The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[BBfanboy]

I am surprised the devotees have not answered this yet - I don't use Tracker either but have seen enough of it in various AARs to give a general description.

It takes all that text info and report info that exists in game and sifts it most any way you want. You can ask it to present info on the whereabouts of the Imperial Guards Division, give it a timeframe to search and it will gather up every mention of that unit from SIGINT, Land Combat Reports, Bombing Reports, etc.

It can organize info that helps you see whether your pilot training is keeping up with needs or whether your pools for a particular aircraft type are getting low.

Of course, what you get out of it depends on whether you know what to ask it, so the guys with a lot of experience using it get a great deal out of it while those just starting to use it may find it "not worth the time". John will be in the latter category for a while!

[Canoerebel]

I used Tracker for a few turns in one game (might even have been this one early on). I finally got it loaded and working, but man it seemed clunky (to I, who is ham-fisted with computers). So I reverted to pen and paper. I love the idea of a searchable database for SigInt. I just couldn't stand the clunkiness (as it struck me) of loading the feature and each turn.

After John and I resumed the game, I looked into witpqs's IntelMonkey. But, as I remember events now, it was like a five-year-old used to "See Spot Run" trying to read Great Expectations. I am woefully deficient in understanding plain English explanations of how to do stuff with computers and programs.

[poodlebrain]

The speed differential between American CVs and CVEs requires pre-planning to use the CVEs in the replenishment role effectively. This is only practical when the Americans have the initiative, and sufficient escorts to defend the replenishment TFs from subs and surface raids. Replenishment TFs should also stay outside enemy LBA fighter escort range to reduce their vulnerability to defend themselves.

You would have had trouble using CVEs in the replenishment role in your campaign for the Marshalls. There was nowhere safe for them to operate with the mini-KB prowling in your rear areas unless you kept them in close proximity to the Death Star. Going forward though, they should be an invaluable part of your plans. You have numerical superiority in CVs and CVLs so you can dedicate your CVEs to the support roles intended for them. Effective use of CVEs in replenishment TFs will enable you to sustain your CVs and CVLs in battle, and this can be decisive during battles that extend several days.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

Probably because the KB remains strong. Now it's to his advantage. Supply lines are pretty direct from Pearl. Take a base, build it up, load it with supply, on to the next one.
Dan, are you going to use the replenishment CVE's as replenishment CVE's? If so make sure to guard them with regular CVE's (both against raids and subs).
Eventually you have to go up against interlocking land based air but whats the rush?

A great lesson learned by experience in this game. Until now, through five or six other matches, I'd never had an occasion in which CVE replenishment of aircraft would have been more useful than use them for air defense (CAP). In this game it would have been an advantage. Going forward, I'll be better prepared to know when to deploy CVEs in carrier roles or in replenishment roles.

With KB whittled down (for awhile anyhow), replenishment probably shouldn't be as big an issue going forward. So I might be inclined to continue using them as traditional carriers until the equation changes.

Yep they work quite well-especially as the US roll over to the offensive. I tend to pull the VR squadrons off for pilot training in 43 (never enough torpedo pilots) and then put them back on CVEs in 1944 as the number of CVEs really starts to go up. Don't forget that the VR squadrons work just as well from a land base so if you are fighting in range of a base they will replenish from there as well.

[Capt. Harlock]

It's that self-knowledge, that confidence and experience. The wink a 31 year-old woman is the allure of someone at the top of their game, who knows exactly what they're doing.

There is also reason to believe that the hormone levels peak in the early 30's. (The hormone levels of males peak in the late teens -- which is clearly a design flaw.[:D])

[Canoerebel]

9/26/43

Flying Trapeze:The amphibious assault ships are 21 hexes from Wake in the protection of CA Baltimore TF, two CVE TFs, and CV Bunker Hill TF. The rest of Death Star departs Midway tonight along with a couple of BB TF. All carriers have 100% sorties and 100% torpedoes. Only one BB TF is lacking full ammo - she'll wait an extra day to depart.

The amphibious assault ships all make 15 knots or better, so it won't take long to make it to Wake. For the sake of speed, few air squadrons on Death Star are at or near full strength, but a lot was accomplished in two Days. For instance, Death Star will have a total of nearly 575 fighters: 368 Hellcats, 117 F4Fs, and 88 others (mainly FM1s). The Pinkertons anticipate the odds of need striking aircraft are pretty low, so emphasis was given to rebuilding the fighters. However, there are plenty of strike aircraft present. Replacements can feed in from both Midway and the Marshalls.

Naval Battle of Wake Island: Sunfish score one hit on an AO on a southernly heading west of Marcus. I make this as a change of mind by John - diverting his replenishment TF to Truk rather than sending it to Tokyo. But, of course, I am a Pinkerton agent, so my evaluations are subject to skepticism. The damaged combat TFs and carriers are no more than two days from Pearl.

Circus/Carnival: Suddenly several IJN subs around Kodiak Island. I think (Pinkerton thinking) that John is looking for signs of a move up here. His sub encounter with a massive transport TF near Prince Rupert probably got his attention.

[BBfanboy]

Canoerebel: Sunfish score one hit on an AO on a southerly heading west of Marcus

I have found that my subs (alone) are awful at providing accurate reports of an enemy TF direction of movement. If the D/L has been raised by multiple sub sightings or naval search the reports get more accurate.

[Canoerebel]

Thanks for the useful tip, BBfanboy.

Darned Pinkerton agents. I gotta get rid of them. They've been messing up intelligence since the Civil War.

[Jellicoe]

Did the AO burn?

An empty AO heading back to the barn is a further indication if you ever needed it that maritime offensive ops are drawing down.

