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One of the things I force myself to not do is kill the AI's carriers with land based squadrons. It's too easy to do, and not as much fun as carrier clashes are. So even if the AI marches his carriers through some heavily fortified death trap I've built I tend to shut down my strike packages until they pass. Carrier vs carrier is much more fun.


As for notes, I use sticky pads. My monitor (the edges), the TV next to it, and the wall to the right are all covered in sticky notes.

First game was scenario I from the Japaneses side. I made a whole bunch of mistakes but still wiped the floor with the Allies as my mop.

I have eviscerated, American fleet, Chungking fell 6/42, Karachi about a year latter, Vladivostok falls 12/43 with about a third of the soviet forces destroyed, and the rest with no hope of more supply.

The AI just keeps sending units into the frey piecemeal when they shouldn't.

I am starting a game as the Allies plan to run about a year or less of it. Then I hope to do a PMEM game.

Played Coral Sea once, then Gua scen many times.  RL doesn't permit me a PBEM, so I now play a personal mod as IJ against Andy's Ironman (essentially, but I beefed the allies up a "bit" more in the '44 -'46 timeframe ... the allied production doesn't slack off in my mod .. so more a/c, more ships, and more LCU devices for them).  Play on Norm with 2 -3 days/month on Hard (per Andy's suggestions for the Ironman scen's ... a lot of bases have supply sources and allied pilots come into the pool at 60-70 exp).
 
Avoiding any deep end rushes, and no CV hunting allows for a fun game.  Not PBEM by any means.  Hopefully RL will allow me to start a PBEM in a few years ... I'm not holding my breath.
 
Planning?  [:D]  I'm pretty sure Mike Solli and I would have similar stacks of paper and the MB files sizes of our Excel sheets would also be comparable. [X(]  Let's just lot's and leave it at that.*
 
 
* Doesn't include the copious amount of notes regarding my mod, changelog, and design guide.  woof.  [8D] 

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

playing the AI on Hard or Very Hard can be more rewarding. Hard frees the AI of logistical constraints so even if you blow up its supply ships the bases cut off will behave as if they have supply. Nothing one can do about scripted/non sensible moves but it can make assaulting strong positions problematic just like it was for the real life CO's. [:)]

Very Hard will add combat bonuses to the AI.

As a seasoned UV player, my first thought was that WitP AE would just be bigger and better. But it was so complicated when I first 'dived' in, I nearly lost the will to live.

My first game as the Japanese against the AI was extremely difficult and daunting. I was on the point of saying 'this is'nt for me', and then I discovered this fantastic forum. The helpful guys on this forum answered all my questions & soon pointed me in the right direction. I soon crushed my AI opponent.

I now mostly play PBEM, but I still dabble with the AI on V.Hard, between opponents. The AI on V.Hard will at least stop me getting rusty and/or complacent, and can always be relied upon to spring a suprise or two!!

I started learning this game by playing full campaign. It took 2 years in game time and real time to achieve victory condition. Now I'm playing the scenarios. It would have been maybe better to start with scenarios.

Strategy was quite basic and included taking Port Moresby, Milne Bay, Midway and solomons and fortifying them.

I'm still too lazy to use the tracker.

Planning map is ready in PDF form if anyone is interested. Send me a PM.

My first campaign against Japanese AI never progressed past December 14, 1941. Too many units, too many ships - I got lost. I tried to play without notes and lost track of orders/movements for my units. I thought the game was epic but simply unplayable.

Yeah it very complex and so much going on for first scenario or full campaign. i tired to stick with it few times with PBEMs and didnt come out well, so everything i go back in play against the AIs, i knew something was missing that needed to be corrected in the game.

I am going to try it this time on my mod, with more accurate aircraft details on production, etcs. Maybe missing more than i ever though. Anyway i am going to try this one more time.

I´ve started a gazillion times against the AI. First twenty times I probably just did a turn or two before realizing I messed something up pretty badly and started over. I actually made it to mid 43 one time before the AI ran out of ships.

zuluhour -

A very impressive set up, Sir!

Mac

You are tired of butchering the japanese empire too easy? Play Andys Ironman V.10 and watch AMCs sink your cruisers. [:D]

ORIGINAL: Banzan

You are tired of butchering the japanese empire too easy? Play Andys Ironman V.10 and watch AMCs sink your cruisers. [:D]

That would be funny, with high skilled crews with armed merchant cruisers can be deadly on surface attacks.

