Matrix Games Forums

My view is that every ship avery aircraft has a job to do.

Every turn I need to check that they are doing their job.

Why is this TF heading over there?

This is an excellent idea for a thread Oleg. I've started 10 PBEM games, and although I've only finished 1 (my first against Raver - was very clear the game was over although only just december 42) only 3 others (including the second game vs Raver) have lasted more than two months game time and will play out to a clear victory/defeat.

Of the 6 "forfiet" games:
1 opponent ended all his games for personal reasons and I had no problem whatsoever with it - especially since he was sure to email everyone.
1 Opponent was angry that I won the battle of the Coral sea as the IJN (he was a newbie - of course I was going to win hands down!) and sent me a surrender email.
4 opponents lost the coral sea battle (or didn't loose, but lost CVs) and disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again.

Raver, Doomed Mantis and Admiral Arctic have all been averaging 10-15 turns a week for months in a row now (even with my email letting them down lately - message rules all solved!!!!).

If you want to start that other list (you all know what I mean) I've got 4 definites - although I haven't seen them on the boards signing up for other games otherwise I would have been properly rude and warned their would-be opponents off!

Well, let me also endorse Bosun as a good opponent, we're on our second game, and we've been playing (time flies...) since July 2002. I'd won my previous two games, but he handed me my hat in the first one.

Not finding it quite so easy this time, though.

Hmmmm....perhaps "we", the veteran posters/players should take more care in fostering the newbies, so that they will not loose heart and bugger off after a few dozen turns? Scenerios such as #5 with the Newbies playing the Allies is an excellent way to bring their confidence level up.
So maybe we should not be bitching at the wankers whom quit, but look at ourselfs instead?

Originally posted by Raverdave
So maybe we should not be bitching at the wankers whom quit, but look at ourselfs instead?

Blame myself? Hardly:D

I advice all of you reading this to get a reliable gaming partner in time for WITP....

I can certainly recommend Caltone - an even keeled player. Don't know how far we got in our last game. We mutually agreed to start over when 2.30 came out. It has been fun.

Dennisonh is another opponent who lasted until we agreed in March (or was it April) '43 that my cause as the Japanese was hopeless and ended the game. Depending on my schedule we may start again soon.

And Mogami hung in there even after I whupped him (only kidding) - until I quit in November '42 because Yamaguchi, Ozawa and Nagumo forgot to take their sanity pills.

The others? Well, all but one of them were kind enough to send an email telling me they quit.

Originally posted by Raverdave
Hmmmm....perhaps "we", the veteran posters/players should take more care in fostering the newbies, so that they will not loose heart and bugger off after a few dozen turns? Scenerios such as #5 with the Newbies playing the Allies is an excellent way to bring their confidence level up.
So maybe we should not be bitching at the wankers whom quit, but look at ourselfs instead?

I can tell you that a newbie going up against an experienced player is like signing up for an adult education class in prison rape I just opened a scen 17 turn where my opponent sailed a 4 carrier TF 6 Hexes from Brisbane undetected and sunk 6 AP's. He also seems to have magical powers against my subs. He has taught me the effectiveness of a small Bombardment force...catching my troop-transport TF at PM...and its only mid June 42!!! It would be a stretch to say I am having fun..but I never enjoyed school that much either.

Playing another beginner is like switching to to the 6 ft.-and-under
basketball league when you have been beat up by Kobe and Allen Iverson.

I have no objection to a "Gold" list for players who are dependable but a "black List" turns me off. Not everyone can get along in pbem and if someone habitually quits games, then the word will get around anyway. Even a "Gold List" strikes me as elitetist but at least it is not negative and does not impugn someone's reputation.

Black list was never a serious idea... BTW, player who prompted me to start this thread saw it and reconsidered, so we continue our game.

Obivously, whining may be misunderstood sometimes. Be careful not to whine too much too!

O.

Originally posted by Oleg Mastruko
Black list was never a serious idea... BTW, player who prompted me to start this thread saw it and reconsidered, so we continue our game.

Obivously, whining may be misunderstood sometimes. Be careful not to whine too much too!

O.

There is a saying in the US Army

"If a soldier ain't bitching, he ain't happy":)

Glad to see you are one happy camper Oleg:D

But I have to say that most of us who play UV PBEM with anyone other than your brother will at some point have someone quit. I have had 3 players drop on me.

But I have been blessed with some good opponents who are good about keeping a steady pace for the turns, and answer emails. My gold list

Sonny (I think the rematch on this one will be a tough match)
Worr
Fenelon
LEBILLAN
John Perryman

Originally posted by denisonh
There is a saying in the US Army

"If a soldier ain't bitching, he ain't happy":)

...................

The civilian equivalent is: Its the silient ones who climb the tower with a high powered rifle.

BTW - thanks for the endorsement (in spite of all my complaining about the game).

Originally posted by Oleg Mastruko
No I am not

Actually I am convinced Japs CANNOT win in PBEM unless:

a) Allied player is an idiot
b) Allied player is LOT less experienced than Jap player
c) Allied player QUITS after he loses his first CV, loses interest etc.

Yet, 80% of my PBEMs were as Japs. I love challenge. Most of the times it was option c)...

