Allied AI vs Fulkerson

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: moore4807
Another suggestion, although I am NOT any kind of expert - I tried to simplify the engines and airframes when playing as Japan. I loaded up on Zeroes and Nell's & Betty's - essentially making Nakajima 35's the primary engine for everything. The end result was around +350 engines per month from the factories and over 100 Zeroes per month. I changed over as many groups to these airframes as I could and had great success using the bombers with escorts against Allied shipping and bases.

Wow !!! what a great suggestion. Take what works best and maximize it. YES. I love it. Simplifies everything and screams success.

ORIGINAL: moore4807
I did not finish the game yet, In November 43, I hold a strong line near Calcutta, most of China and bases/airfields in Cook Is (Mangaia L2 Port, L3 AF) the Samoa's (Pago Pago L4 Port & L4 AF & Ta'u L3 AF) essentially making shipping impossible to the Aussies. The Bonus is the AI has thrown the kitchen sink at me in SW Pacific AND lost all 4 CV's & 2 BB's trying to take back the Samoa's (hehehe) I have not invaded Australia - rather let them wither on the vine with little supplies and no oil but getting lots and lots of shipping targets though!

You've done all this by November '43? Coolness. Now I'm encouraged. I can only hope to do so well. You must be gifted. Thanks for share-ing. with us. I'd love to keep up with your progress as your game unfolds further.

ORIGINAL: moore4807
Now there is bad news I could not pry Wake Is from the AI's cold dead hands and lost 2 CV (Kaga, Soryu) to sub attacks while trying to support the landings there (WHO says USN torps dont work!), I have shortages in the Phillipines AND I have badly handled my supplies and resources.

Oops. Well we can't all have perfect games. Maybe you can pull the rabbit out of the hat yet. By badly handling your supplies and resources do you mean that it's not possible to recover? At least somewhat? Maybe if you concentrate ( wrinkled brow ) and throw more assets at the problem in the PI you can make some headway? It's not over until the fat lady sings.

ORIGINAL: moore4807
I think I will lose the overall game since the AI went into conservo mode after losing the CV's and I really dont have the shipping to keep expanding the Empire AND bring oil and resources to the Home Islands...

So um....would it help to expand your spending on your Naval and Merchant shipyards to pump out more ships faster? What's the economy look like in the Home Islands? Maybe with all the progress you've made already you can hold out until '46 and still win.

ORIGINAL: moore4807
Hope it helps -

Wow !!! what a great report. AND a great suggestion. I can only hope to pull off something like that in this game. What with all the great advice and everything I hope to make this game helpful to newby's ( like me ) and make it an interesting AAR at the same time. Thanks a heap for posting. Way cool beans.

[larryfulkerson]

I saw where the HI had evaporated at Hiroshima / Kure and thought I'd better turn off the production of the Kate for a while to let it build up somewhat before turning it back on. Maybe if I turned on the stockpilling at the base as well?



I've had a look at the Base screen and there didn't seem to be any way to stockpile HI and it just now dawns on me that HI is a global resource unlike fuel and or supplies. D'oh. So turning off the production of the Kate wouldn't help anything all that much. Well, what did I know.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson



Here we have a surface task force from at or near Tokyo bound for Wake Island. I'd like some help from you guys to estimate how long it'll take to arrive there in days. I'm seeing the innermost ring at a range of 3 hexes and I'm assuming that's how far the TF will travel during the day and that the outtermost ring estimates how far the TF will travel per one 24 hr. day and that therefore the TF will take approx. (41 / 5 ) 8 or 9 days. Yes?

Also, the TF includes two DD's with short legs that will require me to replenish them enroute probably several times. There just happens to be an AO near Pearl that I can re-direct toward Wake and top off this TF therefrom. Probably. If everything goes right. If the AO gets sunk then I'll probably have several ships run really low on gas unless and until I can get some more gas moved out to them where-ever they are when they run low. But the KB is out there and can provide cover etc.

This whole exercise is to provide some bombardment for the wake invaders so the island will fall faster, or at all as the case may be.

You've got 11 knot PBs mixed with 35 knot DDs. The TF can only move as fast as the slowest member.

