Matrix Games Forums

Steve,

Based upon your comments in Goeff's "AAR", I realize that I've been feeding into the comic-centric craze on your AAR. Sorry about that. I'll refrain from further irrelevant postings here. I hope you and Goeff's game gets started soon. I'll check in from time to time to see if there's anything I can chime in on. [8D]

In the meantime, you may want to check out John III's AAR "Islands of Destiny". Some interesting strategic discussions in it that could use your input, but you may have to back up a few pages to get the lay of the land.

Cheers.

As Eisenhower pointed out, plans come and go; while planning is continuously building the indispensable organization that is needed to conduct strategic/logistical and tactical operations in a capricious environment.

Long term, short term and RIGHT THIS SECOND.




Master Po: "Close your eyes. What do you hear?"
Young Caine: "I hear the water, I hear the birds."
Po: "Do you hear your own heartbeat?"
Caine: "No."
Po: "Do you hear the grasshopper which is at your feet?"
Caine: "Old man, how is it that you hear these things?"
Po: "Young man, how is it that you do not?"

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Reg
Trivia: Bruce Lee, auditioned for the lead role in the original "Kung Fu" TV series in the 1970's but Carradine got the role instead.

I seem to remember hearing that before. I don't think this is 'whitewashing' per se.

Bruce Lee was a superb martial artist, but a lousy actor. David Carradine a better actor, but mediocre martial artist. The directors and / or producers made a business decision based upon the quality of the show they thought most likely.

Still, it would have been fun to see Bruce Lee more often in his prime. [8D]

Bruce Lee did appear on American TV in the role of "Kato" in the Green Hornet. Unfortunately it was a short lived show. [:(]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Steve,

Based upon your comments in Goeff's "AAR", I realize that I've been feeding into the comic-centric craze on your AAR. Sorry about that. I'll refrain from further irrelevant postings here. I hope you and Goeff's game gets started soon. I'll check in from time to time to see if there's anything I can chime in on. [8D]

In the meantime, you may want to check out John III's AAR "Islands of Destiny". Some interesting strategic discussions in it that could use your input, but you may have to back up a few pages to get the lay of the land.

Cheers.

Andre as always I owe you a debt of thanks for your support , and tutoring me. I have learned much more in our games than from any other. Admittedly you taught me through the method of pain, and one never forgets pain. In every single game I've played since , I've always said to my self, "how badly can my opponent hurt me? After all, he's not Andre!".[:D] I am and will always be grateful for you advise and mentorship. And your humor. So please , don't restrict you comments at all. I ALWAYS appreciate them. [:)]

My big thing is that I am totally embarrassed to have a 7-page long AAR report with no action. Maybe it comes from my Navy days. After action reports , or sometimes "Lessons learned " reports would be written about exercises that might involve dozens of ships and aircraft over weeks and still consists of less than a dozen pages. SITRPS were usually one page.

Here we have 7 pages and absolutely nothing has happened. Nothing. The best that can be said that we inflicted psychological warfare on Geoff. But that guy doesn't need it. Reading his AAR makes me think he locks him self in his own closet with great regularity. [:D]

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

My big thing is that I am totally embarrassed to have a 7-page long AAR report with no action. Maybe it comes from my Navy days. After action reports , or sometimes "Lessons learned " reports would be written about exercises that might involve dozens of ships and aircraft over weeks and still consists of less than a dozen pages. SITRPS were usually one page.

Here we have 7 pages and absolutely nothing has happened. Nothing. The best that can be said that we inflicted psychological warfare on Geoff. But that guy doesn't need it. Reading his AAR makes me think he locks him self in his own closet with great regularity. [:D]

Things happened... not what you wanted! [:'(] [:D]

I put a bullet list in Geoff's AAR a few pages back suggesting starting a faux PBM to test that the installations at both ends were in sync (make a PBM but don't bother giving orders, just send it through both players and resolve the first turn + combat replay just to see that there are none of those errors anymore). The point of it is to make sure that all the right files are in place before you spend time entering orders.

He later posted that he had entered all his orders and was ready to do that test with you... So he missed the point of doing a quick test to make sure things are good before investing tons of two people's time. You might coach him in email on doing a test up front. Just a thought.

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

My big thing is that I am totally embarrassed to have a 7-page long AAR report with no action. Maybe it comes from my Navy days. After action reports , or sometimes "Lessons learned " reports would be written about exercises that might involve dozens of ships and aircraft over weeks and still consists of less than a dozen pages. SITRPS were usually one page.

