A Yankee in Hotel Yamato - Anachro (J) vs Q-Ball (A) BTS (mod)

[Anachro]

A Yankee in Hotel Yamato

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Between the Storms 5.7 (Modified) - Anachro vs Q-Ball

Q-Ball is looking to get back into the game and thus we quickly setup a match. As he said he was rusty and a "medium" skill player, he wanted to be the Allies. As I viewed myself as both a medium skill player and a mediocre Japanese player, I wanted to use John's BTS mod. That said, given that John's mod has a few decisions I wanted to personally change, we will be using a modified version of BTS 5.7 (as John's new variant isn't quite ready yet and Q-Ball wants to play sooner rather than later).

I haven't quite decided on my strategy or goals yet, but I'd like to see Japan last into '45 or '46. As for the mod changes, I am still enacting them, so if you have some thoughts or recommendations for either the Allied or Japanese OOB, please let me know.

Not quite sure how I'll post this. Perhaps a Yankee sent back in time like Twain's Yankee lost in King Arthur's court. Or perhaps I'll just do my normal description from a Japanese perspective.
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1st turn rules:
Allied player only able to command TFs already at sea
No transferring or loading of squadrons
No carrier hunting
No "deep" first turn invasions, with the caveat that "deep" or unrealistic is contextual

General House Rules
Pay full PP for units to cross national borders
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here is the running list of mod changes. I have yet to complete them, so feel free to offer advice or recommendations. I am still implementing them. Not really sure to do about the economy changes yet.

Aircraft Changes
1. J2M Jack: Removed CV-capable variants of the J2M Jack
2. N1K George: Removed CV-capable “A” variants of the N1K George, kept N1K2, N1K4, and N1K5 as “J” variant land-based fighters.
3. A7M Sam: These are once again meant to be the late-war Japanese CV fighters. To account for Japan’s better preparation and Yamamoto’s foresight, their introduction times have been shortened by a few months. The A7M2 is scheduled to make an appearance in 1/44, and the A7M3 in 1/45.

Naval Changes
1. Akagi-class CVs: Deck armor slightly reduced back to 40 from 57, in line with BTS. Further modification somewhat needed and based on personal analysis this might be too high or Allied carrier armor ratings are too low.
2. Ryukaku-class CVLs: Speed reduced to 30 knots to be more in line with historical Japanese CVL variants.
3. G.6 CVL and CVs: The capacity of these ships have been reduced(52 A/C now) and they start at CVs, akin to British CVs. Speed and armor have both been reduced.
4. CVE Hosho: Later upgraded A/C capacity reduced back to 20 from 24 in BTS.
5. Hiryu-class CVs: A/C capacity reduced back to 65.
6. Naval Air XP: XP for starting pilots on the main KB have been buffed back to original levels with the rest appropriately at lower levels.
6. British Carrier A/C: British carrier A/C build rates have been slightly increased.

[the1henson]

I’ve been a silent follower of your AAR with John, and I really enjoy both your disciplined thought processes, and how you express them in the AAR. I’m looking forward to this one.

With regards to customizimg the mod, are these changes you’re considering in relation to the economic advantages inadvertently granted Japan in the standard BTS mod? I’m concerned about the possibility for overcorrecting there. Perhaps the problem wasn’t the extra oil, but rather the location of it. Those expanded oil production centers may actually be needed to run this OOB, but would more appropriately be located in the SRA, making the area the tempting target (and vital defensive location) that it should be. It goes without saying that expanded industry, shipbuilding, and most importantly an expanded fleet should see some expanded oil and fuel production. What happens if all the extra oil just evaporates while you’re supplying a much larger fleet is currently unknown IMO, so be careful not to overcorrect in that regard.

[John 3rd]

Your picture of Yamato is sick and wrong!

Sean asked if he could makes changes and I agreed with him.

Good comments Henson. This is why we have three sets of play-testers who will tackle the new Mod when it is ready to test. Am not going to release this half-cocked with no testing.

[Anachro]

@the1henson Thank you for your kind words! Regarding your comments on the economy, I completely agree with you. I feel that the way the industry is setup, and based on Itaklinus' analysis, the extra stuff is needed and I don't feel particularly inclined to have to wade through all the numbers myself to find the balance. I might have to wait for the later version of BTS for that.

@John I hope you read my AAR, cheer me on, and offer advice. Hopefully the writing here will be representative of what you get to read later on in my other AAR. Also, are there any OOB fixes I need to implement in my modifications that you noticed from our game?

[John 3rd]

The new version has a completely different deployment of the Pacific Fleet as well as changes to the Japanese TF layout. This version, once done, will be completely different and, I hope, far better...have you to thank for some of that so a tip of the hat goes to ya!

