Domination 1914 No Man's Land - Official Thread

Schulz

Also I would offer making more tech categories since they play vital part of game, some techs are much more important in initial rounds than other nations. Having incidentally good/bad techs makes huge impact for example;

As Serbia you can gain either propaganda or industry tech and one of them is close to be worhless while the other one (propaganda) is the best tech.

Another example, Late fighter is must for Germany if Centrals want to protect the German Navy. I mea overall achieving wanted techs should be less dicey. I propose 5 categories instead of 3.

Offense

-Mustard Gas
-Creeping Barage
-Mobile Warfare

Defense

-Railway Guns
-Bunkers
-Propaganda

Innovation

-Late Fighter
-Armour
-Industry

Economy

-Victory Bonds
-Workin Women
-Science

Naval

-Sub Warfare
-Convoys
-Dockyard
-Fleet Action
-Merchant Marine
-Aircraft Carrier

Schulz

Also I have doubts about Constantinople-SZ 68 connection. Removing this connection would weakened Turkey, I would favour not removing it though.

redrum

@Schulz Open to reworking the tech categories but that would be a pretty major change so would want others to weigh in.

I think we need to keep the Constantinople-SZ 68 connection.

Schulz

Agree better to keep Constantinople-SZ 68 connection.

Also they approved new tech categories and I think decreasing territory values or increasing neutral units in Japan are equally good idead.

KurtGodel7

@Schulz said in Domination 1914 No Man's Land - Official Thread:

Also I would offer making more tech categories since they play vital part of game, some techs are much more important in initial rounds than other nations. Having incidentally good/bad techs makes huge impact for example;

I like your idea. And I think it could be even better in a modified version.

Each tech category would have a level 1 and level 2. You cannot research level 2 techs in any given category until you've researched all level 1 techs in that category.

Industry level 1
Science
Victory bonds
Working women

Industry level 2
Industry
Propaganda
Late fighter

Land level 1
Mobile warfare
Mustard gass
Bunkers

Land level 2
Creeping barrage
Rail guns
Tanks

Naval level 1
Merchant marine (destroyers, cruisers, and battle cruisers move 3)
Convoys
Fleet action

Naval level 2
Dockyards
Sub warfare
Aircraft carrier

redrum

@KurtGodel7 Interesting idea. Though I think it would probably make level 2 techs appear in much fewer games as you'll probably only see them in games lasting over 10 rounds. I think that's probably a bit too extreme.

redrum

v1.2 is released

Add aaGun image for Arabia to avoid errors when capturing one
Add connection sz7 to sz8
Black Sea to Med canal should also require Constantinople not just Dardanelles
Update Propaganda tech to give Germany Stormtroopers instead of infantry
Decreased Hokkaido and Tohoku production from 6 to 4

KurtGodel7

@redrum said in Domination 1914 No Man's Land - Official Thread:

@KurtGodel7 Interesting idea. Though I think it would probably make level 2 techs appear in much fewer games as you'll probably only see them in games lasting over 10 rounds. I think that's probably a bit too extreme.

TheKhan_Entente.tsvg
TheKhan_Entente2.tsvg

I have attached two saved games. In the first of which the game ended in round 46. The second of which merely lasted until round 42. These are extreme examples I'll admit. But, the vast majority of games I play on this map last at minimum until round 20, and it's perfectly normal for a game to last until about round 30.

With the rules modification I proposed, a player would be allowed to research level 2 industrial techs once he'd researched all level 1 industrial techs. The same applies to land and naval techs. This means that it's possible for players to start acquiring level 2 techs as early as round 4. By round 10 the major powers should have all level 1 and level 2 industrial techs researched, and they should have a few level 1 land or naval techs.

The goal of my tech system is to prevent ultra-good tech rolls from having an overpowered effect on the game. If (for example) Germany gets industry tech on round 1, it could potentially put Paris in danger. You don't want the fate of a major capital to ride on the luck of a tech roll, which is why I made industry a level 2 tech. I also made propaganda a level 2 tech, because Serbia getting propaganda tech on round 1 makes it too difficult for the Centrals to capture it. Creeping barrage makes a land offensive much more threatening and powerful. If I'm Austria, I want creeping barrage more than I want all other land techs combined. I made creeping barrage a level 2 tech, because it's not good for a key Russian or Italian territory to fall too early, based on a lucky Austrian tech roll. Conversely, the defender getting a very good tech roll (rail guns) can delay conquest by a number of turns. That's why I made rail guns a level 2 tech as well.

