Once Again into the Breach - Mike (J) vs. tc464 (A)

[PaxMondo]

Are you mustering out? Gonna miss you if you are.

[Mike Solli]

I'm close to retirement. We'll see what happens. One weekend a month is starting to get old. Every day is no fun at all any more.

[obvert]

One thing with the first turn, though I've done only 4 as the Japanese, is that I know I can't do it all at once. I still always have a LONG turn two and three.

[Mike Solli]

Ok, I set the training for all restricted units in Japan and Manchuoko/Korea. Here's the result for those interested (note that things will change as I resize some units later):

IJN
Pilots in training:
Fighter: 80
NavB: 79
NavT: 56
NavS: 116
ASW: 60

Pool: 1700 down to 1444 (due to pulling pilots out for training)
Pilot Reserve (These came from training units with good pilots):
Fighter: 20
Bmb: 43
Pat: 21
Tnt: 0
Rcn: 0

TRACOM: 0

IJA
Pilots in training:
Fighter: 452
GndB: 221
NavS: 72
ASW: 108
Tnt: 48
Rcn: 99

Pool: 2202 down to 1863
Pilot Reserve:
Fighter: 5
Bmb: 0
Pat: 0
Tnt: 0
Rcn: 0


TRACOM: 2

These numbers will probably change slightly (mainly TRACOM) as I go through the frontline units. I forgot that there isn't anything in the reserve to start so I can't add pilots to units. That makes it pretty much useless to add planes to units. Also note that the IJNAF pilots in training units have a much higher overall starting quality than the IJAAF pilots in training units. Not any more. [:D]

Edit: I estimate 3 months to train the riff raff in the training units. So, divide the numbers above by 3 to get the estimated monthly graduation rate from on map training.

[cohimbra]

All the new japanese players follow your adeventure with great interest, don't skimp on details.
banzai!banzai!banzai!
My english is bad,I know[8D]

[obvert]

For IJA pilots I also took one of the Nate groups I knew I wouldn't be using until I had Oscars to upgrade and used those pilots as my fighter reserve to fill out other useful units.

[Dan Nichols]

You can add pilots to frontline units on turn 1. Go to your training unit, move all of the pilots you want use into group reserve. You can then go to a frontline unit and move the pilots directly from the old group reserve to the new unit.

[obvert]

Hi Dan! Good to see you here!

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: Dan Nichols

You can add pilots to frontline units on turn 1. Go to your training unit, move all of the pilots you want use into group reserve. You can then go to a frontline unit and move the pilots directly from the old group reserve to the new unit.

Yes, I saw that. There aren't a lot, so I haven't moved any yet. That will be a thoughtful process.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

ORIGINAL: Dan Nichols

You can add pilots to frontline units on turn 1. Go to your training unit, move all of the pilots you want use into group reserve. You can then go to a frontline unit and move the pilots directly from the old group reserve to the new unit.

Yes, I saw that. There aren't a lot, so I haven't moved any yet. That will be a thoughtful process.

Very. I'm at the point now myself and agonizing over several groups.

[Mike Solli]

I made a list of things I need to do before I end the turn. Some are pretty quick but others are quite lengthy. I just finished #3. [:D]

I did all the conversions I could do. That took awhile. Here's what I did:

Lima: 7 of 7 AKE
Yusen-A: 3 of 7 AK
Akasi: 4 of 4 AD
Ehime: 11 of 11 AG
Ansyu-C: 16 of 54 PB
Kiso: 27 of 35 ACM
Kiso: 26 of 34 PB
To'su: 22 of 22 ACM
To'su: 13 of 14 PB

The one remaining To'su and 16 Kisos are all currently in convoys and the 38 remaining Ansyu-Cs are either in convoys or in ports that can't convert them. I'll convert the rest over the course of the next week or two.

[Mike Solli]

Air production:

IJNAF:

A6M2 - 56(22) + 0(22)
B5N1 - 0(16)
B5N2 - 0(16)
D3A1 - 12(20)
E13A1 - 27(0)
E14Y1 - 9(12)
C5M2 - 0(6)
G3M2 - 22(8)
G4M1 - 25(5)
H6K4 - 6(4)
L3Y2 - 0(10)

Notes:
-B5N1 will build out the engine pool then convert to something else. The B5N2 will increase production if necessary.
-E14Y1 will build out the engine pool then convert to something else. That should be enough Glens for the rest of the war.
-C5M2 will keep about a dozen in the pool (if that) until the Irving arrives.

IJAAF:

Ki-43-Ic - 32(18) + 0(32) + 0(32)
Ki-21-IIa - 23(17)
Ki-48-Ib - 34(0)
Ki-46-II - 11(9)
Ki-57-I - 6(4)

Notes:
Ki-43-Ic - I ran out of supply for the 32(18) factory. It'll increase to a total of 64 planes.
Ki-48-Ib will produce until the Sally factory is going full bore. Eventually, this factory will go away and that'll be it for the Lily. I'll use them, but mainly in areas where they're safe from Allied fighters.
Ki-57-I will produce until the engines are gone then upgrade to the Ki-57-II.

On to engines.....

