Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: Feltan
Embrace bushido. Abandon the western concept of "plane management." Mimic the real life Japanese concept of "spirit over steel." Be clever, unpredictable and aggressive -- rock your opponent back on his heels, and make him wonder "what is this crazy bastard going to try next."

This is what I call the Western understanding of the spirit of bushido. Take a sword and do something unpredictable that everybody knew that you're daft.[:D]

Japanese approach I would rather describe as pursuit for perfection in every aspect of your life.
Japan is destined to lose, but this is rather a bad goal to be pursued.

As i understand this topic should explain the basis for calculating the air production for new players.
But it starts with an interesting discussion, pity that my English skills are not as fluent as I wish, but I hope you understand my point of view.

Japan's air force as both the navy and army have basically 3 main directions of development diuring the game period. I believe that they should follow them. Period of their occurrence depends on the quality of both players.

1. Phase offensive
You should train pilots, and sent them to the pot as soon as the master level of experience is gain.

Air production should provide resources for costly offensive operations. And prepare you for future phases.

2. Phase of the initiative
When the Allied resistance becomes a problem you need to start fighting to keep the initiative, or give it for a possible high price.
That wake-up call to building expert reserve pilots pool.

3. Phase defensive
You lost the initiative, now even a successful retreat would be a cause for joy.
Now pilots are trading their lives for various goals. Example: supply operation for cut base costs 300 pilots.
Tactical counter strike in a forgotten area 100 pilots.

Prices from my WITP pebem play (in 6/44).
etc...

Mastering the air production is the part of "art of play", rather small part. [:D]

For me, the no 1 priority of the Japanese play should be to preserve some decent pilots long enough until the better models come through (and try to bring them through sooner).  Planes like the Zero and Oscar, although world-beaters in '41,  were obsolete by '43 as the Allies had developed tactics to get round their dogfighting advantages, and were kept in production for far too long (where you can lay blame to the Japanese War Ministry,  Mitsubishi wanted to develop new models but were never granted any decent R&D funds by the Ministers, who were quite happy to keep the Zero going as they could never look beyond the short-term & never imagined the Allies would develop better planes or different tactics).
Planes like the George, Frank, Jill and especially the Sam are all world-beaters even in 44/45 so long as they have decent pilots to fly them

ORIGINAL: hubin

This is what I call the Western understanding of the spirit of bushido. Take a sword and do something unpredictable that everybody knew that you're daft.[:D]

Japanese approach I would rather describe as pursuit for perfection in every aspect of your life.
Japan is destined to lose, but this is rather a bad goal to be pursued.

Hubin,

I may well be guilty of a Western understanding -- little one can do about their origin of birth.

And perhaps my language and phrasing were not as precise as I had hoped too. I was trying to convey that as a Japanese player it is, in my opinion, folly to try and play with mechanics of aircraft production efficiency as your prime goal.

It is easy to say: "produce 150 Ha-35 engines by such and such a date." Now, perhaps that is good advice. But I maintain it is much more important as a Japanese player what you do with those engines rather than the mere fact you are producing them.

Trying to convey that concept in a convincing manner isn't an easy task. Quantified numbers of engines and airframes is a much easier to sell. And from my point of view, trying to run the AE Japanese economy like a Boeing or Lockheed Martin plant is, in fact, a Western approach to conducting war. I do not believe the Japanese player can win this game through massive production.

Lastly, you have no appology to make about your English skills. My Japanese language skills are far worse than your English skills. Outside of Tokyo and Osaka, one only need wander a few kilometers from a Shinkansen station to learn how pitiful their Nihongo really is!

Regards,
Feltan

You're right, it is only a small part of the art of play.
Much more important in AE WITP than in the old WITP, because the advantage the allies have is in the quantity only, the quality is only slightly better.


My language skills in Japanese end with the Google translator, for the Japanese I am still a man of the west a little further east than the Citizenns of US but still far from ideal. [:D]

I do not believe the Japanese player can win this game through massive production.

You're right, but i don't belive ignoring production could take you further.

It is easy to say: "produce 150 Ha-35 engines by such and such a date."

You're right, and it is easier to think about the production, having to deal with specific numbers.
It was never supposed to be a recipe for victory, it is just a way to start wrestling with the problem.

Regards,
hubin eastern european

Hubin,

Hahaha ..... You gave me the impression that you were Japanese! Quite a trick!

After your last post, I suspect that we are probably in violent agreement.

Regards,
Feltan

Actually, there is a reason for producing both. Nell's are already in production and I do not like to waste resources and supply by converting them to Betty's and wasting all that time waiting for production to come up again after repairing all those factories. Especially when they are similar in quality. I will have to check but don't Nell's have a much longer transfer range as well?
But, like you said many options and many different ways to play this game. To each his own recipe for success.

I  believe some Nells get radar later that might prove useful at finding those perfidious subs. We'll find out eventually.

Worth keeping a few Nells in production, but Beatties are the better long-distance bomber (just).  They do get upgraded versions in '44 but these although an improvement on the originals are still pretty mediocre...