Schulz

Kurt I've looked the load games and Entente player had made serious mistakes in initial rounds like not rolling in Northern Mexico with USA cavalries in round 1, USA atlantic navy, Buying England Factory instead of 5 sub/fighter in London, allowing Germany to stay in English Channel, Buying Volgograd factory too early instead of trying to recapture Warsaw, not trying to capture Switzerland in initial rounds with Italian cavalries, not staying in Milan. Had Entente done somethings differently game wouldn't last longer than 15 rounds.

Any game can last even more with such a defensive playstyle. But the most critic rounds are indeed the initial round between 1 and 5.

With your tech system, Germany will never have Late fighter in initial rounds and immiadetaly lost its navy and with Scandinavian incomes Entente will start heavily outproduce Centrals.

Lack of Creeping Barrage/armour/industry in initial rounds is huge punishment for Centrals. It will significantly weakened Centrals. There is no reason for Entente to fear offensive techs/units of Central powers. Centrals have absolutely zero chance to take Paris even with early industry tech which is nerfed.

No industry and no late fighter for Germany means having almost zero chance to take Marseille,Piedmont, Losing Scnadinavia and delaying Austria pushing Russia, Italy. And finally guaranteeing to keep Northern Italy/Southern France with USA reinforcements via Morocco,Spain.

Schulz

I agree Serbian Propaganda is too annoying. I would prefer removing all Serbian techs though.

Schulz

West Prussian factory would be nice imho but I would have some concerns about it due to being able to purchasing up to 10 naval units (14 with industry). Russia will need carefully calculate Petersburg if there are so many Stormtroopers in Berlin for preventing rush.

Another things that should really be discussed that how aleatory British having %50 chance taking Mexico city in round 2. And how easy and effective to rush Commies with USA via Eastern Russia due to very close distance.

redrum

Example of current house rules for experienced players:

18 gas max per player
nothing south of panama, no japans, no spain except top 3, china open only if centrals open it
no teching of italy and serbia
victory bonds for germany and a choice of industrial tech

Other considerations:

AA vs zepplin balance (maybe decrease AA cost to 5?)
Moving UK fighter from London to Ireland
Additional balance around round 1 sea battles

redrum

Here are the proposed tech category changes to 6 instead of 3:

Economy: Victory Bonds, Working Women, Science
Innovation: Late Fighter, Armour, Industry
Land Offense: Mustard Gas, Creeping Barage, Mobile Warfare
Land Defense: Railway Guns, Bunkers, Propaganda
Screens and Subs: Sub Warfare, Convoys, Merchant Marine
Capital Ships: Dockyard, Fleet Action, Aircraft Carrier

Schulz

I'd prefer decreasing mainland income of US rather than limiting farming too much if maintaining balance would be still possible. Because these restrictions just remove a lot of strategic options of US and dictates it a straightforward strategy which include Atlantic only.

I'd be okey banning Japan and S.America. I have mixed feelings about Spain and I'm definitely oppose banning China.

I approve removing Serb techs, German starting Victory bonds, moving UK fighter to Ireland.

KurtGodel7

I'd like to put some ideas onto the table.

Minor nation techs (for Serbia and Italy). Technology works the same way as for all other powers, except:

Tech tokens cost 2
Propaganda produces 1 infantry per turn
Victory bonds gives you one die roll of added income per turn

German neutral farming in South America

Remove 1 infantry from Peru
Add 1 factory for Bolivia
Replace existing units in sz 106 with 2 battlecruisers and a sub
Move British ships in sz 104 to sz 96

Unit limits

Gass limit of 15 per nation
Zeppelin limit of 2 per nation

I like Redrum's proposed tech system, and his idea of moving a UK fighter to Ireland instead of London.

KurtGodel7

I'd like to explain my reasoning behind the above-listed suggestions.

Minor nation techs for Italy and Serbia
As Redrum pointed out technology is sometimes denied to those two nations completely in an effort to promote game balance. Instead of getting rid of their technology completely, I've nerfed it to take away most of the economic boost technology provides. But, there's still enough left on the table (especially at the reduced cost!) to make it worthwhile for them to do technological research. Now the players controlling Italy and Serbia have a strategic choice to make about tech spending, instead of having the one option of 100% units/0% tech for their spending.

German neutral farming in South America
If this map were played without any house rules at all it would favor the Entente. There are three ways of addressing that:

Restrictions on neutral farming.
Facilitate Centrals' Zerg rush.
Facilitate neutral farming for Centrals.

