.
For turn order I think the most important thing that creates game play interest is who will can-open in sequence, or similarly who can provide air defense in sequence.
What usually happens is that Japan will try to fly over to Italy or Germany or vice versa, where you get kind of gamey moves on D, but its usually too potent to be ignored. Similarly for the can-opening, big plays usually involve Germany or Japan breaking the line, and then somebody else blitzing about. It's fun even if it leads to the checker board expansion pattern.
One thought I had, was that by giving each player block something to do across multiple regions of the globe, it will help them to focus on global coordination. Since each dude on the team would have at least one minor in his block, on either side of the map. Mainly for variety each turn, but also to help keep people trained on all the various contests across the gamemap, so each block has like one or more Major, and at least one Minor farther away from home base. Trying to give each block like a couple areas to focus on.
I don't mind the +5 in the Balkans so much myself. I think its kind of cool how if you can somehow get forward with the Russians, or land in the Balkans with the Western Allies, that it opens up factory options for them. Usually its like the reverse where G is forward, and the Balkans dudes back them up. Not sure how not needing factories would effect how they work, but I think it might be kind of confusing for units to enter play here in ways that are substantially different than for elsewhere on the map. Guess I'd have to see it in action, but I don't really think the Balkans need a special treatment. As Allies its kind of fun to torch their factories if you can manage hehe. Unless the no factory thing somehow works elsewhere too, so it's not like a one off. I kind of like it how everyone has the same basic treatment, and enjoy how the factory unit works and can be destroyed. Gives me something to do with the bombers, or the tanks/mech to try and make clutch blitz maneuvers. Was never a big fan of special China rules for example hehe, so I'd be for like more factories probably rather than fewer, if only to serve as targets for the other side.. But so far I dig it, whatever the plan, I'm sure it will end up pretty glorious.
Oh one other thought, is that the turn order blocks give some good options for canal control. Right now its pretty simple for Axis to gain control of all the major canals and naval choke points pretty quickly. Opening Instanbul or Suez, or closing Gibraltar is pretty big time. Maybe Singapore should be a canal? This would give British India or Anzac a reason to really focus on it.
The straits of Malacca could control movement between the Gulf of Thailand Sz and the Bay of Bengal Sz. Would give both sides an incentive to put Singapore into contention, to disrupt naval movement between the Pacific and Indian Ocean, similar to the way Sumatra works right now with the Sunda Strait.
All I can think of at the moment haha. Gotta crash for work tomorrow. Catch you next round!
Great work on this one! Its my favorite way to spend the insomniac hours right now. Just finished downloading the latest pre-release to try again with the AI.