Slitherine

What criteria are used to determine manpower growth for each major power? According to my observations and calcuations (detailed below), the major powers have the following percent growth rates at the beginning of 1939: Germany 1.0, Italy 1.6, UK 1.5, France 1.3, USA 1.6, and USSR 1.6. Excluding France, which is not an active player for very long, Germany has a 50 - 60% disadvantage compared to all other countries. To be consistent, absolute German manpower growth should be 13 or 14 units per turn, not the average of 8.5 per turn I have observed. Playing as the Axis against the AI, I always encounter manpower problems by 1942 which seems too early.

I obtained the data by playing a hotseat game with myself. No units were purchased, no battles were fought. I simply let the troops rest while each country's manpower grew. After several turns for each side, I averaged the manpower growth for each major power and divided by its starting manpower. For example, the UK's starting manpower of 371 grew at an average of 5.5 units each turn. Then, (5.5 / 371)*100% = 1.5%. Perhaps I am wrong to evaluate this data as a mathematician rather than as an historian.

Based on observation, I've found that each power gets the following manpower growth per turn (+1 every now & then as you've noticed)

Germany - 8 manpower
Italy - 4
UK - 6
France - 6
USSR - 19
USA - 6

In fairness to the manpower system, Germany was suffering manpower shortages by 1942. Most divisions in "quiet" sectors were usually at 60% or less of required infantry by that time. This was caused by multiple factors, the two most significant were that: 1)Germany didn't go to a full wartime economy unitl 1943, and 2)Hitler wouldn't allow women to work in the factories (he felt they should be home raising future Aryans) until almost the end of the war, thus keeping several million men out of the manpower pool.

Jyri

Thanks for the info, Jyri.