Who to play....

[wobbly]

Being half way through my first Japanese PBEM, and a couple of months through an allied PBEM; I have to say I find the allied one more enjoyable. Obviously these are just opinions but you may find they represent the way you feel as well.

First of all playing PBEM is far more challenging than the AI (in fact that comparison should not even be made). People are more aggressive, cannier and far more unpredictable. Woops getting a little off track.

Both PBEM games have further to go but I have already come to these conclusions: As the Japanese you get the initial overwhelming numbers superiority, you also have excellent offensive naval powers. However, you have a very small margin for error, this coupled with the fragility of your best asset (naval air arm) makes playing the Japanese a knife-edge job. This is extenuated by the need for speed, you can’t rest on your laurels too much.
You need to utilise your surface forces with precision, I think (opinion) that this is your most useful arm. You can rush in ruining invasions and hammering airbases. Your carrier forces are also very helpful but they just cannot be lost! Even the air groups (you know, that horrible battle where you trade 150 top class pilots and planes for 2 torpedo and 4 bomb hits) cannot be lost, it is the threat of your CV. Every hit on a Jap CV makes me cringe.

You can set up a strike to happen that will coordinate land and naval air with a surface strike. Then the weather stops one part, or you forgot the level of fuel in one of the surface ships and the TF stops one hex from target, or one of your sqds fails moral – all easy mistakes or purposeful randomness. However, the resulting counter strikes or lack of superiority over the target (hence losses) sets back your whole timetable and with it possibly the game.

The allies on the other hand are wonderful to play, your fighters don’t go on a strike… never mind, the bombers will probably all return (battered and bruised but functional after time). The loss of CV’s is a hazard of the job, you’ll gladly trade a couple for those 2 torpedo and 4 bomb strikes you obtain on the jap air TF – you’ve got more coming! Your lines of supply are shortening and your power is increasing, slip-ups can be glossed over, plenty more on its way. Granted too much throw away mentality will get you a loss on points but you get my meaning.

So… this mindless rambling basically comes down to this opinion. Rookies in the PBEM world should start with the Allies, the Japanese just wont be able to handle your “learning” mistakes. I love playing the Japanese, as it’s there ability to be ahistorical that rings my bell, but frustration!!!! It’s English for Japanese!.

[Drongo]

A bit wistful for a Kiwi, isn't it? :p

You pretty much covered the basics with your musings but I'd add the point that a major Jap operational failure doesn't necessarily spell disaster. It normally just means you give the allies the initiative. Under those circumstances, if the Japanese can still force a draw at the end of '43, I think I'd give as much credit to that player as one who got an auto victory on 1/1/43.