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I write it out. I start with a list, West edge bases, north edge bases. Tf's at sea indian ocean, India, Burma, so on and so forth. Then somewere between 8 hours and 7 to 10 days later I review it and save as my first turn setup.[:'(] Then I sleep for a few hours, go to work, go home and let it rip.
Cheers

A few guys have touched on it, but the way to manage any seemingly insurmountable task is to break it down into manageable units. How you break down the workload is up to you.

Today I will set up all my training sqaudrons.

Today I will do everything that needs to be done in CONUS.

How you divide doesn't matter. It is the compartmentalization and checklist that will help you power through.

I have been working on a kind of "checklist" if you will, for the allied player. Because every time I start a new game I do get overcome with the amount of work required to get going. I'm sure that when I finish it can be used, modified for the JFB as well.[:)]
Cheers

I've just started playing this and looked around for some advice because I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the amount of units you need to set up and came across these spreadsheets. I've pretty much copied them line for line (takes forever) with some minor tweaking where I didn't like the force setup - very little changes as I don't know enough yet (1st time). There's a ton of stuff in these I never even considered doing on my first turn even after looking at the newbie tutorial.

Hope they are useful, I input them by region and as it's spreadsheet based you can just make any changes you like and save them to the file for the next time you do it.

They seem to be current in terms of assets (only found a couple that seemed to be missing), only problem I have now is what to do on the second turn [:D]

Doh! Forum won't let me post URL's until a week after my 10th post so you'll need to google or search for

Allies Set-up Spreadsheet for AE

Japan Set-up Spreadsheet for AE


(For good measure) search for Japan airframe & Engine Planner by same guy (not even looked at this yet)

Without these I think I'd still be setting up my first turn until Xmas

Look at it like an AFB does.

What HAS to be done on the first turn, and can't wait for the second or third? The magic TFs, a bunch of AF strikes, midget subs, and what else? You don't have to set up the whole economy on the first turn. Do what can't wait 24 hours and get the game going.

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

Look at it like an AFB does.

What HAS to be done on the first turn, and can't wait for the second or third? The magic TFs, a bunch of AF strikes, midget subs, and what else? You don't have to set up the whole economy on the first turn. Do what can't wait 24 hours and get the game going.

Amen!

ORIGINAL: pws1225

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

Look at it like an AFB does.

What HAS to be done on the first turn, and can't wait for the second or third? The magic TFs, a bunch of AF strikes, midget subs, and what else? You don't have to set up the whole economy on the first turn. Do what can't wait 24 hours and get the game going.

Amen!

Good somebody agrees with a moose. [:)]

Before the OCD crowd jumps on me, I don't mean those are the three and only three things one must do. I'm just saying do the operational tasks and leave the admin for the first week. Don't waste a day's transit where a day's transit matters, but moving five xAKs to Sapporo can wait a day or two. It's a long war.

why just donk make your own private first turnm, which you will recycle every time you start new game (with few modifications) - but well work only for jf .

I have a checklist for 8 December, 1941 as Allies. The checklist is a twelve page long Word document. I don't have to think about the first Allied turn - I just go through the motions using the checklist.

I start with global actions (standing down aircraft, stockpiling selected devices, stopping industry repairs etc.) and then everything else, from left(India) to right(Continental US).

ORIGINAL: Yaab

I have a checklist for 8 December, 1941 as Allies. The checklist is a twelve page long Word document. I don't have to think about the first Allied turn - I just go through the motions using the checklist.

I start with global actions (standing down aircraft, stockpiling selected devices, stopping industry repairs etc.) and then everything else, from left(India) to right(Continental US).

If that works for you, great. It took some time to generate a 12-page document, but to each his own.

I just think starting a game with another person, and then taking two weeks to get the first turn across, borders on rude. Maybe it's the Midwesterner in me.

ORIGINAL: Icedawg

Has anyone else experienced motivational issues trying to set up the first turn for a second PBEM? You're in the middle of a game and you want to start a second, but you've gotten spoiled by having everything nicely organized in your current game. Then, you look at that disorganized mess that is Turn 1 and you just feel depressed/overwhelmed.

