Updated 30/07/2022: Bottlenecks in the Pacific v1.3b

[Lowpe]

Ok, downloaded and installed scenario 59. Everything is working and I am looking at it.

First response is I see lots of stuff I like...naming convention might be up there near the top. Need to figure out all the new map markings, some like oil are pretty easy to spot. Like the damaged ships at start, the good intel Japan starts with, well, too many things to list.

Oil looks worrisome for Japan. Very worrisome.

[Mundy]

Things like ship names have cues on them if they get withdrawn. if they do, they have a "~" at the end of the name. His doc he wrote is very helpful.

[Lowpe]

There is oil in some different spaces, so oil situation might not be that dreadful as I first looked.

Yes, there are lots of helpful symbols and signs and graphics.

I came across some REMFs in the TOE of some units![:D] Looking for Nurses but haven't found any yet. Japan does start with 4 AR which is very nice. Thailand has an air force.[X(]

[Mundy]

In Manila, they're listed as "yummy nurses". [:D]

[LargeSlowTarget]

Sorry Lowpe, no nurses on the Japanese side, and no comfort women either.

[Anomander Rake]

So, this isn't historic mod. You should adopt this, something like hospital units.
In other side as you think is this mod already playable?
I have started short time ago last Big B mod and there was broken. Aircraft enhancing together with Japanese pilots experience increasing gives a bad effect.
Super-Oscars are like Corsairs... But China changes working good.
So I'm looking for reliable mod to play wihout risk like above.
p.s.
I saw in central China some IJA regiments (116 ID) with doubled supports. probably you should strongly reduce them motorised support.

[LargeSlowTarget]

Playable I hope, certainly needs polishing. Well spotted the issue with the 116ID motorised support. On my fix list.

[Anomander Rake]

I read more about your mod. Well done, fantastic stuff. When do you expect to enter your fix list?
Also I very like standard engine model but your industry changes look like very well. You did two optional scenaario with engine/industry changes and without it.
Are you planning something intermediate? I mean with industry changes and without engine (and so leaving Ha-xx engines).

[JeffroK]

Gday LST, years back I did a list of RAN actual arrival times, do you need this info??

[Anomander Rake]

One more question. You recommended to play with PDU on option. I think that PDU off is more interesting and more realistic. Is it a big risk to play with PDU off option?
EDIT
Is possible that I am getting used to these inconveniences like PDU-on or simplified engines.

I saw some errors or strange things anyway.
1. PG exPing Hai speed 220. Nice.
2. TB Mabel has a two torpedos.
3. G3M3 has 3xGP Bomb/3xSAP Bomb. Is this intentional (G3M2 has 2, and G4M1 has 2 or 1+)?
4. Hashima class CM no image.

[LargeSlowTarget]

ORIGINAL: Anomander Rake
You did two optional scenaario with engine/industry changes and without it.
Are you planning something intermediate? I mean with industry changes and without engine (and so leaving Ha-xx engines).

Scen59 is using standard engines for the airframes, i.e. Ha-35 for the Zero, Ha-5 for Topsy I etc.

Scen 60 is using a simplified system, where engine types are grouped by type and generation, i.e. the Ha-31, Ha-32, Ha-33 and Ha-35 for example are one engine type called "early radial".

However, in BOTH scenarios the repair costs have been modified - the obsolete and early engines keep the standard 1000 supplies, but the newer engines like Ha-34 and Ha-60 and the Ha-4x family do require twice resp. thrice as much. Jet and rocket engines cost 5k supplies.

ORIGINAL: Anomander Rake

You recommended to play with PDU on option. I think that PDU off is more interesting and more realistic. Is it a big risk to play with PDU off option?

I saw some errors or strange things anyway.
1. PG exPing Hai speed 220. Nice.
2. TB Mabel has a two torpedos.
3. G3M3 has 3xGP Bomb/3xSAP Bomb. Is this intentional (G3M2 has 2, and G4M1 has 2 or 1+)?
4. Hashima class CM no image.

You can play with PDU-off if you want, but I don't like the inflexibility and "dead ends" it imposes (too many groups ending at Zero M3 / M5 or Oscar II / III without possibility to atleast finish the model path).


1. noted for exPingHai - should be 21kn max speed
2. Mabel has two torps in Scen 60 - data entry error, but this scenario is far from ready and not even officially released, I'm reworking all bombloads yet again
3. G3M3 issue - you must be looking at scen60 as well, which is not ready to be used
4. I have no art file, requested one here on the mod forum some time ago but no takers...

