So how far along is everyone?

[Blacksheep]

December 21 as the Allies here, scenario 2. Took me two days of looking at the map and doing orders before I kicked off the first turn against the AI. Got lucky there. Lost only one BB and the Indianapolis among major combatants at Pearl. KB stuck around for a couple of days but didn't accomplish all that much. The Lex launched an ineffective raid against the Wake invasion force (and got back to Pearl on fumes) that blunted the initial thrust, but the follow-up forces took the island a day or two ago.

I always let the computer play both sides in China. I don't see that I have that option here. Haven't got a clue what I'm doing there and am afraid that is where I could lose the war.

The biggest suprise was the attack on PoW and Repulse. PoW got away undamaged and is now the Flagship of ABDA forces. Repulse was heavily damaged but limped into Singapore and after a couple of days in the yard to get immediately fixable floatation damage under control(it still has 63 major floatation damage points which weren't fixed), it pulled into Batavia on the 20th under the escort of a DD. The other little surprise was seeing the Penguin (the minesweeper from Guam) pull into Brisbane harbor undamaged.

The most immediate improvement I've seen in th AI are the followup attacks at Pearl and the IJN sub attacks off the west coast of the US and and between Sydney and Melbourne in Oz. Gone are the days of the unescorted convoys that were so near and dear to my heart in WitP. What a great game[&o]

[Laxplayer]

Short of adding 100+ modern small escorts I think this will always be a problem (which would make the scen unplayable in PBEM)

I dunno... maybe if the Mini-KB patrolled in the areas during those landings, it would be a lot harder to tear them up with just a couple Dutch/US CLs and a few DDs (or Aussie/US in the case of the PM/Rabaul/Tulagi area). I'm at Jan 22nd, 1942 and I haven't seen the KB since the PH strike and 3 days of spotting her sail away to the NW. The CVL tf that starts near PI danced around the PI and North of Borneo for a week or so, but then disappeared as well (though I think I scored a couple hits from my Martins that might have put them in repair for a bit, definitely not heavily damaged though). That same CVL tf just made another showing in SE DEI near Menado in the past 2 days, along with a new 3 CVE tf that is sailing between Tarakan (just fell) and Balikpapan (next on the list I'm assuming). Other than that, there has been VERY little CV air support coming from the IJN, and no sign of the KB. In general, very few landings in the DEI have had air support, and none have in CentPac/SoPac/SwPac.

I will say that the Betties/Nells are starting to really hurt in and around the DEI, and all hopes of a late evac from Singapore or Manila has evaporated. That said, they (too) often fly un-escorted, so Betties and Nells are by far leading all AC loss totals.

All of this is just feedback! I'm still enjoying the hell out of it, and it's WAY better than the WITP AI for sure! [:)]

[Titanwarrior89]

The 15th Dec 41 (4th restart). Playing mainly one-day turns. How is it some of you are so far ahead? I guess your using 3 day turns some of ya.[:)]

[kfmiller41]

Just started a PBEM with a friend who I was playing WITP before. First turn is a beast and my PH attack was the worst i have ever seen. Didn't sink anything on day one[X(] and am hoping to get another strike in before I leave the area.

[Laxplayer]

ORIGINAL: Titanwarrior89

The 15th Dec 41 (4th restart). Playing mainly one-day turns. How is it some of you are so far ahead? I guess your using 3 day turns some of ya.[:)]

1/22/42... but I'm also on 1 day turns, just no restarts [:D]

And after spending like 4-5 hours on my first turn, I've been limiting myself to spending less than 1 hour per turn (preferrably only 20 min). It doesn't always work, as sometimes I will stumble upon a pile of units that need to go someplace, but don't have the transports there to do it, so I start looking nearby and start finding more units I need to adjust and it just begins to snowball. Quickest turn was 10 min! Sometimes I can pump out like 7-10 turns in 3 hours... sometimes I only get 2-3 out!

[sfbaytf]

I don't think follow up strikes against Pearl Harbor by the AI is a given. It may be random. I'm playing a long campaign and so far no follow up strike by the AI against Pearl Harbor. I was expecting one, but 4 days later nothing. My carriers made ground beef out of the Wake Island invasion force. I transferred some SBD's and the Lexingtons Buffalo squadron to Wake and transferred the USMC Wildcat squadron to the Lexington. I have my first ace in that Marine squadron.

