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A little airplane goodness....

PDU on, Realistic R&D Off...

Tojo IIa arrives in 3 days...and I need to push these factories forward to the IIc.

Going to go for the Patsy pretty heavily and even more heavily for the Kikka. Of course the lions share of r&d go to Frank and Sam. Frank A should come ridiculously early, followed by the Frank R and then decision time on what to do with all those facilities. Certainly they will produce Franks for a bit, but with realistic r&d off I will be free to task them back into R&D for something exotic.

The top ten repairing r&d plane lines. Given how meek the Allies have been, I wish now that I gave a bigger priority to the Sam rather than the Frank.

I splurged and built up Maizuru to a size 50 naval shipyard, and it is doing all the big conversions. Next month a whole new slug of ships will convert to AR.

I really like AR, as they are great at repairing system damage incredibly fast. Japan has enough cargo ships, and the other neat use for those ships might be AV...

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

The top ten repairing r&d plane lines. Given how meek the Allies have been, I wish now that I gave a bigger priority to the Sam rather than the Frank.

Kikka, eh? Odd choice.

I don't know. You're fine on the Frank vs. the Sam. There really are not that many IJNAF fighter units late war when compared to IJAAF. You'll need 500+ Franks operable at any one time. Outside of your CVs, which shouldn't be seeing consistently heavy usage, you don't need many (if any) Sams. You should be filling in with Jacks and Georges, or Shindens(!).

Refresh us on the Ki-74. Why are you researching this? I've never even built it.

Did you actually put more into the Tsurugi? I think I'd really just rather have Franks for IJAAF kamikazes.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I splurged and built up Maizuru to a size 50 naval shipyard, and it is doing all the big conversions. Next month a whole new slug of ships will convert to AR.

I really like AR, as they are great at repairing system damage incredibly fast. Japan has enough cargo ships, and the other neat use for those ships might be AV...

Do more.

In my most recent game, after initial experience of not being able to repair ships as fast as I would have liked given Japan's higher "repair density", I converted at least 15 ARs.

I do not find the AVs particularly useful, honestly. You get a few to start with, and maybe it's my previous habit of using a 500K+ liquid capacity cargo TF along with 5 embedded AVs, escorted by 3-4 CVEs for extra ASW... but I found those initial AVs to be plenty.

The unfortunate thing is that some of the AR conversion possibilities are Yusen and Kyushu, which can be AKs - far more useful early in the war. These 15-knot are what, Takashi (or whatever it is)?

Can you convert the AD to AV? [;)]

Patsy....exceptionally long range. 29/36 range with a camera.[:)] I have never seen anyone actually use it, which is another reason why I am r&d it.

115a & hopefully b pretty much for flavor.

In this mod I have to wait three more days to do the next raft of AR conversions. I am converting almost all of the ships capable of AR conversion to them. They are already waiting in port.

To the best of my knowledge, AD cannot go to AV. I have a zillion ADs.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Patsy....exceptionally long range. 29/36 range with a camera.[:)] I have never seen anyone actually use it, which is another reason why I am r&d it.

115a & hopefully b pretty much for flavor.

In this mod I have to wait three more days to do the next raft of AR conversions. I am converting almost all of the ships capable of AR conversion to them. They are already waiting in port.

To the best of my knowledge, AD cannot go to AV. I have a zillion ADs.

And zero practical uses for them.

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Patsy....exceptionally long range. 29/36 range with a camera.[:)] I have never seen anyone actually use it, which is another reason why I am r&d it.

115a & hopefully b pretty much for flavor.

In this mod I have to wait three more days to do the next raft of AR conversions. I am converting almost all of the ships capable of AR conversion to them. They are already waiting in port.

To the best of my knowledge, AD cannot go to AV. I have a zillion ADs.

And zero practical uses for them.

ADs can replenish DD torpedoes at smaller bases plus help with minor repairs of the DDs. That is covering both AE and AR work with one vessel.

What he said![:)]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Patsy....exceptionally long range. 29/36 range with a camera.[:)] I have never seen anyone actually use it, which is another reason why I am r&d it.

115a & hopefully b pretty much for flavor.

In this mod I have to wait three more days to do the next raft of AR conversions. I am converting almost all of the ships capable of AR conversion to them. They are already waiting in port.

To the best of my knowledge, AD cannot go to AV. I have a zillion ADs.

And zero practical uses for them.

ADs can replenish DD torpedoes at smaller bases plus help with minor repairs of the DDs. That is covering both AE and AR work with one vessel.

I know this.

I still don't find them useful.

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

I know this.

I still don't find them useful.

It is a 'style' of play. If you setup forward bases; AD, AG, AGP, AS, AV are an integral part of that tactical style. Nothing really requires that you use the tactic, but if you do then the support ships exist to enable it.

Allies have really pulled back...

Basically, there is no forward contest of Japanese historical expansion...

The likely outcome of all this will be an establishment of Japan's Perimeter,followed by a strange quiet time until the Allies feel free starting their move forward and then knowing Wargamr's basic past practices it will be relentless.

Other aspects of Wargamr's tactics include a heavy use of bombers against ground troops, a stated desire by him to work on his pilot training and tactics (including the use of huge expanded training squadrons).

The Allies have so many viable attack paths...

So, Japan is going to use her float plane equipped subs to keep eyes on likely troop concentration ports.

Pilots will have high recon and high defense.

Subs will most likely be grouped in packs of 4 to recon a port all on the same day. I don't think I can get enough good intel using night missions but I will try.

Japan starts with 4 Emily, broken down into two detachments. I am planning on using them as recon instead of their other roles.

They make great torpedo attack planes, naval search, and troop transport in a pinch. I am planning on using 2 squadrons in the ground bombing role (one in Burma theater, the other in the South Pacific).

So recon and port/runway deep strike role. Late game the Patsy will provide a deep recon and strike role.

The Myrt isn't a plane I initially decided to r&d, but I am going to change that. The 30 hex extended range from a CV will provide a lot of port information from a dashing small carrier. The Myrt does suffer from very few possible squadrons, but there are sufficient squadrons for the role they are to play. Judy-C will perform this job until the Myrt arrives.

NF program. I had thought on rushing the Myrt...which might be the single best NF Japan can realistically get. Single engine,fast, radar and really punches above her stats.

Rather, I am going for the tried and true Frances.

I don't think night bombing is going to play a huge role in this game. Just a hunch which could came back and really hurt me as my r&d program is very light.

The Zero will allow some modest resizing of Naval NF squadrons, and isn't for actual front line duty. I believe you can resize at least one other NF squadron earlier because it originates as either a fighter or float plane squadron.

The Dinah is to convert some recon planes into the NF tree.

MTB's are very solid late game VP trades...especially if you can use them to divert Allied ships into fresh minefields or CD guns or limited short range aerial strikes.

So early on, I want to get their experience up...

Picket ships. I am experimenting with how far out they can patrol a one hex zone...I guess in amphibious mode?

There is no way to convert them to this class...which at least could get surface TF mode...

Has anyone ever figured out a use for the Standard E? Really, anything below A? And the A is only useful if you have suffered a lot of tanker losses.

What are they good for? CAP traps? Some have some really good Captains, very salty high naval and low aggression!