The Accidental War Obvert vs Lowpe

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Just popping in (without reading) to say I am going to be reading Obvert's side on this one and maybe offering some bad advice there. I figure he'll need all he can get! [:D]

Good luck!!! [8D]

As long as the advice is bad![:D]

[Lowpe]

Status:

Putting the finishing touches on turn 1.

I have to examine engines.

But other than that pretty good to go.

Industry and ship builds for turn 2.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Plane builds:

I am going to play a very Oscar & Tojo Lite game. Going to shoot for Tony and Frank primary Army fighters. Zero/Sam for the KB; Jack 70% and George 30%.

Strong Nick and Randy FB program.

Still mulling endgame fighter planes. I figure I can afford one to r&d and there are at least two great choices in the Shinden and Ki94II.

Kamikaze: Ki115a and Ki115b for the Army. For the Navy I am still mulling over my choices.

I am going to play with the spreadsheet some and see what I need to achieve...

My two cents:

Minimal Oscar and Tojo is a good call. They have some value later in the war, but not much.

Tony and Frank is a great combination.

Regarding the Zero, I'd try to push the Zero line to the M8 model ASAP then shift everything to the Sam. Sam is the best multi-role the IJN gets IMO.

Is the performance increase between the Nick and Randy fighter bomber worth the supply? I always felt that there was little to choose between the Randy B and Nick models.

The Randy fighter (A model) is a much better candidate IMO, as you can convert regular fighter squadrons to the Randy A for sqaudrons that are in effect fighter-bomber squadrons.

Shinden and Ki-94 are the only two viable late-war fighter airframes IMO. The jets are vanity.

For kami purposes: Ki-115a and b are huge. Prepare a massive production line. For the IJN, it has to be the Toka - this is one of the hidden jewels of the IJN lineup, and arguably one of the most important non-fighter airframes. Bringing it as far forward is possible is absolutely key, as otherwise your IJN kami squadrons (which are bigger and hold more pilots than the IJA ones) will be stuck with the crappy trainers. Again, massive production lines. The only other option is the Kikka, but that's too late to be of any use. Any other airframe uses PP's to convert.

Thanks MM for the input.

The Ki1115a is getting a lot of research. The Kikka is interesting, and I wonder if it could get thru the deathstar cap, but in looking at the actual squadrons that upgrade to it, after only a quick look, it looks like there are only 3 until mid 45.

The Toka is very interesting.

I agree about the 94 and the Shinden, but I think the Shinden wins.

Randy Fighter...hm. Maybe, I have read bad things about it. The Randy FB will be my 2nd tier air defense.

Night Fighters I did put one factory on Myrt, but going with the standards Nick, Irving, Frances, and Peggy. Overall a big investment here to maximize my night fighters.

If it's PDU on then I think the IJN training squadrons can convert, though if you're using one of the Scens that modify upgrade paths then YMMV.

Toka I think is essential, if not more so than the Ki-115. Bigger IJN squadrons = more kamis flying. If you go for a big Kami game then you'll need it.

With the Ki-94 and the Shinden, I think you need both. The 93 is your fast, high altitude plane, while the Shinden works best down low. The two compliement each other really nicely. Ki-83 is a more expensive and less effective alternative, but has excellent offensive characteristics.

My line of thought regarding the Randy fighter is that you can convert regular fighter squadrons to use it without paying PP and pilot EXP decreases from the FB>F switch. The difference between the various Randy models is pretty minimal at any rate, and IIRC the Randy has the best armament loadout. Randy fighter has done alright by me, both in the day and at night against 4E's.

With NF, the jury is still out for me. I think in any future game I'll be considering durability and armour above anything else, as my NF's love dying in droves. I basically use my IJA FB squadrons as NF squadrons

[Andav]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Just popping in (without reading) to say I am going to be reading Obvert's side on this one and maybe offering some bad advice there. I figure he'll need all he can get! [:D]

Good luck!!! [8D]

As long as the advice is bad![:D]

Looks like you will be able to leave CRB WIDE open! And Pegu of course ...

Wa

[Lowpe]

First turn is away...

[Aurorus]

I agree almost ocmpletely with your R&D program, and to think that we debated this very topic on Xargun's thread. Yours is probably the R&D program that I would pursue in a PDU:ON game. You will outclass the allies in 43 when it counts the most. If you go Randy, Nick, et al, why not research the Frances night bomber? Randy and Nick research can produce a competent night-fighter force throughout 44.

[Zorch]

Is there a table/xls that allows easy comparison of planes and engines? Outside of the databases.

[Xargun]

ORIGINAL: Zorch

Is there a table/xls that allows easy comparison of planes and engines? Outside of the databases.

I always make my own. I have one for the Japanese side for DaIronBabes (30B) if anyone wants. You might be able to pull one out of Tracker as well.

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: Xargun

ORIGINAL: Zorch

Is there a table/xls that allows easy comparison of planes and engines? Outside of the databases.

I always make my own. I have one for the Japanese side for DaIronBabes (30B) if anyone wants. You might be able to pull one out of Tracker as well.

Yes, that would be great...

[Xargun]

ORIGINAL: Zorch

ORIGINAL: Xargun

ORIGINAL: Zorch

Is there a table/xls that allows easy comparison of planes and engines? Outside of the databases.