[Bearcat2]

I would just have the G6's start the game in your CV config.

[Anachro]

Done. Anyone know how to make air group plane numbers customizable in the editor? Planes on Akagi and Shokaku-class CVs can be re-sized any way you want in-game, but groups like G.6 and Hiryu-class are set to resize to specific numbers. Can this be changed?

This:



Versus this:

[BillBrown]

Did you give the Tokachi Kansen a resize size and date? I looked at BTS-L 5.8 and it is resizeable on day 1.

[John 3rd]

You are ignoring the history of the ALTHIS but due whatever you want. Nobody knows that the Hybrid cruisers are useful or useless until the war actually starts. This is why a conversion isn't allowed until late-42.

The groups can easily have their size changed within the editor.

[Anachro]

ORIGINAL: BillBrown

Did you give the Tokachi Kansen a resize size and date? I looked at BTS-L 5.8 and it is resizeable on day 1.

This is the current settings in the editor. No resize date or size and yet it still forced a upgrade of 19 in game.

[Q-Ball]

Sean said I could check-in before the shooting starts, so I am. Looking forward to this! I think he's selling himself short as an opponent, he's doing very well vs. John III and showing some real tactical and strategic insight from what I can tell in the AAR. Pretty sure he'll have a different playing style than John, but we'll find out.

Looking forward to this, just hope I don't make a hash of it!

[BillBrown]

ORIGINAL: Anachro

ORIGINAL: BillBrown

Did you give the Tokachi Kansen a resize size and date? I looked at BTS-L 5.8 and it is resizeable on day 1.

This is the current settings in the editor. No resize date or size and yet it still forced a upgrade of 19 in game.

Give it a resize date of 4112 and size 22. That should fix it.

[Bearcat2]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

You are ignoring the history of the ALTHIS but due whatever you want. Nobody knows that the Hybrid cruisers are useful or useless until the war actually starts. This is why a conversion isn't allowed until late-42.
................................

They also didn't realize their ASW and AA sucked; they didn't have enough CD units and what is that thing called radar? [:)]

BTW, when they rebuilt the Akagi and Kaga; it would seem to indicate that it was a failed design..

[John 3rd]

The problem Bearcat is that if you do this and start them as CVs then you might as well throw ALL of them into CVs. The Melbourne, Wellington and two American should also be converted. Players have found the CLV and CAV as much more useful then they should have. This is why I lessoned their Sorties AND their Ammo Storage. They are truly unique ships. Recommend: The Hybrid Warship--The Amalgamation of Big Guns and Aircraft by R. D. Layman and Stephen McLaughlin as well as Page 46 of Jentschura's book. (EDIT) Also Jordan's fine work entitled Warships After Washington has good details on this subject.

As to the air groups of the Hybrids, they disband just like the Chitose/Chiyoda (on starting their conversion) and come back as new Daitai organic to each ship. They are in the Editor under Air Groups. The G.6 design was a "proto-Soryu" (Jentschura) design at near 15,000T. The others were built much smaller at about 10,000T (Layman) thus leading to difference is aircraft complement as Hybrids and CV conversions.

The Akagi and Kaga were not built as Hybrids. That would be the same as saying Lexington and Saratoga were. NOT. No one knew where carrier aviation was going in the 20s. Both fleets went the same way of experimental carriers (Hosho-Langley) to two big conversions (Akagi-Lexington), to trying to put too much into a small displacement (Ryujo and Ranger), to the final beginning of real CVs (Soryu--Yorktown). The CAV/CLV fit in that timeline in 1930 or so.

[Anachro]

The modding is done so I am thinking about plans now. To start...



In the study of IGHQ...

Yamamoto pondered over the problem before him, a problem only now seen so starkly by others on the eve of this great war in the Pacific. The empire needed to secure her resources in the Southern Resource Area; and yet, the United States Navy stood poised to the east like a dagger pointed at Japan's vulnerable flank, not only mighty in its current form, but poised to be incomprehensible so in the years to come with those endless Vinson plans and two-ocean navy acts. He had been pondering this problem for years, nay, decades, preparing Japan and her armed forces while pushing for greater emphasis on newfangled air power. This has begun in the Naval Air Bureau, continued in the Navy Ministry, and finally had now reached its culmination with his appointment as the head if the Imperial Japanese Naval General Staff. The Kaigun was very much Yamamoto's and he had absolute confidence in its ability to fight vigorously and with success in the years to come.

