The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I did the math a few minutes ago - In the game to date (1/1/43), I have received a total of 66 P-38G. That consists of 33 lost in battle (25 a-2-a and 8 ops), 25 on map (8 FG/36 FS has all 25), plus 8 in the pools.

60 P-38G for Oct/Nov/Dec 42 is exactly the rate for stock.

The arrival of the Marine Corsairs in Jan 43 is a huge help. That brings the high-end fighter replacement rate to 50/month. It is doable but you need to have the P-39/P-40's underneath the Corsairs and P-38's so the older airframes take most of the losses.

Go find a riffle or pool and throw some caddis flies and then come back when you are ready.[:)]

[Canoerebel]

Here's the core of a message sent to John:

My Dad died early this morning - peacefully and content. The family is thankful for his long life and that we had so much time with him, so mostly this is a time of reflection rather than sadness.

I'll be tied up a good bit of the next two weeks. He died in North Carolina and the funeral and other family things will take place in Miami. I'll be making another trip to North Carolina and then a longer trip to Miami.

As things begin to wind down, I'll be in a position to give our game thought with better clarity. At the moment, though, I'm definitely leaning towards resigning, though I'm not sure that leaning comes from a position of mental clarity. But you might be wanting to give some thought to what you do next if I do resign. You have your last turn file and my password, so you should be good to advertise for another opponent.

Hope you guys are safe and sound in rainy Colorada. I heard the Weather Service referred to the rainfall as "biblical." Wow! Best wishes to you and Paula and your boys.

[Canoerebel]

The Allies are in excellent position in this game going forward, but I just don't have the heart to engage in a three-year slogfest of the sort experienced by Q-Ball in his game versus GreyJoy. There's plenty of excitement in that kind of game, but for purely personal reasons, I am burned out. I mentioned this weeks ago - that I hoped the Allies would win the Sumatra air battle so that the game could end neatly right there.

I disagree also with the Japanese player position that the Allies should remain as hamstrung as possible in '42 while the Japanese are using human growth hormones without restriction. While I want Japan to remain as strong as possible (hence my preference for Scenario 2 and RA to give the greatest challenge possible to the Allies), I think the Allies need some help in the air pools in '42 to keep Japan more honest and to permit the Allies to take advantage of outright Japanese negligence. But Japanese players here seem to be saying that the game must - has to! - force the Allies to remain calm and quiet in '42 and dare not take bold action.

The game loses much of the charm if the Allies are hobbled in '42. Of course the Allies can and nearly always will win moving forward, but at that point it's nearly always a slogfest. (That's my own personal term for games that devolve into methodical advances with both sides getting punished - the real fun of the game is in '42, when anything can happen...unless you're a Japanese player who doesn't want to open possiblities for the Allied player.

Caveat: Certain excellent players will still have the ability to take a position like that achieved in this game and drive it home to victory, so I'm not saying this would inevitably be a slogfest for every player.

[zuluhour]

Dan, my thoughts go out to you. Peace be yours now. Take a break, think, reflect, and mourn. Resign later.

[witpqs]

My condolences Dan. May your dad rest in peace.

[catwhoorg]

Dan, sorry about your father.

[Cap Mandrake]

My sympathies on your loss, sir.

[vettim89]

Dan,

My deepest sympathy for you and your family

Tim

[zuluhour]

My thoughts to you sir.

[Galahad78]

My deepest sympathy Dan

[CaptBeefheart]

Condolences to you and your family.

Regards,
CC

[Canoerebel]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Hah! I knew it! [:)]

[Canoerebel]

After a sabbatical of two years, three months, and three days, John III and I have decided to reseume this game.

We began exploring the possibility more than two months ago, really picked things up two weeks ago, and decided to do so today.

We were aided by the fact that I haven't played an AE turn since then, so that my files are still exactly the same as on the day we quit. But John III had to create a new file with an old version of RA, an old version of Beta, remember his password, etc. If the roles had been flipped, I couldn't have done it. He did it in just a few hours.

As of this moment, we are both nearly clueless about what's going on in the game. Neither of us viewed the other's turn files when we quit. We both read a bit of the other's AAR back in September 2013 and over time forgot whatever we read. So we are essentially virginal as far as our knowledge of the other's stuff, and we're at a disadvantage as far as recalling details - so many things are lost after two years away.

I haven't looked through my AAR since 9/2013, so I have to figure out what's what and where and why. But I have a fairly decent idea, especially since this was my last game, so there haven't been subsequent AE games that would have "overwritten" the AE files in my memory. John's probably at a bit of a disadvantage there.