Here we have 7 pages and absolutely nothing has happened. Nothing. The best that can be said that we inflicted psychological warfare on Geoff. But that guy doesn't need it. Reading his AAR makes me think he locks him self in his own closet with great regularity. [:D]

Things happened... not what you wanted! [:'(] [:D]

I put a bullet list in Geoff's AAR a few pages back suggesting starting a faux PBM to test that the installations at both ends were in sync (make a PBM but don't bother giving orders, just send it through both players and resolve the first turn + combat replay just to see that there are none of those errors anymore). The point of it is to make sure that all the right files are in place before you spend time entering orders.

He later posted that he had entered all his orders and was ready to do that test with you... So he missed the point of doing a quick test to make sure things are good before investing tons of two people's time. You might coach him in email on doing a test up front. Just a thought.

I've sent him a email containing a lot of what you said. At this point I'm done fooling around or wasting time. And I'm done standing around and watching foolishness occur. In my life I've basically had two ways of making a living. As a USN/USNR Combat aircrewman. And as SOME kind of salesman/broker. (I've sold everything from goldfish to houses and beyond). In both of those careers having a firm control of events is CRUCIAL. As a NAC (Naval Air Crewmnan) things break, people get hurt or die. As a broker or salesman , your family goes hungry , you lose your home and your possessions get taken away from you. Not on my watch. None of those things EVER happened while I was in a position to prevent it. And I was.

All of those things revolved on one word...CONTROL! No, not some sitcom government agency employing goofy secret agents. But a firm, solid step by step watching and making sure that things happen as they are supposed to. That's the reason I've been stressed over this keystone kids production. I've told Geoff that stops now. (Or I walk away). We are going to start over , with blank slates , and to communicate step by bloody step. Phone numbers have been exchanged. Hostages may be later. But from today onward, we both are getting seriously involved or my size 10 and 1/2's will get involved (even if it means kicking myself...I've had lots of practice). I promise to use both relaxing meditation and to do what my spouse refers to as "unleashing my inner drill sergeant" as necessary. But one way or another we'll get this game rolling. [:D]

David Carradine was mostly Irish and some Irish have a pseudo epicanthic fold around the eyes which makes them look vaguely Asian. The epicanthic fold is the name of the feature that give East Asians the different look to the eye.

It's interesting that Native Americans are genetically almost indistinguishable from Asians, but have less of the epicanthic fold. My SO and I did the DNA genealogy test. My SO's report said she was around 37% Asian or Native American. It couldn't tell which. She knows her father was about 1/2 native Mexican Indian (ie Aztec). She has reminded me on occasion her ancestors removed people's hearts while they were still beating. There were also some rumors her mother's father was 1/2 Nez Perce, but nobody really wanted to talk about it. Back when he was a kid Native American ancestry was a shameful thing.

I thought it interesting that the test couldn't determine between Native American and Asian while it can distinguish where in Europe your ancestry came from. It even identified a tiny trace from Sardinia with me, though almost all the rest is Northern European or undetermined European. The Sardinian was just the right percentage to be from a survivor of the Spanish Armada. My Irish grandmother's family came from the part of Ireland where the Spanish Armada washed ashore after a storm wrecked many ships onto the Irish shores and that line of the family is the only one with brown eyes and dark hair, which is suspected to come from the survivors of the Spanish Armada. My other three grand parents had blue eyes and blond hair. My father was blond until he went completely white.

Bill

ORIGINAL: wdolson


David Carradine was mostly Irish and some Irish have a pseudo epicanthic fold around the eyes which makes them look vaguely Asian. The epicanthic fold is the name of the feature that give East Asians the different look to the eye.

It's interesting that Native Americans are genetically almost indistinguishable from Asians, but have less of the epicanthic fold. My SO and I did the DNA genealogy test. My SO's report said she was around 37% Asian or Native American. It couldn't tell which. She knows her father was about 1/2 native Mexican Indian (ie Aztec). She has reminded me on occasion her ancestors removed people's hearts while they were still beating. There were also some rumors her mother's father was 1/2 Nez Perce, but nobody really wanted to talk about it. Back when he was a kid Native American ancestry was a shameful thing.

I thought it interesting that the test couldn't determine between Native American and Asian while it can distinguish where in Europe your ancestry came from. It even identified a tiny trace from Sardinia with me, though almost all the rest is Northern European or undetermined European. The Sardinian was just the right percentage to be from a survivor of the Spanish Armada. My Irish grandmother's family came from the part of Ireland where the Spanish Armada washed ashore after a storm wrecked many ships onto the Irish shores and that line of the family is the only one with brown eyes and dark hair, which is suspected to come from the survivors of the Spanish Armada. My other three grand parents had blue eyes and blond hair. My father was blond until he went completely white.

