Here come the Rebels! (Canoe v. Q-Ball)

[vettim89]

I think you can make on map training a little less painful by just setting asaide one day per game month where you will go look at all the units in training. The changes do occur nicely at a pretty steady state but the increments of importance take at least a month. Yes, you may have some well qualified pilots sit in training units for a an extra week or so but in the long run it realy won't matter. Designate your training units and leave them alone.

So you will still have to do the click fest that involves moving the pilots but only once every 10 to 14 days depending on your game pace.

[witpqs]

FYI for later, there is one legacy item that is very annoying and time consuming, and it seems to start in early to mid-'43.

So you have your pilot training in hand, you've built up some well trained pilots in the pools. You look at one of your hot shot front-line fighter units with pilots all in the 70's A2A skill and notice a bunch of pilots have arrived with A2A skill in the 50's, 40's, and low 60's. These are 'experienced' new arrivals that are in the database and go directly to their units.

So you pop them into general reserve. Later, instead of pulling green pilots into training squadrons, you pull in these pilots from general reserve. The problem here is the click-time it takes. You need to select 'get veteran'; click until 'reserve' is selected; click to sort by 'air' skill; scroll down to the worst fighter pilot on the 'air' skill list; click to select the pilot; answer 'yes'; the list always jumps back to the top - so you have to scroll or jump to the bottom of the fighter pilots again. When you are doing dozens of pilots this last bit is what takes all the time.

It's the same deal with bomber, etc. pilots. I just used fighter pilots as an example.

If the interface were improved so that the list did not jump back to the top every time you pulled a pilot from the list that change would save a great deal of player click time.

[Canoerebel]

[&:]

[:(]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

FYI for later, there is one legacy item that is very annoying and time consuming, and it seems to start in early to mid-'43.

So you have your pilot training in hand, you've built up some well trained pilots in the pools. You look at one of your hot shot front-line fighter units with pilots all in the 70's A2A skill and notice a bunch of pilots have arrived with A2A skill in the 50's, 40's, and low 60's. These are 'experienced' new arrivals that are in the database and go directly to their units.

So you pop them into general reserve. Later, instead of pulling green pilots into training squadrons, you pull in these pilots from general reserve. The problem here is the click-time it takes. You need to select 'get veteran'; click until 'reserve' is selected; click to sort by 'air' skill; scroll down to the worst fighter pilot on the 'air' skill list; click to select the pilot; answer 'yes'; the list always jumps back to the top - so you have to scroll or jump to the bottom of the fighter pilots again. When you are doing dozens of pilots this last bit is what takes all the time.

It's the same deal with bomber, etc. pilots. I just used fighter pilots as an example.

If the interface were improved so that the list did not jump back to the top every time you pulled a pilot from the list that change would save a great deal of player click time.

+1.

My work around for these 'green' surprise pilots with marginal skills is to put them into the front lines anyways. They wanna volunteer and jump the line? OK-have at it. I won't rotate them out and ship them to the General Reserve like I would others.

[Mistmatz]

The worst part is that they managed to not jump to the top of the list after selecting on other occasions, eg vessel into TF selection. So the technique was there, just not used for the pilot pool table... [8|]

[Grfin Zeppelin]

Ah if you click again at their air skill or any other, the list is reversed and the worst one are on top and stay there.
Also if you select the pilots with a mouse click and confirm it using the "y" key it goes pretty fast.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Gräfin Zeppelin

Ah if you click again at their air skill or any other, the list is reversed and the worst one are on top and stay there.
Also if you select the pilots with a mouse click and confirm it using the "y" key it goes pretty fast.

The problem is that fighter, bomber, etc. pilots are all mixed together. So, using A2A skill as an example, the very worst A2A pilots will be non-fighter pilots. The worst A2A fighter pilots, which are the ones you want to train in A2A, will always be in the middle of the list, no matter which direction you sort it.

[:(]

[Grfin Zeppelin]

Ah ok now I understand what kind of problem you mean. Yer right of course. Personaly I absoluetly love pilot managment and I babysit them to the extreme.The interface is sadly very clumsy.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: Gräfin Zeppelin

Ah if you click again at their air skill or any other, the list is reversed and the worst one are on top and stay there.
Also if you select the pilots with a mouse click and confirm it using the "y" key it goes pretty fast.

