New Lend-Lease concept for Titanium and beyond

[Fernando Torres]

I want to present you an idea I just had about Lend-Lease events reading World in Flames boardgame after action reports.

First of all the USA must pass the Lend-Lease Act via events to trigger the chain of events.
Then let's take the example of US aid to UK. The idea is that you can choose nominal (a), historical (b) or massive (c) aid :

event = {
id = 3702
random = no
country = USA
persistent = yes

trigger = {
war = { country = ENG country = GER }
NOT = { war = { country = ENG country = USA } }
event = 3701 # Lend-Lease Act passed
NOT = { OR = { flag = Lend_Lease_to_UK1 flag = Lend_Lease_to_UK2 flag = Lend_Lease_to_UK3 } }
AND = {
control = { province = 9 data = ENG }
control = { province = 10 data = ENG }
control = { province = 13 data = ENG }
control = { province = 14 data = ENG }
control = { province = 16 data = ENG }
control = { province = 19 data = ENG }
}
}

name = "EVT_3702_NAME"
desc = "EVT_3702_DESC"
style = 0
picture = "lend_lease"

date = { day = 1 month = january year = 1936 }
offset = 8 # Check for trigger conditions every 8 days
deathdate = { day = 30 month = june year = 1990 }
action_a = {
name = ""
ai_chance = 0
command = { type = metalpool value = -1000 }
command = { type = oilpool value = -1000 }
command = { type = supplies value = -1000 }
command = { type = rarematerialspool value = -1000 }
command = { type = relation which = ENG value = 10 }
command = { type = trigger which = 3703 }
}
action_b = {
name = ""
ai_chance = 100
command = { type = free_ic value = -30 }
command = { type = free_supplies value = -10 }
command = { type = free_rarematerials value = -20 }
command = { type = free_metal value = -20 }
command = { type = free_oil value = -20 }
command = { type = relation which = ENG value = 30 }
command = { type = trigger which = 3704 }
}
action_c = {
name = ""
ai_chance = 0
command = { type = free_ic value = -60 }
command = { type = free_supplies value = -20 }
command = { type = free_rarematerials value = -50 }
command = { type = free_metal value = -50 }
command = { type = free_oil value = -50 }
command = { type = relation which = ENG value = 60 }
command = { type = trigger which = 3705 }
}
}

The UK receives help according to the above choice :

event = {
id = 3703
random = no
country = ENG
persistent = yes

name = "EVT_3702_NAME"
desc = "EVT_3702_DESC"
style = 0
picture = "lend_lease"

action_a = {
name = ""
command = { type = metalpool value = 1000 }
command = { type = oilpool value = 1000 }
command = { type = supplies value = 1000 }
command = { type = rarematerialspool value = 1000 }
command = { type = setflag which = Lend_Lease_to_UK1 }
}
}


event = {
id = 3704
random = no
country = ENG
persistent = yes

name = "EVT_3702_NAME"
desc = "EVT_3702_DESC"
style = 0
picture = "lend_lease"

action_a = {
name = ""
command = { type = free_ic value = 30 }
command = { type = free_supplies value = 10 }
command = { type = free_rarematerials value = 20 }
command = { type = free_metal value = 20 }
command = { type = free_oil value = 20 }
command = { type = setflag which = Lend_Lease_to_UK2 }
}
}
event = {
id = 3705
random = no
country = ENG
persistent = yes

name = "EVT_3702_NAME"
desc = "EVT_3702_DESC"
style = 0
picture = "lend_lease"

action_a = {
name = ""
command = { type = free_ic value = 60 }
command = { type = free_supplies value = 20 }
command = { type = free_rarematerials value = 50 }
command = { type = free_metal value = 50 }
command = { type = free_oil value = 50 }
command = { type = setflag which = Lend_Lease_to_UK3 }
}
}

Then if the requirements for receiving Lend-Lease aid (in that case, the control of english naval bases and a certain amount of convoys) are not met anymore, the aid can no longer arrive :

event = {
id = X # Same pattern for LLtoUK3
random = no
country = ENG
persistent = yes

trigger = {
flag = Lend_Lease_to_UK2
OR = { NOT = { war = { country = ENG country = GER } }
war = { country = ENG country = USA }
AND = {
NOT = { control = { province = 9 data = ENG } }
NOT = { control = { province = 10 data = ENG } }
NOT = { control = { province = 13 data = ENG } }
NOT = { control = { province = 14 data = ENG } }
NOT = { control = { province = 16 data = ENG } }
NOT = { control = { province = 19 data = ENG } }
}
NOT = { convoys = X }
}
}

name = "EVT_3702_NAME"
desc = "EVT_3702_DESC"
style = 0
picture = "lend_lease"

date = { day = 1 month = january year = 1936 }
offset = 8 # Check for trigger conditions every 8 days
deathdate = { day = 30 month = june year = 1999 }
action_a = {
name = ""
ai_chance = 0
command = { type = free_ic value = -30 }
command = { type = free_supplies value = -10 }
command = { type = free_rarematerials value = -20 }
command = { type = free_metal value = -20 }
command = { type = free_oil value = -20 }
command = { type = trigger which = X }
command = { type = clrflag which = Lend_Lease_to_UK2 }
}
}

