Matrix Games Forums

Hey - is there a prize for the winning title? I'd like an autographed picture of John, Michael, and the rest of the design team that I can frame and put on a wall.

1EyedJacks wrote: Thu Feb 15, 2024 5:13 pm Hey - is there a prize for the winning title? I'd like an autographed picture of John, Michael, and the rest of the design team that I can frame and put on a wall.

You COULD get a NEAT PRIZE!

A time of Balance

Duel of Philosophies

The Sweet Spot

A Balance of Power

Like these. We are now opening it up for a VOTE. Please cast your ballot for one of these titles for the Middle Ground Mod in Between the Storms.

A Balance of Power

Agreed. A Balance of Power is the best of the four!

CheveezJeeves wrote: Thu Feb 15, 2024 9:00 pm Agreed. A Balance of Power is the best of the four!

Welcome....Balance of power....GP

lol - I was so hoping for the "Monsters" submission. I really-really like my Bears.

But yes - what they said up above - A Balance of Power is my vote too.

Hey Michael - who will the Giants draft at #6? Wanna trade up with da Bears to #1?

Duh. . . Yell no!! Too expensive.

Anyone want my #32 Pick??!!

Nearly have the BTS--Balance of Power finished.

The Mods don't do too much with the actual fighting land-based power of the IJN other then synthesize 3 SNLF units into about 12 Brigades. They can still be broken down into the 60AV components but, as a Brigade, they total about 190 AV. No additions--just combining existing units. Have decided to take 12 of the Naval Guard units and split them in half--literally--to create 24 30 AV SNLF Company's for the ability to put SOMETHING on .dots or small atolls. Once again--no new power here just some additional flexibility. Nearly all the other Naval Guard units are used to create the cores of the Atoll Defence Company or Battalions. The Infantry is welded to some CD and Base Force personnel to create a balanced defense unit to hold atolls. The average unit has an AV of about 60 with 4-6 5" CD guns, and a 12-18 Base Force rating. They are sort of like the US Marine units spread around the Pacific on Dec 7th.

We are going up the mountain this weekend so I won't get too much farther on the new Mod. Hope to have a proposed production schedule put together when I come back...

I feel rather silly for asking this here, but do you have any issue with individuals using your mod's artwork (specifically ship artwork) for personal use, such as modifying single-player scenarios?

I would have utilized PM to ask this, but the forum doesn't let me use that quite yet!

PLEASE--Use anything that we have created. Appreciate the ask!

ny59giants wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2024 4:13 am

Hey Michael - who will the Giants draft at #6? Wanna trade up with da Bears to #1?

Duh. . . Yell no!! Too expensive.

Yup - I feel that. I think my Bears will go Caleb but if someone waves enough draft picks in front of Poles' nose he just might-could bite.
Honestly - I kinda like that Devito kid ya'll have for QB; he has some moxie. I'm not yet sure about the long-arm game but so far I'm liking what I see from him. My guess is that the Giants will go defensive line with their #6. I wish they'd go with a big wide receiver and maybe some more O-line help but the Giants always seem to be Jonesing for quick and mean on the D-line.

Anyways - it's cool tossing emails with you and some of the old crew; I kinda missed this.

John 3rd wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2024 4:25 am Anyone want my #32 Pick??!!

<laughter> Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant and he did the 49ers proud. I think the Chiefs could use a big target with some speed in the receiver position and maybe another pass-rusher. Honestly - part of the challenge for KC this year seemed to be a bad case of the dropsies within your receiving corps.

1EyedJacks wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2024 5:55 pm

John 3rd wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2024 4:25 am Anyone want my #32 Pick??!!

<laughter> Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant and he did the 49ers proud. I think the Chiefs could use a big target with some speed in the receiver position and maybe another pass-rusher. Honestly - part of the challenge for KC this year seemed to be a bad case of the dropsies within your receiving corps.

Absolutely true. Amazed me that the Chief's could still do it despite that. Need a big, fast target for Mr. #15! Unfortunately need to begin watching out for a new tight-end. Sad thought but realistic.

Between the Storm's: Treaty/Air Thinking

Between the Storms: Fleet Faction features the Battleship Admirals getting their say in building the Super-Battleships as well as Light Battlecruisers while Minister Yamamoto forces the addition of more Shokaku-Class CVs (6) and Aso-Class (3)CVLs. The Japanese player will find TOO MUCH construction here and have to make choices of what he builds at what rate during the war.