The problem is that fighter, bomber, etc. pilots are all mixed together. So, using A2A skill as an example, the very worst A2A pilots will be non-fighter pilots. The worst A2A fighter pilots, which are the ones you want to train in A2A, will always be in the middle of the list, no matter which direction you sort it.

[:(]

I don't select pilots for training squadrons from the Group or General Reserve, do you?

[witpqs]

When I say 'training squadrons' I just mean on-map squadrons that I am using for training. The permanently restricted squadrons in USA are a great example, but any squadron will do.

And, yes I do. I want all my fighter pilots in general reserve to be minimum 70 A2A skill, for example. So I select any lower skilled ones and train them up.

[Canoerebel]

1/24/42 to 1/26/42

China Connection Severed: The Japanese began landing at Kwangchoan, China, on the 26th. That will sever the effective, efficient air-transport pipeline running to this base from Bataan. While the pipeline was operating, the Allies managed to transfer sizeable cadres of Asiatit Fleet HQ and about five base force units. These troops are making for Kweilin and, ultimately, will probably be transferred to Ledo by air transport. The PBY squadrons used in this operation are splitting up. Some are heading to Sabang to help with the extraction of units from Malaya and Sumatra. Some are heading to Cagayan where they are being used to transport infantry TO Bataan.

Japanese Advances: A Japanese regiment landed and took Koumac. Dem Passar also fell. The Japanese are resting at Singapore and Clark Field at the moment.

Japanese Carriers: One Mini KB was sighted at Balikpan - probably refueling. I'm pretty sure the KB is still hanging around New Caledonia.

Stingers: CL Sumatra just arrived at Soerabaja. She will "visit" Dem Passar tonight and then make for Perth. Far to the north, a three USN DD TF has been set to "visit" Shikuka, but has been hanging around just east of the Kuriles. Something has prevented the TF from carrying through, but I'll give it one more turn.

Burma: The Allies bugged out of the forward bases ahead of the Japanese, which now hold Rangoon.

Japanese Intentions: I still don't have a good feel for where Q-Ball will head next. Oz seems the logical target given all the attention given there, but I have a hunch the target mgiht be India and/or Ceylon. Hawaii is my third guess.

[Canoerebel]

1/27/42 to 1/30/42

Pressure Point: Singapore withstood a 1:1 deliberate attack on the 30th. The attack dropped forts from three to two and inflicted greater casualties on the Allies. However, it now appears certain that the Allied garrison will hold out until early February - something I had thought impossible two weeks ago. This is an important matter because each day gives my retreating units in Burma that much more time to make it to safety. Also, in about fifteen days another Australian division will arrive at Aden. These troops will probably go to India rather than to Oz. And the Allied carriers will rendezvous at Capetown in two weeks. That should put them in a position to attack should Q-Ball decide to invade Ceylong, Abbu, or Diego Garcia.

Clark Field: Miller hasn't even tried another attack here. He only has two divisions present, so he may be awaiting reinforcements. Supplies are getting low, but I bet the Allies will hold Bataan for at least another month.

Envelopement: The Oz squeeze play continues. The Japanese have taken Exmouth, on the southwest coast, and have landed at Koumac and LaFoa on New Caledonia. An Aussie division is on the way - loaded up transports in three or four widely spaced convoys making their way to Adelaide from Colombo. The closest is probably at least two weeks from making landfall. I am diverting to Oz a tank regiment that was heading to Suva - primarily because the island is low on supplies and may be difficult to hold. Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth is east of Christmas Island making her way to San Diego. When she arrives, I'll purchase the third regiment of the division (41st?) slated for Oz - the first regiment is at Sydney and the second is well on its way.

Hawaii: A regiment assigned to Pacific HQ just arrived at San Diego and is boarding transports bound for Hilo. A second such regiment will arrive in a day or two and will then head for the city across the island from Hilo. A Marine Raider battalion just finished unloading at Midway.