The one i found (or better: Who found my convoy) had 10x 15cm guns, 2x 8cm guns, 16x 40mm AA guns, 2x 6 Long-Lance torpedos and 12x 13.2mm AA MGs. Sunk a CL, 3 DDs and serveral xAKs before the Lex stopped it.

My game is in feb. ´42 now and im in serious trouble. If you ever played an iron man scenario, you know what pearl harbour looks like, and if not: There is not much left to repair. Dutch navy is not existent anymore and most ships i send to support australia are gone, too. Strong LCUs landed at New Caledonia (Noumea), Espiritu Santo (Luganville) and the Fijis (Suva). At Noumea landed 1x guards infantry division +more (20k+ men). Can´t scout Suva and Luganville anymore, at least 2 CVTFs are in the area. Supplying AUS is getting very hard now. The route Cape Town-Perth is blocked by the german support force (with weapons now). I'm not sure how many CVs Andy added for japan, but it seems a lot.[:D]

I started with the board game against a frend, who defeated me. The problem is, I approach a game in roleplay/story mode. My opponent plays in minimax the ame engie mode. It is a poor fix.

I do not recall my first game against the AI. I was writing an AAR (I think one of the first story type back when the standard AARwoukd cut and paste the combat report). I was just a few months in when I got invited to a PBEM game that lasted until March '42 before turns quit showing up.

I took a long break.

My first attempt ar WITPAE went was Scenario 2 hard mode. It went to March 42 - but I had sunk way too many Japanese transport ships.

Tried again - Ironman - hard mode.

I am ending April 1942 now. It is still a good game.

It does require playng historical.

I chalenged Japan for what it took historically only with what was already "in Theater". There was no Sir Robin and no reinforcement. However, when Japan started ro expand beyond that perimeter, there was some confrontations.

I also play with a ton of house rules that are fit for a story. I play my units as if they represent real people, not chess pieces. So, for example, I try to rescue any stranded soldier - not just a couple I need to rebuild. No suicide missions. I pay a lot of attention to morale and supply.

I jumped straight into the campaign game with the idea that my learning as I went would be similar to the US gearing up for war and learning as it went. I do not take any notes. Each turn, I move methodically across the map (England, Canada, Eastern US, Panama, up the West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, Pacific Islands, Australia, west India, East India and Burma, China) then play my turn.

By the way, if a good AI game goes bad, there is always the option to ask for some PBEM help for a few days to straighten it up - I suppose.

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

not even close to as much fun as PBEM, but very enjoyable.
Yes
Yes





I had to do alot of erasing anyway, but I prefer something to write on to.

Impressive!
I wonder what's the opinion of your girlfriend/wife about it.

September 15th 1942

I'm bombing Rabaul, but the Jap Navy doesn't seem to want to play in any strength anywhere.

The KB has just headed off my search arcs from Ndeni, and not reappeared into those from Baker and Wallis Island. I'm about to start an invaison of the southern Gilberts.

I'm holding my own in China, and struggling in Burma

One thing I have to notice is that I've barely seen any Japanese Subs

Great fun, and considering I went straight in the campaign after buying the game, I'm satisfied.

I'd get my ass kicked in a PBEM though, even if I had the time to do one!

ORIGINAL:

One thing I have to notice is that I've barely seen any Japanese Subs

In my game (Oct '42) I've encountered them in large numbers. Haven't killed many subs, maybe 2 or 3, but my air ASW sees them all the time. From San Diego to Karachi & Nome to Dunedin. I only chance unescorted supply convoys from Cape Town to Albany.

I'm playing Babes Scen 38 vs the AI and while this is not my first game, this is the farthest I've gotten so far (November 1943). The IJN is mostly toast (though I expect to see the new construction CVs soon), I've cleared Luzon of Japanese troops, and I'm almost ready to snag Babeldaob, Saipan, and Tinian from Guam. Truk is mine, as is Rabaul, and the Aussies have landed in Oosthaven and are marching towards Palembang. Burma is free of Japanese troops and the Chinese have liberated Hong Kong and Shanghai. The Allies have lost one CV (and an RN one at that), one CVE, two BB (both RN), and two CA (both RAN). Lighter unit losses are higher but not a lot. Pennsylvania is in yard hands at Truk with 59 major flot waiting for an ABSD to be free but other than that almost every ship I have is in battle-ready condition. The air losses are about 2.5:1 in my favor overall but about 1:1 in ops losses which are about half my losses.

I'm still playing mostly to get a feel for how late-war Allied equipment works. After that I plan to do an AAR against the AI to introduce myself to the PBEM community and then go hunting for a PBEM opponent to kick my butt.