Timing of Burma Road closure

World in Flames is the computer version of Australian Design Group classic board game. World In Flames is a highly detailed game covering the both Europe and Pacific Theaters of Operations during World War II. If you want grand strategy this game is for you.

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Courtenay
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Timing of Burma Road closure

Post by Courtenay »

In RAW, the Japanese can close the Burma road anytime. This is ridiculous to code, and unnecessary in play. There is one point in the sequence of play that dominates (in the game theory sense) all others: After the return to base step and before final production planning. It would be nice if an additional step were added to the sequence of play here, where the Japanese can close the Burma road. Doing so would bring MWiF in line with how WiF works in practice. The key thing is that closing the Burma road should be done after US entry and before production, but the later in the sequance of play, the better for the Japanese.

If a close Burmese road step is added, if the Japanese close the road, the Allies should be given a chance to reconfigure their trade before fianl production planning. (E.g.: the CW is sending the Chinese a resource, and have allocated the Burmese oil. The Japanese close the road. Now the CW wants to allocate one of the unused Malayan resources to China, and either use the Burmese oil for reorganization of save it in Mandalay.)

Yes, this is a very low priority item, to be worried about only after all bugs are fixed, but I wanted to mention it so that it would be thought of.
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paulderynck
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RE: Timing of Burma Road closure

Post by paulderynck »

I fully agree with the placement of the step, but not the added complexity of reconfiguring lends, etc... because:

1. We always closed it then - but treated the situation the same as a disrupted CP line followed by turn end. In other words, if you can't deliver a promised item you lose that many of the promised item from somewhere. (Rules aren't clear one way or the other on this, IMO.)

2. Usually it's a Malayan resource or Philippine resource that wouldn't (or couldn't) go anywhere else, anyway.
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RE: Timing of Burma Road closure

Post by Shannon V. OKeets »

ORIGINAL: Courtenay

In RAW, the Japanese can close the Burma road anytime. This is ridiculous to code, and unnecessary in play. There is one point in the sequence of play that dominates (in the game theory sense) all others: After the return to base step and before final production planning. It would be nice if an additional step were added to the sequence of play here, where the Japanese can close the Burma road. Doing so would bring MWiF in line with how WiF works in practice. The key thing is that closing the Burma road should be done after US entry and before production, but the later in the sequance of play, the better for the Japanese.

If a close Burmese road step is added, if the Japanese close the road, the Allies should be given a chance to reconfigure their trade before fianl production planning. (E.g.: the CW is sending the Chinese a resource, and have allocated the Burmese oil. The Japanese close the road. Now the CW wants to allocate one of the unused Malayan resources to China, and either use the Burmese oil for reorganization of save it in Mandalay.)

Yes, this is a very low priority item, to be worried about only after all bugs are fixed, but I wanted to mention it so that it would be thought of.
I actually gave this a lot of thought when coding the game.

In the end I decided that the milking of the rules by the players to eek out one less Resource going to China while avoiding the US Entry hit for a turn wasn't worth the bother. Adding yet another phase to the game for this once in a game event seemed silly.

Closing the Burma Road via political pressure can be done by the Japanese in the DOW Minor subphase. Since that is at the start of an Axis impulse, the Japanese have to either permit the Chinese to get an extra resource (or two, or build point) or suffer the US Entry hit before the end of the turn.
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WarHunter
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RE: Timing of Burma Road closure

Post by WarHunter »

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

I actually gave this a lot of thought when coding the game.

In the end I decided that the milking of the rules by the players to eek out one less Resource going to China while avoiding the US Entry hit for a turn wasn't worth the bother. Adding yet another phase to the game for this once in a game event seemed silly.

Closing the Burma Road via political pressure can be done by the Japanese in the DOW Minor subphase. Since that is at the start of an Axis impulse, the Japanese have to either permit the Chinese to get an extra resource (or two, or build point) or suffer the US Entry hit before the end of the turn.

The game is built on once in a game event decisions. Silly or not.

Closing the Burma Road pretty much means 2 factories are SoL. To the Japanese player that is like hitting with strategic bombing with perfect rolls. The cost is a US entry roll.

Milking the rules for less BP's is the difference between seeing a pilot or not. A militia or an infantry. Maybe even that Stilwell HQ shows up when it should not be.

What's done is done.




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Centuur
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RE: Timing of Burma Road closure

Post by Centuur »

While I see the logic in what you've written, I go with what Paul has written.
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RE: Timing of Burma Road closure

Post by brian brian »

It's part of the "game" experience. You can also rationalize it out as the inefficiency of military logistics, corruption, dilution of the shipments to multiple new destinations, etc. Normally the Allies only risk a single resource and the Japanese immediately close the Road.
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