Matrix Games Forums

I have some questions to China:

1. Building
The dockyard capacity is in the description 4.000 t and in the game 10.000 t. It is nit a big issue because you can play with a "house rule" not build bigger ships than 4.000 t in a local yard. However, this bug is in since the game started and neversolved. I noticed, too, that similar limitaions in treaties are not reaaly covered in the building process as limitation. Mybe it has been recently solved as I avoided treaties for a long time.

2. Burning ships
In my recent game with China I lost many ships because of fire. Is the propability influenced by the status of the crew? China has low education and many crews are -2.

3.Home area
Is only NE asia the home area of China? I think that ships with cramped space suffer in South East China? (which is a bit ridicolous).

1. China's Dockyard capacity is 4,000t in 1890.

2. Yes, Crew Quality has a massive impact on Damage Control, but so do Damage Control techs. Fires are especially lethal pre-1910 or so.

WLRoo wrote: Sat Nov 09, 2024 9:19 pm 1. China's Dockyard capacity is 4,000t in 1890.

2. Yes, Crew Quality has a massive impact on Damage Control, but so do Damage Control techs. Fires are especially lethal pre-1910 or so.

I see ... ok, my fault. I have not considered that and I start regularly in 1900 as in 1890 I cannot build the fleet myself.

Two words: Build Abroad. Until you have 8k docks so you can build REAL light cruisers (able to outrun and take on any CL/CA/B in the game). The sooner you get your killer non-legacy fleet going, the better. You can build your "starter" 15.000-ton CAs in Britain. Get a couple of those in the line and you will rule (but keep an eye out for torps.). Whatever you do or do not, BUILD NO Bs!!! Complete waste of money. I (almost) never scrap a non-legacy cruiser. Any that survive eventually get covered with missiles.

Lots of small stuff doesn't cut it. Put all your eggs in fewer baskets (BIG CLs, BIG CAs) -- and watch those baskets! I managed 240 Prestige (1890 Start, Admiral's Mode, Large, AI Advantage, no reloads), but China is poor, and by the end I wound up missling up an 8100-ton legacy CA to fill in the gaps. But you can finish with as much prestige as the other powers, both large and small. It's just more uncomfortable.

Forgo capital ships -- you are not a major power. Top out with 26,000-ton CAs (7.5"belt, max.) covered with secondaries/tertiaries, later to be filled TO THE BRIM ASAP with SSMs -- and don't forget the reloads. You will need a carrier force of some sort, but it's a struggle. Don't splurge, but build enough (4 or even 5?). go heavy with fighters (if you auto-assign, change a troop of bombers to fighters), and ALWAYS go Maximum CAP. You must be able to survive against the IJN. And NEVER forget to assign land-based CAP to your main force. You'll be offered old capital ships for cheap, including CVs, unlike stronger powers,and you can use those to fill in the gaps (or not).

Japan is your main problem. Unlike the others, they live in your front yard. But, unlike Japan, you have a home base in both NE and SE Asia. You'll be offered old capital ships for cheap, including CVs, unlike stronger powers.

Any time you win after a war, take it ALL in reparations. A vitally important 100 -- a pop -- to your economic BASE. And take all opportunities to reduce Corruption.

(Oh, yeah, and win all your battles.)