Limit the activation

[Eternal]

I am a longtime fan of the World of War series. However, I always did not like the fact that the activation is absolutely random and not crammed into the frame. This may be greetings to horrendous consequences, such as, for example, one American formation is activated six times in a row and shoots the enemy. Or a few turns go empty when no one is activated, so the attackers simply do not have enough time to reach the goals.

You did not think how to limit the activation?

For example, we in our games forbid empty turn. On each turn, someone must activate before it ends. We also imposed a limit on the activation of one player, when he can not be activated more than once in a row than his markers in the glass multiplied by 1.5. For example, if a NATO player has 2 markers in a glass, he cannot activate more than three times in a row, and if 4, then more than 6 times in a row.

Indeed, in Nuclear Winter there is a similar rule and it works very well.

What do you think about limiting activations?

 

[MkV]

The new rules already have a limiter to prevent 2 consecutive turns w/o an activation.

2.3.7 Rebuild the Formation Deck
Shuffle all discarded cards back into the deck, except any cards that may have been removed from play during the turn.
If a Formation did not activate during that turn, the player withholds all but one of the End Operations cards from
the deck, and places that Formation’s HQ counter on it. Both players may end up with an End Operations card this way. If an HQ is in the Suppressed Box, place it now on the card instead. More than one Formation may be affected this way.

This both prevents a formation from having 2 consecutive turns w/o an activation AND moving more than 2x its number of cards in a row without the other side moving

 

[Eternal]

I know this rule, but it is completely inadequate. It in no way protects against turns in which single formation not be activated or six consecutive activations of NATO were active, when a player for the USSR cannot do anything, but only looks at how he is shot.

 

[MkV]

I know this rule, but it is completely inadequate. It in no way protects against turns in which single formation not be activated or six consecutive activations of NATO were active, when a player for the USSR cannot do anything, but only looks at how he is shot.

You are correct in that you can have a turn with no one moving. As for the other, are you speaking as NATO as a side with multiple formations getting 6 activation of different formations in a row?

 

[Eternal]

It can be very simple. Suppose a scenario where the USSR has one formation with one marker, and America has one formation with two markers.
Turn 1: USSR, America, America, end of turn, end of turn
Turn 2: America, America, end of turn, end of turn
Turn 3: America, America, USSR, end of turn, end of turn.

It turns out the American formation can simply shoot the Soviet part. No tactics, just throwing dice, it makes the game very tied for luck.

 

[MkV]

It can be very simple. Suppose a scenario where the USSR has one formation with one marker, and America has one formation with two markers.
Turn 1: USSR, America, America, end of turn, end of turn
Turn 2: America, America, end of turn, end of turn
Turn 3: America, America, USSR, end of turn, end of turn.

It turns out the American formation can simply shoot the Soviet part. No tactics, just throwing dice, it makes the game very tied for luck.

I see now. Thanks

 

[Gorby]

Well, that certainly would be a memorable game. I presume that if a side had a 2:1 formation card advantage that that is meant to represent some real and significant disparity between the two forces and/or that the scenario would balance in some other way such as terrain such as better terrain, disparate objective points, etc.

I don't think it's a problem with the rule set.

 

[Eternal]

Most scenarios have this imbalance. And often the Soviet troops are simply shot, because they have no activations.

This is the main problem of the entire system.

 

[David Heath]

Hi Eternal,

We played this game so much during playtesting and the redesigning or remaking these scenarios. Never once did the conditions you state in the new game. The game design at this stage is done and at the printers. We will, of course, be watching.

David

 

[Eternal]

I played the old version so many times. I guess I played almost all the modules many times. I had situations when NATO activated 4-5 times in a row and shot the Soviet troops.