I had a question about how the game had changed from its earlier days to the released version, so put this together for others who might have similar questions..
The bottom line really is what did we cut? Detail was cut from the game in the final year or so to get to a game we could actually play in a realistic amount of time. Oh and of course the flag backgrounds that some liked but many did not like were replaced with more standard wargame counters in block colours.
In the final game we have the more generic ‘US-4’ which contains about 9-10 ships (three of the old units) but of various classes. The SAM value (top left) is condensed to a single value rather than broken into range bands. Top right is anti-ship missiles as before, and bottom right is the SONAR total.
Original submarines had Noise and Defence values top left, tactical capability (middle) and SONAR value (bottom right). Noise was the required roll to detect the submarine, whilst defence was the required roll to kill the submarine. The published submarine has a single combined defence value of a 10 to both detect and then kill the target. The large circle around its defence value means it receives a 6+ roll to ignore any hit it receives. Tactical value adds to the three dice (SONAR value, bottom right) it rolls when attacking other subs.
Original Tu-22 has a defence value of 7 and a weapon range (in the diamond) of three – a very long ranged weapon. Like the submarine the defence value and weapon range are condensed into a single defence value of ten in the final product.
Top Right, at range 3, the regiment has six weapons and at range 4, three weapons.
Final TU-22, the carrying capabilities are unchanged but the colour of the text box shows what type of weapon is carried – long range missiles representing AS-4 Kitchen