Notes for My Ideas for a Mod

[FDRLincoln]

Third Japanese armed merchant cruiser, Koyizumi Maru, added.

[FDRLincoln]

Two additional Taiho class carriers added to the build list.

Karyu (fire dragon) available September 1, 1945
Kashu (fire eagle) available January 20, 1946

Again, it is unlikely that the Japanese will be able to afford to build these ships but I want them to be available to force the Japanese player to make decisions.

[FDRLincoln]

Additional buildable cruisers added.

Teshio and Tokachi, of the Oyodo class, available in mid-1945
Ishikari, of the Mogami class, available in late 1945.

All these ships named after rivers, per Japanese cruiser practice.

This gives the Japanese player further build options. The downside is that with all these available hulls, the Japanese player MUST engage in active ship build management, picking what to build and what to halt, or he will run out of resouces quickly. But that is the point of the mod.

Next step, adding more buildable destroyer hulls. After that, additional "weird and interesting" Allied ships. Then on to playing/testing.

[2ndACR]

ORIGINAL: FDRLincoln

Two additional Taiho class carriers added to the build list.

Karyu (fire dragon) available September 1, 1945
Kashu (fire eagle) available January 20, 1946

Again, it is unlikely that the Japanese will be able to afford to build these ships but I want them to be available to force the Japanese player to make decisions.

1945/46, they were ordered in 1942 and should have been laid down mid to late 42. That would put their arrival at mid-late 1944 and early 45. The Japanese averaged a 2 year buil time on their CV's.

[FDRLincoln]

Taiho was laid down 7/41 and completed 3/44. So that's, what, two and a half years? Assuming the same for Karyu and Kashu, let's lay the first one down in June 42 and the second in, say August. That would put Karyu due in December 44 and Kashu in Jan or Feb 45. So you're right, I need to tweak the build times.

[FDRLincoln]

OK, I've moved Karyu to December 15, 1944, and Kashu to March 2, 1945.

[2ndACR]

Okay, I would think that for everyone you build, they get quicker to build. I know that was the case in the US. The Japanese just never built more than 1-2 of any one ship class from the looks of things. Never enough to get all the quirks worked out of the production scheme.

Since the Taihos are basically enhanced Shokaku's, how about adjusting their air groups to 84 a/c. That is the maximum number the Taihos could handle, same as Shokaku.

The Japanese just went to a smaller air group for her.

[FDRLincoln]

My thinking was that the Japanese wouldn't be able to dramatically accellerate their build times due to material shortages, lack of slips, etc., so I didn't want to move the build-times up too dramatically beyond what you can already do by pressing the "accellerate" toggle.

Was the Taiho's air group an operational limit imposed by the design of the ship, or was it just due to shortage of aircraft? I could bump up the number of aircraft the ship could carry but leave the planes that "come with" the ship alone. Also the Taihos that weren't built were supposed to be slightly larger than the original anyway, so maybe even if Taiho could only carry 53 the new ships could carry more.

[2ndACR]

Probably true on the shortages of material. That is why I always want to cancel the Shinano completely and melt her down for use elsewhere.[:D]

According to Haze gray (see link above I posted) their air group consisted of 53 a/c yet their maximum allowed is 84. Also they have the same basic dimensions of the Shokaku class. I think it had to do with a lack of pilots. The Japanese always had alot of a/c, it was pilots that hurt them.

As long as you bump up their allowed a/c maximum. That would enable a Japanese player to off load their air group and replace with land based IJN fighters, dive bmbers, torpedo planes for a maximum of 81 a/c on board. I do this all the time on my other CV's and CVE's. Depends on what a/c I need for the mission. Ops losses are minimum.

[FDRLincoln]

According to the editor, Taiho's aircraft limit is 74. That seems reasonable to me. I will increase this to 84 for her two sisters though.

[2ndACR]

That will work. I just go by Haze Gray. Their info is about as good as anyone's.

Even the 74 number is okay I guess. Have yet to have Taiho in a game to play mix and match air groups with to see what I can stick on her though.

[FDRLincoln]

Haze Gray Rules.

Adding some additional destroyers won't be a problem....Conway's even has names for the unbuilt units. Once I finish that, I will turn to the allies. I've already added Adventure. I'm currently planning on adding the minelayer Abdiel, the seaplane tender Albatross, a few more escorts, some British armed merchant cruisers, and the Midway. Just some cool ships....the main point of this mod is for Japanese production options.

[FDRLincoln]

Five additional Yugumo class destroyers added, entering the game in late 44 early 45. Names taken from unbuilt destroyer list in Conway's.

Umigiri
Yamagiri
Tawagiri
Tanigiri
Taekazi

[FDRLincoln]

Three additional Akitsuki class destroyers added, due in early to mid 1945

Mochitsuki
Kiyotsuki
Otsuki

In reality, the first ship was demolished in the slip, and the second two never begun.


I'm pretty much done with the modifications to Japan now, and will have a summary of what I have added soon.