Accelerating plane research

[Hanzberger]

To Chickenboy, so if I 'tore' down some factories, hence no research, no factory for a particular airframe, I will still get them?

[Chickenboy]

'tis my understanding. I welcome a confirmation or rebuttal, however.

I neglected to advance my A6M3a research, overlooking that in my research tree until it was too late to really bother with anyways. Like clockwork on 12/42, I was able to switch over existing production factories of the A6M2 to it with no downtime or delay. [Note: wait a few days before doing this manually. Sometimes the computer automatically updates your production. There is no cost for doing this.]

This brings up another recommendation for JFBs just getting started: There's a difference between the A6M3 and the A6M3a. It's an important difference that you should familiarize yourself with. [:D]

ETA: In order to produce engines or airframes, you will need to have a dedicated PRODUCTION factory to produce it. The engine or airframe will "become available" on its historical date-it's up to you to identify and program where it will be produced once available.

I recommend accessing this from your 'industry screen'-the green smokestack-like button on your main screen. When you click on any aircraft factory, you will have a choice of converting it to any other type (column on the right hand side). Only production models that are currently available will be available here as a choice. You may pay penalties for switching factories between disparate model types, so be cognizant of what upgrades to what and maybe let give a few days for the computer to auto upgrade.

[Numdydar]

The difference would not be the increased range would it [:D]

8 versus 6 normal and 9 versus 7 extended (both without fuel tanks). This makes a huge difference in the Solomons.

Of course there is also the increase in accuracy from 22 to 23 between the two cannon types as well. But somehow I don't think that alone would be worth the upgrade [:'(]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Numdydar

The difference would not be the increased range would it [:D]

8 versus 6 normal and 9 versus 7 extended (both without fuel tanks). This makes a huge difference in the Solomons.

Of course there is also the increase in accuracy from 22 to 23 between the two cannon types as well. But somehow I don't think that alone would be worth the upgrade [:'(]

What you say is true re: range. The A6M3 will only equip your LBA (Land-based air) units, basically ground-based IJNAF. That's fine, but most players want to have the replacement for the CARRIER CAPABLE version of the plane-that's the A6M3a. You can't use A6M3s on an aircraft carrier, so don't overproduce the hell out of 'em like another production idiot around here did. [:D]

[Numdydar]

ORIGINAL: Hanzberger

To Chickenboy, so if I 'tore' down some factories, hence no research, no factory for a particular airframe, I will still get them?

I have that exact situation as some Japanese plane types are really junk with wings. So I can definately let you know in six months or so when it actually happens to me [:D]

[Numdydar]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Numdydar

The difference would not be the increased range would it [:D]

8 versus 6 normal and 9 versus 7 extended (both without fuel tanks). This makes a huge difference in the Solomons.

Of course there is also the increase in accuracy from 22 to 23 between the two cannon types as well. But somehow I don't think that alone would be worth the upgrade [:'(]

What you say is true re: range. The A6M3 will only equip your LBA (Land-based air) units, basically ground-based IJNAF. That's fine, but most players want to have the replacement for the CARRIER CAPABLE version of the plane-that's the A6M3a. You can't use A6M3s on an aircraft carrier, so don't overproduce the hell out of 'em like another production idiot around here did. [:D]

I checked the database and that is ture, the A6M3's are NOT carrier capable. That is REALLY good to know as I am just about to start getting them.

Is that historical though? I thought all AxMy planes were carrier capable. All the A6M5 series a,b,c are all carrier capable. So why is the A6M3's not?

Besides isn't it the squadron that determines wither a plane is carrier trained versus carrier capable?

[Cavalry Corp]

The A version is te carrier versions come along a few months later.

[ilovestrategy]

Hanz, is that Tokyo Rose in your avatar?

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Numdydar
Besides isn't it the squadron that determines wither a plane is carrier trained versus carrier capable?

Yes and no.