I always make my own. I have one for the Japanese side for DaIronBabes (30B) if anyone wants. You might be able to pull one out of Tracker as well.

Yes, that would be great...

PM me your email. I have IJA and IJN in separate spreadsheets

[Lowpe]

Ok, the first turn is away, and it is a pretty standard one.

I am bombing Manila and Georgetown ports as our HR allow that. Never did that before. The Allies can change CAP percentage, but I am not sure if he can put planes from training to CAP. I guess we will find out shortly.

Pearl results are always disappointing, so I will be closely checking the damage done to see if I can make follow up strikes. I have a few ideas, and today I positioned the Iboat fleet there so that if I do stay, any Allied fleets will have to run the gauntlet to get to me.

Force Z is always a huge concern...but short of stripping the Pearl strike, there isn't much I can do about it but I did try two things.

Hopefully I will have a few surprises for this wiley Admiral I am facing. Here is hoping!

[Bif1961]

Have looking forward to what comes of this contest.

[Lowpe]

A look at the Pearl Strike...

First off, I brought the plane strength up by adding reserves. I would like the option of sticking around Pearl for subsequent days, and quite frankly the squadrons aren't full.

Secondly, strafing fighter really kills good pilots. Instead, I put several Sentai on Airfield strike at 9K, and I also put two Val Sentai's with the same settings.

Third: I changed a lot of commanders.

All the Kates are dropping bombs or torpedoes on the port or ships at 9K.

Not that I think it helps, as far as I can tell, but I put some Jakes on recon. I wonder if night recon would have flown too, now that I think about it.

We shall see shortly how it all works out.

[Andav]

I like the Vals on Airbase strike. If you really plan to stick around the airfield needs to be suppressed. Plus you might kill some of the PBYs. It will be interesting to see how the Zeros do bombing. Do they have any skill for that mission?

Wa

[Lowpe]

House Rules:


Night bombing port/airfield:

50 planes/target for the entire war.

First turn:

No restrictions on port strikes for IJ
No new TFs for Allies but existing may move
No air groups changing location, but can change CAP settings (Allies)
No crazy deep *TF moves (Mersing) (Japan)

PP for borders:

Minus Thai and Burmese units

Both Obvert and I have been around the block, and we know ways to really take advantage of the game engine. He originally sent me a rather lengthy list of HR from his previous games telling me he was open to lots. No way would I remember them all, so we paired it down.

Originally there was restrictions on 4E bombing of ground troops; Sweep Altitudes; Night bombing by year; and a list of things I can't even begin to remember. I couldn't live with that.

HR add confusion. For example take this HR:

No air groups changing location, but can change CAP settings (Allies)

What exactly does changing CAP settings entail? I could care less, and will trust to my opponent to give me a good and challenging game without resulting to exploits.

So, if Obvert wants to train up some Navy 4E's at skip bombing...he can. Plaster my troops with low level 4E bombing -- what game would be complete without that, I ask you? If I want to skip a generation in plane research I can.

I have always picked up the HR present from the previous Japanese player and lived with them. For the first time, I have to worry about protecting Chinese industry in Japanese hands. This creates a whole new decision tree...and I love it![:)]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Andav


I like the Vals on Airbase strike. If you really plan to stick around the airfield needs to be suppressed. Plus you might kill some of the PBYs. It will be interesting to see how the Zeros do bombing. Do they have any skill for that mission?

Wa

Average skill of 35 across those squadrons.

PBY are easy to damage, hard to kill.

Plane torpedoes in this mod take a bit of a nerfing. So I doubt any BB sink...

[Lowpe]

Midget Subs:

I toyed around with the idea of sending some or all midgets to Lahania. I love my midgets, and quite frankly, penetrating Pearl is very difficult -- especially when only one midget commander is any good.

Ultimately, I decided to send them all in where they will all fail.

Can't have Dec 7th without a midget strike on Pearl. It's just not done.[;)]

[Lowpe]

The game that could have been:

We looked at two different games: Scen 1 type game with PDU on; Scen 2 type game with PDU off.

If we would have played scen 2, pdu off, I told Obvert I wanted to go into the editor and allow for some squadron upgrades so the Norm, Myrt NF, Ki115a & b and a few other plane types could actually participate in the game.

But, Obvert felt that he wanted to face the Japanese in a PDU on environment so that is what we went with.

In a Scen 2, game, my strategy was to take New Zealand and Isolate Oz. The game that could have been.[;)]

[ny59giants]

In Scen 2 or DBB 30, I've always wondered if an 'all in' for India could work.

Mersing gambit leads to Singapore falling by 10 Jan.

Ceylon landing (northern base first) by end of Jan '42. Just enough to get a AF and keep maybe two divisions here for conquest.

Coastal India - by mid-Feb landing at bases between Bombay and Karachi with direct assault on Karachi. Player would need to take bases to isolate Aden. The emergency reinforcements would stay there until Suez is open in '43.

Just my thoughts here....

[Encircled]

My current game my opponent went all for Oz in Scenario Two.

I just don't think its possible as long as the allied player prepares for an attack on India or Oz.

If you could somehow feint him for about a month, so anything he has got spare is completely the wrong place it might work.

The big advantage of going for India is the utter rubbish of the starting Indian Army.