I'm about to open the turn file for 1/4/1943 and start issuing orders. I think the last time I did a turn was September 8 or 9 of 2013. So it's going to be odd to get back in the saddle. But fun, too.

Over the next few days, I'll post screenshots and summaries of what I think is going on and where I go from here.

A 2.25-year sabbatical is kinda odd.

[John 3rd]

It is very strange to be writing this Post. The last thing I expected was to be starting or re-starting a campaign with my friend from Georgia: "two years, three months, and three days." Time sure does pass and one cannot expect anything in 'normal' in life.

We agreed to a joint Posting in each others AARs and Dan hit the nail on the head as far as remembering the events of this match as well as having any form of PREVIOUS files. I have none. This game was two computer's ago and about 7-8 iterations of Reluctant Admiral ago. Dan has laid out our plan: run the January 4, 1943 turn, update to newest Beta, and then update to newest version of RA. The movement of RA AWAY from Japanese predominance has been gradually occurring. This AAR and several others demonstrated some issues with Allied Fighters and other areas. The problems have been addressed and some of the database changes SHOULD serve to help Dan out.

Want to take just a moment to clarify some of the reasons this game stopped. As you can see by the Post counts and number of hits, this was a TOP LINE match in AE at the time. AFB on one side and JFB on the other. People were highly motivated contributors and numerous helpful, insightful, and magnificent Posts were made by players trying to HELP. The problem is some of this helpfulness crossed the line. Dan and I were offended and it served to hasten Dan's departure from the match and AE as a whole. Am sure that the vast majority of this was well intentioned and as Dan mentioned many of the major players are no longer here so this GREAT GAME can now be commented upon and watched by many newer players. We welcome all commentary but I ask that everything remain respectful to the other player.

Just a little about our relationship. Dan and I started in Uncommon Valor, played a momentous and crazy WitP game into 1945, and then had this wild match. We speak on the phone and he is a friend periodically and his Secretary now knows my voice when I call. Our relationship goes well beyond gaming. That he was there in the darkest hours of my life some ten years ago served to create a level of trust and a bond that has extended through today. Won't get any more maudlin then that!

Think that covers it.

Thanks for letting me Post this Grand Admiral Roper.


That he is in a precarious situation presently is an understatement. I offered to start a new game but we both agreed that this one is one heck of an exciting place. Thus----GAME ON!...and NOW...just remember that---FROM THIS POINT FORWARD---"Mercy is for the weak."

BANZAI!

[SierraJuliet]

Two and a half years gone by already!!!

Great to hear you are back in the saddle Dan and looking forward to seeing this one back in action and reading about the twists and turns

[Canoerebel]

John's assessment of the game: "That [Dan] is in a precarious situation presently is an understatement."

My assessment of the game: The Allies have outperformed Japan and are in an excellent situation.

How can we differ so much? It comes down to Sumatra. The Allies pulled offer a tremendous surprise invasion en masse in late 1942. John was reeling. He did a good job of bringing things back to an equilibirum. As of now it looks like the Allied position in Sumatra is tenous and may well be wiped out. But even if that happens, the Allies are and always have been in great position in this game. There have been no major Japanese incursions in places that are vital. The Allies hold all of India, some of Burma, Ceylon, western Sumatra, all of Oz except Darwin to Geraldton and vicinity, New Zealand, Suva, Pago Pago, Christmas, Hawaii, and North America from Kodiak east and south. There's nowhere that Japan has really been able to push. Moreover, in terms of forces lost, John's lost a fair number of capital ships. The Allies have lost but one carrier (a CVE). And the Allies are winning the air war, having shot down 7k Japanese aircraft while losing 5k. And yet, it's in the air that the Allies are struggling the most. More about that later.

Oh, and one other oddity about this match. John was actually the one to call the game. Now, that's the truth, but it isn't the whole truth. The whole truth is that in Sept. 2013 I was suffering from a massive AE burnout. Then my father was badly injured in a car accident. He lingered for two weeks before passing away. I needed some time to sort through things. I told John that I required a bit of a sabbatical and would probably call the game once I had a clear enough mind to think through things. But John called it then.

[Canoerebel]

At the start of 1943, Japan holds less than a 2:1 advantage. Japanese ship and aircraft losses have been high.

[Canoerebel]

Japanese capital ships sunk through 1/3/43

[Canoerebel]

Allied capital ships sunk as of 1/1/43