There ARE differences in plane airframes that make some of them carrier capable vs. incapable. P-51D? Not carrier capable. F4U? Carrier capable. I believe that most of these changes relate to plane storage (foldable wings), undercarriage strength, landing gear, arrestor hooks, etc. where there are genuine physical airframe changes between airframes.

The differences in carrier trained vs. carrier capable is related to squadron / sentai / daitai / whatevertai experience on carriers. A carrier capable group will suffer higher OPS losses, but can operate from carriers. Over time, these will switch over to carrier trained and be much more organically capable of operation from carriers.

In the A6M example, as far as I can tell, the A6M3 was the only non-carrier capable aircraft of the lot. [8|]

[Hanzberger]

Yes it is ilovestrategy~![:D]

Its her mugshot. [8D]

[Hanzberger]

Where are you at in your game Numdydar?

[Hanzberger]

Where are you at in your game, is this a double post? sry if it is Numdydar

Chickenboy didn't answer, he is quite smart.

[Numdydar]

9/42 right now.

Also, one interesting thing has occured which mades the question of R&D acceleration less understood (at least by me, lol).

At some point I switched over an engine R&D factory to reserch the Toko Rocket which has an original availability date of 12/45. I think the switch was sometime in 1/42 or so. The factory is 'producing' 5/month.

Lo and behold on 9/12/42 I am told the availibility has been sped up to now 11/45 (whoopee lol). So in 8 months (1/42 - 9/42) I should have 'made around 40 of the suckers (8 months x 5/month). This of course is well below the supposed magical 100 you need before this can happen.

Is this where engine factories have different coding than airframe ones? Or is the whole system so screwed up that no one really knows what the hell is going on? No wonder it is sooo much harder to play as the Japanese.

As a counter point to this I am building 50/month of an airframe (with 0 reparing) and have not gotten a single months advance yet (it's under 8 months away from being historically available so this is NOT a 44 or later plane). So a factory building 5 engines can advance a month with 40 or less built, but an airframe that has built 150 can't? Does this make any sense?

If anyone can help me out here it sure would be appricated [:)]

[Hanzberger]

ORIGINAL: Numdydar


Lo and behold on 9/12/42 I am told the availibility has been sped up to now 11/45 (whoopee lol). So in 8 months (1/42 - 9/42) I should have 'made around 40 of the suckers (8 months x 5/month). This of course is well below the supposed magical 100 you need before this can happen.

I'm curious as how you were 'told'. In game msg or tracker or just following it yourself?

[PaxMondo]

engines research much easier and faster in my experience compared to air frames.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Hanzberger

ORIGINAL: Numdydar


Lo and behold on 9/12/42 I am told the availibility has been sped up to now 11/45 (whoopee lol). So in 8 months (1/42 - 9/42) I should have 'made around 40 of the suckers (8 months x 5/month). This of course is well below the supposed magical 100 you need before this can happen.

I'm curious as how you were 'told'. In game msg or tracker or just following it yourself?

I use OPS report to keep tabs on the progress. You'll see periodic notices for when the research has accelerated by a month.

[Numdydar]

ORIGINAL: Hanzberger
I'm curious as how you were 'told'. In game msg or tracker or just following it yourself?

It will be listed in the ops report in game and the current version of Tracket (1.7.1) also has it listed in the Alert section

[BigBadWolf]

AFAIK, it works different with engines. I got "accelerating Aichi engine" just 9 days into my campaign, in December 1941. Plus, they repair like normal factories, one point per day.

But this

As a counter point to this I am building 50/month of an airframe (with 0 reparing) and have not gotten a single months advance yet (it's under 8 months away from being historically available so this is NOT a 44 or later plane). So a factory building 5 engines can advance a month with 40 or less built, but an airframe that has built 150 can't? Does this make any sense?

is disturbing.

[Hanzberger]

So if you get a msg saying that your engine upgraded will it start bldg a pool? And if so then do you shut if off until the airframe comes available?

