B-Mod on Andrew Brown's website

[Big B]

ORIGINAL: Andrew Brown

ORIGINAL: Big B

ORIGINAL: Terminus

How can it break the static rule? If a device is given a Load Rating of 9999, then it's nailed to the floor...[&:]

You'd like to think so wouldn't you?

But it does....that's what amazed me when playtesting. I emailed Andrew and said "Oh sh!t oh dear" but...what can you do?

From memory, the AI WILL leave static LCUs in place if they are CD units.

Andrew

Right, I wonder if there is a problem making Inf units CD units?
Maybe they wouldn't be able to ever move?...

[mefi]

Big B - played a few turns with your version of scenario 16 on AB's extended map. Very impressed with what I have seen of your air combat model so far although I haven't yet managed to entice the AI to play with the KB yet to test out CV combat. Super work! Just a quick thought on the initial Japanese set-up for this scenario - might it be better to have the invasion fleets from Mako already at sea? They left port on the evening of the 7th (Tokoyo time) with the Batan task force. The covering cruiser force of Takahashi left the following day. (source: Louis Morton - Fall of the Philipines).

Going to return to go back to scenario 15 version of your mod now and see if I can get the AI to play "lose all the Allied CVs" [;)]

[Big B]

ORIGINAL: mefi

Big B - played a few turns with your version of scenario 16 on AB's extended map. Very impressed with what I have seen of your air combat model so far although I haven't yet managed to entice the AI to play with the KB yet to test out CV combat. Super work! Just a quick thought on the initial Japanese set-up for this scenario - might it be better to have the invasion fleets from Mako already at sea? They left port on the evening of the 7th (Tokoyo time) with the Batan task force. The covering cruiser force of Takahashi left the following day. (source: Louis Morton - Fall of the Philipines).

Going to return to go back to scenario 15 version of your mod now and see if I can get the AI to play "lose all the Allied CVs" [;)]

Hi mefi - glad you like it so far.

As regards the invasion fleets - I am at work this morning and cannot check it out... I don't know for certain if that is intentional, or a starting position error.
When I get home tonight I will check it and report back (Andrew....I may have another revision..).


B

[Terminus]

You can't have a troop loaded TF start at sea. Or if you can, could you please tell me how it's done?

[Big B]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

You can't have a troop loaded TF start at sea. Or if you can, could you please tell me how it's done?

Hmm, never thought about that one way or another. Assuming you are correct (and I do not doubt you Mr T) - that would certainly go a long way to explain mefi's question.

Something new to check out tonight....

[Terminus]

I'm happy to report that I was wrong. You CAN have troops aboard a TF beginning at sea.

The trick is to understand that the game requires the TF and the LCU to occupy the same hex when they're defined and the LCU is loaded aboard the TF in the editor. It must be the same hex, but it doesn't have to be a base hex. It works, and I've tested it.

There's another problem, though (you knew there would be, didn't you?). You can't get a mid-ocean TF to load supplies as well as troops. Not without creating a mid-ocean base, anyways, and that sort of defeats the purpose...[8|]

[Big B]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

I'm happy to report that I was wrong. You CAN have troops aboard a TF beginning at sea.

...
There's another problem, though (you knew there would be, didn't you?). You can't get a mid-ocean TF to load supplies as well as troops.

"Oh - I'm sure the troops won't really need any supply....their magnificent appearance alone should be enough to conquer any beachhead"

"... of course sir, ... but - what if the enemy shoots at us?"

"Hrumph! Nonsense! ...Your being Alramist!"

On a more serious note - I have found that TFs at see always start full of fuel, no matter what you tell the editor (so far).
Perhaps they automatically carry all the supply they can as well?

[Terminus]

No such luck; Alikchi wanted to try it for his Iron Storm mod, and couldn't get it to work.

[Andrew Brown]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

No such luck; Alikchi wanted to try it for his Iron Storm mod, and couldn't get it to work.

Another restriction I've come across is that the troops can't be part of a restricted command, otherwise they actually start the game swimming in the ocean (automatically unloaded by the program) instead of on the TF.

Andrew

[treespider]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

I'm happy to report that I was wrong. You CAN have troops aboard a TF beginning at sea.

The trick is to understand that the game requires the TF and the LCU to occupy the same hex when they're defined and the LCU is loaded aboard the TF in the editor. It must be the same hex, but it doesn't have to be a base hex. It works, and I've tested it.

There's another problem, though (you knew there would be, didn't you?). You can't get a mid-ocean TF to load supplies as well as troops. Not without creating a mid-ocean base, anyways, and that sort of defeats the purpose...[8|]

Could you not just creat two TF's...One loaded with troops and the other with supplies?

[Big B]

ORIGINAL: mefi

Big B - played a few turns with your version of scenario 16 on AB's extended map. Very impressed with what I have seen of your air combat model so far although I haven't yet managed to entice the AI to play with the KB yet to test out CV combat. Super work! Just a quick thought on the initial Japanese set-up for this scenario - might it be better to have the invasion fleets from Mako already at sea? They left port on the evening of the 7th (Tokoyo time) with the Batan task force. The covering cruiser force of Takahashi left the following day. (source: Louis Morton - Fall of the Philipines).

Going to return to go back to scenario 15 version of your mod now and see if I can get the AI to play "lose all the Allied CVs" [;)]

Hi mefi,
I may have misunderstood you - but I checked all the starting TFs and they all seem to be where the stock game has them.

