Matrix Games Forums

Hi-v1106g, scen.9, end of first year of war.

Allies are ahead. Details:
1. Score-Allies-28070, enemy 23253.
2. Allies ahead in all catagories except Army losses and # of bases(which is almost even.)
3. Ship losses-Allies 381, Japanese 791. Major ship losses:
a. Japanese 7 CV,4 CVL, 3 CVE, 8 BB(7 prewar + Yamato)
b. Allies-2 OBB at PH.
4. Holdings:
a. Allies:PH, Midway, Wake, Eniwetok, Roi-Namur and Ponape. Took Baker back.Canton, Palmyra, Luganville, Noumea and Tulagi.
Port Morseby, Milne Bay and Terapo.
All of the Aleutians. All of Australia.
Port Blair, Akyab, Kalemo, Imphal,Kohima,Ledo and Lashio.

Allied problems: Lack of stockpiles of fuel and supplies, except in SEAC.

Future : 1.Work on stockpiles. 2. Guam, Tinian, etc. 3. Better Allied ASW and SS operations. 4. Gain full inititive in all sectors. (Am still reacting too much).

Conclusion: All OK, so far. This is my first full game in AE, so am still learning. Early Japanese moves really threw me for a loop and I was reacting rather than vice versa.

Comments, please. Thanks, Hugh Browne

You're doing very well, but your game is a good example of the difference between AI and PBEM. Here's what you might expect at this point in a PBEM game:

Hi-v1106g, scen.2, end of first year of war.

Japanese are ahead. Details:
1. Score-Allies-20,000, enemy 36500.
2. Japanese ahead in all catagories except aircraft ops losses.
3. Ship losses-Allies 1,000, Japanese 600. Major ship losses:
a. Japanese 2 CV, 1 CVL, 1 CVE, 2 BB
b. Allies-6 CV, 1 CVL, 1 CVE, 7 BB.
4. Holdings:
a. Allies: PH. Tried to take back Baker Island but lost three CV and three BB doings so. I won't try that again any time soon.
b. Japan: Port Morseby, Milne Bay, Noumea, Suva, Line Islands, Midway, western Aleutians, Ceylon.

Allied problems: Everything from low fuel and lack of carrers to the fact that I have 43,000 engineer units on the west coast and no idea how I'm going to get them to bases in the Pacific.

Future : 1. I managed to avoid a Japanese auto-victory, but I'm not sure how to begin my offensive with far fewer carriers than Japan. 2. In the first half of '43 I hope to retake Suva and Noumea. 3. By the end of '43 I should be able to target Port Moresby, Milne Bay and a few other Japanese bases. 4. Gain full initiative in all sectors sometime in 1944.

Conclusion: All OK, so far. My wiley opponent has really played well and thrown me some curves. The excitement of playing another person is amazing.

Canoerebel,
IMO 600 confirmed enemy ships sunk speaks heavily to your actual operational success, even if all battles havent gone your way.

Sounds like IRL in many respects. Unless you are measured against an early victory date, I see no rush in forcing a major invasion (like the ones you cite) likely to evoke a complete resonse. If I were your opponent, I certainly would go straight at you when you commit to an invasion, knowing your strength. I take it your subs will lead the charge in early 43. IMHO attacking where he doesnt think you will (and where LBA can assist) would be more fruitful. Horne Island, Merauke, Timor, or Aeluts ----or the classic of feighnt of faking an attack in one place and then launching the real attack elsewhere after he has committed his navies to the first combat. Anyway, good hunting.

That example isn't from a real game.  I made it up as illustrative of what I seem to see in my PBEM games.  Of those 600 Japanese ships in the "sunk" category, 520 would be subs, xAKL, xAK, APD, PB, and E-class.  The next 70 would be xAP, TK and DD.  Only 10 would be capital ships.