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Great info gents. FYI, the mod augments the IJN and its associated ground and air forces mostly. To my knowledge there aren't a lot more troops than in Scen 1 from an IJA perspective. That said, in Scen 1 I found I had to boost vehicles a bit.

The only extra ground units in this Mod are IJN.

1. The Japanese consolidate all their SNLF units from Battalion Lvl and create Assault Brigades. They can still be broken down into 1/3 size. The Editor made me use the Division Title--totally misleading--but they are actually Brigades. Good Strength (about 200) but very brittle. No actual new strength there just consolidation of existing units.

2. Nearly all of the Naval Guard units are pulled from the game and a hybrid Atoll Defense unit is created with some CD and about 60-70 AV for defense. Only some added CD there.

3. Nine heavy AA Bn (18 88mm) are added to the IJN for a bit more serious AA power.

4. Three CD units are added to the Kuriles.

5. The 9th Air Fleet starts in Kyushu at cadre strength (20-30% strength): 9th Air Fleet HQ, 1st-2nd-3rd Air Flotilla, and 3 large Base Forces.

That is about it for ground changes/additions within RA and BTS.

Watch out for those DAMNED A-24. They will make you pay on any non-CAP Invasion Force you have.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Obvert is the expert here with night fighters.[&o]

There is 21 squadrons that can become night fighters, and some get removed...not sure with your mod.

You need the Dinah night fighter because there is one very large group that can upgrade to it. The Nick KAId simply because there are so many IJA groups that upgrade to it and it is the first IJA night fighter.

Randy looks really good, but the radar comes so late that I am questionable about sinking supplies into getting the fighter early.

So, IJA night fighters are more a disruptive force. IJN kills.

Of the 2nd generation night fighters Myrt is really good, much better than it looks on paper. So is Frances...which I think is the IJN nf to focus on.

I only used a few Myrts, but they did look okay. Very fast.

Thanks for adding the Frances, I accidentally wrote Peggy above at first when meaning this plane. Definitely more kill ability with IJN NF until the Randy.

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Great info gents. FYI, the mod augments the IJN and its associated ground and air forces mostly. To my knowledge there aren't a lot more troops than in Scen 1 from an IJA perspective. That said, in Scen 1 I found I had to boost vehicles a bit.

There is a period in 42 where you need a lot for incoming tank units, then a long break where for several years, unless you face some trying combat situations, the vehicle pools aren't depleted much, and just build up. Without trying very hard I was sudden'y up to 60k+ vehicles at 6/43 in my current Japanese game.

Then in 44 you start getting a lot of new divisions in China, the HI and Manchuria which need vehicles, plus some new tank units. That's when the big dip occurred, as well as in buying back and rebuilding some units.

I just plan to keep it slow and steady, never turning them off (as Pax Mondo suggested to me very early on in my IJ days!)[;)] and hopefully have a surplus late.

ORIGINAL: obvert
I only used a few Myrts, but they did look okay. Very fast.

Thanks for adding the Frances, I accidentally wrote Peggy above at first when meaning this plane. Definitely more kill ability with IJN NF until the Randy.

I am not so sure about the Peggy, very Nick like with less guns...but a big one!

The myrt does so well in downfall vs the ai....but I am not sure how well it would do in pbem. AI downfall 4e bombers start off with poor morale, and fly way too much into the teeth of Japan's defenses.

Let's get this show on the road! The sooner the two of you get to playing, the SOONER we can start our game where I make you cry---NO BEG--for mercy from the Japanese Empire!

Progress on Turn 1 is accelerating. Michael is busy until Saturday and my goal is to get him the turn as close to Saturday morning as I can.

Economy is complete.

R&D is complete.

I need to move training groups to their posts, order the "Japanese Thundering Herd" to Tokyo to be in a position to set up local resource convoys, and give the operational orders themselves, which oddly enough may be the easiest part.

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Progress on Turn 1 is accelerating. Michael is busy until Saturday and my goal is to get him the turn as close to Saturday morning as I can.

Economy is complete.