[invernomuto]

12/10/1941, one restart, with Japanese vs Allied AI (historical). Having great fun learning how not to play in the old WITP style...

Bye

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: Laxplayer
I'm at Jan 22nd, 1942 and I haven't seen the KB since the PH strike and 3 days of spotting her sail away to the NW.

I'm in mid February now and KB has been glued to Timor and Celebes as far as I can tell. I think the AI has split KB up, as there were carriers in the Java Sea as well as south of Balikpapan and near Davao all at once. I also spotted Ryujo near Rabaul.

I did sink one CVL in the Java Sea, which I think was down to AI error. She had a single DD escort as far as I can tell, and earned the ignominy of being trashed by Dutch Martins...

[Andy Mac]

So basically the AI is covering its scattergun offensive with Divisions of KB ?

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

So basically the AI is covering its scattergun offensive with Divisions of KB ?

It's covering its DEI operations with KB to an extent. I thought it was going to hit Java with carriers but it never quite got in range, it danced around just out of range for a bit. It did mean I had to pull all my surface forces away from Jav at least.

However it did kinda screw the pooch in the actual landing. It made a landing at Merak with a battleship covering, but no CVs support (they were bumming around just out of range, I was expecting them to come in), and no attempt to reduce the Java airfields. The BB got sunk by Vildebeest and the AI promptly evacuated, a little too promptly probably. It was literally a one day invasion. It left about 2000 Japs behind out of supply which the Mobile Einheid helped escort to a POW camp... not the AI's finest hour. But in general it's done a reasonable job in the DEI I think.

I think it showed teeth around Rabaul because I deployed my carriers at PM, it made me back down there.

But in CENTPAC there has been no carriers, no surface escort beyond a PB or so, no nothing, just constant uncovered invasions. Two at Wake, two at Baker Island, three at at the Nukefetau atoll chain, one at Canton Island. I've managed to get surface forces into every one, and it's been slaughter, though the AI has captured a few of the empty atolls.

[langleyCV1]

December 15th 1941 and I started playing on the day of the release as well.

MJT

[Sneer]

mid january
ground combat looks bad lost some unts in delay fights - was not worth as you loose units from time to time
singapore will not hold long
Pi looks better as i halted japan at clark for a while but mif february is max IMO
Burma worries me a lot with complicated logistics and inability to win after pegu will be lost
i tried to not overcommit there so certainly it will be weak ......
i'm doing counterattack at canton now whle KB is in dei

still learning new witp

[jimh009]

December 21st...playing 1 day turns as the Allied vs. AI. I'm taking my time...sort of getting the feel for the game as I go along.

[jimh009]

ORIGINAL: Blacksheep

December 21 as the Allies here, scenario 2. Took me two days of looking at the map and doing orders before I kicked off the first turn against the AI. Got lucky there. Lost only one BB and the Indianapolis among major combatants at Pearl. KB stuck around for a couple of days but didn't accomplish all that much. The Lex launched an ineffective raid against the Wake invasion force (and got back to Pearl on fumes) that blunted the initial thrust, but the follow-up forces took the island a day or two ago.

I always let the computer play both sides in China. I don't see that I have that option here. Haven't got a clue what I'm doing there and am afraid that is where I could lose the war.

The biggest suprise was the attack on PoW and Repulse. PoW got away undamaged and is now the Flagship of ABDA forces. Repulse was heavily damaged but limped into Singapore and after a couple of days in the yard to get immediately fixable floatation damage under control(it still has 63 major floatation damage points which weren't fixed), it pulled into Batavia on the 20th under the escort of a DD. The other little surprise was seeing the Penguin (the minesweeper from Guam) pull into Brisbane harbor undamaged.

The most immediate improvement I've seen in th AI are the followup attacks at Pearl and the IJN sub attacks off the west coast of the US and and between Sydney and Melbourne in Oz. Gone are the days of the unescorted convoys that were so near and dear to my heart in WitP. What a great game[&o]

Lucky you. The AI stuck around for three days and obliterated all my BB's at Peal, among many other ships. I wasn't too shocked by the second day strike, but the third day strike was a BIG surprise! I'm even playing "historical first turn."