The USA gets its aid back :

event = {
id = X # Same pattern for LLtoUK3
random = no
country = USA
persistent = yes

name = "EVT_3702_NAME"
desc = "EVT_3702_DESC"
style = 0
picture = "lend_lease"

action_a = {
name = ""
ai_chance = 0
command = { type = free_ic value = 30 }
command = { type = free_supplies value = 10 }
command = { type = free_rarematerials value = 20 }
command = { type = free_metal value = 20 }
command = { type = free_oil value = 20 }
}
}

If the requirements are met again, US will be able to send Lend-Lease aid again. That makes 8 events for US aid to UK events chain.
This can be extended to Lend-Lease to SOV and China as well as UK aid to China and SOV.

The only problem I see with this is as the USA you won't be able to increase Lend-Lease aid if set as historical. But you can still give free resources via trades, so I guess it is okay...
Please let me know what you think about this.

 

[Fernando Torres]

This will be in Titanium.

 

[Pleiades]

From what I played, err... I mean beta-tested with USA, this is very good concept in practice.

However there are many instances for UK and USSR where those two countries "just lost rights to lend-lease (LL) " and then "just got rights to LL". Then I had so many events "do I wish to continue" with giving minimal or historical or maximum LL to UK and USSR that it became overwhelming for answering. But, I noticed if option minimal LL is chosen, events did not bother me anymore if UK and USSR are "off" or "on".

I think that USA player needs to choose this only once and that he needs to be just conveniently informed (like historic event for UK etc, not event for pressing "OK, I just read it") if UK, USSR and China are "off" or "on" for LL.

 

[froglegs]

Fernando -- I will take a look at it.

I just wanted to pass along what I consider to be a significant change that really makes a tough time of it for the USA. I have been messing around with vanilla Armadeddon 1.3 (which is actually a pretty good game now IMHO) and making some changes.

I just for the heck of it have been making some "what if" changes to the events. I have observed that AI Japan generally can take out China by early 1939 and puppet them. This reduces their belligerence value and pretty much assures that the USA will only get one gearing up for war from their actions. But what if the US wants to "Push the Mikado" and declare an oil embargo when China falls in say 1938 or 1939?

I modified event 22002 known as "Pacific War" in the ai_jap event folder to include the years 1939 and 1940. I then manually fired event 3701 (Oil Embargo) in late 1939. On Nov 2, 1940 Japan attacked both USA and the Allies. I had been playing a rather restrictive USA troop deployment plan that left the USA with just about no troops in the Pacific as well as at home. This is a really challenging game of it for the USA!

My main point is that it is not all that historically off base for the USA to embargo Japan after China falls and for Japan to move up the timing of their attack. And, if this is done, the USA is left hurting for quite a while.

I just thought that this was interesting and so I am passing it on. I am still trying to create realistic simulations of the war that are a challenge without simply making it unrealistically tough.

I read recently that in 1938 that the USA had the would's 18th largest military. I still believe that the way to make it tough on the US is to limit their military build up and deployment. I also believe that you cannot create a combat ready infantry division from scratch in under a year. Need to figure out a way to get the AI to adapt to that though.

Keep up your good work Fernando! As you can probably tell, I have no interest in HOI 3 until it gets some major problems fixed which will likely take another 2 years in my estimation.

 

[Pleiades]

@froglegs
I just posted some US feedback in new thread before I saw your post.

No, personally I am not happy with artificially limiting of US player cause US should be strongest nation and actually most easier for playing. I actually use US for testing/tutorial of new mods or new versions of same mod.

But if you want to put challenge, then boost Japan and make him to non-stop island-hop until California and that can produce wanted effect for US player to feel fear. But I heard many times, that making Japan to island-hopping all the time is actually impossible. Another ideas are that Germany should aggressively unhistoricaly invade British islands and/or Iceland and/or Portugal so that US player have fear from invasion...

As for LL, it is good self-limitation system as it is now (if player wants that self-limitation, he has choice, but that choice should be only once per game)