Bill

Interesting.

My mom's side of he family has some evidence of he epicanthic fold. It's from her Norwegian heritage. For Norwegians it comes from the Central Asian Sammi who live nomadically across the north of skandanavia. I can really see it in pictures of my grandmother's mother.

Did this come to Ireland with the Vikings who also brought the blue eyes and blond hair?

My daughter, now 6 weeks old, had a similar look to my mom as a baby with dark hair and slightly almond shaped eyes (epicanthic fold). Both my wife and I were surprised as we have lighter brown/auburn hair and European looking eyes. I'd love to get a full genetic profile done. I'm sure there would be some surprises.

10 Non standard opening Allied Moves:

1. Send the Boise to between Truk and HI. Leave her patrolling there till she is detected, savages a convoy, or runs low on fuel.

2. Send single ship xak with supply to Luzon, Mindanao and Wenchow.

3. Use British bombers to fly supply into China

4. Fighters, Seaplanes, and Flotaplanes on naval attack in the PI and DEI.

5. Hide destroyer flotillas in dot bases in the DEI to strike from ambush later.

6. Create hidden search bases in the DEI with AV ship and floatplanes/patrol

7. Don't build forts in China, except Kunming to Paoshan. Plan to defend off base and get divisions digging in there now.

8. Find your five Chinese divisions that can be bought out and get them headed to Burma/India now.

9. Use your Singers troop reinforcements somewhere unexpected.

10. Use your American subs in Manila to run supply. Use your British and Dutch to attack and lay mines. Miri/Saigon/Sumatra triangle can be a great place for them.

And a bonus: Get those Singers torpedo planes somewhere unexpected with torpedoes.

11th Non-Standard Opening Allied Move

Establish secret base at Point Nemo.

https://www.howtogeek.com/trivia/decommissioned-satellites-are-crashed-into-a-ocean-location-known-as/

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

10 Non standard opening Allied Moves:

1. Send the Boise to between Truk and HI. Leave her patrolling there till she is detected, savages a convoy, or runs low on fuel.

2. Send single ship xak with supply to Luzon, Mindanao and Wenchow.

3. Use British bombers to fly supply into China

4. Fighters, Seaplanes, and Flotaplanes on naval attack in the PI and DEI.

5. Hide destroyer flotillas in dot bases in the DEI to strike from ambush later.

6. Create hidden search bases in the DEI with AV ship and floatplanes/patrol

7. Don't build forts in China, except Kunming to Paoshan. Plan to defend off base and get divisions digging in there now.

8. Find your five Chinese divisions that can be bought out and get them headed to Burma/India now.

9. Use your Singers troop reinforcements somewhere unexpected.

10. Use your American subs in Manila to run supply. Use your British and Dutch to attack and lay mines. Miri/Saigon/Sumatra triangle can be a great place for them.

And a bonus: Get those Singers torpedo planes somewhere unexpected with torpedoes.

Sending RAN/RNZN cruisers across the north coast of New Guinea to approach the Spice Islands from that vector can hit invasions along the way and in the target area. Search there seems to be lacking in the very early game.

As Allies "The Philippines question"...

Do you get as many out as you as quick as you can or do you fight. And then to what degree/timescale. Do you let Japan call the tune.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

10 Non standard opening Allied Moves:

1. Send the Boise to between Truk and HI. Leave her patrolling there till she is detected, savages a convoy, or runs low on fuel.

2. Send single ship xak with supply to Luzon, Mindanao and Wenchow.

3. Use British bombers to fly supply into China

4. Fighters, Seaplanes, and Flotaplanes on naval attack in the PI and DEI.

5. Hide destroyer flotillas in dot bases in the DEI to strike from ambush later.

6. Create hidden search bases in the DEI with AV ship and floatplanes/patrol

7. Don't build forts in China, except Kunming to Paoshan. Plan to defend off base and get divisions digging in there now.

8. Find your five Chinese divisions that can be bought out and get them headed to Burma/India now.

9. Use your Singers troop reinforcements somewhere unexpected.

10. Use your American subs in Manila to run supply. Use your British and Dutch to attack and lay mines. Miri/Saigon/Sumatra triangle can be a great place for them.