Actually, if you don't mind a few losses, you can still run unescorted convoys. I've run quite a few of them, and so far, only had a few ships sunk. While I don't plan to continue to run unescorted convoys for too much longer, at the beginning, there are just not enough escorts for all the convoys that the Allied player needs to run (or for the Jap player, for that matter). So I made the choice...either have my ships sit in port and do nothing for a month while waiting for escorts...or escort the priority convoys (troops and tanker runs to Australia/Suva) and let the generic supply convoys (many of which are empty) take a chance and run unescorted.

[Naskra]

Feb 10 as Japan. Singapore, Manila under siege.

[John Lansford]

January 1 here.  The KB is marauding south of Kendari and sank three Dutch DD's trying to escape to Darwin.  I'm afraid those carriers are going to turn south and hit Darwin itself like IRL; that port is packed full of Dutch and British transports, cargo and auxiliaries, and I've started sending the faster ones to Brisbane.  The KB hit Balikpapan hard, sinking Houston and an AR in the harbor.

The ABDA raided several landings on the north side of Borneo but lost two CL's to airstrikes.  They sank several transports and escorts, as well as Maya, but are now retiring to Java.

The Japanese have advanced down the Burmese peninsula to Khota Bharu and are bombing Singapore regularly.  Repulse is still laid up in the shipyard there but I may try and sneak her south to Australia with whatever escorts I can scrounge up; she's got just under 80 Flotation damage and can barely make 5 knots.

In the Philippines, Manila just fell, but Clark Field and Bataan are still mine.  I've begun evacuating some units out of Bataan via sub but it's slow going.  PT boats have begun moving south from base to base.

In the Central Pacific, the sneaky Japanese took Canton Island, but a scratch force of New Zealand infantry from Suva recaptured the island for the Allies after heavy naval and aerial bombardment from three carriers.  Troops and defense forces are being sent south to Canton and Noumea to build up those bases.  Ocean Island has fallen to the Japanese as well after a short fight.

[Caltone]

Dec 8th, which is the first turn for me since I usually go with the scenario that starts on that day. Currently playing Japan vs AI until I start my PBEM's.

I've done lots of restarts and still getting a handle on the new features. Great work from what I see so far, I didn't expect this many changes/enhancements. Also another cheer to the inclusion of WitpStaff, what a wonderful utility.

[&o] [&o] Thanks to everyone who gave up their time on this one [&o] [&o]

[Sonny II]

ORIGINAL: Caltone

Dec 8th, which is the first turn for me since I usually go with the scenario that starts on that day. Currently playing Japan vs AI until I start my PBEM's.

I've done lots of restarts and still getting a handle on the new features. Great work from what I see so far, I didn't expect this many changes/enhancements. Also another cheer to the inclusion of WitpStaff, what a wonderful utility.

[&o] [&o] Thanks to everyone who gave up their time on this one [&o] [&o]

When you gonna start PBEM?

[John Lansford]

Andy,
 
In my game there's at least three different TF's with carriers in them; there's one north of Borneo (Ryujo at least, I shot her up with my CL's a turn or two ago), one off the west coast of Luzon, and the main strike force south of Macassar.  I didn't expect Ryujo (she didn't expect me either) and while I damaged her with my CL's, it wasn't enough and her Kates sank Java a turn ago.  She was the CVL I found with only a single DD escorting.

[Avenger]

The details are amazing and later moves by the AI are improving. I lost Wake island after repeatedly trying to defend it, when the Japanese brought up overwhelming force. And the Japanese are running Patrols around the PI now with multiple Battleships. I can no longer raid shipping in the PI and the nearby areas. I could force a Coral Sea scenario right now but I don't trust the randomness of a carrier attack. I have three carriers refueling at Sydney and the Japanese have two carriers off the coast of Rabaul. The odds really aren't that bad, but I am not reloading saves and I am going to play safe. I need to think this over. Those two carriers were part of the KB and I have no idea where the other four are located. This is a whole lot more fun that stock WiTP. Anyway, like you, the Japanese in my game have split their carriers up.