Carrier Strike Strength

[Coruscant]

I'm not sure if this issue was addressed in a previous PWME upgrade but page 38 of the manual indicates that when launching carrier strikes, U.S Navy CVs are penalised compared to their Japanese counterparts. Enterprise for instance consumes three carrier points during each check when launching air attacks while the equally large Zuikaku requires only two points. This might be understandable in the early days of the war but by late 1943, the U.S. Navy should be as proficient and by 1944 be ever more so than the Japanese Navy at carrier operations. If it hasn't already been changed, perhaps the number of carrier points for CVs could be evened out at two points each or inversed as U.S Navy carrier groups were becoming increasingly large as the years progressed.

[Capt. Harlock]

There already is something built into the original game. If you take a look at the Data Card, which includes the addendums that were left out of the original manual, it says that US CV's have their carrier points multiplied by 0.75 strating in 1944. (An electronic copy of the Data Card was included in the Version 3.1 update.)

This means that the US should probably wait until January 1944 to put together really massive carrier TF's. During 1943, the Allied player should make extensive use of CVL's, which do not suffer any disadvantage as compared to their Japanese counterparts.

[Aussie]

Even with the 0.75 multiplier, the Allies still consume more carrier points than the Japanese after 1944.

Example:

Allies: CV x 2 = (6 * 0.75) = 4.5
Japs: CV x 2 = 4

I wonder if the 4.5 is rounded up to 5?

If you add a CVL, the result is more or less the same

Allies: CV x 2 + CVL x1 = (6 * 0.75) + 1 = 5.5 (6?)
Japs: CV x 2 + CVL x 1 = 5


Adding more Carriers

Allies: 3 x CV + 1 x CVL = (9 * 0.75) + 1 = 7.75 (8)
Japs: 7 points

Maybe I am on the wrong track here, but it was fun to do the maths
:p

[Coruscant]

Perhaps the multiplier should be lowered a bit further, to 0.66 for 1944+ or just for 1945+, to facilitate the creation of TGs with 4 CVs, not unimaginable in 1945 or 1946.