[Numdydar]

ORIGINAL: Hanzberger

So if you get a msg saying that your engine upgraded will it start bldg a pool? And if so then do you shut if off until the airframe comes available?

Factories that are R&D do not 'build' anything, they just put points towards acceleration of their availability. Every 100 points (supposedly) will allow an engine or airframe availability to 'speed up' by a month. In my example earlier, Toko Rocket's original availability was 12/45 and due to acceleration is now 11/45. Howerver, because it is still a looong way off from 11/45 in my game [:D], no actual production will occur. Just points added to the whatever number is needed to be reached in order to accelerate the engine again. Again, obviouly NOT 100.

As the game goes on the availability of engines and airframes will eventually match up with the actual game date. Once that occurs THEN the airframes and engines factories will automaticly switch from R&D to production (with no damage or repair needed). Obviously over the course of the game, the number of R&D factories will become smaller while the number of production factories will increase. If you want keep to this automatic switch from happening, then you need to toggle the 'upgrade/keep' selection in the industary screen for those factories that you do NOT want switched.

The 'upgrade' (the default) will automaticly switch a R&D factory to production for R&D factories. The 'upgrade' on production factories will automaticly switch production from whatever it is currently producing to the airframe that just became available IF the old factory is prodcing the outmodeled airframe matches the new airframe. If a R&D factory has a new airframe that does not match anything currently being built, such as the Helen Ia, then the R&D factories researching that airframe, will just switch to production and no existing production will be affected.

As an example, a Helen Ia factory with the 'upgrade' on will automaticly be switched to producing Helen IIa's once the Helen IIa's become available. Also all the R&D factories that were researching Helen IIa's now become production factories if the 'upgrade' for them is on. IMPOTRANT: Once a factory has switched from R&D to production it can NEVER be switched back to R&D.

By selecting the 'keep' function this automatic process does NOT take effect. Using the example above, if 'keep' was selected for both the Helen production and R&D, the Helen IIa R&D factories could be switched to a different airframe to research (with the normal damage and repair process). The old Helen Ia production factories would continue to produce Helen Ia's until the player manually converted them. Again if the factory that is producing the outdated airframe is manually converted to the you STILL get the 'free' conversion with no damage or repair needed.

By using the 'upgrade/keep' toggle you can fine tune how you want to use your production and R&D factories. Want more production and less R&D leave the 'upgrade' on. Want to keep producing the old airframe for a while to build up the replacement pool, turn on 'keep' so they will not automaticly convert. Given the absolutely amazing number of craptastic planes the Japanese can research and produce, this is important so that you can concentrate your research and production the way you want it to be.

So once the availability and the R&D date match (it's always the 1st of the month btw) the switch will take place. So if it is 9/31 and I get a new plane type on 10/1, the new plane production and the factory switches will automaticly take place on the 10/1 turn. The same is true for engines. So make sure you have the 'upgrade/keep' toggle where you want them for the new plane type BEFORE you run the turn. Once the dates match, actual production can begin of that plane or engine. Only at this time does the available pool start to build up.

In my game I got the ACH Ha-60 in 3/42. The original availablity was 9/42 (this of course further illistrates the issues between airframe and engine R&D. To keep beating a dead hourse, In 4 months I accelerated an engine by 6 months yet not a single airframe by 9/42 has been accelerated a single month ). To date (9/42) I have ZERO use for this engine. So I let the production run until I had a good number in the pool and then turned off the factories. Once nice thing about the game is we do not have to worry about inventory spoilage lol. So it is a good idea for the Japanese to build up large numbers of engines in the early years so that once their factories start getting bombed and aquiring resources/fuel/oil is more difficult they can turn off the enginge factories and concentrat on building airframes with are vastly more important by then.

See how much fun Japanese production can be

While a long winded answer to a short question [:)], I wanted to give the complete picture. If anyone spots anything I have incorrect or misstated, please let me know because I am still learning myself.