Seems like old times: Nomad (J) vs. Gary (A) - No Nomad Please

[GaryChildress]

I am delighted to have this opportunity to play a trusty WitP gaming friend, Ken "Nomad" Damon. Ken and I have played off and on as team mates as well as opponents for almost 6 years that I've been a member of the Matrix forums. Nomad was in my very first WitP PBEM (a 3x3 game) as a team mate. I hope to give him a run for his money as Allies.

I'm hoping this AAR will serve the dual purpose of allowing me to highlight some of the highs and lows of our game and also serve as a forum for getting some advice from other gamers out there. I have not played a great deal of WITP:AE so there is a lot for me to learn. That probably puts me in a similar boat to the Allies when they first started the Pacific war against seasoned veterans of the war in China.

NOTE: While I welcome advice and pointers PLEASE DO NOT spoil this AAR by divulging any information about my opponent's strategies should he also start an AAR. The same goes for divulging info from this AAR to my opponent. I realize sometimes it is hard to draw the line between giving advice and spoiling someone's plans when you have read the opponent AAR. Please just use your better judgement before posting anything that may compromise anyone's plans.

So without further adieu it's off to war I go! Actually I should say, it's off to bed I go. I'm exhausted. It's been a long day at work. Ken says he should have the first turn to me in a couple days. That will give me some time to make some plans (and get some sleep).

Thank you for your interest!

Gary

[Durbik]

Good luck Gary! I hope nop Sir Robin strategy will be in effect in this game

[GaryChildress]

Many thanks Durbik! It is my belief at this point that the Allies have no need for Sir Robin. I won't discuss my exact plans yet but the Allies will make a fight out of it. [:)]

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress

Many thanks Durbik! It is my belief at this point that the Allies have no need for Sir Robin. I won't discuss my exact plans yet but the Allies will make a fight out of it. [:)]

I agree, and will be watching to see how and where you decide to try and trip Nomad up. I won't be able to kibbitz much, because if Nomad starts an AAR I'll be reading it as well. So, wishing you a GOOD GAME!!

[GaryChildress]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress

Many thanks Durbik! It is my belief at this point that the Allies have no need for Sir Robin. I won't discuss my exact plans yet but the Allies will make a fight out of it. [:)]

I agree, and will be watching to see how and where you decide to try and trip Nomad up. I won't be able to kibbitz much, because if Nomad starts an AAR I'll be reading it as well. So, wishing you a GOOD GAME!!

Thanks Pax! [:)]

I've closed my AAR to my competitor so I will go as far to say that in the PI I intend to meet him at the beachheads as fast as possible. Not sure what the PI invasion force will consist of, but if it is only a rgt or two to start out, I think I will try what MacArthur didn't and rush my troops to the north end of the PI and try to knock him into the sea. Forum member Kid actually managed to do this to me in the short time I was a Beta tester for AE. So I'm going to see how it works.

I also hope to have a rather colorful AAR. I'm working on a format I used many years ago with WitP and that is to treat my AAR like a "Newspaper". I'm hoping people will get some entertainment out of it. However, I will also be soliciting advice as much as possible since I'm pretty new to AE.

[topeverest]

You got your work cut out for. I certainly expect an all out empire effort. Good luck.

[GaryChildress]

ORIGINAL: topeverest

You got your work cut out for. I certainly expect an all out empire effort. Good luck.

Nomad says he won't have the first turn to me probably until Sunday. With that amount of time I'm expecting an all out blitz from the Japanese. OTOH if the blitz turns into a fizzle I'm going to start wondering. [:D]

So until I get the turn there isn't a whole lot to report yet. Dum de dum de dum dum..... [twiddling thumbs][/twiddling thumbs]

[Durbik]

[:D][:D] LMFAO [:D][:D]

[jeffk3510]

Nice article, especially the gas prices. Hahaha! Going to enjoy this one.

[GaryChildress]

Thanks guys. Awful day at work today. Too much drama. Ugh.

Hope Nomad gets me a turn at some point or this will be the longest AAR that had nothing to do with a game. [:o]

I think I'll launch AE and browse around a little to get a better idea what the layout will be.

[jeffk3510]

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress

Thanks guys. Awful day at work today. Too much drama. Ugh.

Hope Nomad gets me a turn at some point or this will be the longest AAR that had nothing to do with a game. [:o]

I think I'll launch AE and browse around a little to get a better idea what the layout will be.

Dont we all... what do you do for a living, if you don't mind me asking?

[Ossian]

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress
Hope Nomad gets me a turn at some point or this will be the longest AAR that had nothing to do with a game. [:o]

You've not been reading Cap Mandrake and Sprior's AAR, have you? [:D]

[GaryChildress]

ORIGINAL: jeffk3510

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress

Thanks guys. Awful day at work today. Too much drama. Ugh.

Hope Nomad gets me a turn at some point or this will be the longest AAR that had nothing to do with a game. [:o]

I think I'll launch AE and browse around a little to get a better idea what the layout will be.

Dont we all... what do you do for a living, if you don't mind me asking?

I work in the Financial Aid department for a small career college--for profit college, so there's a lot of tension and preassure coming from different departments.

[GaryChildress]

ORIGINAL: Ossian

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress
Hope Nomad gets me a turn at some point or this will be the longest AAR that had nothing to do with a game. [:o]

You've not been reading Cap Mandrake and Sprior's AAR, have you? [:D]

I read a bit of Cap Mandrake's and Sprior's. They appear to be playing a game if I'm not mistaken.

