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Hey guys,

Another interesting game and subsequent operational question.

I'm in late February 1942. For whatever reason the Jap AI is obsessed with Palmyra. I've thrown one invasion force back into the sea. On this second attempt, they rolled in in force x10. A 10 ship cargo force, roughly the same transport TF, and the full on KB. The land unit retreated from the beach after one turn. However, the KB and the invasion force have just been hanging out sending carrier strike after strike on the relatively undeveloped atoll. I don't have any planes left on the island, and only 2 cargo ships in port so I'm not really sure what they're trying to do. They're just airfield bombing, not even going after my ground unit. So far it's been over 5 days of them not moving at all.

Now, fair enough. It's February 1942. My entire combat fleet across the pacific is running as far away as possible from Palmyra. I'm certainly not going to risk any of my carriers at this point. But still, I wouldn't think the KB would just hang out within 2 days sailing of PH. Is this normal? Is it a bug? If it's a bug is there a way to "force" the KB back into normal operations?

If it's normal and I'm overthinking it. What do i do if the KB just.. doesn't leave? Do i just divert everything way east and around christmas island? Do I just sit tight and hope they leave? Any operational level input would be awesome. I'm trying to keep things as realistic as possible, so as much as I want to send all 4 carriers and a couple BB TFs full tilt in to it, I'm worried that may ruin the rest of the game.

Interested in your thoughts.

altemosejd wrote: Fri Feb 06, 2026 12:47 am If it's normal and I'm overthinking it. What do i do if the KB just.. doesn't leave? Do i just divert everything way east and around christmas island? Do I just sit tight and hope they leave? Any operational level input would be awesome. I'm trying to keep things as realistic as possible, so as much as I want to send all 4 carriers and a couple BB TFs full tilt in to it, I'm worried that may ruin the rest of the game.

Take full advantage of knowing where they are and send those 4 carriers to hit them where they ain't.

sorry had to delete the duplicates

Bo Rearguard wrote: Fri Feb 06, 2026 12:52 am

altemosejd wrote: Fri Feb 06, 2026 12:47 am If it's normal and I'm overthinking it. What do i do if the KB just.. doesn't leave? Do i just divert everything way east and around christmas island? Do I just sit tight and hope they leave? Any operational level input would be awesome. I'm trying to keep things as realistic as possible, so as much as I want to send all 4 carriers and a couple BB TFs full tilt in to it, I'm worried that may ruin the rest of the game.

Take full advantage of knowing where they are and send those 4 carriers to hit them where they ain't.

I do want to! I just don't want to cripple either of our fleets so early in the game. Maybe it wouldn't do much to the KB anyway, not sure.

Been many posts raised on the AI but here's a few points about playing the AI and they mostly apply to both sides.

The AI is working to scripts it has limited ability to react to anything you do. It's scenerio creator who has decided and possible something more adventurous later.
The AI will not relent on it's attempt to take an objevtive unless you manually intervene and cancel any current orders it has. Once you have manually cancelled them than go back to AI play.
The AI is very, very bad at assessing threats. You will often see stray TF deep in enemy territory. I leave them alone by limiting naval attack mission.
If you want a reasonable game agianst the AI you should let it take all it's objectives once they becomes obvious, even as late as mid 43.
Yes you can take advantage of an absent KB but do it sparingly.

All this boils down to the Allies fighing a defensive war early on and an attackin one from late 43. It's the reverse for the Japanese.

Chris21wen wrote: Fri Feb 06, 2026 6:47 am Been many posts raised on the AI but here's a few points about playing the AI and they mostly apply to both sides.

The AI is working to scripts it has limited ability to react to anything you do. It's scenerio creator who has decided and possible something more adventurous later.
The AI will not relent on it's attempt to take an objevtive unless you manually intervene and cancel any current orders it has. Once you have manually cancelled them than go back to AI play.
The AI is very, very bad at assessing threats. You will often see stray TF deep in enemy territory. I leave them alone by limiting naval attack mission.
If you want a reasonable game agianst the AI you should let it take all it's objectives once they becomes obvious, even as late as mid 43.
Yes you can take advantage of an absent KB but do it sparingly.

All this boils down to the Allies fighing a defensive war early on and an attackin one from late 43. It's the reverse for the Japanese.

Hey Chris, thanks for the input. I was hesitant to call it a limitation of the AI (because everything the AI has done up to this point on a number of different saves has been fantastic and very plausible). But I think you answered my overall question. I "played" thru mid March and the KB was still there. Almost a month sitting at Palmyra doing nothing. So i decided to hit them to force them out. Sunk 3 carriers to 1 of mine, along with a BB and multiple CA's and CL's as well as almost all of their AP and AK fleet. Great result for me, but I don't like playing that way. I have a save that will take me back and I'm planning on doing that.

I saw a couple posts here and there about editing a scenario so I'll dig into that, see if I can't shake the KB loose and get them back into normal operations again.

You probably broke the script by defeating the invasion. I am unsure if it can be 'restarted' again any other way than rewinding & letting it take the base.

You could open the game as the Japanese player and give the offending TF return to base orders????

JeffroK wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 9:27 pm You could open the game as the Japanese player and give the offending TF return to base orders????