[Mike Solli]

Engines:

Ha-31: 45(0) - no change here. Pool of 245 and need is 40.
Ha-32: 60(40) + 0(40) - Need is 140 with a pool of 45.
Ha-33: 65(60) + 0(60) - Need is 179 with a pool of 116.
Ha-34: 10(0) - No need until 4/42 when the Helen come online. This factory is at Maebashi, where there is no supply currently. When that is fixed, I'll increase the factory to 160 for the 80 Helens. The pool is currently 3.
Ha-35: 180(50) + 0(50) + 0(50) - Need is 318 with a pool of 166. Hopefully, the factories will repair fast enough to keep some in the pool.

Other notes:

The Glen uses the Hitachi Amakaze which is not in production. The pool is 122 and will be expended on Glens over the next 6 months or so.

The Topsy I uses the Ha-5, which is not in production. The pool of 101 will be partly or fully expended on Topsy Is. I haven't decided whether or not to use up the engines or upgrade. We'll see.

The Kate N1 uses the Nakajima Hikari, which is not in production. The pool of 99 will be expended on Kate N1s.

[Redsunrizing]

Ki-48-Ib will produce until the Sally factory is going full bore. Eventually, this factory will go away and that'll be it for the Lily. I'll use them, but mainly in areas where

Hello Sir, I was wondering if you are not building the Ki-48-family, are you not upgrading your one engine air-groups to two engine. Or are you going to ultimately upgrade the one engine air-groups to Helen's and Sally's?

[Cribtop]

Mike, the hardest thing for me with the economy (indeed, with the game itself), is that I'm a top down thinker (strong "N" in Myers Briggs). Gary Grigsby was clearly a bottom up, linear thinker in spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs (strong "S" type in Myers Briggs). It's very hard for me to process information in such a left brained way.

In other words, I may know I want 160 Helens per month, and I can look up that they require 2XHa-34s, and I can eventually chase down the factories, etc. But multiply this times 1,000 decisions and I go a little crazy. I've got the memory and brain power but not the stamina to go one step at a time. How do you organize your thoughts? What informational tools do you use to get on top of it?

I hope this makes sense. I've said this before on the economy and my forlorn wish the game had a "setup phase," but often get blank stares from the forum. I'm not sure I can correctly communicate my problem. [:D]

[jrcar]

Hey Cribtop, I'm a bit like that, big picture guy... Tony is the details guy... ironically I tend to manage the economy overall, where he focus's on the air/engine details. Basically he tells me what he wants, I tell him what he can have and then we make it happen I tend to form convoys, he micro manages the routes. This is one of many benefits of team play.

I think a common mistake with the Japanese economy is thinking you have to do it all from turn one. The micro view. At the macro view the economy is very robust at the start, and you can tweak it over time (in fact it is better to do it over time). In many ways it is the impact of your opponants style of play that will drive production decisions... and it takes a while to discern this.

Things you do know, you need more PB's you need some more of the aircraft and they need the engines.

In our game we made very little change to R&D until about 4 months into the war. The biggest changes came about 6 months in once we had determined what we needed to do for the middle game.

Cheers

Rob

[Cribtop]

Thanks. I feel like I've done what you suggest, Rob, and it's going ok (thanks to many suggestions from Mike S and nygiants, who kindly overlooked my Cowboys fandom). I guess I'm wanting to get up to the next level now and as I try feel a bit hampered again. What I really need is some sort of overview (that's why I am going to cut and paste Mike's post about merchant ship classes) that will allow my big picture brain and great memory to latch on.

[obvert]

Cribtop, I also feel your pain here. I am definitely not a details and left-brained thinker.

I think what is important to me is just repetition and time looking into certain parts of the map on different turns. I will take a turn and micromanage the Float Plane training one turn, and do merchant upgrades another turn. But when I do one thing I'll do ALL of it in a focused way rather than popping around that turn.

As Jocke is away for a day last night I was able to take time and really look into what had been left after the starting few turns. I checked to see what conversions I could still make on ships that had been part of a convoy and just got back into a port with a shipyard, and which ships I wanted to be AVs or AKEs. I looked at my numbers for pilots training (thanks for that list Mike, which gave me the idea to go in and look at mine) and made some tweaks there. I turned off upgrades and replacements for all but several air units that I want to change and increase.

I guess about once a week I take time to do something like this on a deeper level. Each time I do it i understand a bit more and (hopefully) I'll retain that information.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

Notes:
-B5N1 will build out the engine pool then convert to something else. The B5N2 will increase production if necessary.

One nice thing is that the B5N1 will auto upgrade to the B5N2. I do what you plan with the initial B5N2 (build up to about 15 - 20), but then I let the B5N1 upgrade once it runs out of engines. Save me the 15K - 20K of supply of having to further expand the B5N2 factory.

Just a thought ...

[Erkki]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

Notes:
-B5N1 will build out the engine pool then convert to something else. The B5N2 will increase production if necessary.

One nice thing is that the B5N1 will auto upgrade to the B5N2. I do what you plan with the initial B5N2 (build up to about 15 - 20), but then I let the B5N1 upgrade once it runs out of engines. Save me the 15K - 20K of supply of having to further expand the B5N2 factory.

Just a thought ...

Yeah... Except it doesnt upgrade to N2. [X(][;)]