Axis And Allies

[Headshot]

I was wondering beyond the obvious differences how Axis and Allies, Axis and Alliesacific, and Axis and Allies:Europe are different. Is the original better than the theater games?

 

[bobos]

I can only compare the original axis and allies to axis and allies europe.I never played the pacific scenario.
There really is not that much difference between the two games.
In europe you can only play with 4 powers (not Japan).
As the map is not so big, the games tend to be less longer than with the original.
Europe is presented in more detail with individual countries and sometimes even cities.in Russia for example this tends to focus the battle on Stalingrad,giving the game a more historical chrome.
there is not a reserach and develepment phase any more at the beginning of your turn.
Also some new units have been added like artillery and destroyers but they really don't have a big impact on the game.
Maybe the biggest chance is that the games in A&A Europe tend to focus more on sea battle.
Convoy centers have been added at different places in the Atlantic.
In the beginning of the game the allies control these centers and they give extra income to them.
The axis can try to ocupy these centers, denaying the income to the allies.

If you have anymore questions, just let me know.

 

[Headshot]

But other than R&D the structure is the same

 

[Aries]

I have played The Pacific one.

I would give it more than two thumbs up, but I ran out of thumbs.

I have a friend that has the European one and say he agrees that is is as good as the Pacific one.

 

[Headshot]

hmmm this is tough. So is there one that stands aboveall the rest?

 

[Mantis]

HA!

I did a review of A&A Europe for an online gaming site. It's the worst piece of trash I've ever seen. The play balance is atrocious. I had the Germans consolidate their navies into one large fleet, and start ravaging convoys. The US and UK built NOTHING but navies, and still were not able to crack the german 'naval supremacy' (even tho the Krauts didn't build a single ship!).

As it was a playtest, I figured I'd go straight at it the first time, and see what happens from there. So the Germans starting consolidating all their land forces for a drive east, and built nothing but infantry. After a couple turns, the infantry stack started moving east, and then they build nothing but tanks to catch up with the infantry. The Russians brought it all together, built hordes of infantry, but it didn't matter. They died.

Wow, what fun that was.

 

[Aries]

Mantis you are forgetting that A&A or its children, are games where you roll scads of 6 sided dice.

You get to make a number of sound looking choices, but in the end, you are stuck rolling scads of 6 sided dice.

Some days a brilliant strategy pays off, then others the same idea falls flat on its face, simply because the dice said bugger off.

I have conquered the whole globe with each and every country, and also had each and every country prove to be worthless garbage.

One day I can do no wrong, and then the next game nothing will go right at all.

I have watched veteren wargamers get their side trashed by a newbie on their first game (actually most of my friends hate newbies as a result hehe).

Funniest game ever was when we finally got my ole A3R buddy to play. Heck even his "ally" the japanese player was in on the joke. My friend was used to playing the Axis in A3R and therefore was all ready for a predictable game.
He was going to "show us how it was done".
Sadly he attacked aggressively, but he didn't see some of the games nuances. He only lasted three turns and the Russians were kicking him out of the game hehe.

I hate Computer A&A only when we are talking playing it solo against the machine. Under those conditions, it is not worth the space on the hard drive. If you lose playing the AI in A&A, you generally don't let anyone know eh.
But it is a fine way to play the game online as it is as usable as the board game in those circumstances.

I am slighted in favour of the Pacific one though. But that is only in recognition to how hard it is to find a satisying game computer or otherwise for the Pacific.
Sure there are good games out there, but it is getting one that the purchaser likes that is the key.

I think it is near impossible to not like A&A Pacific.