The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[Houtje]

Yes, I suppose such matters are indeed highly personal - I just noticed that it piqued my interest as a moral topic. Anyhow, rooting for poor PC Swan here.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

That's a very interesting question about dissembling.  John went further than I would go in trying to throw me off on what happened at Singapore, but I recognize that this is a highly personal question and that my standards do not apply to anybody else.  I therefore harbor no negative view of what John did, other than to find it interesting that he felt sufficiently mortified at what happened to feel the need to dissemble.

Highly personal, roger.

"Dissembling", well, that's kind on your part. I would call it something else.

As a contrast, in my game we have agreed, more or less by our actions, to just not do any of this stuff. Turns are either "Here it is" or accompanied by a short missive on the NFL, wives and their habits, how sick we are, or other manly POVs. Nothing on the game other than, very occasionally, "Getting tense there in Burma." (We both have eyes.)

This is nice. It allows each player to play his own game without flies buzzing around his head. Further, for the crowd who screams bloody murder about the need for HRs to preserve "historical correctness" it's historically correct. The Japanese high command did not cable FDR and say "Midway looks bad, but I actually saved most of my pilots."

What happened at Singers gives you info you can use against him. It shows weakness, uncertainty. It shows you he can be rolled. Just do it on the map and not in e-mail. I'm sure you will.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

That's a very interesting question about dissembling.  John went further than I would go in trying to throw me off on what happened at Singapore, but I recognize that this is a highly personal question and that my standards do not apply to anybody else.  I therefore harbor no negative view of what John did, other than to find it interesting that he felt sufficiently mortified at what happened to feel the need to dissemble.

Highly personal, roger.

"Dissembling", well, that's kind on your part. I would call it something else.

As a contrast, in my game we have agreed, more or less by our actions, to just not do any of this stuff. Turns are either "Here it is" or accompanied by a short missive on the NFL, wives and their habits, how sick we are, or other manly POVs. Nothing on the game other than, very occasionally, "Getting tense there in Burma." (We both have eyes.)

This is nice. It allows each player to play his own game without flies buzzing around his head. Further, for the crowd who screams bloody murder about the need for HRs to preserve "historical correctness" it's historically correct. The Japanese high command did not cable FDR and say "Midway looks bad, but I actually saved most of my pilots."

What happened at Singers gives you info you can use against him. It shows weakness, uncertainty. It shows you he can be rolled. Just do it on the map and not in e-mail. I'm sure you will.

+1

In my game it's just light-hearted things like 'those three torpedoes were only a flesh wound!' or 'you're just making my supply situation in China easier!'

[Canoerebel]

Interesting comments, gents.  I've long had a personal policy of giving absolutely no information in my emails, just like the Moose.  This policy means I don't have to worry about making misleading statements, giving away intel I shouldn't be giving away, or inadvertently coming across as gloating when something goes right.  Those are three important objectives.  But I recall that Nemo was very big into mind games via email, so I realize it's a big and fun part of the game for other players.
 
To me, the most egregious offense I could give somebody is to gloat over a victory.  I've been on the receiving end of that more than once and don't like it.  Most players (and most of my opponents) avoid gloating (or comments that appear to a stricken opponent as gloating even if not intended that way) like the plague.

[Canoerebel]

I have a tough decision to make at Singapore.  It's February 5, the Allies have 31k supply, which is diminishing at a rate of about 1,000 per day as Japanese bombers have been ratcheting up the level of activity.  I have about 950 AV with a potential of a bit more than 1100 AV if disrupted troops recover.  Japan has two divisions present but can't accomplish anything until reinforcements are brought in.

So, do I pay 150 PP to replace Percival?  If I had unlimited supply, I would definitely do so as my garrison would fight that much harder and longer.  But once supply runs the quality of the leader becomes meaningless.

I'm slightly inclined to allow Percival to remain.  It'll probably be another week or two before John can ready another attack as he'll have to bring in reinforcements and do so carefully so as not to trigger a shock attack.  By the time he's ready to strike hard again my supply situation may have mooted the point, so better to retain the PP.  (Or, not?)

[Houtje]

If you're sure he won't attack for another couple of weeks, then I'd save the PP now, as it gives your more flexibility (you can always decide to replace him when an attack is imminent, or decline to do so if Singers is out of supply).

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Houtje

If you're sure he won't attack for another couple of weeks, then I'd save the PP now, as it gives your more flexibility (you can always decide to replace him when an attack is imminent, or decline to do so if Singers is out of supply).

This is true to some extent, but I believe a top CO slot like Perceval's goes more to the admin aspects than the direct combat support. So a top CO with better stats might help with replacement rates for example in the interim between attacks. A combat LCU CO could be replaced right before the battle, but IMO if one were going to replace Perceval at all sooner is better.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

So, do I pay 150 PP to replace Percival?  If I had unlimited supply, I would definitely do so as my garrison would fight that much harder and longer.  But once supply runs the quality of the leader becomes meaningless.

Do you think that replacing Percival will buy you more than 3 days time with the garrison? That's how much it will take you to replace those PPs. Not much, really. If you think that replacing Percival will cause the garrison to hold a week or more, it's a slam dunk, IMO.

