 rounded up) ie. in a 2/1 attack, winner will lose 1/4 of his PFs On turns 1 and 2, only one-half of a force can be eliminated in one conflict. Both winner's and loser's losses are halfed - if loser has an odd # of PFs, one more is eliminated than survives A single PF in an area cannot be eliminated. When using this formula with the standard game, increase US PFs by 2 per turn, and French PFs by 1 per turn Rules for the 'Tournament Hidden-Placement' variant - from Dave Slick's article in the *Avalon-Hill General*, v.21 #5 After a diplomacy period at the beginning of the turn, each player secretly places her PF counters, inverted. Counters are shown to the referee (if there is one), or assembled in the desired denominations and placed in front of the players, at the edge of the board, before placement, Diplomatic conflicts are resolved in the usual order of nations. Columns are added to the low end of the Diplomatic Conflict Table, as follows; Odds of 1-4 1-3 1-2 6-1 or more and 1-5 or less ------------------------- are automatic elimination DR of 1 | - | - | X | of the smaller force. ------------------- 2 | A | - | - | ------------------- 3 | A | A | - | ------------------- 4 | A | A | A | ------------------- 5 | A | A | A | ------------------- 6 | A | A | A | ------------------- Newly placed PFs remain upside-down until involved in a diplomatic conflict. They are turned rightsideup for the resolution of that conflict, then re-inverted. For odds of 5-1 plus or 1-4 minus, the superior side need only expose enuf PFs to prove the odds. Blonk counters may be exposed in a conflict voluntarily. Each side can have 4 blank counters in play. Blank counters are available to place again in the next turn * ONLY IF * they become exposed by conflict. Blank counters cannot be used to attack by themselves. Players must place their inverted PFs in the spaces, in each area, marked for their country. There is no penalty for looking at other players' PFs in your space. A player may look at the inverted PFs of another player only with that player's permission and only during the diplomacy phase of the turn. A player violating this rule loses all his PFs for that turn.