ORIGINAL: JeffroK

Gday LST, years back I did a list of RAN actual arrival times, do you need this info??

I remember a discussion about RAN arrival dates in the ex-sticky thread on "naval issues". I have modified them accordingly, but double-checking does not hurt - yes, I would be interested.

[Anomander Rake]

Thank you for your answer.
I'm not sure but I think that all labours like water enginers, port labours etc.. do nothing. Am I right?
Also I'm not sure what is construction cost for: resource center, manpower, armament and aircraft with R&D.
I see that in your mod Jack IJN airplane has faster than George (and probably faster than he was in real). I checked it and even on Japanese Wikipedia they wrote that Jack was speed about 600 km/h.
I read also that after war Jack indeed reached higher speed but in use special fuel.
Old Japanese CA like Idzumo etc. have probably too strong armour. This ships had thick armour but it was old type. Older stell and worse arrangement made it much less effective than on newer ships.

You add some bases. In China it will reflect reality. Japanese can do almost everything but almost nothing has no sense. Good work.
You also add many bases in other place but in deep India you didn't. Doesn't it cause that conquer India is relatively easier?
I think that will be good to move some bases from India-Burma or Burma-Thailand border to Indian subcontinent like you did some bases in Oz.

2. Mabel has two torps in Scen 60 - data entry error, but this scenario is far from ready and not even officially released, I'm reworking all bombloads yet again
3. G3M3 issue - you must be looking at scen60 as well, which is not ready to be used

It is a pity. I very like your bomb arrangement on Japan bombers. Finally, some models may have been useful, such as the popular Sonia.

One more question. I understand that WitP tracker doesn't work good together with mod. So, it may not matter but I don't see in tracker when US torpedes will be more realiable.

[LargeSlowTarget]

I'm not sure but I think that all labours like water enginers, port labours etc.. do nothing. Am I right?

There are many different kinds of Engineer, Construction and Labor troops.

Some are genuine "Eng" type devices which can build airfields, ports, forts.

Others are "squad" devices and cannot build anything.

For both, if the anti-armor value is 1 or larger, the device can reduce forts, and if anti-soft is 9 or larger, it will contribute to attacking AV.

Finally, a device can have the "shore party attribute", in that case it will help load/unload ships.

So there is a matrix that represent a mix of abilities; build stuff, reduce forts, attack, load/unload.

Some units do all of the above, others some of the above and a few none of the above (basically just "eaters" / load costs inflaters)

As a rule "Const" units don't fight and don't load/unload, but most do build stuff, while Transport/Shipping/Amph Support/Pot Service units will load/unload, but most won't fight nor build, and Combat Eng build , fight and reduce forts, but don't load/unload.

Also I'm not sure what is construction cost for: resource center, manpower, armament and aircraft with R&D.

You cannot construct resource centers and manpower, and expansion costs for industries and the HI costs for airframes cannot be modded.

However, the repair costs per device can be modded:

Oil 2k
Resources 1k
manpower 1k
HI 2k
LI 500
naval shipyard 5k
merchant shipyard 5k
repair shipyard 2,5k
Armament 1k
Vehicle 2k
Refinery 2k

I see that in your mod Jack IJN airplane has faster than George (and probably faster than he was in real). I checked it and even on Japanese Wikipedia they wrote that Jack was speed about 600 km/h.
I read also that after war Jack indeed reached higher speed but in use special fuel.

I have not changed air stats from the DBB base line.

Old Japanese CA like Idzumo etc. have probably too strong armour. This ships had thick armour but it was old type. Older stell and worse arrangement made it much less effective than on newer ships.

True, I will nerf them.

You also add many bases in other place but in deep India you didn't. Doesn't it cause that conquer India is relatively easier?
I think that will be good to move some bases from India-Burma or Burma-Thailand border to Indian subcontinent like you did some bases in Oz.

There are only 2000 slots available for bases / dots and I have used them all, with priority for the areas I expect most of the ground fighting will take place - China and Burma. In these areas there is the most need for additional bases in order to establish the supply caps and garrison requirements. If these emasures re effectivem the chances that the fighting advances into India should be very remote.

I don't see in tracker when US torpedes will be more realiable.

