by FarangDemon on Thu Feb 19, 2009 2:15 pm
Continent Bonuses
I don't think UK is too easy to get. There are 6 neutral armies on London, which is a big deterrent. I actually think France is easier to get, or at least in my game, it was secured before UK. Compared to other continents that provide 5, it is much easier to hold than Germany or Austria because the number of entry points you have to guard is 4 vs 6. Balkans have 5 entry points and provide a bonus of only 3, so its harder to hold than France and you get less.
So in my opinion, the map is pretty well balanced, continent bonus-wise. If anything, I think it might make more sense to make Balkans 4 instead of only 3. I don't think this is ruining the game, but it might help to balance it a bit more.
Objectives
At first glance, it might look easier to hold the Central Powers capitals than the 4 non-contiguous Entente capitals. I thought this, too, at first. However, it must be recognized that it is generally easier to get continents on the outsides first, because they are usually easier to defend. What I mean is that it is much easier to get the 3 western Entente continents (5 borders if you hold the 14 regions in UK, France, Italy) than any 3 Central Powers continents (10 borders if you have the 18 regions in Germany, Austria, Balkans; 7 borders if you have the 19 regions in Austria, Balkans, Turkey). So it makes sense that obtaining the last Entente capital, St. Petersburg, should be a bit harder than obtaining the last Central Powers capital, because it is significantly easier to obtain the first 3 Entente vs Central Powers continents (and hence, their capitals).
In conclusion, I believe the objectives are reasonably well balanced.
