I've extracted the bidding rules from the broken "WarClub" (the true one...) Ladder:
Here are the ones of Revised:
The following will be used in the matches:
Axis & Allies 4ed Standard Rules and/or Low Luck rules. (These
options are selected in the My Profile link in the flyout menu for each ladder.)
The current stable version, as of the above date, of TripleA is v1.0.0.3 .
The Axis bid is set to 9 IPCs. These IPCs may be spent on units to be placed on the board prior to game start. The IPC may be
split between Germany and Japan in any way. The only restrictions are
that no more than one unit may be placed per territory and
units must be placed in a territory controlled by or containing units of the same nation. Placement of naval units in empty sea zones or
placement of German units with Japanese units (and vice
versa) is not allowed. Unspent IPC's from the bid can be divided up
between Germany and Japan for spending in future turns as the Axis
player desires.
Here are the ones of Anniversary:
The following will be used in the matches:
Axis & Allies Anniversary Edition (AA50) Standard Rules and/or Low Luck rules. (These
options are selected in the My Ladder Profile link).
Players must currently play with National Objectives on.
The current stable version, as of the above date, of TripleA is v1.2.5.4 .
_
For 1941 with regular luck (Dice), the Allies bid is set to 8 IPCs.
For 1941 with LowLuck (LL), the Allies bid is set to 13 IPCs()
For 1942 with regular luck (Dice), the Allies bid is set to 9 IPCs.
For 1942 with LowLuck (LL), the Allies bid is set to 9 IPCs
_
() No bomber purchases are allowed for this game and bid combination
These IPCs may be spent on units to be placed on the board prior to game start. The IPC may be split the allies in any way. The first restriction is that no more than one unit may be placed per territory. Naval units must go into a sea zone with existing Naval units of the same nation. Placement of naval units in empty sea zones or placement of, for example, British units with American units (and vice versa) is not allowed. Similiarly, ground/air units must be placed in the territories controlled by the same nation. However, ground units may be placed in territories that have no existing ground/air units.
Unspent IPC's from the bid can be divided up between the Allies for spending in future turns as the Allied player desires
(I've added the underscores because this forum, apparently, refuses to allow empty lines in quotes, or I cannot figure how that works; let me know, in case)
So, aside from the no-bomber-bid special rule (in there just due to the peculiarities of the setup), it looks like we have two different sets of rules, in the specific case:
Revised:
units must be placed in a territory controlled by or containing units of the same nation.
Anniversary:
Naval units must go into a sea zone with existing Naval units of the same nation.
Similarly, ground/air units must be placed in the territories controlled by the same nation. However, ground units may be placed in territories that have no existing ground/air units.
You can notice that, at least in the Revised ones, the meaning of "territory" is either "land territory" or "sea zone", alike (land territories and sea zones are both "territories", looks like).
So, it looks like Revised has 1 single rule for all, while Anniversary has different rules for Land Territories and Sea Zones.
Also, what I was proposing as my preference is just exactly the Revised Ladder rule!
Personally, I'm with the Revised guys here, and would prefer a general rule, rather than different rules for land and sea, like in Anniversary, which is just confusing, but I see that if you generally apply the Revised rule, then in Anniversary you would be able to place a Germans unit in Italian Libya, since there are Germans units at start game, there, which I would be totally fine with, and it is not an issue at all, since the bid goes to Allies (not to Axis).
Looks like the Anniversary rules are not justified, in their confusingly dealing with land and sea differently, since the only changes I can see, in applying the above straight Revised rule would be:
In 1941 and 1942 you would be also able to place Germans units in Italian Libya.
In 1942 only you would be also able to place Americans units in British United Kingdom.
None of the above looks anywhere important to me, so I've no clue why the Anniversary guys decided to make different rules for land and sea, instead of just copying the homogenous Revised ones.
Am I overlooking something?
My suggestion is to just adopt the Revised Ladder rules in the engine, but reworded this way:
units must be placed in land territories controlled by the same owner or in any land territories and sea zones containing units of the same owner.
Using just this rule would also allow you to place units in a land territory that you don't own, if you have units in it, but not placing units in a sea zone you own, without units in them (usually, convoy zones), that strict Revised rules would allow, instead (of course, not relevant for Revised, as you don't start with any units in allied land territories, there, nor you have any convoy zones, or somesuch), assuming that a "sea zone" is a "territory" (if we don't, then we would not be able to place ships).
Tho, this would also allow you, for example, in a British territory with Americans units in it, to place both 1 British unit and 1 Americans unit, in the same, during the respective bid placement phases, which I think it would be fine.
If you want, you can also add a property (off as default) for always just requiring having units (thus disabling placing in empty land territories), as it seems you were thinking to; it makes sense, I like the idea and no harm done, as long as it is optional and not default.
