Strategic Bombing Advancement Issue

[Dgold]

I had previously posted that I considered the base SB range and/or its advancement range bonus a historically too short.

I just finished my first 1942 campaign as the Allies. At the start, I assigned the maximum number of chits into the SB category for the US. At the end of the game I had 9 chits assigned.

The problem is that I never achieved the SB 45 advancement for the US, so was stuck with a paltry +4 SB range bonus for all of 1944 and 1945.
At the game end, I still needed 230 days to achieve the SB 45 advancement. See screen shot.

Therefore I was never able to SB Tokyo, except from Chichi-Jima, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. These were never used as bases for massed B-29 raids on Tokyo and other Japanese targets. Saipan, Tinian and Guam were the main US SB bases, but due to the range restrictions on SB units, it is never possible to bomb Tokyo (23 hexes from Saipan) unless the SB 45 advancement (+10) is obtainable, to add to the base SB range of 14.

Alvaro, can you please increase the US SB advancement range bonus, or the rate of SB advancements?
Thanks

[AlvaroSousa]

Seems like I changed the USA in the 1942 scenario but not 1941 scenario. Ill fix it. They should have a 16 base range

[Dgold]

Thanks for that information, Alvaro.

The issue still remains that it is impossible for the US to acheive the SB 45 advancement by anywhere close to game end.

Therefore I am suggesting that the SB 44 advancement, which is achievable in late 1944, have the range bonus changed to +10.

Thanks

[eskuche]

How does the advancement system actually work? It's not really explicitly stated the manual. I notice my stuff advancing at difference rates, e.g., I'll have '43 stuff done in mid-42. Perhaps you just had bad luck?

[Dgold]

The fact is, that even with 5, 6 or 9 chits invested in (for example) Assault, Carrier Ops, LR Subs and Strat Bombing, at the end of my game - Sept 1, 1945, none of these advancements are even close to being achievable, even if the game went to the end of 1945.
Therefore something is broken with the advancements, such that it is impossible to even get a 45 level advancement in any field, no matter if the maximum number of chits is committed the whole game (my 9 chits in SB). See my screen shot above.

I assume that advancements advance at the same speed, given the same number of chits invested, subject to some randomization? Clarification please, Alvaro?

[YueJin]

Agreed, you get to the '44 tech and then swap out to something else at the moment as the '45 tech isn't achievable without incredible luck. The odds of successfully advancing the research just become too small.

[AlvaroSousa]

Did you max out the tech?

[Dgold]

Alvaro, the whole game, for the US, I put 4-6 points into assault, LR Subs, carrier Ops, naval air, interceptors and amphib.
I put 9 points into SB the whole game, as I was testing to see if I could achieve SB 45 by game end.
It seems unusual that I could never achieve any level 45 advancement, in any field.
See my screen shot above - most of the game this is what I had allocated.

Here are the screen shots showing my allocation of advancement points for the UK, China and the SU - which I concentrated in a only a few areas. None achieved the 45 advancement in any field.
I also attach the final Japanese advancement screen.

Perhaps you could tweak the advancement code such that if the max allowable points are allocated to a single research field, that there is a reasonable chance of getting the 45 level, by early (late winter, early spring) 1945. Late (summer) 1945 means that it that would be no time to take advantage of the bonus.

Thanks for considering my request.

UK

[Dgold]

China

[Dgold]

USSR

[Dgold]

Japan

[AlvaroSousa]

The solution is far simpler than you realize. Just increase US tech +1 year.

But I will run tests myself.

[Dgold]

I like simple solutions! Thanks for checking, Alvaro.