Taming Expansion of IJ Production

[Zebedee]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Before this gets more off target (subs vs ASW), please note this thread that Don started a while back. [;)]

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=1719073

In fairness, effectiveness of subs and ASW is very much part of how the Japanese economy fell on its face historically [;)]

[steveh11Matrix]

ORIGINAL: Ron Saueracker

ORIGINAL: Ron Saueracker

Personally, I'd rather have the player control of production be removed from the game all together! What is this, Age of Empires or Total Annihilation? The only thing the player should have control of is getting the supplies and resources needed for the economy to the necessary points...none of this fantasy crap.[8D]

Again...any chance we can have a choice between the add water and stir instant Japanese fantasy model and a simple historical production rate, possibly improvable on a limited scale if Japan infuse more raw materials into the major manufacturing centres? It seems every time something is added, it benefits the Fantasy Island fans...PDU for example. Many of us were against it because we knew what would happen (WITP would become more of an Age of Empires type game and less a wargame), but of course it was added because it satisfied the What If Fantasy clubbers...a more vocal, whiny group than those out for a wargame with some historical basis I suppose, and guess what?...of course it turned WITP into Age of Empires, The Wrath of Kimono and now PDU is viewed as a failure and rarely toggled on.

So, how about it? It would take next to no effort to provide this historical variant.

Thanks

I'd love this, please. Even if I *am* a "What if..." player. I find the Japanese production model in WitP opaque, and would dearly like to turn it to AI (historical) control - in other words, act as an Admiral/General, not a Government.

(PDU - a guilty pleasure... )

Steve.

Steve.

[steveh11Matrix]

ORIGINAL: JWE

There are some excellent threads on how to work Japanese production, and several after-market utility programs to help. Actually "doing it" isn't hard. Fear not !
[/quote]

But I *do* fear... The extremely opaque and fragmented nature of the in-game Japanese Production System has me beaten. I've tried to play it, and failed to grasp it.

If I opt to do *nothing* to it at all, will the AE ecenomic version produce reasonable results? Not perfect, just reasonable, assuming I'm able to ship sufficient Resources and Oil to Tokyo? It's not a lot to ask for, really.

Steve.

[esteban]

ORIGINAL: Zebedee

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Before this gets more off target (subs vs ASW), please note this thread that Don started a while back. [;)]

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=1719073

In fairness, effectiveness of subs and ASW is very much part of how the Japanese economy fell on its face historically [;)]

My point exactly. With the effectiveness and availability of search/ASW aircraft, airfields to base them at, ASW TFs and "treasure fleets" carrying resources and oil back from the SRA, I am extremely confident that I can make a submarine war directed at my convoy routes between the SRA and Japan a losing proposition for even the best Allied player. The convoy routes to my bases in the South and Central Pacific are easier targets, but any damage I take there is less consequential than the vital lifeline to the SRA and I would still be able to inflict high casualties on Allied subs that didnt stay away from my island bases.

The only way that an Allied player is going to shut down my production is to retake the SRA, cut off the SRA from Japan by taking bases where his LBA and carriers can pummel my convoys from or by bombing out my factories and resources centers on the Home Islands.

[ny59giants]

But the use of Helens that have spent the first 6 months or more doing bombing runs in China to get their experience level up to around 80 and then switch them over to ASW operations will not be possible in AE (different skill sets). You may need to select a few daitai of LBA to this task from day one and hope they get their experience before 1/43 when the dud rate of Allied subs is cut.
 
The use of patrol zones will make it more of a cat and mouse game for subs vs. ASW assets, which it should be.

[treespider]

Likewise the raw number of air units available for this task will likely be dropping since duplication and triplication of some units has been eliminated.