The BB can refuel its brothers to an extent. You may not need an AO. If you jigger your TFs around to have a couple of high-fuel members you usually don't need a replenishment group along except on very long-range raids. HI to Wake you shouldn't need one. There's also Truk or Beeblebob for a drink if needed.

But first, break this TF down and clean up the speed mix or it will take forever to get to Wake.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

I saw where the HI had evaporated at Hiroshima / Kure and thought I'd better turn off the production of the Kate for a while to let it build up somewhat before turning it back on. Maybe if I turned on the stockpilling at the base as well?



I've had a look at the Base screen and there didn't seem to be any way to stockpile HI and it just now dawns on me that HI is a global resource unlike fuel and or supplies. D'oh. So turning off the production of the Kate wouldn't help anything all that much. Well, what did I know.

You didn't turn off the Kates. You still have Repair at Yes, even though the factory isn't ordered to expand. It is producing 0(0)-0AC/month. IOW, no Kates. The stock scenarios have Kates turned off at the start. It's a common first move task to get them going. You're going to want some more of these long-range wonder weapons in 1942.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58
You've got 11 knot PBs mixed with 35 knot DDs. The TF can only move as fast as the slowest member. ...break this TF down and clean up the speed mix or it will take forever to get to Wake.

D'oh. I hadn't thought of that. REALLY a good idea, thanks. I'll do it.

EDIT: I dropped off the PP's and now the TF speed is more than double what it was. I figure only about 6 or 7 days ETA. Thanks again.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58
You didn't turn off the Kates. You still have Repair at Yes, even though the factory isn't ordered to expand. It is producing 0(0)-0AC/month. IOW, no Kates. The stock scenarios have Kates turned off at the start. It's a common first move task to get them going. You're going to want some more of these long-range wonder weapons in 1942.

D'oh. Good catch. I'll expand the Kates and whatever else isn't producing until I DO get some output. Thanks.

EDIT: I expanded the Kate factory so it says 0(20)......is that enough or do I need more?

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the air production after I've fiddled with it. I was going to expand the Zero's by 4 and found to my great surprise that there aren't any expand buttons. Is that because I don't have enough engines.....or did I run out of HI......or ???

[moore4807]

Thanks for the praise - you rate me way too high - but thanks anyway [;)]

To answer the previous post first then tie in this one, my experience is shipping isn't easily replaced and Japan faced a Hobson's choice IRL just as is modeled in the game... To supply the "Empire" you have to either Auto Convoy ship and manage it thru the computer as to your highest priority needs, OR manually pick target bases to Auto-supply(Truk, Singers etc.) and from there stock AK/AKL as "feeders" to outlying bases. The Problem? either way Allies pick off your AK/TK and you lose tonnage each month over what your getting from the shipyards, You cant simultaneously feed the Home Is. enough resources and ship fuel/supplies out with what shipping you have, ergo your furthest bases starve and lose efficiency - making them easy targets for the Allies who just keep hitting you with more and more as the time progresses.

1943 is realistically the high water mark for this game as the Japanese player, everything after that is retreat and retreat and try not to get slaughtered as the Allies experienced crews go up and your experienced crews goes down with every airframe,ship, or LCU loss... I repeat I AM NOT an expert... somebody may have done a lot better than me, so bear this in mind.

Anyway wordy as I am, the first thing I note is Maebashi has no fuel (needed for HI) and you should read the manual (pg 230-237 or so) as to the capabilities/requirements to change aircraft & engines. Its tricky and keeping them supplied is a real unhappy time.[:(] but you are getting 56 zeroes a month (thats good!) I would look at some other major port cities and see who has planes that you can change over to Zeroes and what engines they require, remember getting most of your planes to 2-3 engine choices is good. I like the Nells and Betty's (which by the way use Mistubishi engines not the Nakajima's 35 I said earlier) but choose what works for you best...[;)]

[cohimbra]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

Here's the air production after I've fiddled with it. I was going to expand the Zero's by 4 and found to my great surprise that there aren't any expand buttons. Is that because I don't have enough engines.....or did I run out of HI......or ???

