DICTATOR ToT - DEVELOPMENT THREAD!

[curtsibling]

Originally posted by fairline


No it didn't. The 2nd NZ Division served with distinction in the Mediterranean with the British 8th Army from Greece/Crete through all of the subsequent N. African campaign and on into Italy. The 3rd NZ Div. served in the Pacific in New Caledonia under US command. HMNZS Achilles and Leander fought alongside the RN prior to Pearl Harbor.

As for Australia, the bulk of her army fought in the Middle East with the British prior to Pearl Harbour; you are partly right that subsequent to Japan starting hostilities most transferred to the Pacific and fought with the Yanks, although one division stayed to fight on at El Alamein.

That certainly doesn't constitute 'pretty much all... involvement in the war was in cooperation with the Americans'.

Indeed - I reckon Australia will be given to the Brit civ, in the end.

The trick is to make sure their tech level does not go into overdrive...

[curtsibling]

Originally posted by Patine
I was mostly referring to post-Pearl Harbor activities, actually. Sorry if I downplayed any actions of glory or distinction by the Australian or New Zealand militaries in Europe or Africa. I thought there participation there was minimal. My source was somewhat flawed, and I apologize for spouting inaccurate data.

That's OK.

Now consume some barbequed shrimps and watery Oz beer as penance!

[Arthedain]

Originally posted by curtsibling
I see the possibilities of a Italy/minor Axis civ!

Hmm, this is an interesting idea, however, a civ like that would start with maximum 8 cities (Italy+Libya, Hungary, Romania, Finland included in that count). And it would only use the lesser of the Germans units, and need Germanys help (Africa) anyways, so I don't think a civ like that would be so positive in this scenario.
Keeping the Commonwealth or adding China would be a better idea IMHO.

Btw, I don't like that I can't invade Soviet Union from the south after taking Middle East (without going through Iran).

[curtsibling]

I am working on new solutions to the problems with the allied invasions and also have added a new Japanese unit.

I have completely reorganised the unit layout and made
some units to be used by both the USA and the UK...

There will be a Chinese civ, with outmoded armies, but
plenty of partisans and help from the Europeans if you
fight well...More on that to follow...

Also there will be a new immobile border garrison unit,
that will prevent univited wanderings...and also stop the
map being filled with useless adventures by the silly AI!

I want to make the new version much more fluid and have
the technologies more open and reseachable without too
much veering into other paths of advances...I want to keep
all the paths in set branches, such as Tanks, Planes, Ships, Amries, Industry, etc...

I will keep you all updated, of course...

[curtsibling]

Originally posted by AGRICOLA


Yes, thanks to Catfish locating the key bytes, its no problem. I did it in MGE for Jim Pense about a month ago. Please E-mail the file when you are ready.

I will be in touch!

You have my sincere thanks, I will go ahead and plan that extra civ!



PS
Am I right in assuming the changes made in hex are lost
if I resaved the file?

I foresee various changes to the map or edits, and I don't want to be a pest!

I will reserve your hex-help for when I am 90% sure that there are no glaring errors!

[curtsibling]

On that note, I am happy to listen to any suggestions on who that extra civ might be?

Australia? Vichy France? Who?

[AGRICOLA]

Originallyposted by curtsibling
Am I right in assuming the changes made in hex are lost
if I resaved the file?

I foresee various changes to the map or edits, and I don't want to be a pest!

I will reserve your hex-help for when I am 90% sure that there are no glaring errors!

The kind of changes (alliances) that you are looking for will remain with the game unless playing the game changes them. AFAIK, alliances with barbs are impossible to break during a game because alliances can only be broken by diplomacy and dialogue with barbs is impossible. So you are probably safe in getting the alliances set up at any convenient time. Subsequent development work should have no effect.

[curtsibling]

Truly excellent!

I will set up the new map order and be in touch this weekend...

PS
Which nation would you suggest for the new civ?

Australia seems to fit the bill.....

[Arthedain]

If you want Australia as a civ, why not keep the Commonwealth? If you want Canada to belong to Britain, Australia (New Zeeland too) and South Africa can belong to the Commonwealth.

[curtsibling]

This is true...I guess I could make them a new flag and shift the problem-making Canadian cities to Brit ownership!

But then that would open up the issue of why Australia, NZ, SA are not under Brit control.....

[fairline]

Canadian wartime production and armed forces manpower were inextricably linked with Britain. Sextons, Ram Kangeroos, 25-pdrs, Valentines - the Cananians were vital to key areas of British materiel production, and their forces in Italy and Normandy fought under British overall control, never US. The argument could be made that after Pearl Harbor, Australia's focus was on the Pacific and they generally fought under US overall control.

I guess you could use this as the litmus test: Canada and SA fought under British command whereas Australia fought largely under US control in the Pacific. having said that, all of the Dominions stood beside Britain from the outset of War, unlike the US; how would you deal with a situation in 1939 where Britain is at war with the Germans and the US-controlled Oz stands idly by?

[Patine]

That is a good point, fairline. I'd not considered that idea. Australia and New Zealand could thus be part of a Brit or Commonwealth player, and just use troops from their country (if human-controlled) to support the US after Pearl Harbor.

[curtsibling]

I think the nations will be laid out like this:

Canada, Greece, India and other possessions will all be under the Brit civ.

Australia, South Africa, and some other areas will be Commonwealth controlled...
I may have to make the Barb cities in the Balkans Commonwealth also.

The new Chinese civ will replace the Barbs in Asia.

With the Barbs as neutrals, things will be interesting...

[Patine]

I myself, as a Canadian, think Canada should be part of the Commonwealth. Running them as a British country won't solve your 'invasion' problem (allies behave the same in Civ 2 regardless of what you call them) and I thought you were using border infantry to solve that anyways. At any rate, the Dominion of Canada was just as independent in '39 as Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa, since the Statute of Westminister, and I have my late grandfather's word on that.

[curtsibling]

I could as easily put 'all' the Commonwealth cities under an overall Brit Allies civ...

After extensive playing, I can see that the Brit AI does
act quite differently from the Commonwealth AI, despite
having the same expansionist/militarist settings in rules.

It could be the geographical distance to their enemies is
a major factor in the American continent civs filling their
maps with units, but that said, the USA civ sends out
regular naval attacks, while the Canadian cities do not.

I am not entirely sure the garrisons will solve that problem.

Removing the cities is an option, but one I am not happy about.