[Canoerebel]

Good points.  Percival's exceedingly low administration rating interferes with the recovery of disrupted troops.  So replacing him might help me recover some of the 150 AV currently disrupted.  Is it worth it at this point?  I honestly don't know.  It's a tough call.  I do have 1,000 PP accumulated, though I'm hording them to buy out 27th/B and 27th/C Div. for Oz and to buy out the troops that would be used if I invade Amchitka or Adak.  I need those PP for those uses, but every day that Singers holds is gold.  It's always gold, but even moreso here since John has fixated on the frustation he has experienced here thus far.  That might be reason enough to tip the scales towards doing everything I can at Singers.
 
By the way, I have already expended PP at Singers.  All the AA units got top-notch commanders at the start.  Those AA units inflict alot of damage on Japanese bombers (and I assume that better commanders contribute to more effective firing).  I also replaced the commander of an Indian division (50 PP) and several other infantry unit leaders.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

All the AA units got top-notch commanders at the start.  Those AA units inflict alot of damage on Japanese bombers (and I assume that better commanders contribute to more effective firing).

Which category did you prioritize in the picks for an AA commander? I've often wondered what would help.

[Canoerebel]

Leadership was what I chose, but that's just my best guess.  The only other thing that would make sense might be a high land rating.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Leadership was what I chose, but that's just my best guess.  The only other thing that would make sense might be a high land rating.

Moreso than 'air'?

[Canoerebel]

I'm thinking so.  I would think the "air" rating was the ability to handle aircraft - thus ground leaders have low air ratings.  I don't think "air" rating translates into skill in using AA guns to shoot at things in the air.  Of course, all of this is my intuition.  I have proven in many ways in my life that I am not a prophet.

[witpqs]

Admin is also big for recovering morale, disruption, fatigue, and disabled squads.

[Canoerebel]

2/5/42
 
NoPac:  Unloading is nearly complete at Cold Bay.  All but one transport will depart tonight.  Several more ineffective strikes by Mavises flew today.  John sees what's going on, which suits me now.  SigInt reports a base force on a maru bound for Attu.  The American carriers will steam west, just south of Adak, looking for an opportunity to make more noise.  (I'm thinking this activity may draw a strong reaction from John, but by the time he arrives, my ships will have shifted far to the south, leaving him out of position; I'm especially hopeful that he might commit his carriers up here, thus giving mine an opportunity to secure the sea lanes around Oz.)

SoPac:  Pearl Harbor KB retiring north, just to the east of Luganville.  It's a long way from anywhere important.  QE is far to the east of NZ now.

Oz:  I went ahead and "bought" 27th/B Div. and a tank regiment at LA.  Both are loading on transports for the journey to Melbourne.  The LOC should be clear now that the KB is retiring.  I doubt John will chance a repeat of drilling a dry hole.  CA New Orleans will provide escort just in case armed merchant cruisers are in the eastern Pacific.

DEI:  Bowing to the collective wisdom of the Brain Trust, I replaced Percival at Singapore.  This may be an extravagant use of PP, but I felt good about it afterwards.  A Dutch sub NW of Batavia took a shot at Soryu and missed.  That this branch of the KB is moving towards Cam Ran Bay is good news - it means more time to attend to India and Oz.

China:  It turns out that the stack of enemy units moving on Chengte is more bark than bite.  Eight units, but only one division.  The rest is artillery and an HQ unit.  So that important vector is secure.  John has a single unit at Kweilin besieging the city, but allowed a Chinese unit to come in from behind so the his division is now stuck in place and without a supply line.  He can probably attend to the situation relatively easily, but still.  At the moment the Chinese MLR appears secure.

[Capt. Harlock]

I realize it's a big and fun part of the game for other players.

Roger that. I think things like "in a sighting which cast a chill over the sake parties in Tokyo, the P-47 made its first combat appearance today" are highly enjoyable.

But there's something else to be considered. It may come as a shock to AE players, but the game is not 100% free of bugs. "Dissembling" can give the impression that nothing is wrong with the game when there actually is -- or vice versa.

[Canoerebel]

I see what you mean.  John did couch his email in such a way as to say, "Hey, the replay showed one unit shock attacked, but I opened the turn file and none of my units were affected.  It must just be a glitch."
 
I've never seen anything like that before, so I was skeptical the minute I read his email.  Then, after viewing the replay and looking at the file, I was as sure as I could be that he was trying to mislead.
 
He was endeavoring to dissemble, but his dissembling wasn't credible.  [:)]

[Cribtop]

So you disassembled his efforts at dissembling? [;)]

[Canoerebel]

Rather than paraphrase, here's John's email for the 1/31/42 turn:  "Had a strange thing happen. Had a Shock Attack at Singapore but don’t know WHICH unit. Strange. No change in any of my three ID so guess it was an AI blip." 
 
Nothing more be said about it, but I thought you guys might prefer the actual message.

[pws1225]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

So you disassembled his efforts at dissembling? [;)]

Ugh! My brain is dissembling just trying to follow this stuff. Just go sink something and make it all better. No wait, I'm a JFB, scratch that!! Go get something sunk, that at least I can understand.