I've been working off and on now for a week or so, and I just can't seem to keep up a sustained effort. The most I can do is maybe 45 minutes, then I shut down and play Mahjong, Panzer Corps and other mindless but instant-gratification games. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, how did you get past it?

I keep trying to pick the game back up but just staring at the screen and realizing the monumental amount of effort required to get a campaign going wears me out just thinking about it. I'm currently working on a mod, though, which I hope will take some of the micromanagement out of the game. For example I think I'm going to turn off Jap industry and just go with monthly build rates and instead of fooling around with little 12 plane squadrons here and there I'm trying to set most air units up as large groups, except maybe for some carrier groups.

I agree with Moose. First time I ever played Japan, it took me over a week to get it to the point I was ready to send the turn. But it did not take me very long to realize how stupid that was. There is very little you HAVE to do on turn one. I can guarantee that whatever either side does on turn one is not going to lose them the game [:)]

So when I started my second game as Japan I found it very easy to get going. Then just to see how the other half lived, I looked at the Allied side for turn one. OMG how EASY that was. I did exactly THREE things on turn one as the Allies or Turn 2 depending on the settings.

1. Moved the CV TFs out of harms way
2. Move the subs/ships/planes out of the PI and set CAP
3. Setup/moved Malaysia units around (CAP, ships out, etc.)

Everything else I left as is because you know what? As the Allies it does not really matter [:)]. Do you really believe that Dec 8th moves will matter in June of '44? For either side? If so then you may not have played that far into the game to know that it will not. Even if EVERY sub was sunk at Manila would that matter in '44? No. It would make things a little (and I stress little) easier for Japan but still would have no impact on sub ops in 44/45.

Over the next MONTH of turns I worked on specific areas, like OZ for one turn, India the next, etc. along with responding to Japanese moves.

Of course if you REALLY have to try and do it all at once, then more power to you [:)]

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress

ORIGINAL: Icedawg

Has anyone else experienced motivational issues trying to set up the first turn for a second PBEM? You're in the middle of a game and you want to start a second, but you've gotten spoiled by having everything nicely organized in your current game. Then, you look at that disorganized mess that is Turn 1 and you just feel depressed/overwhelmed.

I've been working off and on now for a week or so, and I just can't seem to keep up a sustained effort. The most I can do is maybe 45 minutes, then I shut down and play Mahjong, Panzer Corps and other mindless but instant-gratification games. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, how did you get past it?

I keep trying to pick the game back up but just staring at the screen and realizing the monumental amount of effort required to get a campaign going wears me out just thinking about it. I'm currently working on a mod, though, which I hope will take some of the micromanagement out of the game. For example I think I'm going to turn off Jap industry and just go with monthly build rates and instead of fooling around with little 12 plane squadrons here and there I'm trying to set most air units up as large groups, except maybe for some carrier groups.

The funny part is that you are not able to get the first turn done but are actually putting in overtime on a mod....

ORIGINAL: Cannonfodder

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress

ORIGINAL: Icedawg

Has anyone else experienced motivational issues trying to set up the first turn for a second PBEM? You're in the middle of a game and you want to start a second, but you've gotten spoiled by having everything nicely organized in your current game. Then, you look at that disorganized mess that is Turn 1 and you just feel depressed/overwhelmed.

I've been working off and on now for a week or so, and I just can't seem to keep up a sustained effort. The most I can do is maybe 45 minutes, then I shut down and play Mahjong, Panzer Corps and other mindless but instant-gratification games. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, how did you get past it?

I keep trying to pick the game back up but just staring at the screen and realizing the monumental amount of effort required to get a campaign going wears me out just thinking about it. I'm currently working on a mod, though, which I hope will take some of the micromanagement out of the game. For example I think I'm going to turn off Jap industry and just go with monthly build rates and instead of fooling around with little 12 plane squadrons here and there I'm trying to set most air units up as large groups, except maybe for some carrier groups.

The funny part is that you are not able to get the first turn done but are actually putting in overtime on a mod....

Very true. For me modding is a means of "playing" the game. These days I enjoy modding more than I do playing. [:o]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: pws1225

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

Look at it like an AFB does.

