The campaign features unique powers that can be voted on every few rounds. The Southern side's power eliminates a territory from the enemy pool on a failed battle whereas the Northern side can begin an assault with half manpower cost. It is my opinion that the Southern side's special ability is much stronger affecting both manpower per turn and campaign objective points. Applied use of search and destroy on large cost objectives forces the Northern side to attack high value enemy-owned territories to close the gap which further erode's the north's manpower.
The North needs a slight nudge to keep pace. Going with the theme of asymmetrical mechanics, the 1968 Tet Offensive could be represented as a one time event in the campaign with special mechanics:
Here is how it works:
1). Timing
What you will notice is that the Tet offensive occurs approximately when the first search and destroy is available. A good S&D early on can create a big snowballing effect. A Tet offensive event counteracts this first S&D to keep the early game more even to be decided during the later phases. It also serves as a convenient tool to let players know where the early war phase ends and the mid-war phase begins.
Since the Tet Offensive is a zero manpower cost attack, an incentive exists to pick a big enemy-owned territory that would otherwise drain lots of resources. Since a loss on a neutral territory doesn't cede control, an incentive also exists to attack neutral territories. Flexibility is thus available to the North.
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Some small mechanic like this might help even out the scales between North and South whilst keeping to the theme of asymmetric gameplay. The Tet offensive mechanic would serve as an extra second chance mechanic to recover from that first S&D play.
Thoughts?
The North needs a slight nudge to keep pace. Going with the theme of asymmetrical mechanics, the 1968 Tet Offensive could be represented as a one time event in the campaign with special mechanics:
Here is how it works:
1). Timing
- For short campaigns: in between 1967 and 1968 , there is an extra round.
- For long campaigns, the early 1968 slot is replaced with this event
- For the Tet offensive round, the Northern side is forced to attack regardless of who won the previous match.
- This attack costs zero combat power.
- The North votes for a territory.
- **If a neutral territory was attacked, a loss doesn't cede the territory to the South.**
- The next attack/defend vote and map vote goes to whomever wins the Tet Offensive.
What you will notice is that the Tet offensive occurs approximately when the first search and destroy is available. A good S&D early on can create a big snowballing effect. A Tet offensive event counteracts this first S&D to keep the early game more even to be decided during the later phases. It also serves as a convenient tool to let players know where the early war phase ends and the mid-war phase begins.
Since the Tet Offensive is a zero manpower cost attack, an incentive exists to pick a big enemy-owned territory that would otherwise drain lots of resources. Since a loss on a neutral territory doesn't cede control, an incentive also exists to attack neutral territories. Flexibility is thus available to the North.
------------------------
Some small mechanic like this might help even out the scales between North and South whilst keeping to the theme of asymmetric gameplay. The Tet offensive mechanic would serve as an extra second chance mechanic to recover from that first S&D play.
Thoughts?