Maybe in some perverse way it is historic? Ie. Japs were counting on Allies not having the will to fight on...

O.

I have almost concluded UV is unbalanced IN FAVOR of the JAPANESE!!! It lets them have too much shipping and too many heavy units they never need to send home. It also lets them have automatic victory, and the victory conditions have changed (apparently in 2.3) so now ANY "level 5 airbase south of hex row 52" qualifies!!! If you think the Japanese MUST lose, send me your email address - sidtrevethan@myexcel.com.

Mail is on the way elcid, let me just add how I enjoy your posts on this board, very insightful and always a good read.

O.

I have started seven games (six scen #17 and one #19) from this forum. Four scen #17 players bailed, and the scen #19 was the Japs and bailed too. All in July/Aug 1942, just after major air battles with CVs getting sunk. They weren't thinking of the future or what I could do, so were surprised and lost. All said they would play to the end and were experienced players. But they probably learnt bad habits playing the AI- thinking I would fall to their little schemes.

The other scen #17 I am the Japs in both, and we are going well. In the game against Luskan, we are up to July 1943. The other game against Doomed Mantis it is still in July 1942. These two players were obviously very experienced player and know what they are doing. And (also important) know what the enemy can do too.

Luskan and I have been doing 10-12 turns per week. We have both been putting in the turns good and bad times.

Originally posted by elcid
I have almost concluded UV is unbalanced IN FAVOR of the JAPANESE!!! It lets them have too much shipping and too many heavy units they never need to send home. It also lets them have automatic victory, and the victory conditions have changed (apparently in 2.3) so now ANY "level 5 airbase south of hex row 52" qualifies!!! If you think the Japanese MUST lose, send me your email address - sidtrevethan@myexcel.com.

Now I'm officially confused. Some says Allied can't lose and some says otherwise. So, if both are good and play scen 17, who's got more advantage?

Originally posted by Full Moon
Now I'm officially confused. Some says Allied can't lose and some says otherwise. So, if both are good and play scen 17, who's got more advantage?

Hi, Well it is hard to explain. The longer the game lasts the better the chances the allies will win. If the Japanese sink all 6 early USN CV but do not capture an auto victory city (I still think there are only 5, Townsville, Rockhampton, Brisbane, Luganville, and Noumea.) Then the Allies will early in 43 begin bombing Japanese bases with heavy bombers. (The allies need to wait for their air HQ to arrive before this has full effect)
The heavies if used in large number (meaning allies can not have lost them early) can close any base the Japanese build.
Then the Allies send large numbers of surface combatants and wear the IJN down. Finally they use their superior manpower numbers and invade (The Japanese defenders have been sitting on a malaria base for a while being bombed and shelled daily. The Allied troops are fresh)

So the scenario's are balanced. The Japanese have roughly 7 months followed by 12 months of Allied operations. (but the allies are going against prepared positions while the Japanese get to attack an out numbered unprepared enemy)

As the game is now, the Allies have the advantage in that the longer the war lasts, the more assets they get while the reverse is true for the Japanese. After 1943 the Japanese reinforcement rate is low(read that "none")which forces the Japanese to make his move early and accomplish his goals before the Allies can build up. Now if there were a variation where the reinforcement rate could be kept constant then perhaps the Japanese could maintain or start offensives later. In the final analysis, there are good players that can win playing either side and this is where the challenge lies. Two players of equal ability could play to a draw until 1943 and then the Allied side would assume the offensive.

Originally posted by Admiral_Arctic
I have started seven games (six scen #17 and one #19) from this forum. Four scen #17 players bailed, and the scen #19 was the Japs and bailed too.

If Matrix would give us the ability to change our passwords mid-game I, and many others I assume, would be happy to take over games when someone bails out. As it is now, there’s too much chance that the password would leak out from the original player.
There should be a “select new password” option available in the game. Naturally, you would only be able to do this during your turn after you had entered the correct old password.

Yamamoto

Hi, Ive been reading these forums and playing the AI for about 6 months now. For PBEM newbies PBEM can be very daunting, (I know this may sound basic) for those of us who are not very computer literate, just what are the mechanics of sending a turn ect (can you send yourself a turn for practice?), and the mechanics of downloading a turn.

Plus what would you regular guys call a reliable player, 1,2,3 or more turns a day, at a regular time, or are you happy to recieve just a turn a day

Im getting to the I need the challenge stage, just how do you dive in?

Love the AARs

PS Beer is good
Mogami must live wargaming heaven:D

It's all a question about playing for the right reasons...
If you play a person that just wants a little intense action, then the short scenarios are good. Doesn't matter if the guy dissappears - just an unconditional surrender

I think I've stated earlier that UV is best suited for grognards... Ofcourse none-grognards can play the long scenarios to the end, but to a much less extent than the ones with a true and deep interest in history and the men and machines involved in UV.
For War in the Pacific this will most likely be even more true.

The scen 17 game I'm currently writing an AAR about was taken over by Crocky. I actually gave the password set by my first opponent to Crocky - and today I have forgotten it
So even if both sides knew each others passwords - it shouldn't really matter as long as you're playing for the right reasons!...