Malaria and Morale

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: pad152

In Witp there was nothing you could do to raise morale, I even tried shipping troops with low morale back to Japan for R&R. it didn't work. So is there anything in AE that the player can do to raise morale?

Maybe they will give us special transports designated as USO entertainment ships that raise morale in every port they stop in.......

[John Lansford]

Nah, a USO non-combat ground unit that has to be carried around by ships and planes that raises morale...

[Shark7]

ORIGINAL: John Lansford

Nah, a USO non-combat ground unit that has to be carried around by ships and planes that raises morale...

The USO HQ unit? Give it like 600 support? [:D]

[bradfordkay]

And an Inspiration rating of 99.

Scratch that... there should be a seperate pool of "leaders" for the USO unit, with varying abilities: Glen Miller, Bob Hope, Tommy Dorsey, Rita Hayworth, etc.

[HansBolter]

Yesterday I just read the section of Fire in the Sky that covered the impact of desease on the campaign and in spite of the use of DDT, malaria continued to be a significant problem, even for the Allies right up to the end.

Most troops ignored the "regulations" requiring long sleves and long pants and pants to be tucked into boots. Many avoided taking their atabrine because it turned their skin yellow and a rumor ran rampant that it caused sterility.

Whether or not this nagging condition should cause a serious drop in morale is really the question and I tend to agree that the current effect is a bit over the top.

[Chad Harrison]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

Whether or not this nagging condition should cause a serious drop in morale is really the question and I tend to agree that the current effect is a bit over the top.

In my sole stock PBEM which is now to August 1943, the Port Moresby defense force has 12 Morale after being there for the duration of the war.

This morale level is not even reached by troops that have been routed severly. So this means that my troops at a rear base, who have never tasted death or combat, who have unlimited supplies at a 'large' base have lower morale than troops who have been destroyed and routed in combat?

As I have mentioned before, the Marines used a number of bases in the Solomons as R&R islands (E.B. Sledge describes it quite well actually, but cant remember the name off the top of my head) which the game considers to be 'malaria'. In reality, they went there to recive replacements, rest, and bring morale back up. In the game, they would loose troops, be more tired, and have lower morale after being there no matter how big the base was, or how many support troops were there or how much supply was there.

I dont think that this was the intent of the designers. Thats why I view this as a bug fix, not a change. All I have been asking is for someone to look at it and see that it is not behaving as it should be. I think that the original intention was that once a base reaches a certain combined port and airfield size, that Malaria affects stop (over 10 is a generally accepted rule). This would keep the small islands from ever reaching this level, but allow Port Moresby, Lae, Rabual and Guadacanal to reach it.

[John Lansford]

Actually, when Guadalcanal was used as a rear area R&R for the Marines, it was described as a pesthole and a dump, with rats and land crabs abounding and only tents (with mosquito nets) available.  There were so many land crabs, in fact, that the Marines would eventually go hunting them and burn the corpses in huge piles.  This was prior to their use in the Palaus, so I presume it was in 1944; I read this in a book on that campaign and how the 1st Marine Division prepared for it.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: John Lansford

There were so many land crabs, in fact, that the Marines would eventually go hunting them and burn the corpses in huge piles. This was prior to their use in the Palaus...

They used land crabs in the Palaus? [:D]

[Chad Harrison]

ORIGINAL: John Lansford

Actually, when Guadalcanal was used as a rear area R&R for the Marines, it was described as a pesthole and a dump, with rats and land crabs abounding and only tents (with mosquito nets) available.  There were so many land crabs, in fact, that the Marines would eventually go hunting them and burn the corpses in huge piles.  This was prior to their use in the Palaus, so I presume it was in 1944; I read this in a book on that campaign and how the 1st Marine Division prepared for it.

I never said it was a resort [:D]

But would chasing land crabs, and waving off mosquitos in your tent drop your unit morale to 12? As I have argued above, atleast allow morale to stay the same. Doesnt increase, doesnt decrease. Just stays the same.

[John Lansford]

From the excerpts of quotes the author got from surviving 1st Division personnel about being on Guadalcanal at that time, it sounded as if they were actually eager to get out of there and back into battle.  I doubt their morale was anywhere near 12 at that time...

[BigJ62]

There are no morale problems with land units in AE.

[Chad Harrison]

ORIGINAL: BigJ62

There are no morale problems with land units in AE.

No more morale? Or have they all, including malaria, been addressed?

[Shark7]

ORIGINAL: Chad Harrison

ORIGINAL: BigJ62

There are no morale problems with land units in AE.

No more morale? Or have they all, including malaria, been addressed?

They're probably just all unhappy, all the time. [:D]

[Chad Harrison]

ORIGINAL: Shark7

ORIGINAL: Chad Harrison

ORIGINAL: BigJ62

There are no morale problems with land units in AE.

No more morale? Or have they all, including malaria, been addressed?

They're probably just all unhappy, all the time. [:D]

Thats what Im afraid of [X(]

[Montbrun]

IMHO, the presence of an Allied HQ in a hex should greatly reduce the effects of Malaria.

During the war, the allied forces took huge steps to combat malaria in certain areas. For example, Guadalcanal later became an R/R and staging area, with the navy even using obsolete torpedo bombers to spray pesticides to help detsroy the mosquito population.

[Flying Tiger]

The US military effectively eradicated malaria in some areas because they were so determined to reduce the mosquitos. But.... i think the malaria zones in Witp are representing morale drop caused by more than just mosquitos. I already ranted for a while in the land thread about this, but will repeat here .... a unit in a reasonably built up base (and i am thinking of a AF 3, port 3 base as reasonable) which is NOT in combat should not be affected (effected?? stupid english language!!) by the malaria zone.
 
thats my 2 cents worth.

[Chad Harrison]

ORIGINAL: Flying Tiger

.... a unit in a reasonably built up base (and i am thinking of a AF 3, port 3 base as reasonable) which is NOT in combat should not be affected (effected?? stupid english language!!) by the malaria zone.

Thats been my argument all along.

[Q-Ball]

My Grandfather's unit, the 41st Inf Div, spent the entire war in Malaria zones, and maintained a high state of morale and readiness. They were not in COMBAT the entire time, but they were in either New Guinea or Mindanao continuously from early '44 on, with no R and R on some tropical paradise.

That would be disastrous in WITP, but sometimes they were sitting in Biak watching movies and drinking beer (albeit warm beer), not exactly morale-degrading activities. Sometimes the biggest problem was they were sick of bananas, or only drew pay in Dutch guilders.

Gramps was ONLY on NG or PI from late '43 until landing at Kobe in September '45. Even his trip to the hospital was on New Guinea.

I agree that being in those zones should NOT be terminal to morale for these reasons.

[Chad Harrison]

ORIGINAL: BigJ62

There are no morale problems with land units in AE.

Can we get some clarification on this?

Its been almost a month again, so I can whine again about the affects of malaria on morale [:D]

[Czert3]

I aggre, no morale loss for 3+ bases in malaria zones, after all, after time need to develop (build) bases up to this level, enginers can find some time to make  (buy, request, stole from local population) anti-mostiko nets, and give them for free to buildings and to personal.
Onlyiest effect on morale - from size of base - can be speed of increasing (restoring) of morale. Small base - small grow, big base - faster grow.