[Encircled]

Tracker is ideal for keeping track of your economy as the Japanese.

It sounds like he's having a rethink of what his economy is doing, and what he can/can't do with regards to production/research.

[JohnDillworth]

An empty AO heading back to the barn is a further indication if you ever needed it that maritime offensive ops are drawing down.

not surprised they are headed back to Truk. I'm sure John is not drawing down his lines much, Truk is safe, and it gives him a lot of flexibility in the Central & SW Pacific. Plus, he probably has fuel stockpiled there

[Crackaces]

Victory Conditions ..

Could you post a screen with the current VP counts?

I assess you are up against an opponent that likes to smash things and yell "Banzai" but does not have a realistic plan yet to extend this game beyond March 1946 (How the game is won for the IJ)

Given the latest events you might have a real head start on the 2:1 ratio and this might shape your overall strategy.

As far as tracker and the Allies .. When I played .. I used tracker a lot for my continental exploits .. it gives on view of the supply situation and where I need to stockpile to move supply forward and where supply might not be moving ..

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

Victory Conditions ..

Could you post a screen with the current VP counts?

I assess you are up against an opponent that likes to smash things and yell "Banzai" but does not have a realistic plan yet to extend this game beyond March 1946 (How the game is won for the IJ)

Given the latest events you might have a real head start on the 2:1 ratio and this might shape your overall strategy.

As far as tracker and the Allies .. When I played .. I used tracker a lot for my continental exploits .. it gives on view of the supply situation and where I need to stockpile to move supply forward and where supply might not be moving ..

While I agree on your assessment of the attitude of the opponent, not many IJ players do have an idea how to get into 46. How many games have gotten there?

Whether he does have a plan or not isn't really the issue, it's the evidence that so far he has been using a LOT of oil/fuel and supply. I'd then say that strat bombing would be an important part in the Allied plan in 44, maybe more important than usual. I mean getting any little bit of industry, oil, even resources, hit in key locations. Also, anywhere to kill supply would be good. Every aircraft the IJ has to replace, every device they have to replenish costs supply.

[poodlebrain]

This has been a most interesting game in that the Allies haven't had the ability to conduct war against the Japanese economy via strategic bombing. I think this has reduced the benefits to the Allies of focusing on Burma, that is all too common in most games. The only effective means of attacking the Japanese economy has been to force the Japanese to maintain a pace of operations that has required the Japanese to consume fuel and supplies at a rate that reduces the ability Japanese to stockpile them for use once the Allies are able to attack Japanese economic targets.

I'm impressed with the results Canoerebel has achieved so far since this scenario is handicapped in favor of the Japanese militarily. My observation of this game leads me to believe that John did not realize the best use for the increased military capability available to Japan. The Japanese can expand to capture a defensible perimeter with historically available (Scenario 1) forces. They do not need the additional forces to expand to a defensible perimeter. The best use of the increased forces is not to capture more territory, but to defend the captured territory more effectively.

[CaptBeefheart]

A while back I offered the Java-Borneo-Hainan vector more as a dramatic gesture than anything else; something that would give this struggle a GreyJoy-like flair. However, with the rump KB being as small as it is I think going straight for the jugular makes more sense, and that means island hopping. Either way, keep up the maskirovka and feints all along the perimeter.

Cheers,
CC

[pws1225]

ORIGINAL: poodlebrain

The Japanese can expand to capture a defensible perimeter with historically available (Scenario 1) forces. They do not need the additional forces to expand to a defensible perimeter. The best use of the increased forces is not to capture more territory, but to defend the captured territory more effectively.

+1 to this.

[HansBolter]

Wanted to post a definitive answer to the speculation we all engaged in earlier regarding night naval search.

Went to the manual over the weekend and learned that DL resets to zero at the beginning of each night and day phase, not at the beginning of a turn.

One cannot build upon in the day time a DL established at night.

There is a statement that knowledge of the enemies whereabouts in one phase can assist in finding the enemy in the next phase but its one of those sketchy statements with no hard data.

[BillBrown]

While that is true of DL, the MDL does not reset to zero.

[Canoerebel]

I think somebody recently requested the Points screen. Here it is as of 9/27/43.

[Canoerebel]

9/27/43

Flying Trapeze: The main assault TFs are 14 hexes from Wake, escorted by one CV TF, two CVE TFs, two combat TFs, and an ASW TF. Death Star is trailing by five hexes after departing Midway overnight without encountering subs. The amphibious TFs will slow a bit today to allow Death Star to draw near. D-Day should be in three days. John seems to have low detection (3) on only the amphib TF, but its probably enough (following on previous-turn info) to solidify his hunches. Recon still shows low aircraft numbers at Wake, with the garrison unchanged.

Thin Man: Subs south of Marcus pick of two E-class ships escorting xAKs. CA Salt Lake City/Indianapolis TF makes Pearl. The DDs will repair first, then the CAs. CV Enterprise/Hornet TF will arrive at Pearl tomorrow. Both fleet carriers have very low FLT/Eng damage with SYS damage in the 20s. They should repair very quickly. Both are due 10/43 upgrades, so I think they'll do those now. Enemy sub south of Pearl picked off an SC, but hers was a noble death since she was one of two escorts for two AOs returning to Pearl. CV Victorious is 17 days from withdrawal and should make San Fran before then.

Big Tent: Lots of troops ships have completed loading and are on the move. Big PP expenditure made today as I choose to buy out a RCT and a Canadian brigade rather than wait two weeks for a restricted USA division. First, time is critical (as always). Second, the two bought out are prepping for a target of higher early priority while the division's target is believed to be lightly garrisoned and can be handled by other units. So now (as the Points screenshot shows), Allied PPs are about gone.