Hey roger that, tracking that's an option, I appreciate it. I'm relatively new to the game and I've spent significant time starting multiple scenarios. Stinks dumping a couple weeks into a save and finding out I had the wrong AI file w/ the wrong beta, w/ the wrong map, etc. to where I'm easily breaking the script. I've since fixed the majority of the issues I think? but because I came into this late I couldn't tell you what's considered "normal" and what would be behavior indicative of some type of issue. So, while I could definitely just hop onto the Japanese side and get it squared for now, I'm more so worried I've got a problem that would plague an entire save.

altemosejd wrote: Sun Feb 22, 2026 12:35 am

JeffroK wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 9:27 pm You could open the game as the Japanese player and give the offending TF return to base orders????

Hey roger that, tracking that's an option, I appreciate it. I'm relatively new to the game and I've spent significant time starting multiple scenarios. Stinks dumping a couple weeks into a save and finding out I had the wrong AI file w/ the wrong beta, w/ the wrong map, etc. to where I'm easily breaking the script. I've since fixed the majority of the issues I think? but because I came into this late I couldn't tell you what's considered "normal" and what would be behavior indicative of some type of issue. So, while I could definitely just hop onto the Japanese side and get it squared for now, I'm more so worried I've got a problem that would plague an entire save.

The game version considered the best stable one is 26b. It is actually a beta that has never been made into the default game version. All this does is patch the default game 26a and it does so by creating a sub folder called Beta placing the .exe and other files into this folder that you run. The original 26a .exe is still available in the main game folder.

If you are learning the game you need nothing else and I'd advise any new player to stick to this for now. The main reason is the new beta 28b, which is available, has many problems but work is being carried out to rectify them and is due imminently.

I think there are also updates to the database for the default game but honest I can't remember details.

There are also many mods and scenarios but again, if learning, stick the the defaults that come with 26b. These includes enlarge map, prettier maps, stuff in different places, new ships, planes, units all sorts of other stuff but when you download these they come with instructions and often overwrite the default files.

Fortunately the game, and one of the only games I know, that allows you too copy the entire game folder numerous times so patchig these copies leaving the default alone.

As far as the AI files go, you can do nothing about which is run. When the game starts the AI pick one at random and goes from there.

If you think the AI is being excessively stupid, well it is, you can run the game for one turn as two player and as the manually cancel of of the stupid moves it's making. It will run something else when you switch back to single play. Well it does appear to anyway.

You can move all but one of the AI files to a new saved AI folder and then start the game. For the next game, simply move a new AI file in from the saved AI folder and move the one that you just played into the saved AI folder. Repeat as often as is necessary and then look for the new AI scripts and then try those scripts the same way.

[/quote]

The game version considered the best stable one is 26b. It is actually a beta that has never been made into the default game version. All this does is patch the default game 26a and it does so by creating a sub folder called Beta placing the .exe and other files into this folder that you run. The original 26a .exe is still available in the main game folder.

If you are learning the game you need nothing else and I'd advise any new player to stick to this for now. The main reason is the new beta 28b, which is available, has many problems but work is being carried out to rectify them and is due imminently.

I think there are also updates to the database for the default game but honest I can't remember details.

[/quote]

I'm 99% sure I've scrolled thru the forums and seen this answered in different places, so I won't feel bad if you tell me to go find it again. But I've got the beta version 26b in a different folder like you mentioned, seebees set up correctly, etc. I just started running 1.8.11.28.4 with this most recent save (my follow on GC after I had the issue with the KB in the Da Babes scenario that started this thread). I deleted every AI / script file except scenario 001 before i started like RangerJoe mentioned, should be the stock 001 scenario on 1.8.11.28.4 now. Only issue I've had so far are the IJN invasion forces haven't been supported by any combat TF's for the most part. But I know the KB is operating off Java so I'm hoping that's a good sign.

Are you aware of any specific issues with 28.4 that may make a GC not viable? I'd have to imagine besides maybe an issue here or there it wouldn't be completely unplayable. Also I'm assuming 1.8.11.28.4 is not a beta? I had no idea there was a 28b..



Also just for my SA, lets say I want to play a Da Babes scenario, is there any way to roll the game back to the version those scenarios were made for? I'm sticking with 28.4 or 26b based on your recommendations but if for some reason in the future i want to try. Sorry for all the questions, I'm normally very good with things like this and this community is fantastic, but man these different versions are a bit confusing.

28 is a beta in the sense that it was put out with the hope of getting feedback or if all went well it would be made an official update. There has been some feedback

Maybe you should read this to judge for yourself if you want to use your time on a 28 GC.
https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... 9#p5198189

An alternative is to make a separate install of 28 and copy the 28 exe file over to the GC campaign you want to play. (Remember to back up the 26a/b exes if needed). The 28 exe file fixes a bunch of things so that is always something good to consider. If I remember correctly, there were no bugs mentioned with the exe, but the scenario and map had many problems

zebrazwo wrote: Sun Feb 22, 2026 4:59 pm 28 is a beta in the sense that it was put out with the hope of getting feedback or if all went well it would be made an official update. There has been some feedback

Maybe you should read this to judge for yourself if you want to use your time on a 28 GC.
https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... 9#p5198189

An alternative is to make a separate install of 28 and copy the 28 exe file over to the GC campaign you want to play. (Remember to back up the 26a/b exes if needed). The 28 exe file fixes a bunch of things so that is always something good to consider. If I remember correctly, there were no bugs mentioned with the exe, but the scenario and map had many problems

Thanks! That was an interesting read. Seems like my map has been ok so far, it's just vs. AI so I can live with some of the terrain discrepancies. Considering I'm almost into May I'll give the AI one more opportunity to see if they'll escort their transports into PM.. Otherwise I may end up going back to my 26B save.