Island hopping ?

[Meteor2]

After several hours of playing (as the US), I am not really sure, whether the "feeling" of the pacific campaign is the right one. I know Gary Grigsbys WitP and there, the vast emptyness of the pacific, the need for invading the solomons or wake island was transported by the game very well. In SOP, I really do not know at the moment, why I should invade all the small island.
Troops and plane stacking together is not possible and so I am missing something here. It is my impression, the the strategy for the US can ignore the island hopping procedure... Is that right ?

[gwgardner]

The necessity for establishing air bases within range still exists.

It is the contention of the developers that the intrinsic defense capability of an air unit is sufficient to garrison an island. So that if you take an island with the Marines, you will replace the Marines with an air unit, thus extending your control over that sea zone.

I don't know that I buy that idea. I'm in favor of either adding an air base adjacent to each such island, as in the 'one hex island mod' by Peter123, or giving the player the ability to convert an infantry unit to a fortifation/intrinsic land defense SP(s), thereby leaving the island free for basing an air unit.

Even with the solution I favor, it is also essential to include an intrinsic fighter strength for the single hex islands.

[Razz1]

points and control. Plus PP's.

Go ahead and go straight for mother Japan see what happens.

Mu ha ha........

[jomni]

I asked the same question myself. 

After playing for a while, I found out that sequentially securing sea zones by getting all the islands inside it seems to clear up the supply route to the front line. Clearing the islands will enable you to base air units.  The more air units you have, the better chance of spotting and sinking ships (within range).
You also take out the islands that the Japanese can use as frontline ship repair bases.  But I hear that the AI don't repair ships at the moment. You can also use these captured bases for your own repairs.

[Warspite3]

ORIGINAL: Meteor2

After several hours of playing (as the US), I am not really sure, whether the "feeling" of the pacific campaign is the right one. I know Gary Grigsbys WitP and there, the vast emptyness of the pacific, the need for invading the solomons or wake island was transported by the game very well. In SOP, I really do not know at the moment, why I should invade all the small island.
Troops and plane stacking together is not possible and so I am missing something here. It is my impression, the the strategy for the US can ignore the island hopping procedure... Is that right ?

You should checkout my AAR, a boiling hot pacific! I went straight for the Philippines and it was a struggle and ended up as a nightmare in the end.