ADavidB V. Treespider...Tree's view

[treespider]

Just wasted 30 minutes typing to have my latest post time out and disapear...

In any event here is the Reader's Digest version....

Movement error on my part cost me two days march out of Derby...Instead of ordering my unit directly into the adjacent enemy unit i ordered to wyndham and the unit tried to move around the enemy...luckily I caught the error before getting moved into the outback.

With this error fresh in my mind I ordered two units out of Darwin into the adjacent hex...they move. The next day I try to order them to the next hex however I receive a message informing me i am in an Allied ZOC and cannot move....sure enough I check and there is an A in my hex...I eventually realize i can attack so i order a shock attack with pursue...and what happens...

Ground combat at 35,85

Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 22510 troops, 218 guns, 152 vehicles, Assault Value = 535
Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 0
Japanese max assault: 1074 - adjusted assault: 2326
Allied max defense: 0 - adjusted defense: 1
Japanese assault odds: 2326 to 1

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Just call me a ghost hunter...

I defeat the 110th USAAF Base Force...even though it does not appear on screen. And sure enough the next hex also seems to have a ghost.

C'est la Guerre...

[treespider]

I think in future PBEM games I play I am going to insist that the Allied player not evacuate a fragment from the units in the PI or DEI. The fragments are just causing too many problems...

Likewise I can see this applying to the Japanese as well...I might as well just start sending Sub Transport missions out to ensure that I have a fragment sitting in the home islands for each of my units that may end up getting eliminated.

This smacks of gaminess to me...however i do realize some units may have been rebuilt during the war so before I render my final verdict I need to do some research...

[Wellard]

 British policy was to renumber another Division,for example 51st(Highland) Division was captured in France in 1940 although a fragment was retrieved they were incorporated into 9th Division(made up of the Territorial Highland battallion) and 9th Div was renumbered 51st.However individual battalions of the Regular army were quite often reformed en masse by drafts from other regiments
 
Hope that helps

[treespider]

Apr 13 -14, 1942

After my initial debacle in the Coral Sea several months ago, I have learned my lessons...

KB had been cruising the northern Coral Sea waiting for the Allied CV's to make a move on my Australian invasion. I had Emily's on patrol in Pt.Moresby and I had intended to slip in behind the Allies if the chose to try to run past Pt. Moresby. As the operation in Northern Australian waters was winding down, I decided to send a cruiser force to Funafati from Tulagi to deal with the pesky American AVD that has been parked there. As my cruiser force was leaving I turned KB east to cover the cruisers advance on Funafait. The very next day, Apr 13, 1942, an American CV makes a bombing run on Luganville. As a picture speaks a thousand words here is the movement track for April 14...American tracks are only guesses...

[treespider]

Unfortunately my opponent sent me an e-mail this morning.

In the e-mail he stated that we should end our game.

He stated that it was my "unhappiness" with the fragment situation and the tactic the Allied player uses to pull fragments out of the PI and DEI.

He also added that he was tired of hearing Japanese players whine and complain everytime the Allied player does something different.

I responded that I didn't offer to resign when my units suffered a brief hiccup in Northern Australia. I also reminded him that i did some research and found where a unit in the PI had been reconstituted later in the war and that I was now comfortable with the tactic.

I think his foul mood was more a symptom of losing the Yorktown than anything else. In any event we shall see if this game continues...

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: treespider

Unfortunately my opponent sent me an e-mail this morning.

In the e-mail he stated that we should end our game.

He stated that it was my "unhappiness" with the fragment situation and the tactic the Allied player uses to pull fragments out of the PI and DEI.

He also added that he was tired of hearing Japanese players whine and complain everytime the Allied player does something different.

I responded that I didn't offer to resign when my units suffered a brief hiccup in Northern Australia. I also reminded him that i did some research and found where units that where a unit in the PI had been reconstituted later in the war and that I was now comfortable with the tactic.

I think his foul mood was more a symptom of losing the Yorktown than anything else. In any event we shall see if this game continues...

Sounds to me also like the fact that he lost Yorktown is the reason why he wants to quit. Sorry, but what is he thinking? It was really a dumb move to make training bombing runs with a carrier so close to the front and expect to come away with it.

I´ve followed your AAR quite some time and hope it doesn´t stop.

[Ron Saueracker]

I can't stand this tantrum pulling that ends up as a desire to end a game both have invested alot of time into.

[Andy Mac]

Thats weird losing 1 CV is par for the course for my games so I am surprised if thats the issue (actually at this at this stage 1 CV is not a problem as it will respawn in plenty of time) re fragments to be honest they are not the issue I have had full SNLF's operatre the same way in various theatres and on one notable occasion the whole 2nd USMC Div did the same thing so I dont think fragments are really the issue.
 