R&D is complete.

I need to move training groups to their posts, order the "Japanese Thundering Herd" to Tokyo to be in a position to set up local resource convoys, and give the operational orders themselves, which oddly enough may be the easiest part.

One of the things that rapidly ended my Japanese campaign was that I had no idea what a mess the Japanese army and airforce are in at the beginning of the war.

One question - I want to shut off all xAKLs. Isn't there a setting that basically orders the ship to complete the planning process (which is free) but not begin production? What is that setting?

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Progress on Turn 1 is accelerating. Michael is busy until Saturday and my goal is to get him the turn as close to Saturday morning as I can.

Economy is complete.

R&D is complete.

I need to move training groups to their posts, order the "Japanese Thundering Herd" to Tokyo to be in a position to set up local resource convoys, and give the operational orders themselves, which oddly enough may be the easiest part.

One of the things that rapidly ended my Japanese campaign was that I had no idea what a mess the Japanese army and airforce are in at the beginning of the war.

True that. I would pay for this game a second time if Matrix could mod up a "set up phase" a la a board game. It is very disconcerting to know you are starting up a surprise attack war that you need to win quickly and very little is really where you would have put it.

As I said, that is somewhat mitigated in this mod as John's setup of the Navy and IJNAF makes good sense compared to historical.

Darned right on that point. I HATE how things are in a historical set-up Dec 7th Open. Makes little-to-no sense. I left the original set-up for Treaty Mod, start straitening it in RA, and REALLY work to have it make better sense in BTS.

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

One question - I want to shut off all xAKLs. Isn't there a setting that basically orders the ship to complete the planning process (which is free) but not begin production? What is that setting?

Stopped.

Hlalt will prevent any progress, Stop will allow progress until it start to cost you. I generally STOP all of my ship building to start. Then I go back and selectively switch to NORMAL/ACCELERATE those ships I want to build. Like Obvert, I don't build very many in my games ... I am not expert on the OOB's of RA though.

Thanks, Pax. That's the ticket.

A few comments:

1) After completing a 60 page research paper at work today, I am rather partial to good beer.

2) I have completed all turn elements save final operational orders for units. That sounds lame, but as per above, the operational stuff is the easiest. Logistics is the hard part. I fear for my opponent's air force after arranging this scary R&D program, for example.

3) Tomorrow marks the beginning of the English Premier League season. Come on, you Gunners! Are-se-nal! Are-se-nal!

4) I have developed an "Evil Plan." It is designed to play off Michael's known tendencies. It involves his ships sinking. A lot. Unless he runs away like a little girl. This sounds like Bravado, I suppose, but it's actually real.

ORIGINAL: Cribtop
A few comments:
1) After completing a 60 page research paper at work today, I am rather partial to good beer.

[:D]

Can´t wait for PL to get started. Although I live in Sweden I´m a fanatical Liverpool fan! [&o]

Liverpool are fascinating this year. Door #1 = Spurs from last year. Sell a superstar, buy a bunch of stuff and watch it not work. Door #2 = Brendan Rodgers pulls it all together and they are a very good and totally different team than last year. IMHO Door #2 is slightly more likely, but I don't think anyone really knows what the Reds will do this year.

PS - I checked the pre-conditions for my evil plan this morning and I'm not sure it will work after all. Maybe.

Email sent.

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Liverpool are fascinating this year. Door #1 = Spurs from last year. Sell a superstar, buy a bunch of stuff and watch it not work. Door #2 = Brendan Rodgers pulls it all together and they are a very good and totally different team than last year. IMHO Door #2 is slightly more likely, but I don't think anyone really knows what the Reds will do this year.

PS - I checked the pre-conditions for my evil plan this morning and I'm not sure it will work after all. Maybe.

Yeah, it will be very interesting to watch. While off to a good start I´m not convinced they are top of the table material! As you say I think they can end up pretty much anywhere!

Too damm much talking….let's start shooting!! It all sounds fascinating. I will follow with great interest.

Thanks for taking the trouble to AAR.