Version 1.5 released

The game is now well-balanced and games between equally matched players are lasting over 6-7 seven rounds.

The first 3-4 rounds are precarious for the UK and often the fate of the world hangs on the USSR holding the line until the USA arrives. Africa, India, Australia and the Middle-East are all hard fought for while China continues to dampen Japan's momentum in Asia. Naval strategies are vital and battles are fierce.

Factories have been placed only in regions historically capable of producing troops and armaments so supply lines are vital, thinly stretched and vulnerable to attack. Games opening along historical lines "feel" historically authentic.

Version 1.5 contains several small changes designed to boost Axis production after the first few rounds making them more competitive when the USA fully mobilizes.

The values of Austria, West Poland, Java, Sumatra and the Balkans have been increased by one IPC. Sweden & West Turkey have been increased by one IPC. Australia, Canada & the West Indies have been reduced by one IPC. The value of two of Russia's Siberian territories have been reduced from one to zero. Southwestern USA has been decreased to 8 IPC and Northwestern South America has been reduced to 2 IPC.

Italy's ground units in Europe have been increased.

Spain has an AA gun.

Enjoy...... Cheers - Wolfy

Version 1.4 released

The following modifications have been made in version 1.4:

1. China has another infantry in Western Sinkiang.
   
2. The British have an extra infantry on Bombay, Ceylon and Borneo.
3. The British have an extra artillery on Thai-Malaya and Bombay.
4. The Solomon Islands and Fiji have been populated with an infantry each.
   

Version 1.3 released

The following modifications have been made in version 1.3:

1. The factories in Vladivostok (a fishing port at the time) and the Phillipeans have been removed. Indo-China and Delhi have factories.
   
2. To hinder a Japanese blitz of China the values of Vladivostok, Chosen and Shantung have each been reduced by one IPC and she has lost one infantry in Kwantung. To compensate, her land units on northern and southern Japan have been increased.
3. Germany has lost her uBoat in the mid-Atlantic but the other 4 in the Atlantic remain.
   
4. Italy has extra infantry units in Libya and Ethiopia and the British have another artillery unit in Egypt and Syria and an infantry unit in French Equatorial Africa.
   
5. Kashmir is now an occupied British territory as it was in 1939 thus strengthening India.
   
6. The British ground units in Bombay and Southern Africa have been slightly strengthened. Pakistan has been given a production value of one.
7. New Zealand and Tasmania have each been given an infantry each.
8. USA's cruiser in SZ 18 West Atlantic has been converted to a battleship.
   
9. The units in Mexico have been removed seeding Mexican IPCs to the USA war effort.
10. Madagascar has been taken away from the British and given to Vichy France as she was in 1939.
11. Vichy France has been given an infantry unit in both the Guinean Coast and Rio de Oro.
12. Spain and Portugal have been strengthened.

How to install and play after downloading

To play "First Strike" after downloading First Strike: Wolfy's 1939:

• save the XML file in C:\Program Files\TripleA\triplea_1_0_0_3\games with all the other TripleA XML game files or in the TripleA games folder on your iMac or Linux machine. Do not open it with your web-browser.

• when you open TripleA as usual you will then see "First Strike: Wolfy's 1939" listed with the other games such as Classic, Revised, PoS, Small's 1939 etc

Modifications in version 1.2

Version 1.2 released - modifications:

• strengthened West Turkey to defend against a Round 2 German tank/air blitz
• increased the value of Japan's Chinese territories
  
• strengthened Chosen to allow Japan to hold coastal China without loosing momentum in SE Asia
• moved and strengthened Germany's mid-Atlantic raider fleet to SZ 40 Mid Atlantic to make early allied trans-Atlantic convoys dangerous
• Reduced production value of Southern USA to 8
  
• weakened the USA's fleet on west coast USA to limit their immediate response to Japan's first strike (changed battleship to cruiser and deleted the Seattle submarine)
• weakened Russia's infantry in far-east USSR
  

Please use the Post a Comment feature below if you have any comments or suggestions.

First Strike: Wolfy's 1939 v 1.1 released

First Strike: Wolfy's 1939 is a Triple-A variant of 1939 Pact of Steel Big World. AxisGeneral's 1939 was the starting point which was then modified to improve its historical accuracy and more fully reward an aggressive Axis first round.

The order of play is:

1. Germany
   
2. Russia
   
3. Italy
   
4. China
   
5. Japan
   
6. UK
   
7. USA.
   

This gives the Axis first strike against the British and the Americans as in WW2. China has first strike against Japan as she had been at war with the Japanese for several years by 1939.

Germany round one can attack Norway, France, Switzerland, Hungary and Poland. Her initial IPCs are slightly higher and she has two transports.

Russia has no factory in the Caucuses but has one in Novo-Sibirsk. Although she possesses little offensive units she remains vast and wealthy.

Italy round one can attack the Balkans and either Algeria or Egypt or she can chose to reinforce Libya. The Italian fleet in the Mediterranean has been strengthened to deal with the British in the Mediterranean. Their traditional base in Ethiopia has been strengthened and she can choose between three British Indian Ocean naval targets.

Chinese infantry costs 2 IPC so they can always harrass the Japanese but her production base is weak.

Japan round one possesses coastal China but needs to deal with the Chinese who hold the interior. She can attack Pearl Harbour, the Philippines, Malaya/Singapore, Borneo, the Dutch East Indies and New Guinea. As in World war 2, the conquest of the East Indies gains her resource-rich colonies. Japan has a slightly higher initial production value, another transport and more air power to fill her carrier fleet.

The British represent France in Europe. They own the rich Asian territories of Borneo, Malaya and New Guinea. Their fleets in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean have been strengthened but are threatened. Her garrison in Gibraltar has been strengthened.

As in 1939, the USA needs to awaken from her industrial depression and deep desire not to go to war, so she starts hostilities with no IPCs. However, her industrial potential is huge and the axis must move fast before she mobilises.

The Middle-East is neutral and valuable as it was at the beginning of WW2 (Syria was Vichy-France and the UK/Russia invaded or supported coups in Iraq/Iran in 1941). Turkey is an industrial power and is strongly defended. Italy and Germany's route to the middle-east oil-fields lies through Egypt and/or Turkey. Saudi Arabia's terrain and climate made her very hard and costly to invade and control.

Factories cost 35 IPC and are a major investment.

Many thanks to Willy, Ice, Lux, Jocker, CCN and Swobo for helping trial the map and offering feedback and suggestions. Have fun playing this variation and please use the comment option below to offer feedback, suggestions and criticisms.

Wolfy - October, 2008