Returning to Pacific War

[Johnny Canuck]

I played Pacwar back in the '90s, & after a decade or so I've been thinking of trying it again with the Matrix version. I've downloaded 3.2 and looked at the files listing the changes, opened the editor to see the changed stats, & read some threads on the changes. I was wondering if anyone might be willing to help me out with a few questions?

1. I saw mentioned in several threads that switching too many tac-bomber factories to Wellingtons can cause problems, because they subsequently switch automatically to B-24s. Are there any other such automatic switches to be careful about? I liked playing around with factory production in the old days, but would like to avoid FUBARing my game with 3.2.

2. In the editor, I've been thinking about adjusting a few of the start dates for Allied aircraft (moving the F4U back a few months, the F6F & the Albacore forward a few months, etc.). Will this potentially mess up factory production of these aircraft?

3. I noticed that the relative maneouvrability advantage of the Zero over early Allied fighters has decreased. In the original, the Zero was at 22, & no Allied aircraft had a value greater than 19. Now, the Zero is at 25, but the P-40 & P-36 have 24, & others 23. Does this mean the early air battles will be not quite so lopsided, & that it is easily for the Allies to gain control of the skies?

Thanks!

[zeke99]

Welcome back [:)]

I try to give some answers
1. I can't recall any other production problem.
2. Don't think so
3. Yes

[Johnny Canuck]

ORIGINAL: zeke99

Welcome back [:)]

I try to give some answers
1. I can't recall any other production problem.
2. Don't think so
3. Yes

Thanks for the quick reply. Re #3, I was thinking of playing as the Allies, so maybe I'll give +1 maneouverability to the A6Mx aircraft, to keep me on my toes! [:)]

[zeke99]

to keep me on my toes!

Will surely do.
However, little substitute for a human player. [:D]

[Capt. Harlock]

Re #3, I was thinking of playing as the Allies, so maybe I'll give +1 maneouverability to the A6Mx aircraft, to keep me on my toes!

Granted, it's now a bit easier for the Allied player to take control of the skies -- but it's also realistic. Even before the newer fighters showed up, the AVG in China and the Cactus airforce at Guadalcanal were getting impressive kill ratios. It's a matter of pilot experience as well as aircraft performance, and IMHO the latest aircraft rankings are a good reflection of history. (Cost of production is another matter entirely: I believe that when the cost of an airplane goes into double digits, the production rate goes way down. The B-17 and nearly all British aircraft have been unfairly handicapped.)

[Skipjack]

ORIGINAL: Johnny Canuck

1. I saw mentioned in several threads that switching too many tac-bomber factories to Wellingtons can cause problems, because they subsequently switch automatically to B-24s. Are there any other such automatic switches to be careful about? I liked playing around with factory production in the old days, but would like to avoid FUBARing my game with 3.2.

I have not seen the issue in version 3.2. I recall the Wellington to B-24 conversion being an issue in version 1 & 2 - it could pop up at the worst moment and really hurt Naval Interdiction.

The factories should not automatically upgrade as long as you have them on human control. And with the latest version a squadron eligible for an upgrade will prompt you (usually at the end of the turn) whether you wish to accept the upgrade - nice if you are directing your AC pools towards a particular theater (of course, you have to know where the sqn # is on the map).

[Johnny Canuck]

Thanks for the info, guys!

(Cost of production is another matter entirely: I believe that when the cost of an airplane goes into double digits, the production rate goes way down. The B-17 and nearly all British aircraft have been unfairly handicapped.)

I'm about six weeks into an Allied campaign, & this is definitely an issue. I have 1 B-17 factory, producing 2 per week, which doesn't even cover weekly losses of the single B-17 group I currently have conducting operations. Similarly, I have 2 Hurricane IIB factories (I converted the Sydney Wirraway factory) producing 4 per week, which is also woefully inadequate. What I was wondering was whether, in an ongoing game, reducing cost to 9 (on the assumption that double-digit cost is FUBARed) will be enough, or do I also needed to adjust the factory page of the editor (i.e. if I reduce costs, will factory output rise on its own in the game over the next couple of weeks)?

[Capt. Harlock]

ORIGINAL: Johnny Canuck

What I was wondering was whether, in an ongoing game, reducing cost to 9 (on the assumption that double-digit cost is FUBARed) will be enough, or do I also needed to adjust the factory page of the editor (i.e. if I reduce costs, will factory output rise on its own in the game over the next couple of weeks)?

My experience is that simply reducing aircraft cost is sufficient. The output rises over the course of several turns. (And don't forget that British squadrons can be equipped with aircraft that USMC squadrons can use -- like the F4U Corsair.)

[LouisXIV]

I'm an old veteran returning to Pacific War. I got it loaded from my old floppy (having still had a 3.5" floppy drive around), and it plays well. However I was thinking of modifying it and was looking for tools to open up the files when I stumbled on this site. I've been browsing through the entries, but have found only suggestions of what I want to do.

Can someone help me or show me old topics that help me:

- Determine what the various data file do, and how to determine their contents;
- Figure out how to open these files, modify them and replace them;
- Also, where is the download for this updated version?

