Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: AlessandroD

ORIGINAL: AlessandroD
Question for you veterans:
I have two different reports about air losses, which is the more accurate?

I found the answer, in this yeard old thread where Alfred said:

Assuming you have FOW on, the most accurate report (but still not 100%) is the daily recap via the intel screen. Combat reports are very much subject to FOW and it is always a mistake to turn off combat animations and rely solely on what is provided via the Combat Report.

That should be the first screen.

Note that the top intel screen shows a summary on the right hand side that shows 10 Allied losses while the bottom intel screen shows 9 A2A and one Ops loss. I am not sure which is more accurate but both seem close enough to be used in estimations. You will never get perfect accuracy - if you did the FOW switch would mean nothing.

I would always bet on the smaller number

If you have the time... re-run the combat replay and count them during the animation phase. look at the battle and record (pen and paper) every time a Kittyhawk is downed, it will not tell you op losses, but it can give you a good perspective for air-to-air and flak... besides it is fun to watch enemy being slaughtered [;)]

where did you get those ship .gifs?

look good, but are they at scale? DD Laffey looks bigger than CA Astoria

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury

I would always bet on the smaller number

If you have the time... re-run the combat replay and count them during the animation phase. look at the battle and record (pen and paper) every time a Kittyhawk is downed, it will not tell you op losses, but it can give you a good perspective for air-to-air and flak... besides it is fun to watch enemy being slaughtered [;)]

Already done [:)]
Destroyed aircrafts (highlighted in red during the replay) were 9, plus some damaged ones (highlighted in yellow) but I don't remember the exactly number, anyhow everytime the damage was heavy the total aircraft diplayed was lowered followed by a grave message.
Therefore I'm inclined to believe that the first screen is the more accurate (of course I will check again in the next air battles).

Usually I always watch the replay, this is one of the reasons why this game is so great (and WEGO the most).

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury

where did you get those ship .gifs?

look good, but are they at scale? DD Laffey looks bigger than CA Astoria

They are beautiful! The artist is Fremen but I don't know if he still around, let me know if you are interested.

About scale: not sure, maybe some DD is a little bigger but in general they seem right (CA Astoria and BB North Carolina, plus the others DDs).

ORIGINAL: AlessandroD

everytime the damage was heavy the total aircraft diplayed was lowered followed by a grave message.

A reduction on the number of planes displayed without a "destroyed" or "damaged" message just means somebody left the battle, it will normally come with some "chrome" reason like guns jammed. this is probably the way the designers chose to avoid endless fighting. The reason of the withdrawal might influence the chances of operational losses (an engine on fire is more damaging than just smoke or guns jammed), but we will never know exactly what is happening under the cover.
Sometimes you will get a message that "plane X was shot down on the return leg"

a red message "destroyed" is the best indication of a shot down plane, damage can become an operation loss, but it is not guaranteed.

With regards to Fremen's art; do you have a link?

No, he sent to me the files zipped some years ago.
I can write to him if he is willing to share all stuff again (I don't think it will be a problem though).

ORIGINAL: AlessandroD

No, he sent to me the files zipped some years ago.
I can write to him if he is willing to share all stuff again (I don't think it will be a problem though).

Don't worry, but thanks for the offer

The Japanese typical Destroyer Division was 4 Destroyers led by a CL. Of course war being costly on vessels, many times they didn't have all 4. The Americans didn't use their CLs as Destroyer Leaders for an American Destroyer Squadron. When playing the Japanese early in the war I try to get as many Destroyers into engagements, especially night ones as the Long Lance is Japans best weapon and the Destroyers were the primary vessel to deliver them. By mid/late 43 the American advancement in radar makes night torpedo attack less effective, as the American see and engage at much greater distances.

Thanks for the tips! [:)]

Guadalcanal
Again my recon has been insufficient and I totally missed an enemy CV!
He launched an attack against my transports heading to Tassafaronga without even bother to use fighters in escort role (he knows I don't have any CV yet), a transport with some support troops has been lost plus some CAs damaged.
I put too many faith in my recon and this is the outcome, moreover he made a good move sending a single CV lowering the chance to be spotted.

CA Chokai, Aoba and Kinugasa need some rest to repair the light-medium damages.
With the previous naval battle I have all CAs out of business for a while.

The good news are:
thanks to my CAs that absorbed the A/C attention my transports have been able to unload the 35th Inf Brigade HQ and the 35th IB/124th Inf Regiment without excessive damage (a single xAK sunk and few support squads lost), overall the operation "Fortress" is concluded with success and Tassafaronga cannot be taken by enemy without a major effort.
Moreover the CAs are not really needed now, before to launch any offensive I want my CVs and Rabaul well stocked with supplies.

DD Yanoi, previously damaged in the Battle of Savo Island, suffered a major flooding damage and we have to record another loss.

CA Salt Lake City reported sunk but I'm not sure is true.

Port Moresby
Finally another infantry regiment joyned the Horii Group and an attack has been lunched against the Australians troops at Kokoda:

Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 7371 troops, 56 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 281
Defending force 2638 troops, 21 guns, 21 vehicles, Assault Value = 96

Japanese adjusted assault: 169
Allied adjusted defense: 49

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), leaders(-), preparation(-)
experience(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
292 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 16 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

Allied ground losses:
963 casualties reported
Squads: 20 destroyed, 13 disabled
Non Combat: 30 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 2 disabled
Vehicles lost 7 (2 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Units retreated 1

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
144th (+) Inf Regiment
41st (Sep) Inf Regiment
I/15th Ind Engineer Regiment
HQ So Seas Group
I/55th Arty Battalion

Defending units:
30th Aus Brigade

In the meantime he has heavily reinforced PM (about 20000 men, 200 guns and 100 vehicles) and Milne Bay (about 13000 men, 150 guns and 80 vehicles), in fact the garrisons have been doubled.

Now the operation "Gambling" need some thought, PM is out of question for a direct attack but I don't want to retreat my troops yet.
Milne Bay can be a trap for one of us...

Rabaul
Firts B-17 raid, even if under thunderstorms 25 bombers have been able to hit 5 ships (an ACM sunk) at 10000 feet, no friendly CAP over the base therefore they were unmolested.

Sweep mission over Milne Bay and 9 Kittyhawk IA has been shut down for a single Zero.

[center][/center]

Great signature pic - perfect for this scenario! I looked with the magnifying glass and there are other aircraft in the picture, a nice wing vortex coming off the Zero and a clear razorback on the Wildcat.

I wonder what the circular formation with the line through the middle was? Refuelling area? Bombing up point? Local version of the Indy 500 track?

It's not a signature but you give me the idea!

This is a painting by Robert Taylor (check his site, amazing piece of art!)

Of course, the airstrip is Henderson Field [:)]