Were you just suggesting a change from stock for realisms sake?
Or is something you noticed amiss?

B

[Terminus]

ORIGINAL: treespider

Could you not just creat two TF's...One loaded with troops and the other with supplies?

Well, yes... But the supply TF can't start at sea. That was what Alikchi found out.

[mefi]

ORIGINAL: Big B
Hi mefi,
I may have misunderstood you - but I checked all the starting TFs and they all seem to be where the stock game has them.

Were you just suggesting a change from stock for realisms sake?
Or is something you noticed amiss?

B

Hi Big B - I was just suggesting a change for realism's sake. It's not a bug (I'll preface suspected bugs with "Now this might just be me but is there a problem..." [:o]), just a little odd to see everyone still at port in Mako apart from the units on Batan when all the invasion fleets from Mako left at the same time. Just a thought and a "might be better to show the historical starting points" as (although I could be wrong) it seems that you may have changed some historical starting points. Reading the difficulties which are entailed in doing this, I can see why Matrix did not do this and why you might not wish to play with the initial starting points here.

Not found anything which strikes me as a bug in scenario 16 after a week's play. One concern I do have is that not destroying the aircraft may upset the 'balance' of Japan's ahistorical aircraft production in a way which favours Japan, allowing them parity for longer but December 1942 is hardly the best time to base any projected figures for losses so I'll let you know in a few months' (real) time if I run into that. That said - that's not a problem with your mod but with the underlying economic model. If your air model continues to perform as it has so far for me, I think it could provide a basis for a way to pull the game away from the lalaland that it exists in when you get to 1943 if your mod were combined with one which plays with the production figures. I'm seriously impressed so far with the results of your changes to the air combat model.

Now back to figuring out whether to invade quickly or to prep and invade slowly. Japan first turn nightmares

[Big B]

ORIGINAL: mefi

ORIGINAL: Big B
Hi mefi,
I may have misunderstood you - but I checked all the starting TFs and they all seem to be where the stock game has them.

Were you just suggesting a change from stock for realisms sake?
Or is something you noticed amiss?

B

Hi Big B - I was just suggesting a change for realism's sake. It's not a bug (I'll preface suspected bugs with "Now this might just be me but is there a problem..." [:o]), just a little odd to see everyone still at port in Mako apart from the units on Batan when all the invasion fleets from Mako left at the same time. Just a thought and a "might be better to show the historical starting points" as (although I could be wrong) it seems that you may have changed some historical starting points. Reading the difficulties which are entailed in doing this, I can see why Matrix did not do this and why you might not wish to play with the initial starting points here.

Not found anything which strikes me as a bug in scenario 16 after a week's play. One concern I do have is that not destroying the aircraft may upset the 'balance' of Japan's ahistorical aircraft production in a way which favours Japan, allowing them parity for longer but December 1942 is hardly the best time to base any projected figures for losses so I'll let you know in a few months' (real) time if I run into that. That said - that's not a problem with your mod but with the underlying economic model. If your air model continues to perform as it has so far for me, I think it could provide a basis for a way to pull the game away from the lalaland that it exists in when you get to 1943 if your mod were combined with one which plays with the production figures. I'm seriously impressed so far with the results of your changes to the air combat model.

Now back to figuring out whether to invade quickly or to prep and invade slowly. Japan first turn nightmares

Yes, a good insight- if the airmodel works as well as it seemed to - The Allies aircraft rates are fixed, but Japan's production may indeed lead to so many extra Japanese planes...something will have to be done.

And yes, I agree this is a production problem - not an air model problem.

In my original design (because of this possibility) I lowered Japanese Heavy Industry by about 1/3. But not wanting to incite a lynch mob - I didn't go with that for publication.

Some long term thought must go into this[;)]

B

[Terminus]

ORIGINAL: Big B

Some long term thought must go into this[;)]

B

Well then you're screwed, aren't you?[:'(]

[Big B]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

ORIGINAL: Big B

Some long term thought must go into this[;)]

B

Well then you're screwed, aren't you?[:'(]

Not so far - no one is calling for my head on a pole yet[:D]

[Terminus]

That might come yet... BTW, I finished my mod today. No more calling me "slacker". Not for that, anyway...

[Big B]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

That might come yet... BTW, I finished my mod today. No more calling me "slacker". Not for that, anyway...

Well congrats!!![8D]

EDIT: It's a nice feeling to be about there isn't it?[;)]

[Big B]

ORIGINAL: mefi
.... just a little odd to see everyone still at port in Mako apart from the units on Batan when all the invasion fleets from Mako left at the same time. Just a thought and a "might be better to show the historical starting points" as (although I could be wrong) it seems that you may have changed some historical starting points. Reading the difficulties which are entailed in doing this, I can see why Matrix did not do this and why you might not wish to play with the initial starting points here.

As far as having the TFs start at sea - Terminus is quite correct, No supply ... I tried it out after his post - and he's right - it won't work. That probably is why Matrix didn't start them at sea also.

So, that will just slow the time table down a little, which overall is probably a good thing.

B

[Terminus]

ORIGINAL: Big B

ORIGINAL: Terminus

That might come yet... BTW, I finished my mod today. No more calling me "slacker". Not for that, anyway...

Well congrats!!![8D]

EDIT: It's a nice feeling to be about there isn't it?[;)]

All warm and fuzzy...[:D]