RHSCAIO 7.957

[Buck Beach]

After months of not playing I decided to give the RHS AI games another try. My preference is the CVO version because the equipment is more in line with history. I do like to play the MAIO but am turned off again by the equipment.

Over the past couple of years I have played all of the AI versions but have never gotten further than April or May (maybe only March) 1942 due to various problems of stalled Japanese TFs and wanting to play the current update (oh how I hate that first turn). Preferring to wait for AE, I set the game aside and have just followed the posts. Since it looks like AE is still several months off (if we're lucky) I figured I'd fire it up again.

OK, I am currently at 1/09/1942 and am experiencing what is a game killer. The Japanese have captured and held the following bases and most of them for quite some time: Davao on Mindanao, Singora on Borneo and Tavoy, Kota Bhara, Kuching, Johore Bahru on Malaya. None of these bases have attracted any air groups. Consequently, I am able to sail all my TF around that theater with impunity. Also, mid to late December 1942 the Japanese ground forces pushed to within one hex of Rangoon after capturing the Burma bases of Ye and Moulmein and then disappeared (may have withdrew, I don't know). And, I don't recall seeing where Rangoon has even been attacked once by the Japanese air force, they have only been subject to recon flights.

Another strange thing I have experienced is I can no longer load the oil at Bandjermasin on Borneo, after having done so for the entire month of December 1942 (???). I may have somehow corrupted the game.

Anyway though I would give a heads up to these issues for what its worth.

I love RHS but can't seem to ever get it to run right.

[el cid again]

There are a large number of historical RHS scenarios:

Those with IDENTICAL equipment to CVO include RAO - with active Russians - something only RHS has made work (and it takes a workaround to get there - hard code never lets it happen properly). This is a big reform - Russians otherwise cannot run their economy - move things around - or even activate properly when Japan invades or raids (depending on technical details of the attack). RAO IS CVO except for that detail.

There is CAIO - which is like CVO a Russian PASSIVE mod - but without interior river systems and certain other things AI cannot understand - if for some reason you like that. The riverboats are in many cases removed - and river ports are no longer ports - so it is slightly simplified.

There is JFO - which is identical to CVO but with a different planning priority on the Allied side - more stuff is sent to PTO sooner - making ETO last longer - so less arrives later. This was suggested when a game began with a very aggressive Japan - it was said "in this situation - we might have decided to give Japan priority." Since many players are too efficient and aggressive - it might be better simulation - and it is certainly a more balanced game sooner - than CVO per se. This variation is - like RAO - almost identical - most slots have no changes - most that do have a date change based on the scenario assumption - but more of the 9999ed out merchant ships are available - because higher priority = more shipping to the theater.

There is also a nearly identical family of scenarios called BBO. It is IMHO MORE HISTORICAL than ANY other form of WITP - it is the war as planned - both before the war in in its first six months - the most likely thing to have happened. There is a variation of that called YPO - in which Japan does not attack Hawaii - and Yamamoto has resigned as Commander of Combined Fleet (but can be assigned to anything you want if you think it is appropriate). This is a very likely way for the war to have begun - and with the battle fleet in tact - War Plan Orange would be more in effect than it was. Anyway - the difference between BBO scenarios and CVO scenarios is mainly ships: you get Shinano as a BB vice a CV kind of thing. You do get some interesting variants - USN DEs are built AS DESIGNED instead of as built - with twice the horsepower - more speed - bigger guns - BUT - fewer built (they literally carried half the engines - so twice as many hulls could be outfitted - and used a more available 3 inch gun - instead of 5 inch guns). Admiral Hart wins aproval of his submarine concepts - he does head the Submarine Board (both before the war and later during the war) - and while that does not give you more submarines - it does give them to you sooner - which in early days I think matters - and all the paper criticism of the Mackeral/Marlin about range is nonsense: they have quite adequate range - and the design was sold to Peru post war (which bought six). The second difference is pre war/early war focus on flying boats is retained. USN AVs are built AS DESIGNED - with a catapult as CS - you get a USN float fighter (the Wild Catfish) - and you can use them with Marine dive bombes as planned. The biggest factory in the world - at Renton Washington (Boeing) - builds the PBB - later converting to B-29 - and the B-29 is available slightly later as a result - as planned (converting PBB design assets speeded up the B-29 program slightly - to no good end - since the thing was a technical failure for a long time - and the game permits usage too soon probably - since we cannot impose its failures on players). The final difference is less focus on seabees - related to the greater focus of planning on use of seaplane tenders for rapid use of new bases. The number o seabee battalions is reduced.

[el cid again]

Note that I am about to release 7.958 - with a few eratta corrections - and a few aircraft refinements. This mostly affects aircraft and air group technical data - and the CVO and BBO families are already done. I can send you these files pre release. [They are held while I do data entry for EOS family in case some additional eratta or refinements are reported/discovered - to keep everything in sync]

[Buck Beach]

Sid, the main point of my original post here was to inform you (or others)of some AI anomalies I had not previously encountered in the other RHS games I have played. This done on the chance you would recognize something you might have changed that is effecting the flow of the normal AI concentration of activity. Having played RHS for so long I am, and I do keep, familiar with your scenarios.

Here are the things again that are unusual :

OK, I am currently at 1/09/1942 and am experiencing what is a game killer. The Japanese have captured and held the following bases and most of them for quite some time: Davao on Mindanao, Singora on Borneo and Tavoy, Kota Bhara, Kuching, Johore Bahru on Malaya. None of these bases have attracted any air groups. Consequently, I am able to sail all my TF around that theater with impunity. Also, mid to late December 1942 the Japanese ground forces pushed to within one hex of Rangoon after capturing the Burma bases of Ye and Moulmein and then disappeared (may have withdrew, I don't know). And, I don't recall seeing where Rangoon has even been attacked once by the Japanese air force, they have only been subject to recon flights.

Another strange thing I have experienced is I can no longer load the oil at Bandjermasin on Borneo, after having done so for the entire month of December 1942 (???). I may have somehow corrupted the game.



Yes Sid I would like for you to send me the CAIO pre-release. I am on your mailing list as ebeach. As I recall you do not have an AI (or solo play) version for the BBO so that would be of no use to me.

I have subsequently discovered that none of the above Japanese captured bases having the problems have been provided Aircraft support. Zilch, Zero, Nada. Obviously, that is why there have been no aircraft stationed at them.