Hi, is there a way to have different starting armies for each player?

For example, I am desiging a scenario based game where each player has a capital and a fixed starting place.

Play testing shows going first has an advantage (as it does in general).  I want to have the starting armies like this.

Player 1 - 9 armies (player one meaning he is the one going first)

Player 2 - 10 armes, player 3 - 11 armes, and player 4 gets 12.

Is there a way to do this?  If so, what setting do I need to set?

Thank you!

I don't know the answer to this question, but if that's not possible, I have an alternate suggestion.

I believe you can tie particular seats to locations on the map? For example, Seat 1 goes first and is in top left, Seat 2 goes second and is in bottom right, and so on. In that case you would manipulate the neutral count on the board in the setup scenario rather than have to mess with player units.

Don't know if that's all that much more convenient, but it's an idea.

Another possibility would be to increase ALL the neutrals by some increment, so that it would take a turn or two for people to get going. I know nobody likes neutral-bashing, but in this case there's a strategic element to it because you'd have to choose which build you want and really commit to it, because it takes more than one turn to, for instance, take the factory, the tank, and empty out all the bunkers within reach (which I did on my first turn in the latest game).

One last idea I just thought of, totally unrelated: Would it be cool to add a comsat to the CC for people to do recon? I'm thinking it would be a territory accessible only from the CC, with a couple neutrals on it to start (maybe 5? I dunno), that would give vision-only onto all the ebays, fax and SPs in all the bases, so you could find out what way other players are going.

asm wrote:
One last idea I just thought of, totally unrelated: Would it be cool to add a comsat to the CC for people to do recon? I'm thinking it would be a territory accessible only from the CC, with a couple neutrals on it to start (maybe 5? I dunno), that would give vision-only onto all the ebays, fax and SPs in all the bases, so you could find out what way other players are going.

You mean sort of like the way I have satellites set up in Total WarGear? I would envision having a comsat territory for each base, which grants vision to that base. Comsat territories can attack each other to get vision of other bases, but they should probably be capped at 2 or 3, and unable to attack back out into the real world, of course.

That is a very interesting idea with comstat.

Now one thing you can do already in the game is take the missile turrets in the neutral area, they give a limited view into adjacent bases. I could increase their view too.

ASM, btw, that is how I have set now, for example "Seat 1" starts in the upper right. I think I tired what you suggested. Will try tinkering with it.

should be, RiskyBack has some boards like that. one in particular that he's getting ready for release submission...

That is a very interesting idea with comstat.

Now one thing you can do already in the game is take the missile turrets in the neutral area, they give a limited view into adjacent bases. I could increase their view too.

Kjeld wrote:

You mean sort of like the way I have satellites set up in Total WarGear? I would envision having a comsat territory for each base, which grants vision to that base. Comsat territories can attack each other to get vision of other bases, but they should probably be capped at 2 or 3, and unable to attack back out into the real world, of course.

That would totally work too. Either way, not sure which is better.

DNY, I meant that it might be easier to control for the neutral unit counts rather than player unit counts. Since you've already succeeded in tying player seat positions to move order to board location.

ASM, not sure I understand...in our current game I go second, but I am in "seat 4s" location.

Oh, in that case then... I don't know. Scenario setup is something I know little about. Sorry.