Between the Storms: Balance of Power sees the Fleet Faction forced to compromise with Yamamoto and other 'air-minded' Officers for the building of 4 Owari-Class conventional BBs as well as two B-65 Battlecruisers. Yamamoto gains faster construction, less delay and adds his Sho's (6) and Aso's (3) to the mix again. The Niitaka-Class CA is added. This Mod has a much more reasonable build that doesn't place huge amounts of strain on the shipyards.

Between the Storms: Treaty/Air witnesses the Fleet faction completely losing to the air-minded Yamamoto and his followers. There are no BBs built but two B-65 BCs are allowed for so they can become CV Escorts. The Niitaka-Class CA is built in larger numbers and the Japanese add an CLAA to its build.


Circle One Plan (1930)
CA Kako, Aoba, Furutaka, and Kinugasa down-gunned from 8” to 6” CLs
CL Mogami. Mikuma, Suzuyu and Kumano (6”)
CAV Kushiro and Tokachi
CVL Karasu
+2 DD Shiratsuyu-Class

London goes slightly better for Japan. The Flightdeck Cruiser idea is allowed to occur and Japan abuses the Treaty by building Kushiro and Tokachi claiming a lower tonnage then what they actually possess. CVL Karasu builds on Ryukaku and fills out remaining Japanese carrier tonnage.

Circle Two Plan (1934)
CV Hiryu and Soryu as Hiryu-Class
2 Niitaka-Class CA
CS Mizuho added as 3rd Chitose-Class CS
+2 DD Asashio-Class

Japan KNOWS it is leaving the Treaty system so Soryu and Hiryu are built as true sisters.

Circle Three Plan (1937)
2 CV (Shokaku and Zuikaku)
CS Nisshin built as CVL
2 BC B-65-Class (instead of Yamatos and completed BEFORE the war begins)
2 Niitaka-Class CA

DD +3 Kagero-Class (not as dummy Yamato-Class Decoys)
No Katori-Class Training Cruisers (old CLs used instead)

Circle Four Plan (1940)
4 CV Shokaku KAI-Class
2 CA Niitaka-Class
8 CLAA

Circle Five Plan (1941)
6 CV Unryu-Class
4 CVL Aso-Class (CLAA Conversions so only 4 of the Circle Four Plan are built)
CA 2 Niitaka-Class
4 CLAA

AltHist Carrier Build (954 Planes)
6 CV Shokaku-Style (468 Planes 72x2 and 81x4)
6 CV Unryu-Class (378 Planes 63x6)
4 CVL (108 Planes 27x4)

Historical Japanese Build (669 Planes)
10 CV 2 Sho (144), Shinano (48), Taiho (72), and 6 Unryu (378)
1 CVL Ibuki (27)

Need to check the shipyards and build times.

How does this look?


Need to create a Japanese CLAA. Looking for something in the 7-8,000T range. Could we do some form of expanded Moon-Class DD with the rapid-fire 3.9" twin turret?

Hi John,

What's the range on your Moon class DD? The Akitsuki class has an endurance of 8300. For a CLAA I'd want to find something that has the endurance to stick with my carriers w/o having to refuel too often.

As for those extra AC on the additional carriers - would you consider upping factory production at the start of the game for the Zero, Val, and Kate? Maybe another 30 aircraft/engines per month for each airframe? As you note, that's almost a thousand aircraft between the Circle four and five plans.

If there are still engines for the first Kate, consider having a factory still producing those to use up the engines. The same for other aircraft that use a unique or antiquated engine that won't be used again unless a factory makes a kamikaze version. But then why change a factory to produce those kamikaze versions when there are better aircraft to be used as kamikazes?

1EyedJacks wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2024 10:38 pm Hi John,

What's the range on your Moon class DD? The Akitsuki class has an endurance of 8300. For a CLAA I'd want to find something that has the endurance to stick with my carriers w/o having to refuel too often.

As for those extra AC on the additional carriers - would you consider upping factory production at the start of the game for the Zero, Val, and Kate? Maybe another 30 aircraft/engines per month for each airframe? As you note, that's almost a thousand aircraft between the Circle four and five plans.

The Moon-Class are unchanged and have the 8300 range.

A CLAA would need range and serious DP guns. Other CLAA:
1, Dido-Class UK, 1936 Design, 6850T, Range 4850KM, 10 5.25" Guns, and 32 Knots
2. Atlanta-Class, US, 1938 Design, 8340T, Range 8500NM, 16 5" Guns, and 32 Knots

Japan's would be a 1938 Design so the Dido would be known as well as possibly Atlanta.

As to aircraft production on Dec 7th, here is a comparison:

Scenario 1:
Zero 56
Val 12
Kate 0

BTS
Zero 100
Val 45 (15)
Kate 35 (15)