Weather balance suggestion

[eskuche]

While we're all waiting for the patch (and I have no motivation to continue my AAR), a suggestion for "balancing" weather, in order of difficulty of implementation.

Allies get the (75-100% accurate) weather forecast for some or all zones in the turn report. This balances out Japanese initiative somewhat.
Could be tied to COMINT.
Bonus points if the "w" has 3 modes: hidden weather, current weather, and current -> future weather.

[stjeand]

Lots have been requesting that the Allies know the weather. Easy enough to test if someone would like to do so?

NOW keep in mind in the 40s they have NO clue of the weather 2 weeks ahead.
BUT I suppose it would be okay if it was a "guess" so they could get a message and it would be wrong. They believe rain will hit India yet it is sunny.

WISH that it could be changed on the fly...basically the Axis have the weather advantage till the end of 42, then the Allies get it.

[kennonlightfoot]

Since the Japanese are on the wrong end of the weather pattern movement in the Pacific, the Allies really should be the first player on each turn. I wonder if there is a way to switch that and still have the Japanese move first on Dec 7 turn (no Allied move that turn).

[ncc1701e]

I guess the best solution would be that the side having the initiative is playing first. So they know the weather first. The problem is to determine the criteria to say who has the initiative. Axis or Allies?

Since we are in the Pacific, an easy dirty solution is perhaps to count who has more CV/CVL. Maybe.

Also, I don't know if the engine is able to do this.

[stjeand]

I KNOW I saw this somewhere in the editor and now can't find it.
Stupid eyes.

I will poke around some more.

[kennonlightfoot]

An initiative switch would require some recoding of the game engine. But changing the order in the turn should be doable in the editor. What I am not sure of is if the game can handle the US player being the first player in the turn but on the first turn the the US wouldn't have its phase (starts with the second phase player - Japan).

[ncc1701e]

Maybe for WP2 engine then...

[kennonlightfoot]

But there is always the problem of balance. Knowing what the weather will be in your opponent's turn is a significant advantage. While I think the US was in better position historically to "know" what the weather would be. I may give the Allies to much advantage in 43 on unless something was done to compensate the Japanese side. Then there is China where the Japanese probably had a better idea what the weather would be than the Chinese with their limited technology.

[ncc1701e]

I like the suggestion of weather forecast in the turn reports. But, there are lots of weather zone and not much room in the turn report.

Since the problem is mainly with the navy, why not concentrate on the weather zone affecting only the navy i.e. mainly 4 weather zones:
1. North Marine
2. South Marine
3. Tropical
4. South Monsoon

A line in the turn report like the following:

Weather forecast: North Marine - Rain 50%, South Marine - Snow 80%, Tropical - Clear 80%, South Monsoon - Blizzard 30%

And I would like to propose this for both sides instead of Allies only.

[AlvaroSousa]

The weather zones I put in were based on real weather patterns for the region. Took me a while to research them.

Allies advantage comes in the form of COMINT.

[ncc1701e]

Great idea Alvaro, the COMINT.

Thinking of it, this is true we are in the 40s. Weather forecast is just at its beginning. But, in the war movies I am seeing, they always have a weather forecast.
Also, thinking of the planning of D-Day in Europe, weather was one of the reason to delay it a first time.

Now, imagine your HQs are concentrated on intel of your next target. I can't imagine they are not checking the weather forecast...

[ncc1701e]

Now, I am the USA and I am worried about an attack on Midway.

[ncc1701e]

Why not spending a COMINT on Midway? Is it useful? I have plenty between USA and UK.

[ncc1701e]

On the other side, I am the Japanese and I want to attack Midway.

[ncc1701e]

I am spending a COMINT too.

[ncc1701e]

Now I don't know how is performed your code and when the weather is determined.

But, why not, for both sides, introduced the weather forecast of the next turn for the area covered by the COMINT graphically.

Something like the following:

[ncc1701e]

Like this, Allies may know the weather in advance at key locations (for defending a place or attacking one). Based on COMINT, this is not each turn. And, since this is a weather forecast we can introduce a percentage of chance to tell the correct value or not. This percentage can be distinguish between Allies and Axis. Allies has more chance than Axis.

Just an idea, I should stop watching war movies... [:D]

[kennonlightfoot]

ORIGINAL: AlvaroSousa

The weather zones I put in were based on real weather patterns for the region. Took me a while to research them.

Allies advantage comes in the form of COMINT.

Could you explain just what using COMINT does?
What kind of information does it return? How accurate?
Is it just a snap shot of improved intel within the radius of where you place it and good for just the current turn?

I have used it a couple of time so far and it didn't seem to change anything about what was known in the area.

[YueJin]

Comint just raises the recon value of the hexes in the area. It's main use is locating ships at port, making them visible so they can be bombed and raising the chances of a fleet being found by attacks. Raising the recon level of a fleet also gives a better modifier to naval combat.

[kennonlightfoot]

ORIGINAL: YueJin

Comint just raises the recon value of the hexes in the area. It's main use is locating ships at port, making them visible so they can be bombed and raising the chances of a fleet being found by attacks. Raising the recon level of a fleet also gives a better modifier to naval combat.

That doesn't sound all that useful. Maybe if you planned to attack the port regardless and just wanted to verify the normal intel. But they cost enough points that you can't keep enough around to actually use it to search for the enemy. Making whether it is worth having and making you have to check manually for reinforcements questionable.