No changes from DBB IIRC. First improvement in Jan 1943, and from September 1943 on, US torpedoes are ok.

[dwbradley]

Thank you LargeSlowTarget for this massive undertaking of a mod. It is fun just reading through your documentation.

Anomander Rand and I are contemplating starting a game using your mod. So, I have been reading your .doc file and looking at the first turn Allied situation in an effort to get my mind wrapped around it all. Anomander has been asking some questions already and I have a few also. I hope you do not mind.

My questions concern road and rail innovations you have added. The Burma-Thailand and Sumatra require building of ports along the routes before use of the RR. I like this and restraint of use by house rule should not be too cumbersome to implement.

The Ledo Road and other roads through the jungle barrier are a bit confusing to me. Please correct me if I am wrong on any of this but you have added (via the pwhexe.dat, I assume) trails winding from Wazurup to Ledo, along a set of dot bases. And in similar fashion from Katha to Imphal and from Akyab to Prome. You describe this configuration as a “constructable road”. I can imagine building the dot bases to some SPS level and then letting that be the gating function for allowing use of the “road”. Are you saying that players should not traverse these trails until the road is “constructed”? Surely, before these “roads” can be “constructed” there will be need for units to make their way through the jungle wall, either to retreat or advance during an offensive. And trail movement will surely be faster than the stock hexes without the trails. And I am completely out of my depth here but would this not also affect supply movement to/from the terminus of each end of these three “roads”.?

A similar question regarding supply and trails arises in my mind regarding Adam's bridge from Ceylon to India. Would this allow flow of supply/fuel/etc., negating isolation factor of Ceylon being an island? Or perhaps this is the intention?

Cheers
Dave Bradley

[Anomander Rake]

I think that LST road idea isn't about blocking units moving. Road port building is probably to support the materials transfer only. I understand that standard transfer has been decreased.
I understand that road building should be done in such a way that we should finish port after port. So at first we should finish one port (depending on level 1, 3 or 6) and after this we should start building port on the next hex. Or maybe is it accetable to build incomplete ports series?

One more questionto LST. Do you anticipate publishing any quick fix to scenario 59?

[LargeSlowTarget]

The “constructable road” does in fact exist as trail in the pwhexdat file. The construction of "ports" along the trail will increase the supply cap, i.e. the simulated road construction will help the materials transfer. Troops could profit from the trail movement rate even if the simulated road has not been constructed yet. There are no formal restrictions to move troops on the trail when the road has not been constructed yet, but in that case I would impose self-restraint to large-scale troop movements and keep units moving along the trail in combat mode.

The Adam's bridge has a trail that simulates the ferry connection between the railway terminals on both sides of the land "bridge". Both bases representing the terminals have a low supply cap of 100, so the supply flow to Ceylon will be just a trickle.

Regarding a "quick fix" - the issues discovered so far are minor or concern the unfinished scenario 60, so for the moment I would prefer to wait for more stuff that needs fixing to accumulate.

[Anomander Rake]

Ok, thank you.
I saw two more things:
- one hex in China (W or maybe SW of Shanghai) is deep water hex;
- one NZ bn on Samoa has broken components.

[LargeSlowTarget]

Checking...

Yes, strange - land hex 87/55 is terrain type "OD" - to the fix list.

What's wrong with the Kiwis on Samoa?

There is the 30th Bn at Nadi which belongs to 14th Bde / 3rd Div - the other two Bns of the 14th Bde (35th Bn and 37th Bn) arrive as reinforcements at Auckland.

And there are the 29th Bn and 34th Bn at Suva, which belong to the 8th Bde / 3rd Div. The third Bn of 8th Bde (the 36th Bn) arrives as reinforcement at Auckland.

Finally, the two Fiji Bns, one at Suva, one at Nadi.

The TO&Es look normal to me.

[Anomander Rake]

Samoa bn at Savaii has the first element as 27, but this unit hasn't the first element or I can't see it in the game.
This same problem is with the Tonga unit.
There is also some problem with displaying the attachment of units from Fiji (this appears several times in the game).


I have found it. It means for Samoa bn and this second units. They have coded 641 device element at first place but this element is empty. What should it be there?

[LargeSlowTarget]

641 should be a copy of device 638 Fitafita Guard, but named Tonga Native Guard, and there should be another copy in 639 named Samoa Native Guard. Fixed in latest build of Bottlenecks v1.2 which I will send you.