Hi guys! . . .and Happy New Year (almost 
)
With regards to the new map - we might print it out and sell it like we did for the basic game - we just have not looked into costs yet. I like the idea of also getting it out to people on a disk for folks that just want to print it themselves. We'll look into costs for both options.
My preference would be to buy it already printed AND have it on disk. Being that you probably already have a printer you use you’d probably get a better price than I could. At the same time, it would be nice to have it on disk in the event anything ever happened to the physical map.
What we did for the map we are play-testing it on was to print out a bunch of regular-sized colored paper and paste them onto foam-board - ok for playtesting, but not ideal for a finished map.
Hmm… thanks for letting us know. Not a bad idea – I’ll remember this in the event you go the disk-only option. Glue them down then give them a coat of lacquer and they ought to be pretty durable.
Making the deluxe games was really time intensive to buy, paint and mount all the miniatures and then ship them off - and it was pretty expensive for people to buy as well. I think most folks used existing miniatures or axis and allies pieces to assemble their personal games. Of course we could do something custom - but it may be easier for everyone if I just send you a list of what miniatures we recommend to buy and where to get them online.
I’m sure that I will use the same miniatures I have now for the next game. Will you be producing the nifty backings that have all of the info on them to glue the miniatures on?
As for Port Moresby - I agree that it is easier to get to and take for the Japanese than it was in real life - and you bring up some good suggestions on adjusting the new map. I'll look into redrawing those sea zones. As for the Own Stanley Mountains - I would prefer not to make a custom rule for one territory - perhaps there are other territory boundaries on the map that would have the same effect as the mountains in New Guinea? If there are - we could make a new territory boundary feature that only allows infantry to pass per your suggestion.
On that point, maybe there are sea zones that we could color a lighter shade of blue for shallows and reefs that would have an effect on naval combat - again, I would only want to do this if there were at least a half a dozen places on the maps that would have this kind of terrain effect.
Please let me know if you have sugestions on what territory boundaries and sea zones that might fit your idea.
Oh sure – just dump it all in my lap why don’t you!?!?!
Related to the issue of the Owen Stanley Range and what other territories I’d suggest having a similar rule for – I’m not sure. This one just stands out to me because when I was a kid I remember seeing this on a map and didn’t understand why Japan didn’t just land to the north and march south into Port Moresby; when I read how difficult the terrain was, then I understood. With the level of simulation you guys reach for with this game I just hate to see a situation where you can do something in the game with relative ease (taking Port Moresby) that in real life carried unacceptable risks (sending a fleet between Australia and Papua New Guinea through the Torres Strait) or was virtually impossible (using the overland route through the mountains).
Just to check myself, I researched a bit on the internet, and this area between Australia and Papua New Guinea is every bit as difficult to navigate as I was thinking. It’s only about 80 miles wide, which doesn’t give a lot of room for maneuver. In addition, every article uses words such as “obstacle-strewn”, “hazardous”, “difficult to navigate”, “shallow”, “maze of reefs and islands” – well, you get the idea. With this in mind, it seems to me that there should be some sort of impact in the game. As to what other sea areas I would treat similarly, off the top of my head I don’t know. I would say that the area wouldn’t have to necessarily be just shallow water to warrant some sort of impact in the game - any spot that is a natural chokepoint for shipping would be a good candidate for this. The Straits of Magellan come immediately to mind, but this area isn’t part of the map. Some other candidates:
Suez Canal – A fleet exiting the canal into an enemy-occupied sea zone would be very vulnerable to attack.
English Channel – The Channel Dash not withstanding, the Channel combines a narrow waterway with the fact that one coast permits the enemy to rather easily observe what you’re doing.
Malacca Straits – Another long, narrow waterway where ships would be vulnerable with little room to maneuver – one of the reasons why this area is currently so prone to piracy.
Others may have suggestions of their own (moving from one coast of the Philippines to the other?).
As to being reluctant to make a custom rule for the Owen Stanley Range – I understand wanting to avoid “one-time” rules. On the other hand (playing devil’s advocate) – isn’t that kind of what you’ve done with the Pripet Marshes?
Oh - and I'll just email you, Spitfire, the templates for the leader counters and values. Perhaps you can give us some ideas for additional leaders, abilities and a better method for leader enty and exit. Right now, I really just have leaders loosely timed to historical timelines and I'm not sure if I like that as a final way of having them come and go.
If you send this to me, I’d be glad to look it over and give you any suggestions I have as well.
