Allied Player vs Japan AI

[Von Rom]

ORIGINAL: Mr.Frag

A few things that might improve the situation:

1) Japanese experience levels could be increased - especially among the pilots

It is very high already.

2) The Japanese could be given a "SHOCK" or "SURPRISE" value that would last for the first 5-10 turns (or whatever turns are necessary) which would increase their attack and striking power over the Allies, and which would help overcome even the most experienced player.

There is a major bonus for landings for the first couple of months already.

3) Providing for even some "ahistorical" air coverage which would help cover Japanese landing craft and ships in the first month or so of the war.

This burns up even more aircraft.

This is the AI and needs help (all AI in games need help), and so I think we should err on the side of caution, and give the Japanese opening moves the surprise and power it had historically

The AI has lots of help, I should not be playing on this skill level [:D] When one of you who have not done this a million times does it, I'll worry! [;)]

Heheh

That is good to hear [:D]

You have the knowledge and have put in the time in the game to know more about it.

The rest of us can only go on just the raw numbers that are being posted in your AAR.

I think we all want to be sure that the Japanese AI will stomp us good in that first 6 months [:D]

I am enjoying your AAR.

Cheers!

[Cap Mandrake]

I know this is kind of picky but the term "Day Air Attack" seems odd.


"Daytime" or "Daylight" seems better.

[AmiralLaurent]

ORIGINAL: Mr.Frag

Same concern as Stubby. This duplicates the bigger AI problem in UV: the fact that transport TF and covering forces (both CV and surface TF) don't work together at all, making it easy to sink scores of transports with surface TF.

The IJN just doesn't have the ships to cover all the invasions going on. Thats the reality of the war. You will learn just how tough it is when you play Japan. They simply don't have enough to do the job resulting in you trusting the whims of fate and sending ships with nothing. On the reverse side, the Allied have more escort then they have ships making it tough to get anywhere, but you always have tons of escort protecting it.

If you strike where the IJN main ships are not but they are busy elswhere, that's OK for me. I do the same in UV against human opponents, so why not ?

Strange to me that the Allied seems to lack transport ships

[Mr.Frag]

I know this is kind of picky but the term "Day Air Attack" seems odd.

It was a last minute addition. Someone asked for a way to tell Day attacks from Night attacks so that was tucked in front after we had already gone into the freeze.

[Mr.Frag]

Just to explain Mandalay ... you really need to understand what is in their way: Here are the 3 killer air groups holding the line. To top it off, they also have Radar so there is no chance of a surprise raid catching them with their pants down.

1/3

[Mr.Frag]

2/3

[Mr.Frag]

3/3

[Mr.Frag]

Troops at the base: Note the Assault strength over 2000 and the fortification level of 9!!!

1/3

[Mr.Frag]

2/3

[Mr.Frag]

3/3

[AmiralLaurent]

Woww... what size is AVG to score 406 kills in 3 months ? Seems to me that WITP team eats the AVG propaganda. It was one the more successfull Allied air units in the first month of the Pacific War but probably only destroys 30% of the claimed planes.

Regarding Japan not being able to cover most invasion fleets, BBs and/or CVs were present for Malaya (BBs), Borneo (BBs), Philipinnes (BBs), Wake (2nd round, CVs), Amboina (CVs & BBs), Rabaul-Kavieng (CVs), Port Moresby (failed, CVs), Midway (failed, CVs & BBs), Java (CVs and strong escort), Sumatra (BBs), Aleutian Islands (CVs).

[Mr.Frag]

If you dig back through other AARs, you can find the one where Mogami decimated the AVG completely in one turn. Because of that *lesson*, I did not use them *at* all until the defence of Mandalay. They sat back and waited in ambush.

Pulling two battle hardened P-40E groups out of PI into Mandalay was a *huge* boost, allowing the AVG guys to be mixed in with other groups and survive the first couple of encounters which got them past their *green* state. Without that help, they would have gone down in flames.

The AVG like most land based fighter units has a size of 72 aircraft.

[tsimmonds]

Frag, are you having any trouble getting 16.8k required supply to Mandalay? What does your supply line look like, where does it originate?

[Mr.Frag]

Frag, are you having any trouble getting 16.8k required supply to Mandalay? What does your supply line look like, where does it originate?

Yep, supply is coming down from Dacca via production there, it is pretty thin. I just now got a batch in having dumped a huge amount of supplies at Diamond Harbour from Bombay/Karachi.

[tsimmonds]

Does a land-based supply route such as the one you have to Mandalay pull enough supply to repair and/or expand facilities at your base? Would it pull enough supply (assuming sufficient supply is available at the other end of course) to operate bombers? I guess I'm wondering how your AI assistant decides how much supply to drag to Mandalay. I'm assuming there is nothing you can do to affect this....

If you fly in supplies, does that reduce the amount that is drawn in via land routes?

[tsimmonds]

Can the Irrawaddy be crossed anywhere, or only at bridges? Aren't you at all worried about your LOC getting cut? If it was me playing vs my PBEM arch-enemy of 35 years, I certainly would be. Or is the AI not up to it?

[Mr.Frag]

Land based supply will put what the base requests. The further it has to pull it, the more that is lost on the way. This simply means that to get the required supply level x, you really need x+loss enroute at the sending base.

The base calculates a "how much is needed" figure based on the current tempo of operations there. This is based on how many troops are eating and how many aircraft are based there. That forms the *request*.

I've always been mixed about flying it in. Flying it costs supply. Lost aircraft cost supply. Dead pilots cost even more. It is not something you would use except in emergencies. Even today, air supply is still the most expensive method of supply.

[Mr.Frag]

Can the Irrawaddy be crossed anywhere, or only at bridges? Aren't you at all worried about your LOC getting cut? If it was me playing vs my PBEM arch-enemy of 35 years, I certainly would be. Or is the AI not up to it?

That is dealt with at the hex information. Roads/Rail/Trail/Nothing is based on whats there.

The AI already outflanked me at Moulmein which is why I had to pull back to Mandalay. There was no fight at Rangoon because I was already fleeing due to troops coming at me from both directions (see the hex just above Moulmein).

The troops I saved by not fighting a lost cause at Rangoon are the exact same troops that are now allowing me to fight back at Mandalay. Most of you will have delusions of grandeur and die there the first couple of times. [;)]

[tsimmonds]

Agreed, there's only one thing worse than flying in supplies, and that's dying from not having any[;)]

[Mr.Frag]

Agreed, there's only one thing worse than flying in supplies, and that's dying from not having any

Yep, thats exactly what is happening at PM [X(]