And a bonus: Get those Singers torpedo planes somewhere unexpected with torpedoes.

Good suggestions. I do many of them, but there's some pure gold here that I've not seen before. Many thanks![&o]

ORIGINAL: MakeeLearn

As Allies "The Philippines question"...

Do you get as many out as you as quick as you can or do you fight. And then to what degree/timescale. Do you let Japan call the tune.

What question are you asking about?

10 Standard Opening Moves that are easy to forget:

1. Preserve your CV. Get them flying heavy ASW, 90percent 0 range CAP, and move them away from Japanese subs. Then forget about them for a while...train pilots with them. Stuff a Marine Ftr squadron on them too.

2. Turn off HI in Oz. Turn of automatic refuel for all ships near Oz. Send tankers from DEI to Oz. Send Cargo ships from DEI to Oz with fuel. Perth, Pearl, and Sydney aren't safe havens for ships.

3. Run a big supply convoy to Pearl. Expect an invasion there.

4. Buy out the AA heavy Ceylon units and get them into India.

5. Combine all broken down divisions in Singers and Burma and India.

6. Dutch have several great minelaying subs. Use them for that!

7. Don't lose the 14 knot SST capable American subs on offensive missions.

8. Leave LeTrioumphant in port till she can pair up with another Destroyer. Too many subs in the area.

9. Change out your P40 air leaders in PI. Park a lot number of low vp ships and park them where you have a runway, av support and supplies. Then cram it with P40s. Feel free to do this around Singers too.

10. Change the direction of all troop convoys, and the big DMS TF, otherwise Japan will nail them.

And the free one...get the British destroyers at Hong Kong to Balikpapen. Use Flank speed and a few of the thundering herd to refuel them at sea.

And the final free one: Run your offensive subs with naval search arcs. Naval search, search and more search.

And the final, final, final one: Forget Balikpapen and and stuff Palembang with every engineer you can. Send supply from where you have it to Singers and Palembang. Leave palembang a smoking ruin!!!!

PS: Only half a turn of naval movement for the Allies on day 1.[;)]

ORIGINAL: MakeeLearn

As Allies "The Philippines question"...

Do you get as many out as you as quick as you can or do you fight. And then to what degree/timescale. Do you let Japan call the tune.

Normally I save as many ships as I can , especially anything that can be converted or upgraded. Reading Geoff's AAR from a couple of years ago gives me pause to that procedure. It looks like he sends his forces deep , then tries to hit bases (and take them) well behind the lines (like Suva and Noumea). And he leaves vast areas in allied hands (Like the DEI, Maylaya and the PI well into summer of 1942). He also likes to "round up" escaping forces with the KB.

My normal way of thought in the 1st few months is to empty the oceans , while assembling my ships, organizing air groups, and most importantly, setting up patrol and picket lines.

I'm thinking of trying evacuate every ship I can (the slower ships in single ship TF's, scattered to make live difficult) , but NOT running them to Oz , or anywhere else that's likely to draw the KB. Maybe Balipikan and such bases , then do short , fast sails to other bases , each a step from LBA or the KB's reach.

He also seems to like to use his subs , not to cover ports , but to form "black hole" patrol lines outside the reach of LBA. He puts a FP capable I-Boat after every 3 or 4 non-FP capable sub in the line. Almost like he's trying to find my shipping lanes. So the 1st couple of turns will call for my being somewhat cautious till I get a feel for his tactics. [&:]

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

He also likes to "round up" escaping forces with the KB.

CAP Trap with the thundering Herd! Abandon Manila for smaller runways where you can nail him. Think Mindano for the little baby carriers that start around there.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

10 Standard Opening Moves that are easy to forget:

A very good list, Lowpe. My comments below your numbers in bold. My comments are exclusively from the JFB perspective and reflect my perceived impression of the effectiveness of such a move from the JFB perspective.

1. Preserve your CV. Get them flying heavy ASW, 90percent 0 range CAP, and move them away from Japanese subs. Then forget about them for a while...train pilots with them. Stuff a Marine Ftr squadron on them too.

Pretty standard fare to preserve the CVs. There are differences of opinion regarding the effectiveness of flying 90% ASW. Since the ASW ratings of the initial Allied carrier pilots are between 'miserable' and 'non-existent', I tend to recommend a higher NAV search function instead of ASW.

But, yes, the Allied CVs are in jeopardy and they should NAV search their place someplace reasonably safe. There, they can combine their efforts into something more resembling 'normal' orders (e.g., NOT 90% search).