Hi, you must have at least 10.000 supply at the base; it's little tedious, but
is a good thing that you select (on the top filter of the screen you posted),Vehicle,Engines,Air,RD Air (and the other that you want expand/repair)and then click on all the bases on the left and when you are in the base screen, set the 'supply required' between 4.000 and 5.000. In the next turn, you have all the selected bases with 12.000/15.000 supply ('supply required' in practice is multiplied x3), and you can expand, repair and do what you want to do, now and in the future. I check my bases
the first day of all month. Excuse my poor english!

Edit: the cost for expand a factory is 100 supply for 1 point (and then
1.000 for 1 repair), in the case of your Zero, you have only 97.
I'm lost in all those speeches and I've not answered at your question!

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: cohimbra

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson
Here's the air production after I've fiddled with it. I was going to expand the Zero's by 4 and found to my great surprise that there aren't any expand buttons. Is that because I don't have enough engines.....or did I run out of HI......or ???

Hi, you must have at least 10.000 supply at the base....when you are in the base screen, set the 'supply required' between 4.000 and 5.000. In the next turn, you have all the selected bases with 12.000/15.000 supply ('supply required' in practice is multiplied x3), and you can expand, repair and do what you want to do, now and in the future.

I check my bases the first day of all month. Excuse my poor english!

Edit: the cost for expand a factory is 100 supply for 1 point (and then 1.000 for 1 repair), in the case of your Zero, you have only 97.

Good info cohimbra dude.....many thanks. I'll expand the supply required now before I forget. Lots of little details for a new guy to learn. This is a fabulous game.......it's so detailed and accurate to real life......it's amazing.

[larryfulkerson]

Anyway wordy as I am, the first thing I note is Maebashi has no fuel (needed for HI) and you should read the manual (pg 230-237 or so) as to the capabilities/requirements to change aircraft & engines. Its tricky and keeping them supplied is a real unhappy time. but you are getting 56 zeroes a month (thats good!) I would look at some other major port cities and see who has planes that you can change over to Zeroes and what engines they require, remember getting most of your planes to 2-3 engine choices is good. I like the Nells and Betty's (which by the way use Mistubishi engines not the Nakajima's 35 I said earlier) but choose what works for you best...

Good info Moore dude. Thanks. You and cohimbra are setting me straight and I appreciate it. And Bullwinkle is a wealth of info and good advice. Thanks to everybody who contributes....lemme say that before I miss somebody by name. I'm learning and expanding my skill base and I hope I'm a better player because of it. Maybe I'll be a better opponent because of it. Playing the Jap side isn't a walk in the park but it's turning out to be a little easier than I anticipated because of all the help you guys are lending. Thanks.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

EDIT: I expanded the Kate factory so it says 0(20)......is that enough or do I need more?

Well, what do you want to be able to do and by when? Tracker can give you the follow-on TB and the arrival day. (Judy? Or Jill?) Do you intend to be aggressive with your carriers? Kates can fly from land bases too. In some cases their range makes them decent ASW assets. Bigger question is what woudl you do with the resources (manpower, etc.) needed to go past 20 on th eKates if you didn't expand past there? There's no simple, right answer to your quesiton. Regardless, it will take some time for the 20 to be executed. There's no economy of scale in adding to it now. When it finishes building out come back to the question.

[SuluSea]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

EDIT: I expanded the Kate factory so it says 0(20)......is that enough or do I need more?

Hi Larry, every game has different needs depending on tempo of operations what works for one player may not for another, the same could be said for AI vs. PBEM and the different types of defenses you may encounter while playing. I try to keep my expansions limited to 10 or smaller increments per airframe. When the expansions get repaired I'll expand more if need be. An exception would be A6M2s which I'll be liberal because of the expected need.

I don't know if you're playing PDU on or off but with PDU on building the Ki-27b is wasteful IMO, I change the factory at Harbin and Maebashi to Ki-43-Ic as I want as many of that model as I can get early to get my good pilots out of Nates and that model off the front lines..

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: SuluSea

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson
EDIT: I expanded the Kate factory so it says 0(20)......is that enough or do I need more?