The outcome of a Zerg rush is typically binary: the capital you're gunning for either falls or it doesn't. If the target capital fails to fall at all, then often the game is over with an Entente win. But if it falls too quickly, to the Zerg rush of an expert player, then that can spell a very quick win for Centrals. It's difficult to balance that in a way that ensures the capital lasts just the right amount of time, especially if you're trying to ensure the map is balanced for expert-vs-expert matches, and also balanced for intermediate-vs-intermediate matches. Also this map has excellent potential for very deep, long games. That potential is lost whenever the outcome is decided in the first few rounds.

Neutral farming for Germany in South America is a non-binary way of helping the Centrals. Facilitating German neutral farming in South America would potentially allow Germany access to a large source of additional income. This would allow the Centrals more staying power in a longer game, and would address the concern Schultz raised about Britain's income becoming higher than Germany's. It's also worth pointing out that there's a strategic choice involved for Germany here. Yes, Germany can neutral farm South America (long-term gain), but to do so it needs to buy units for the Bolivia factory (short-term pain).

Schulz

-Defending Paris in unlimied gas scenario-

The highest rush chance to take Paris is round6. Typically Germany will buy 20 stomtruppen+10 field gun. And Austria will buy 20 Gas.

As France you should send all N.African cavalries to Cairo. Don't buy any naval vessel, don't farm anywhere. Need to buy cavalries for Brittany and fighters for Marseille in r4 (if possible) for quickly moving them Paris.

As Italy buy 6 cavalry in Rome, 1 figher+1 field+1inf in Piedmont. Send Cavalries to Rhone in r4 and buy 3 fighter in Piedmont than send all of them to Paris.

As Britain buy 5 fighter in London, 1 destroyer in Canda and a few land units for Cario only in r1. Build England fac in r2. If Germany hits Belgium in r1. Try to stack Picardy if Germany ignore Belgium in r1. Keep Belgium as much as possible. Buy 8 fighter in r4 in Britain.

As Russia minimum investment against Commies, Ottomans and recapturing Warsaw, taking Scandinavia and Gas Rush to Galicia in r4-r6.

As USA not buying S.Fransisco fac in r1 and sending troops to Paris.

redrum

v1.3 is now released

Remove Serbian tech
Increase neutral strength or reduce territory value of South America, Japan, Spain, and China (Hebei, Canton, Shangtung)
Move UK fighter from London to Ireland
Decrease USA turn 1 chance on Chihuahua to avoid turn 2 capture of Mexico City
Remove connection sz21 to sz29
6 instead of 3 tech categories:
- Economy: Victory Bonds, Working Women, Science
- Innovation: Late Fighter, Armour, Industry
- Land Offense: Mustard Gas, Creeping Barage, Mobile Warfare
- Land Defense: Railway Guns, Bunkers, Propaganda
- Screens and Subs: Sub Warfare, Convoys, Merchant Marine
- Capital Ships: Dockyard, Fleet Action, Aircraft Carrier

redrum

Ladder created here: https://triplealadder.com/tournamatch.php?file=ladders&mode=moreinfo&lid=9

I would encourage folks to join the ladder and post final save games here in this thread to discuss further balance changes. Also with v1.3 now released, I'd like to see folks play with no house rules to see if any are still needed.

Schulz

Well great update, overpowered farming issue seems solved. But I personally think a decent entente player is still close to be unbeatable.

The problem is Centrals can't get enoght extra income from territories to compete with Entente when USA entirely join the war (roughly after r7-8), Usually Germany varely holds western front, grabs Switzerland, Stockholm, Poland a few African territories and Mexico city unless Entente has done serious mistakes roughly 32-37 more incomes from startup but also losing some pacific and african colonies roughly 13 incomes so only +20/+24 more income before usa enitrely joining war (total 132-135 incomes) unless early breaking Belarus which is almost impossible without entente mistakes.

While UK stucks mostly in 113/117 which is only slighly lower than Germany. (It was easy to outproduce Germany with Mexico City factory). While still high enogh to presurre both Ottomans and Germany and easier exceeding this limit compared to Germany with Middle Eastern territories.

Also game is a bit fail to project Cp gains in eastern Europe; Russia is like UK a bit strong to me. Conscript is too powerful and Capturing Eastern Europe is alot harder than Capturing the Middle East. In my most games Ottomans start losing in the Middle East before Russia starting to lose in Europe. Russia eventually start losing in far east strong Commies isn't as useful as Strong Germany, they suffer logistic issues and Germany actually needs more these incomes than Commies.

To me at least 8 UK inf/cav 2 French inf, 2 Serb inf, 4 Italian inf/artillery and 4 Rus inf/conscript should be removed from set up.