Stingers: A three-DD TF just made for Shikuka, but was intercepted by an IJN CL/DD force. The Allies lost a DD.

Subs: I-22 picked off a DD at Pago Pago; Gar got an xAKL near Wakkanai while KX got an xAK near Billiton Island.

Java: The Japanese have landed on Java - weeks ago - but haven't moved in strength yet on Batavia (defended by 300 AV) or Soerabaja (600+ AV). Dutch bombers managed a hit on an APD near Mataram on the 29th.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel


Clark Field: Miller hasn't even tried another attack here. He only has two divisions present, so he may be awaiting reinforcements. Supplies are getting low, but I bet the Allies will hold Bataan for at least another month.

He's everywhere!!! He's everywhere!!!

[Canoerebel]

1/31/42

Singapore: I think Brad forgot to change orders for his troops; they attacked again, this time at 1:2 odds, didn't touch forts, and suffered high casualties. My guys made it to February!

Sub Wars: KXVII got two xAK near Zamboanga. Trusty, positioned in the Sunda Strait (between Java and Sumatra) tangled with a TF that included CA Atago, CL Jintsu, and at least five DD includng Hibiki and Asashio. Does that sound like a carrier force to you? IE, do those ships begin the game paired with carriers, or are they usually a combat TF. I could open a new game to see, but it's been a long day and I'm waxing lazy.

[Grollub]

They are part of a normal SCTF, covering the Kota Bharu landings in the beginning of the game.

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
Clark Field: Miller hasn't even tried another attack here. He only has two divisions present, so he may be awaiting reinforcements. Supplies are getting low, but I bet the Allies will hold Bataan for at least another month.

He's everywhere!!! He's everywhere!!!

Dang it, you caught me, Bullwinkle! I've done that kind of thing all my life. But I've tried really, really hard not to call Brad by Miller's name in this AAR. It probably won't be the last time...but I'm crossing my fingers that I don't call my wife "Miller" tonight.

[Cribtop]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Dang it, you caught me, Bullwinkle! I've done that kind of thing all my life. But I've tried really, really hard not to call Brad by Miller's name in this AAR. It probably won't be the last time...but I'm crossing my fingers that I don't call my wife "Miller" tonight.

Ewwww....

Great news on Singers.

With co-ordinated attacks at Exmouth and New Caledonia, I believe you can feel confident that Oz is the target. The question is - will Q-Ball go for a mainland invasion, or will he look to isolate Oz by seizing the NW corner and New Caledonia? If the former, assume Perth and Townsville will come under attack. If the latter, look to your defenses at New Zealand and/or Suva.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

...but I'm crossing my fingers that I don't call my wife "Miller" tonight.

Better than "Bud."[:)]

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop
With co-ordinated attacks at Exmouth and New Caledonia, I believe you can feel confident that Oz is the target. The question is - will Q-Ball go for a mainland invasion, or will he look to isolate Oz by seizing the NW corner and New Caledonia? If the former, assume Perth and Townsville will come under attack. If the latter, look to your defenses at New Zealand and/or Suva.

We're so early in the game that I'm sending all available units to the destinations that pose auto-victory concerns: India, Australia, and Hawaii. Well, add a fourth location: Pago Pago.

That means I'm leaving the defenses unaugmented at places like New Caledonia, New Zealand, Suva, Port Moresby (since taken) and the western Aleutians. That's the way it's got to be, for now, but I can also use penetrations in those areas - if there are any - to my advantage later in the game. (IE, I have this plan...muh ha ha ha!).

Oz seems like the logical target, but I'm dividing my reinforcements between all three. I'll also have my carriers positioned to come to India's aid, should that become necessary. And, in the event Oz should become imperiled, the carriers can get there fairly soon.

My carriers can't respond to any threat to Hawaii, but pretty soon I'll have enough troops on the ground there to make even an effort to seize the non-Pearl bases somewhat problematic for Q-Ball.

[Cribtop]

Makes sense, Canoe. My thought is simply that the relatively early seizure of New Cal makes it at least possible that he's going for some sort of Oz isolation strategy rather than a full bore PzB style invasion. Of course, you never know...