Why play as Japan?

[boomboom]

Sitting in my harbor site in the first capital of the good old U.S.A and the birthplace of the Marine Corps,and woundering why nobody plays the Americans?We did win.Still awed by you folks,someone has a question,theirs a post with a web page to check out.With that said,if I did play as Japan,any benfit to sneeking a sub down to port Morseby to lay mines?Or on the approaches to port Morseby,maby hitting a transport or tanker on their way in or out?

[mogami]

Hi, old Marine here myself (73-77) I enlisted in Philly. Then during my tour as a squid (82-92) I was stationed at the Philly Ship Yard.
I like playing both sides. As Japan you have to walk a tight rope
(But I am thinking the Long non Midway campaign offers a load of chances for Japan. Their worst historical defeat is avoided and all the player has to do is insure it never occurs (LOL)
The US in this campaign has to avoid a beating while trying to win a Midway type battle that will allow him to assume the offensive.
The historic Campaign is really interesting again no matter what side you play. I am intersted in what automatic victory conditions there are for this scenario.
The Japanese have to avoid the historic piecemeal battles that lead to losing both in New Guinea and the Solomon's. However they do not have the luxury of the 4 CV's lost at Midway. So here the US can offer 1 for 1 trades that result in his being able to control the situation. Japan never has this trade em even philosophy to fall back on since there is little in the pipeline to replace what is lost. (but it could be used in long May campaign in order to gain the auto victory-it would not be a good idea in Witp-unless an auto victory is also in that game). Really more important then what side you play is who you play against. It seems from reports in this form the AI knows what it is doing. But against a human it will be like playing high stakes poker ........

[RolandRahn_MatrixForum]

If I may give some input as a non-American:
The reason why the Axis powers are enticing to play is because every player (at least I) has an ego.
Everyone (at least I) wants to do better than historical and achieve a victory that never was.
Or avoiding a historical defeat.
Or, at least, winning a historical victory that wasn't likely.
I want to be the underdog who wins against the odds.

I remember from playing "War in the south pacific" that playing the US side was interesting (for me) only in the long campaign (May 42 - Mar 43).
Starting as the weaker player who is outnumbered and has to win a midway-type battle was great....
But, after a real big victory (placing all carriers including the Long Island (16 a/c capacity) off the Australian coast, placing 350 land based aircraft within range and wait.....the Japanese fleet knew the position of the US Carrier TF and was always going after it, with a little luck you could sink 10 Japanese CV/CVLs with little damage to your own forces) the game became boring....
Playing as the Japanese was only interesting in the shorter campaigns (August 7th, 1942 - March 43 or October 17th, 1942 to March 43).
So, I believe that UV will be an interesting game to play as long as you are the weaker side.
However, regarding the problems the Japanese will get anyway until the end of 43, the Japanese might be an interesting choice even before midway.
Or one had to set a goal like "winning in a way that the Japanese would have had a chance to avoid defeat in WWII" - no, that's too unrealistic.

And, since UV will have a better AI than "War in the South Pacific" (at least I hope it will be better), both sides should be a challenging choice.

Just some thoughts from an European,

kind regards,

Roland

[boomboom]

Thanks for your post.I'm a fng when it comes to wargamming.
Mogami,enlisted in Philadelphia.You must have lived in the area or ran out of money here.Probly left from 401 N broad St.Building still their,not an induction center any more.No more naval shipyard at the end of south broad st.
I was in the Marines from 69-71.
If I'm reading my posts right,Port Morsby seems out of reach for Japan.Can't wait to buy this game and post how I stormed this place and renamed it Boomboom's beach.Speaking of Boomboom,moderator only person who calls me edward is Mom's.So if you could tell me how to change my user name.Thanks

[mogami]

Up 611 about 40 miles In Bucks County a little town (village) Ottsville

[ratster]

Ottsville! Huh, whadaya know, lived most of my life in Bucks county, born there too.

[mogami]

I went to Palisades High School would have been class of 74 but i droped out to enlist in 73

[madflava13]

Real small world --
My girlfriend went to Council Rock HS in Bucks County...

[ratster]

Small world, my mother went to Pallisades, I don't think it's there anymore though, its been awhile since I've been up 611 that far. I was class of '77 at William Tennent.