Thanks in advance for any help. This is the game that helped me get through several years of being stuck in the sleeper of a truck while going through a divorce.

[Capt. Harlock]

Can someone help me or show me old topics that help me:

- Determine what the various data file do, and how to determine their contents;
- Figure out how to open these files, modify them and replace them;
- Also, where is the download for this updated version?

Go to:

http://www.matrixgames.com/products/235 ... ix.Edition

If you can run Excel files, there is a very handy Excel workbook included in the download that will read in the data files, display them in Excel format, and write any changes that you wish to make.

[LouisXIV]

Thanks for that. I found the download of the new version, took it home, and loaded it. The new scenery looked particularly nice, althought the TF markers were sort of faint and harder to see (although more informative.) I had fun playing the first (historical) turn, but then ran into difficulties. Apparently "r" no longer breaks up existing task forces in port. Also, Ctrl-Q no longer kills the game.

Is there a guide to how to play this newer version that I have missed?

[Skipjack_]

You can find a link to some useful downloads in this thread:

tm.asp?m=1067640&mpage=1&key=??

<alt>y will cycle you through TFs that have completed their missions and will prompt you to disband them.&nbsp; <alt>q&nbsp; to exit the game. [:)]

Cheers, Skipjack

[LouisXIV]

This may sound silly, but all those years I was playing it, I wondered if it could be extended to include Europe, and have the complete WWII featured there. I think the major problem would be the AI for Germany, unless one could do it as an off-shoot of the Japanese AI, that is, just adding files onto the Axis side. I'm also unsure how the basic game engine would handle major land battles and movement.

[Capt. Harlock]

I'm also unsure how the basic game engine would handle major land battles and movement.

Personally, I think that would be the biggest problem of all. LCU's in Pacific War require either their starting base or their destination base to be completely clear of enemy troops in order to move. Otherwise, they are immobilized, a fact which many a PacWar player has taken advantage of. This can be dealt with given the islands and other terrain which most of the Pacific Theater dealt with, but would be completely unacceptable in the wide-open areas of Western Europe and the Russian steppes.

Still, it's an intriguing idea . . .

[LouisXIV]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

I'm also unsure how the basic game engine would handle major land battles and movement.

LCU's in Pacific War require either their starting base or their destination base to be completely clear of enemy troops in order to move. Otherwise, they are immobilized,

Resulting in encirclement battles. I don't see any problem with this.

[88l71]

Granted, it's now a bit easier for the Allied player to take control of the skies -- but it's also realistic. Even before the newer fighters showed up, the AVG in China and the Cactus airforce at Guadalcanal were getting impressive kill ratios. It's a matter of pilot experience as well as aircraft performance, and IMHO the latest aircraft rankings are a good reflection of history. (Cost of production is another matter entirely: I believe that when the cost of an airplane goes into double digits, the production rate goes way down. The B-17 and nearly all British aircraft have been unfairly handicapped.) >>

I'd say superior US team tactics, better communications due to radios, etc, had a lot to do with it, but of course this isn't modeled in the game.

I definitely think the Hellcat shows up too late, you get a couple CVE's and Essex with Hellcats long before F6F's show up in production...so where'd the air groups come from? Magical Hellcat Land? (Where is it I wanna go there!!) In many games I've had to sit around unable to launch my CentPac offensive due to lack of Hellcat pools.

[Capt. Harlock]

ORIGINAL: LouisXIV

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock


LCU's in Pacific War require either their starting base or their destination base to be completely clear of enemy troops in order to move. Otherwise, they are immobilized,

Resulting in encirclement battles. I don't see any problem with this.

How about this: if there are two bases connected by a land march path, and there are opposing troops at each base, neither side can move--even if both bases are controlled by one side. The game cannot model interior lines.

What makes it really ridiculous is that in the above situation, *supplies* can still flow from one base to the other. IRL, it's easier to move men than supplies: men come with legs.

[LouisXIV]

ORIGINAL: 88l71

I definitely think the Hellcat shows up too late, you get a couple CVE's and Essex with Hellcats long before F6F's show up in production...so where'd the air groups come from? Magical Hellcat Land? (Where is it I wanna go there!!) In many games I've had to sit around unable to launch my CentPac offensive due to lack of Hellcat pools.

There is a little trick I found in PacWar long ago. More than once aircraft show up in squadrons somewhere, but are not yet in production. If you F6 a production city and try to change production to the new model, it is not yet available. This happens with the FM2, the Corsair, and the Hellcat, as well as several other planes.

The trick? Take the squadron that has the new model aircraft, and replace the aircraft with stuff that is already in production. Now the aircraft will be in the aircraft pool. Now you can go to your production city, F6, and change the production to the new model...once it is in the aircraft pool.

There is no trick I have found to keep certain aircraft in production. For example, the Vengeance is a useful long-range dive-bomber, but once it is out of production, you can't get it back in. You just waste production time if you try. Shouldn't this be up to us? You can get production started earlier, but you can't keep it later. Who's in control here?