But now the American fleet almost in its entirety had moved to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, that great bastion of naval might in the middle of the Pacific. Reports and spies placed the entire old American battle line, carriers, as well as numerous cruisers and destroyers, operating out of Oahu. The opportunity now presented itself to strike a devastating first blow and destroy a large portion of the US Pacific Fleet in one fell swoop; and with the power that Yamamoto had nurtured, this did not mean a simple raid, a lighting hit-and-run cavalry action. No, Yamamoto knew that he currently held a strong preponderance of naval air power in the Pacific and would continue to do so for at least the next year. He had numerous carriers and planes and could operate where he chose at will, and without abeyance. This potential, this possibility of some sort of permanent carrier task force, presented many possibilities, some that had heretofore seemed unthinkable.

Yamomoto stared at Pearl Harbor on the map, the forces arrayed, the distances involved, and thought, "Was it possible...?"


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Such was the scale of the American industrial power that if during the Pearl Harbor attack the Imperial Navy had been able to sink every major unit of the entire U.S. Navy and then complete its own construction programs without losing a single unit, by mid-1944 it would still not have been able to put to sea a fleet equal to the one that Americans could have assembled in the intervening thirty months.” - H.P. Wilmott

[John 3rd]

GREAT QUOTE by Wilmott. He is a fine historian!

[Bearcat2]

The US determined the hybrids were a failed design, if they were allowed to build them, a CVL based on a Brooklyn hull was a more likely build; basically a Independence class CVL.

[PaxMondo]

Q is far above an "average" player. In form, he was one of the better players … GOOD LUCK!! He's very tough allied opponent.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Bearcat2

The US determined the hybrids were a failed design, if they were allowed to build them, a CVL based on a Brooklyn hull was a more likely build; basically a Independence class CVL.

Really? Guess I got lucky on doing exactly that...OF COURSE that is what it converts to...this is all stated in the Mod History.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Anachro

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Between the Storms 5.7 (Modified) - Anachro vs Q-Ball

Q-Ball is looking to get back into the game and thus we quickly setup a match. As he said he was rusty and a "medium" skill player, he wanted to be the Allies. As I viewed myself as both a medium skill player and a mediocre Japanese player, I wanted to use John's BTS mod. That said, given that John's mod has a few decisions I wanted to personally change, we will be using a modified version of BTS 5.7 (as John's new variant isn't quite ready yet and Q-Ball wants to play sooner rather than later).

I haven't quite decided on my strategy or goals yet, but I'd like to see Japan last into '45 or '46. As for the mod changes, I am still enacting them, so if you have some thoughts or recommendations for either the Allied or Japanese OOB, please let me know.

Not quite sure how I'll post this. Perhaps a Yankee sent back in time like Twain's Yankee lost in King Arthur's court. Or perhaps I'll just do my normal description from a Japanese perspective.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

1st turn rules:
Allied player only able to command TFs already at sea
No transferring or loading of squadrons
No carrier hunting
No "deep" first turn invasions, with the caveat that "deep" or unrealistic is contextual

General House Rules
Pay full PP for units to cross national borders
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here is the running list of mod changes. I have yet to complete them, so feel free to offer advice or recommendations. I am still implementing them. Not really sure to do about the economy changes yet.

Aircraft Changes
1. J2M Jack: Removed CV-capable variants of the J2M Jack
2. N1K George: Removed CV-capable “A” variants of the N1K George, kept N1K2, N1K4, and N1K5 as “J” variant land-based fighters.
3. A7M Sam: These are once again meant to be the late-war Japanese CV fighters. To account for Japan’s better preparation and Yamamoto’s foresight, their introduction times have been shortened by a few months. The A7M2 is scheduled to make an appearance in 1/44, and the A7M3 in 1/45.

Naval Changes
1. Akagi-class CVs: Deck armor slightly reduced back to 40 from 57, in line with BTS. Further modification somewhat needed and based on personal analysis this might be too high or Allied carrier armor ratings are too low.
2. Ryukaku-class CVLs: Speed reduced to 30 knots to be more in line with historical Japanese CVL variants.
3. G.6 CVL and CVs: The capacity of these ships have been reduced(52 A/C now) and they start at CVs, akin to British CVs. Speed and armor have both been reduced.
4. CVE Hosho: Later upgraded A/C capacity reduced back to 20 from 24 in BTS.
5. Hiryu-class CVs: A/C capacity reduced back to 65.
6. Naval Air XP: XP for starting pilots on the main KB have been buffed back to original levels with the rest appropriately at lower levels.
6. British Carrier A/C: British carrier A/C build rates have been slightly increased.

I may have missed it somewhere here but which economy will you be using for this game? The BTS as it is in your game against John III or the one with DBB oil/resource production numbers?