With the approaching publication of Second Front, which will fill in the missing maps and most of the missing counters for the Europa series, many industrious players are starting to turn their attention towards a comprehensive, system-wide set of rules as a necessary ingredient for the play of Grand Europa. This is an important project, because once the major pieces of the puzzle are in gamers' hands, attempts at Grand Europa will no doubt immediately ensue!

Balkan Front introduced many new elements and refinements to the ongoing development of a core set of Europa rules and charts. For example, the Combat Results Tables (see page 18) contain a number of important changes which reflect the culmination of extensive examination and evaluation of these tables:

• The effectiveness of AA fire has been reduced with the elimination of the last "R" result from each column.
• The sequence of results on the Ground CRT now reflects a more logical progression. In addition, the much-abused EX (now replaced by an AS) result at the bottom of the 5:1 column is gone.
• A minor flaw in the +3 column of the Air CRT has been removed.
• There is now a "1" column on the Bombing Table -- a small change with a big potential impact on play!
• Partial AEC results are now possible in at least some forms of poor weather.

One can assume with some degree of certainty that the changes represented on this chart are, for the most part, of a system-wide nature.

But what about the Terrain Effects Chart (see page 15)? Here we also see changes from prior games. Major cities have lost some of their clout, with the die modifier for a full hex city reduced to -- 1, while a partial hex city now has no die modifier at all. Furthermore, we have new terrain types: narrow straits, and low-volume rail lines and actual roads (as opposed to the "secondary transportation lines" concept from earlier games). Are these system-wide changes? If they are, how does one apply them to the other maps which do not contain this symbology?

And what about the political system presented in Balkan Front? Granting that it works well for that game, could one apply it to other games in the series as a Grand Europa political system? I think the answer to that is no. The political rules in Balkan Front, while serving well to define the range of probable events which could have happened in the Balkans during the period from November 1940 to June 1941, are not transferable to other situations, such as the reaction of "Allied" nations to a German invasion of Poland in 1939. Although some of the concepts can well be emulated, the political system portrayed in Balkan Front can be considered as no more than a framework for further development within the context of Grand Europa.

So, what we need is clarification of exactly where the system stands in relation to Grand Europa, and this status report needs to be reviewed and approved by John Astell, the system's designer. Which rules and charts are indeed system-wide and which are applicable only to Balkan Front? Which fall into the category of "need more testing and evaluation before being applied system-wide"? And which will be handled differently depending upon the time frame, opponents, theater, or other factors?

For example, how are we to proceed with a system-wide approach for major city hexes? Do we use the Scorched Earth modifiers for all major cities located in the Soviet Union? Or do the harsher modifiers from that game reflect the bitterness of the fighting between the Axis and Soviet armies rather than some geographical consideration. If the latter, such that the more potent modifiers would be used whenever the Axis and Soviets oppose each other in combat over a major city hex, one could have the Soviets attacking Rome in Grand Europa at -2, or Patton striking an Axis-owned Warsaw with a -1 modifier.

For another example, let's turn to admin movement. Where does one draw the line to change the way this rule works? And what aspects of the new Balkan Front treatment are refinements to the overall way that admin. movement works, and which are reflective of the geographical factors(i.e., that the road net in western Europe is far better than that in the African desert or Russia)?

The answers to these and a multitude of related questions can not be answered here and now. They must be carefully considered and in some way tested. The changes to the Combat Results Tables were only arrived at after hours of playing, and feedback from dozens of thoughtful players. Even John Astell does not yet hold all the pieces to the Grand Europa puzzle.

Work is being undertaken by the Europa irregulars to assist John in this laborious process. People such as myself, Jason Long, Deen Wood, Jeff Millefoglie, and Victor Hauser are putting the existing rules through their paces: looking for loopholes, searching for inconsistencies, seeking means of streamlining where possible, and identifying areas where further thought and development need to be exercised.

Readers of this magazine will be able to see the results of this process bear fruit over the next few issues as Grand Europa topics are defined and discussed. We will be clarifying which rules are system-wide and if they work differently in different milieus. This is the place to be to keep pace with the final evolution towards The Big One.

Trucks and Tricks