2. Turn off HI in Oz. Turn of automatic refuel for all ships near Oz. Send tankers from DEI to Oz. Send Cargo ships from DEI to Oz with fuel. Perth, Pearl, and Sydney aren't safe havens for ships.

Agree with turning off HI. Meh on automatic refuel for ships near Oz. Send tankers from DEI to *anywhere else*. Good idea about sending cargo ships laden with fuel. Of course, you could be giving the Japanese player some free VPs by doing this. Ships laden with fuel tend to burn to the waterline and sink very nicely.

I'd let you fill up a bunch of xAKs with fuel provided that-with one DD-I could burn them all to the waterline by providing each one with a single penetrating hit. Then I'd gratefully take my 60 or 70 VPs for the effort.

3. Run a big supply convoy to Pearl. Expect an invasion there.

Wait for a few days until the departure of KB can be independently verified and there's limited danger of it doubling back on Hawaii.

4. Buy out the AA heavy Ceylon units and get them into India.

OK. I'm ambivalent on this. Why?

5. Combine all broken down divisions in Singers and Burma and India.

Reformed divisions have *much* better staying power than individual A/B/C subunits or regimental units. Good idea.

6. Dutch have several great minelaying subs. Use them for that!

Absolutely. Don't have them leave the theatre until the pools are empty.

7. Don't lose the 14 knot SST capable American subs on offensive missions.

Hai! Erm...I mean "Yes"

8. Leave LeTrioumphant in port till she can pair up with another Destroyer. Too many subs in the area.

OK. Bear in mind that the absolute safest place for a ship to be at a port under port attack / naval bombardment is 'not there'. If it comes to it, leave and take your chances with the sub by plotting a byzantine course away from most traditional shipping routes.

9. Change out your P40 air leaders in PI. Park a lot number of low vp ships and park them where you have a runway, av support and supplies. Then cram it with P40s. Feel free to do this around Singers too.

"Buying out" the Philippines P40s isn't a bad idea. I'm not sure it's a *better* idea than buying out the B17s, replacing sub captains, and the myriad other "must do with scarce PP" lists. Be wary of over-committing your P40s at the initiation of hostilities. A dedicated Japanese player will seek aerial combat with these units early in the war, hoping to sweep them from the skies and rely on the glacial pool of fighter reserves to replenish them. In 1941-early 1942, the P40 units are a high value unit for the Japanese player to attrit. Doubly so if they're on CAP duty around Singapore.

10. Change the direction of all troop convoys, and the big DMS TF, otherwise Japan will nail them.

OK.

And the free one...get the British destroyers at Hong Kong to Balikpapen. Use Flank speed and a few of the thundering herd to refuel them at sea.

This just in: Balikpapan and Soerbaja are not a secret. The Japanese player knows that these are high priority targets and often the first port of safety for most ships in the Philippines, Hong Kong or Northern DEI. By all means, get the British DDs there. Then get them out immediately.

And the final, final, final one: Forget Balikpapen and and stuff Palembang with every engineer you can. Send supply from where you have it to Singers and Palembang. Leave palembang a smoking ruin!!!!

Be careful with this. If you are using a stock game (as they are doing), the engine produces supply at oil refineries. At big oil refineries, it produces a lot of supply. Clever Allied players will use this supply to backstop an army here and hope to destroy most of the Palembang production when said army is ousted due to the vestigial engineers=facility damage function. Of course, IRL, there is no possibility that this area could support an army-men do not eat oil or fuel. Oil drums do not equal bullets or other ammunition. (Mis)using the generic supply produced by the refinery detracts from the realism.

However, this is a PBEM. If it's OK with both partners, then it's OK with both partners. But I recommend telling your erstwhile partner how you intend to use Palembang as a fortress (or at least a den to harbor engineers) before the game starts. Then your partner can decide if he wants to use the first turn "magical move" to land on Java on day one with a division and a half. I know-totally laughable in real life, right? But-trust me on this-it can be done.

Just make sure you both have a clear understanding how you interpret reality vis a vis the game. If you as the Allied player are comfortable telling your partner this (you know-open communication and all), then let your conscience (and your partner's response) be your guide.

PS: Only half a turn of naval movement for the Allies on day 1.[;)]

??? [&:] No comprendo.

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

PS: Only half a turn of naval movement for the Allies on day 1.[;)]

??? [&:] No comprendo.

It's not just Allies, there is only one naval movement phase on December 7th, 1941 for both sides, but Japan gets some magic move TF's.