[WarInEur] Queries

[SGMINFO at aol.com]

In a message dated 17/12/2007 11:07:59 GMT Standard Time,  dlazov at comcast.net 
writes:

If I  understand all the arguments correctly then I disagree, the game is 
only broke  if the Soviets can not go to total war due to the proposed limitation 
imposed  by the Axis or some type of weird triggers you are all discussing. 
To me these  all sound pro-German are and are designed to give the Axis player 
an unfair  advantage and are and abuse of the intent of the original  rules.


We are delicately skating around an awkward issue.
 
All of these discussions are based upon an unknown....how the Soviets would  
behave economically when not 'under the lash' of iminent slaughter and  
annihilation.
 
Actual mobilisation was a no holds barred, whatever the cost mentality. But  
it is reasonable  to assume that under a lesser pressure of events the  
Soviets would not stir themselves quite so dramatically, for if they were on the  
strategic offensive, they could dctate the terms of what they were putting at  
risk.
 
 The conversion to a war economy was done in a hugely wasteful way,  
everything was sacrificed for speed, including a lot of long term planning and  
resulting in a great loss of efficiency Putting agricultural production at risk,  as 
well as long term industrial performance. A similar situation to Churchills  
curtailing of Tank design and production and the resulting hiatus, similarly  
Hitlers cancellation of many long term projects.
The game does not adress these issues, and w don't glimpse the 'might be's'  
that were graven in tablets for the future and cast down and smashed in the  
panic and chaos of mobilisation.
 
 The limited war option is a game device to make the Soviet gamer stop  and 
think before crossing the rubicon and really destabilising the game, a crude  
'Do you REALLY want to do this???'. It was never envisaged to be balanced, as  
being in this situation already put you well outside the historcal simulation, 
 and placed you in a science fiction what if position anyway.
 
 In reality Stalin behaved as though he saw only his weaknesses The  gamer 
sees only his strengths, many of which are based upon the cold calculation  of 
accurate hindsight. The simulation takes no account of these weaknesses, so  
has to make such a crude adjustment.
 
 Much that influenced Stalin was his position, and personal  weaknesses. His 
hold n the state was none too secure, faced with a somewhat  disaffected 
military, and a recalcitrant population. Had stalin gone on the  offensive, it 
might well be that war production would have operated in leaps and  bounds, but 
his position, once the casualty returns had become to come in, might  have been 
untenable.
 
  For example, a possible alternate outcome to simulate the 'personal'  
factor.
 
Economically:- The Soviets immediately get full war production
Politically:- If at any time the Soviets lose 4 personnel centers Stalin is  
deposed, and Russia takes terms to get out of the war.
 
 
The secret of the Eastern front was the incredible resilience of the  Soviets 
and the Soviet state. Under threat of total annihilation the Soviets  refused 
to surrender and fought on (what other choice was there for the entire  
ruling oligarchy?), completely confounding Hitler's othewise and  hitherto 
surprisingly accurate, political instincts, that a political  collapse would 
inevitably follow the blows he struck at the heart of the  state.
 
 
 
 
 
 So we look at various 'anti' Soviet options, to engender any way that  may 
make the Soviet gamer take pause befor indulging in the one option we are  
really 'puntmg into the Dark' over. 
 
In CWIE 1 we had a similar 'problem' with a free setup Soviet player.  
Militarily the logical move was to descend on Rumania at the drop of a hat.  Rumania 
wuld not survive without German help, and the political and game rules  made 
it all but impossible for the Germans to defend ploesti, and the loss of  this 
so early in the game pretty much put an end to it.
 
 In CWIE 1 houserules were about the only way to protect from this  
ubalancing move. Or block free Soviet play.
 
 
 
-|steve|-



   
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