What HAS to be done on the first turn, and can't wait for the second or third? The magic TFs, a bunch of AF strikes, midget subs, and what else? You don't have to set up the whole economy on the first turn. Do what can't wait 24 hours and get the game going.

Amen!

Good somebody agrees with a moose. [:)]

Before the OCD crowd jumps on me, I don't mean those are the three and only three things one must do. I'm just saying do the operational tasks and leave the admin for the first week. Don't waste a day's transit where a day's transit matters, but moving five xAKs to Sapporo can wait a day or two. It's a long war.

I find it hard to believe that every ship in the Pacific Theatre received orders on the first day of the war anyway.

Don't completely agree here.
For Japan the pace of ops is vital in the first 2 or 3 months. And in these days, everything matters.
Losing a day or two in giving orders to the right ships to get to the right place may mean a week lost in an invasion, which may lead to a month lost in the big picture before the amphib bonus expires.

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Don't completely agree here.
For Japan the pace of ops is vital in the first 2 or 3 months. And in these days, everything matters.
Losing a day or two in giving orders to the right ships to get to the right place may mean a week lost in an invasion, which may lead to a month lost in the big picture before the amphib bonus expires.

I agree, and sometimes it's not even orders to do something, but orders to undo what was historical and reconfigure that, which may even mean unloading one of those slow poorly configured TFs and putting them together differently two turns later.

ORIGINAL: Feurer Krieg
...
If I start a second game... which I have been considering... I may do Allies since playing Allies is 'easy mode'.
...

+1

I started an IJ PBEM about 6 months ago - had never played the dark side before. It took me 6 weeks! Fortunately, I saved a lot of stuff in a spreadsheet (OOB's, plans, etc), so next time it might be easier.

Right now, there is no way I'd start another game as Japan. I've been steadily discovering all sorts of things to do differently (usually the hard way), from economy to invasions to China, etc. And were still in 42! I can't wait to see what I've messed up in 44 or 45.

So, I agree, if I started a second game, it would be as Allies, and it would have to be a secondary 'spare time' game.

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Don't completely agree here.
For Japan the pace of ops is vital in the first 2 or 3 months. And in these days, everything matters.
Losing a day or two in giving orders to the right ships to get to the right place may mean a week lost in an invasion, which may lead to a month lost in the big picture before the amphib bonus expires.

As my Japan games have all gone beyond 1943, I have to respectfully disagree. What moves in Dec-Feb '42 which is the first 2-3 months of the will casue Japan to lose the war before '45? As a JFB, I cannot think of a single one.

Of course if you want to go wild as japan and do ahistorical things like invade Calcutta in Jan '42, etc. then you are correct. But I do not play that way simply because until both phases of Japan's expansion is complete, Japan did not more out of their planned perimeter until all that was done. But that is just me [:)]

But if you follow the historical timeline, then nothing you do is really going to mess things up for Japan. So take the time and spread out the tasks.

ORIGINAL: Numdydar

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Don't completely agree here.
For Japan the pace of ops is vital in the first 2 or 3 months. And in these days, everything matters.
Losing a day or two in giving orders to the right ships to get to the right place may mean a week lost in an invasion, which may lead to a month lost in the big picture before the amphib bonus expires.

As my Japan games have all gone beyond 1943, I have to respectfully disagree. What moves in Dec-Feb '42 which is the first 2-3 months of the will casue Japan to lose the war before '45? As a JFB, I cannot think of a single one.

Of course if you want to go wild as japan and do ahistorical things like invade Calcutta in Jan '42, etc. then you are correct. But I do not play that way simply because until both phases of Japan's expansion is complete, Japan did not more out of their planned perimeter until all that was done. But that is just me [:)]

But if you follow the historical timeline, then nothing you do is really going to mess things up for Japan. So take the time and spread out the tasks.

What you're missing here is that it's often much easier to take space easy before the Allies can move troops and reinforce, before units can combine into larger ones, before pilots train up. The faster you go the less Japan has to face and fewer of the precious pilots, ships and troops will be lost in the early conquest. if you wait, it costs more, and although you may make it late into the game, you may not be quite as well off as if you'd been more efficient and thorough with even the first turn.

Having played this both sides, I can attest to the differences between slow and quick moves by Japan.