Recommended Preferences

[mike scholl 1]

ORIGINAL: tocaff

Whatever you do don't use realistic weather as it has never worked properly.

I'll second this. Unless you want to play in a Pacific-wide Monsoon, leave this off!

[LoBaron]

ORIGINAL: Numdydar

ORIGINAL: tocaff

Whatever you do don't use realistic weather as it has never worked properly.

Can you give more details as it seems to be working for me just fine. I played all my games with it on without anything that seemed odd or wrong. Of course I am using the betas too.

It is working perfectly fine. I made exactly the same experience as you, no issues at all and a much more realistic game, most of all with regards to predictability and a/c misison frequency.

But different people, different opinions. I guess thats what this switch is for in the first place. [8D]

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

I believe the Resources thing is correct, from memory. I tried to find Alfred's post on this--probably 20 search terms--and nothing came up.

That would be because the detailed analysis was contained in a lengthy email sent to you quite some time ago. On the forum I don't recall ever providing the detailed calculations which that personal email contained but I have on several occasions provided my summary to the forum. Post #2665 in this thread enunciates the conclusions.

tm.asp?m=2729136&mpage=89&key=palembang%2Cfuel&#3051086

When I post to the forum strategic/tactical pieces I don't often provide the detailed calculations I make although I generally do list the factors I have taken into account because the reader should also take them into account. When people attack my conclusions as being bereft of any realistic foundations they are usually just ascribing to me their own modus operandi, overlooking that I've put much more prior thought into my posts than they have. Recommendations based solely on personal praxis gleaned from only 1 or 2 PBEM games played to conclusion is of very limited value as the lessons "learnt" are very much dependent on the quality of the opponent and what consequently occurred in that particular match.

Alfred

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Alfred

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

I believe the Resources thing is correct, from memory. I tried to find Alfred's post on this--probably 20 search terms--and nothing came up.

That would be because the detailed analysis was contained in a lengthy email sent to you quite some time ago. On the forum I don't recall ever providing the detailed calculations which that personal email contained but I have on several occasions provided my summary to the forum. Post #2665 in this thread enunciates the conclusions.

tm.asp?m=2729136&mpage=89&key=palembang%2Cfuel?

When I post to the forum strategic/tactical pieces I don't often provide the detailed calculations I make although I generally do list the factors I have taken into account because the reader should also take them into account. When people attack my conclusions as being bereft of any realistic foundations they are usually just ascribing to me their own modus operandi, overlooking that I've put much more prior thought into my posts than they have. Recommendations based solely on personal praxis gleaned from only 1 or 2 PBEM games played to conclusion is of very limited value as the lessons "learnt" are very much dependent on the quality of the opponent and what consequently occurred in that particular match.

Alfred

I just finished a long trip down memory lane, re-reading many of our past emails and I'm not able to find this one. I do recall the main points. Just can't find the dang thing. Not surprisingly, often the email title has little to do with content. [:)]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Iroquois
As I gear up for seeking out my first head to head opponent after a very long absence, what is the community assessment on the best realism and game option settings? Realize I am going to get a possible range of responses but that is cool.

"Best" settings will vary person by person. I think MOST people will play with Japanese PDU on, Allied damage control on, Allied faulty torpedoes on and historical arrivals of naval vessels. Beyond that, the respective settings vary.

I'd probably recommend PDU on for your new game-as it removes the handcuffs of the PDU off gameplay and 'opens up' the world of aircraft research for you to experience.

PDU off is, in my opinion, something for more experienced players to grapple with. Same with the other settings I've identified above.

As far as scenarios are concerned, you can have an enjoyable game with scenario 1 or 2. Scenario 1 is probably more 'realistic' than the fuel-laden and forward-deployed monty hall scenario 2. But the latter does typically provide more frenetic late 1942 action and the real possibility of the Allied loss of game by auto-victory.

Realism or nail-biting excitement? This is at the root of your decision tree, IMO.

[Xargun]

If you are going to play Japan at this point I would recommend firing up Scen 1 or 2 - your choice and play against the AI for at least two months and see what mistakes you make with the economy. Take notes of what you do and then why you shouldn't have done it. Trust me, nothing is worst than being in a PBeM game in early 42 when Japan says he has to restart or quit. The economy can ruin the game very quick if you over due it to early and trust me... you will.. We all did. How do you think the Japanese Economic Masters around here learned it all - trial and error. I learned a lot that way and by reading everything I could find on the subject. What everyone else does with their economy will not matter 100% in your games as every game is as different as the opponent, but some things are the same. Play some against the AI and play with the economy. Learn where your initial resource/oil sources are and get some experience with convoys. Then start a PBeM afterward - yourself and your opponent will thank you.

Btw I find it funny that a lot of people complain about lack of fuel. I have never had lack of fuel. I always have lack of resources.

[Numdydar]

I find that astonishing. In Aug '43 I have 21M in Japan HI and 35M in total resources across the entire map [X(]. Not once has any of my LI or HI shut down due to lack of resources.
 
While I have a lot of fuel (over 1M in Sinapore), is is definately not in the HI [:(] 50K of oil in the HI and 250K of fuel.
 
Which is why I said oil/fuel is the main driver and not resouces [:)] 

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Xargun

If you are going to play Japan at this point I would recommend firing up Scen 1 or 2 - your choice and play against the AI for at least two months and see what mistakes you make with the economy. Take notes of what you do and then why you shouldn't have done it. Trust me, nothing is worst than being in a PBeM game in early 42 when Japan says he has to restart or quit. The economy can ruin the game very quick if you over due it to early and trust me... you will.. We all did. How do you think the Japanese Economic Masters around here learned it all - trial and error. I learned a lot that way and by reading everything I could find on the subject. What everyone else does with their economy will not matter 100% in your games as every game is as different as the opponent, but some things are the same. Play some against the AI and play with the economy. Learn where your initial resource/oil sources are and get some experience with convoys. Then start a PBeM afterward - yourself and your opponent will thank you.

Btw I find it funny that a lot of people complain about lack of fuel. I have never had lack of fuel. I always have lack of resources.

If you shipped in more resources, you'd be lacking fuel!

Basically, do the math. Tracker helps with this. The boils down to a permanent deficit on Oil, unless you shut down Refineries which then requires you to shut down HI to "balance" the inputs/outputs. You can do so - I did so in my AI game. Oil is the "how long can I produce stuff" constraint - there is just so much less of it than anything else. Once you run out of Oil stockpiles, you'll be producing less Fuel, and your Fuel stocks will run out sooner.

Taking a historical area of the map (SRA, Burma) plus Sian/Lanchow, Japan runs out of Oil in Scen 2 sometime in mid-late 1943, as there will be a permanent deficit of around 400. I used to be intimately familiar with this numbers, but haven't quite gotten to that point in my PBEM, as I am still repairing Oil centers. Soon, though... I may do some calculations soon.