Hi Larry, every game has different needs depending on tempo of operations what works for one player may not for another, the same could be said for AI vs. PBEM and the different types of defenses you may encounter while playing. I try to keep my expansions limited to 10 or smaller increments per airframe. When the expansions get repaired I'll expand more if need be. An exception would be A6M2s which I'll be liberal because of the expected need.

I don't know if you're playing PDU on or off but with PDU on building the Ki-27b is wasteful IMO, I change the factory at Harbin and Maebashi to Ki-43-Ic as I want as many of that model as I can get early to get my good pilots out of Nates and that model off the front lines..

Well, what do you want to be able to do and by when? Tracker can give you the follow-on TB and the arrival day. (Judy? Or Jill?) Do you intend to be aggressive with your carriers? Kates can fly from land bases too. In some cases their range makes them decent ASW assets. Bigger question is what would you do with the resources (manpower, etc.) needed to go past 20 on the Kates if you didn't expand past there? There's no simple, right answer to your question. Regardless, it will take some time for the 20 to be executed. There's no economy of scale in adding to it now. When it finishes building out come back to the question.

I hear you guys loud and clear. Roger that. I'm playing PDU "on" and sort of feeling my way along as I go and depending on advice from you expert guys. Thanks by the way. I plan on being aggressive and bold but not reckless if you catch my drift. I want to take some risks if they promise a good payoff but not if I have a chance to loose more than it's worth. In other words I'm playing it by ear.

[larryfulkerson]

I believe I finished moving all the TF's, adjusting the expanding of ports / airfields at all the bases I own, adjusting the production of airpower, etc and I pulled the trigger. The image above is a sort of movie showing the explosion of movement as the TF's begin to go to their destinations and I'm fasinated by it. I expecially love the explosion of traffic around the home islands. And I thought you guys might like to see it too.

Edit: The date "7Dec41" should actually say "8Dec41" by the way. I never got a chance to take a screenshot of the 7Dec41 strategic map. I'll adjust that as the movie grows bigger and bigger.

[larryfulkerson]

I'm kinda new to the WITP-AE AAR business and I'm not sure how much detail you guys want in the combat reports so I decided to make it as non-boring as possible.


Invasion Support action off Kota Bharu (51,75)

20 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
CL Sendai
DD Isonami
PB Tatsumiya Maru
SC Ch 9
SC Ch 7
AK Sasako Maru
DD Shikinami
DD Ayanami

Japanese ground losses:
19 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled How come it's mostly the non-combattants that catch the brunt of the defensive file?
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[larryfulkerson]

If it weren't for 4 dud torpedoes my AO near Midway might be sinking now. I need this guy to refuel the KB so they can continue to project force east of Wake.

Sub attack near Midway Island at 158,92

Japanese Ships
AO Shiriya
DD Ushio

Allied Ships
SS Argonaut

SS Argonaut launches 4 torpedoes at AO Shiriya

[larryfulkerson]

One of the Allied subs at Manila attempted to redeploy and discovered a Jap minefield blocking the entrance to the harbour. I need to remember to replenish this minefield from time to time so as to keep the Allied ships bottled up. Funny thing, I don't remember laying this minefield so I guess it came with the scenario...

TF 331 encounters mine field at Bataan (78,77)

Allied Ships
SS Pike, Mine hits 1, heavy damage


There's at least two Allied ships between me and the invasion beaches at the north end of PI and I have no idea what kind of ships they are. Nothing heavy I hope. I just happen to have a surface TF built around a CL and some DD's handy nearby....maybe I can set up a rumble and save the day. At any rate I think it prudent to re-route some of my invading AK's so as to stay out of harm's way.



Apparently the minefield at the entrance to the Manila harbour is leaky as there appears to be at least two Alllied vessels in it suffering no harm. Or maybe it's just a PC and that sub that was damaged. At any rate I need some more ships stationed at that entrance.

[larryfulkerson]

Last time I checked 17 + 10 = 27 not 22. So WTF?

[Captain Cruft]

I would advise don't get hung up on the numbers. FOW is ever-present and so is general cruftiness in the code. Check the actual state of things in the orders phase and just treat the execution phase reporting as indicative.