Matrix Games Forums

I've heard of some unorthodox strategies, but these I have faced over the course of one campaign against the AI are perhaps the strangest.

From SigInt report 6/26/42: "China Expeditionary Army is planning for an attack on Auckland"

Really? Ambitious much?


Day Time Surface Combat, near Midway Island at 158,91, Range 21,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CVE Taiyo
CVE Unyo
CS Mizuho
CS Nisshin
CL Yubari
DD Oshio
DD Akatsuki
DD Isonami

Allied Ships
xAK Sagadahoc



Japanese Ships Reported to be Approaching!
Allied TF begins to get underway
Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions: 20,000 yards
Range closes to 18,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 18,000 yards
Japanese TF attempts to evade combat
Range increases to 21,000 yards...
Both Task Forces evade combat

This wasn't just near Midway, it was at Midway Island. What is the Japanese TF supposed to do? The CVE's did not launch any attacks, and both were hit by the marine DB squadron on Midway. There was no CAP.

And this is perhaps the biggest oddity:
Morning Air attack on TF, near Pearl Harbor at 179,105

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 42 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 19 minutes


Allied aircraft
B-18A Bolo x 5
B-17D Fortress x 3
SBD-1 Dauntless x 15


Allied aircraft losses
SBD-1 Dauntless: 6 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Yamato

That was on 06/24/42. Yamato first showed up the day before, so I had time to rearm my PBY's. After two other strikes:

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Pearl Harbor at 179,105

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights


Allied aircraft
B-18A Bolo x 10
B-17D Fortress x 3
PBY-5A Catalina x 7
SBD-1 Dauntless x 16


Japanese aircraft losses
No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-18A Bolo: 2 damaged
B-17D Fortress: 1 damaged
PBY-5A Catalina: 1 destroyed, 6 damaged
SBD-1 Dauntless: 5 damaged

Japanese Ships
CL Kitakami
BB Yamato, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
DD Yamagumo
DD Yakaze
DD Oboro

Right. So that makes things easier for my forces in the SWPAC. In May my battleships had to run away scared from a move by the Yamato. And now it gets sunk by PBYs. Not only that, it was sunk only two hexes north of Lihue. Why make that kind of move?

For clarity sake: this campaign was started under the original game version and updated as patches became available.

I guess mine is somewhat historical as in my game vs the AI in 6/42 & guess what happens... Kiska is invaded then Attu a few days later & then the IJ shows up mid June off Midway w/ a couple of CVE's (not much of the KB or mini KB left as they've been dealt with in DEI & PM/Oz) & a small invasion force that's all promptly dealt w/ by Midway air. I've noticed that the AI will send some kind of surface TF to PH area about every 2 months or so. I think Andy Mac changed the AI script to cut down on this in one of the patches but if your still playing a save game from before that, you'll still see the behavior. I'm still playing a save game started under the original release even though I'm patched up to latest hotfix.

Did these two Japanese destroyers take a wrong turn at Albuquerque? [X(]

Naval Gun Fire at Bataan - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

22 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
DD Inazuma, Shell hits 7, Mine hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Ikazuchi, Shell hits 5, Mine hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

Manila Bay Defenses firing at DD Inazuma
Manila Bay Defenses firing at DD Ikazuchi

Task Force 8 encounters enemy Task Force at 78 , 77
Naval Gun Fire at Bataan
DD Inazuma hits Mk 6 Mine at Bataan
DD Inazuma hits Mk 6 Mine at Bataan
[:@]

XXzard just so I am clear thats a game Started under patch 2 ? So it has the latest AI files ?

If yes please send me a save we thought we had gotten all of the SCTF to PH issues.

a.mcphie@btinternet.com

I had the AI invade the Aleutians and then landed troops at Dutch Harbor, where I'd moved the NorPac HQ and some base units.  I guess the AI thought DH would be undefended because the troops sat there doing nothing, while I hastily scrounged up some transport hulls and escorts to send an infantry regiment there as reinforcements.

Meanwhile, the AI invaded Bora Bora and the Cocos Islands.  The Marines retook Bora Bora but the Cocos are still in Japanese hands.  I've got a British brigade prepping to evict them from there but it may be a while before I'm ready for that.

Take any southern island south of Nauru, place Mitsubishi bombers (G3M/G4M) to it on naval attack with some patrol/search planes. Watch as AI sends entire allied transport capacity straight past your base while supplying Australia and sink them all to win the war.

BTW, is it just me, or has Patch 2 hotfix really made AI more convoy-minded? Everything seems to be better escorted with destroyers and patrol crafts.

In response to Andy Mac, no, it was started under the original version. It has been updated, but I suppose that might not change the AI scripting.

I'll edit the original post so that it doesn't seem like it was started under patch 2. I only mean to say that there has been some unusual things that have happened during the campaign. Highly unusual. It just so happens that the strangest events occurred shortly after I updated to patch 2, which could actually be coincidental.

Yamii should never get sunk by winpy naval air... took what 40-50 hits to sink?

IIRC, Yamato took substantially fewer hits to sink than did Musashi.

Well, in fact in the game it took 6 torpedoes to sink.

Thanks XXzard I was worried for a while there I think we got all the IJN to PH instances

Hi,

my first post here. In my current vs AI game, i had a lot of this instances, two times KB tryed to dock with in Suva island, ofcourse it was decimated by air bombardment (LBA CV). The last time small CVL TF tryed also to dock with PH. And i'm using latest patch, also AI is pretty aggressive in my game, thats why it lost all CV's in 1942 . But i think AI is too aggressive with CVs.

br.
Dr.Jones

Yes, I did have a similar experience, above all the AI showing up with only one carrier in a TF.

I agree. The AI does some strange things with CV's. In my game, the AI took one of their carriers into the middle of allied controlled waters with no more than one DD as escort. Scratch one flattop..

Also, KB left PH on Dec 7th opting to spend 4 days blowing the smitherines out of Johnston Island. At least I knew where KB was, which is far better than not knowing.