Andy

[treespider]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Thats weird losing 1 CV is par for the course for my games so I am surprised if thats the issue (actually at this at this stage 1 CV is not a problem as it will respawn in plenty of time) re fragments to be honest they are not the issue I have had full SNLF's operatre the same way in various theatres and on one notable occasion the whole 2nd USMC Div did the same thing so I dont think fragments are really the issue.

Andy

The loss of the CV may have been the straw that broke the camel's back...

I don't think David is satisfied with the design of the game. Throughout he has made various comments about the weather and the land movement routine.

There is nothing I could do about the weather...but after maneuvering him out of Changsha and Hengchow I did agree to a truce on the ground in China which took a large portion of the land movement away from the game.

Then I got caught up with a ghost fragment in Australia. I initially reacted due to my dislike of the Allied tactic of picking up fragments from the PI and depositing them in Australia. I originally viewed this as somewhat 'ahistoric' until I did some research and found that the USMC 4th Regiment was reconstituted in 1944. So I am now comfortable with the tactic.

Other than this brief complaint I do not know what other sort of whining I have been doing? I do not think that I abused the Japanese first turn movement bonus...other than to reposition troops. I didn't try and scoot through the Malacca straights, I didn't try to take Pt. Moresby or Rabaul on the first turn. I didn't make a move on the Line Islands, I didn't invade Kendari or Amboina on the first turn. I didn't hang around Pearl Harbor for two or three days.

I did aggressively use my paratroopers and air transport capability...sometimes with success and other times not. However I did not try an pin his units using them as some others have found they can do. I did advance into Burma early and found it completely undefended.

It being his e-mail came two hours after I sent my turn with the combat replay...I can only attribute his attitude to the loss of the American CV, coupled with other perceived misgivings about the games design.

[fabertong]

It's always best....after the loss of a capitol ship to not over-react right away.....wait a day or two to over-react...of course when you have lost as many as I have you learn to take it on the chin.......good luck with this game, I hope it continues.....

[aztez]

Let's hope this one is not over yet. There is way too many PBEM's getting abandoned these days [:(]

[Nemo121]

I think ADavidB is just finding the game mechanics very frustrating. I am there with him. I do think the timing ( a time distant from those mechanics and just after he lost a CV) is curious.

Perhaps just offer him some cooling off time ( 3 or 4 days) and if that doesn't work just look for someone else to pick up the game... The Allies are far from beaten in this one and it should be eminently possible to come back and break the back of the Japanese forces.

[treespider]

Its been 36 hours since receiving the e-mail from ADAvidB. I haven't heard from ADavidB since then. I have also noticed that he has yet to login to the forum since then as well. Hopefully he isn't through with WitP, although I think I am through with this particular PBEM.
 
On to my true passion -- CHS. Now maybe I will have the time to cobble together the Soviet OOB for Andrew...my kingdom for another 200 slots.[;)]
 
I will most likely be entertaining another PBEM utilizing CHS in a few weeks...I'll post in the Opponents Wanted Section when I am ready.
 
 
 

[denisonh]

It is a shame, as I have enjoyed reading both AAR threads. I would have to say that an Allied player who attacks forward with a CV without knowing where the KB is deserves what he gets.

That is not game mechanics but foolishness.

[Yank]

Well I just ended a PBEM match with ADavidB, but it was ended at my suggestion. I think he's very frustrated with the game mechanics/engine, esp. the land combat and movement routines as others have noted.  He had also just proposed a China truce in our game and I had agreed.
 
I'm supposed to keep in touch with him and we were going to resume a new match in September after the patch, and when I am back from vacation. One thing I was guilty of was really pushing the first turn movement bonus in our match...but I can honestly claim ignorance that certain moves as the Japanese player on turn 1 are frowned upon. I know better for next time.
 
I'm sorry your match is over. I loved the AARs you guys were doing. And I was able to read them once my match with him was done. Very thoughtful and insightful reporting and analysis, and I found them most entertaining to read...

[Wellard]

Sorry to see this end...but he really was pissed over losing Yorktown.

[jcax101]

Regrettably I think it may be ADavidB.  Possibly a year ago I had a game with him that went to approximately Dec 14th when he suddenly pulled the plug on it and (I'm guessing) some other games.  He sent me a sincere email in which he waxed poetic about needing a break, spending time with his family and was removing every hint of WITP from his computer.  That's great, and I certainly respect that, but he came back a few months later.  Believe it or not, but during my second day of the PH raid I sank nearly every BB.  He moved them out of PH and had them in a TF attempting a surface attack.  I had read forums about people attempting to use surface attack, so the bombers' primary mission was set to Naval Attack.  Furthermore, I went north for a few days then headed back towards Pearl and caught the Enterprise.  It was a utterly horrendous start, though he never mentioned that when he left.