At least there are occasional references to one. [:D]

[GaryChildress]

TO WAR, TO WAR, TO WAR WE'RE GONNA GO. OH HEIDY HEIDY HEIDY HEIDY HEIDY HEIDY HO!!

Got the first turn back from Nomad. Nothing unexpected.

[GaryChildress]

Wow! Where to begin? I've been staring at the map in dismay for almost an hour now. [X(]

Anyone have any pointers or suggestions on what to do first as Allies in the Grand Campaign? A little help would be much appreciated. I know I'm going to rush the beaches in PI and still try to get Lexington and Enterprise out of KB's way. But other than that... [&:]

[ADB123]

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress

Wow! Where to begin? I've been staring at the map in dismay for almost an hour now. [X(]

Anyone have any pointers or suggestions on what to do first as Allies in the Grand Campaign? A little help would be much appreciated. I know I'm going to rush the beaches in PI and still try to get Lexington and Enterprise out of KB's way. But other than that... [&:]

Well, since it seems to be standard in AE that Japanese players grab Darwin and northern Oz, why don't you move a huge number of good Allied troops to northern Oz and surprise any incoming invasions? Sort of do the Fortress Palembang/Java thing that so many Allied players do, but send the troops to northern Oz instead?

BTW - let me throw in a few more 2 cents worth here - if I were you I wouldn't bother trying to move any Dutch troops around. They start out miserably weak and stay that way.

Good luck!

[modrow]

Gary,

first of all let me say that I love the way you present the action. Beautiful newspaper format, and great articles abot cows, f-words and combat actions

Next, let me contribute my view on what to do first - which is mainly a reminder that this game is strategic in its scope and requires logistical support for the operations that are conducted.

a) organize your pilot training now. It's a clicking orgy, but at least against a human opponent, I think this is a must for the Allied player. Frankly, though, this advice is to keep you busy "doing something" on the map while you are thinking about the below aspects.

b) define a strategy how to win the war and derive from that first your aims and then an implementation of these aims for different theaters of operation. Look at jrcar's "Clubbing baby seals" AAR even though it is from the opposing side for an excellent example (post #2 defines strategic approach).

Your operations should form a contribution to the realization of that strategy, you need to gain something from them and you should be able to define what you expect to gain from a given operation and how you want to implement it with the given assets.

E.g., if you should believe that a "Fortress Darwin" (which is not a strategy and which I do not advocate), as suggested above (because you get XYZ from it, which you should be able to name), is beneficial for your strategic approach, check 1) the good Allied units available for this mission, 2) the requirements for being able to move them to that place in time (Betties at the wrong place can make things difficult) and 3) your ability to supply them adequately in view of a potential risk of being bypassed.

These strategic considerations define the operations on the tactical level. E.g., if you want to focus on Fortress Darwin, it may be useful to move Dutch units around in such a way that taking at least Ambon and Koepang, preferably also Kendari requires more troops than usual, increasing the chance that your opponent will need extra time to take these bases. Bear in mind that the Japanese will be able to take what they want if they bring enough.

c) work out your logistics schedule. Where will you need fuel, supplies, which bases do you need to build up for the operations you perform to implement your plan, when do you want to ship in essential assets. Valuable LCUs with too little supplies in an underdeveloped base are a problem. Having your naval assets in a location without sufficient fuel is one as well.

d) now that you have a timetable showing what you want to move where at which point of time, sort out your shipping in order to be able to form optimized convoys with respect to speed and size of target port. Make sure that you can move the arriving reinforcements when they arrive. Make sure you will have escorts available at least for troop and fuel convoys. Note that this is at least partly dependent on b) and c).

e) in view of said timetable, consider the settings of your LCUs. Remember that most of your troops start with bad experience levels, which can be increased if the preparation level for their target has reached 100%. Therefore, there may be units whose target should not be changed. At the same time, especially LCUs earmarked for an amphibious assault should be well-prepped for the respective target - 50% may not be sufficient.

Also, check the flow of devices to make sure the available upgrades go to units that need them more urgently first.

Hope this reminder helps a bit.

Hartwig

[Ossian]

I've never been a huge fan of the 'Fortress Darwin' gambit either. It's difficult to keep in supply unless your are moving stuff by sea. You will never get enough draw overland to feed the units you would need to protect it. Even going by sea is going to be dangerous as any quarter decent Japanese player will exact a heavy toll on shipping once he has air HQs in the Timor/Java region and Port Moresby. Then there is the fighter cover to CAP convoys moving around...Oh boy it soon stops looking like fun! [:)] I mean, it can be done but it's a lot of work for little reward this early in the war.

Can I ask, are you playing with the new beta patch and, if you are, are you planning to turn off the Australian heavy industry in order to save fuel?

[jeffk3510]

I am not a fan of Fortress Darwin either, or saving PM for the record. Maintain good safe shipping lanes with all of those strong islands SE (AE map wise) of Aussie. I have not mastered it myself and still wonder what the hell I am doing, but pilot training is a must. I only play the AI and still train train train. Hatrwig looks like he hit the nail on the head...I even picked up some from that .
You may not feel like you want to, but hit him any chance you get when he is least expecting it. As for subs... I am on the fence how to use them till your dud rate drops...plug them in heavy shipping lanes and pray before you call it a night.

Your newspaper reporting is fracking hilarious btw.

I worked in the Financial Aid dept when I was in college when I had time....[&o] you for putting up with those headaches. I am a grain merchandiser for a grain company in Central Kansas, it has its share of headaches. More headaches come from the boss lady at home though....[>:]