Matrix Games Forums

I'm an experienced player but for the first time in a PBEM, I will try to defend as the Japanese in late 1942 and 1943.

My probems is the reinforcements pilots I receive and the fact that I lost way too much planes while trying to train them.

I have many excellent (exp > 80) left and a good parts of my air units have exp > 70 but my replacements pilots have exp between 20 and 30.

If I try to train them, they crash so much (training one day every two or three, on clear weather) that not much survive to be operationnal. And I have now more good pilots than planes to use them (in Nell unist for example).

So I cancel all training. Units fly only naval search or CAP, so experienced pilots fly and become more experienced while rookies remain on the ground, cutting oranges and performing as cheerleaders druing the landings...

On the side note, I am now unable to fly ASW operations with planes. As they are considered as training missions, the worst pilots will fly them. Of course they are barely able to find a sub, will attack on 1% of cases and then miss, suffering between 2 to 5 % crash losses.

I tried for some days to use units with only experienced pilots. It worked but when a new batch of pilots will arrive, they will go in and crash.

For example my H8K Emily unit has 9 planes and 18 pilots, the worst having above 60 exp. They fly ASW patrol for one week at 100%, only on clear to overcast days, without problem.
One day I saw that two H8K were lost (by this unit, as it is the only one with this plane) and check, they were now 26 pilots and the 8 new ones were under 30 exp... So this unit is also lost for ASW patrol.

Currently, I fly no more ASW and no more training mission.

I would like to know what other players do in the same situation.

Laurent

Hi, I think I've seen other players mention that pilots on training don't actually have to fly to gain points. The really low rated pilots pick up a point or two every few days just sitting. Myself as Japanese when I have 2 groups at around 50 percent and they both have good pilots I DISBAND one group. (I keep the group with the best leader) The disbanded group will reform for all new pilots 360 turns later. (It will depend on how many aircraft are in pool when group returns but it will build up at Truk)
I try to keep groups with good pilots at close to 100 percent as long as possible even if this means I have to disband groups. (Withdrawing does not work since units that withdraw keep their pilots)

I'm going to check whether or not low rated pilots actually train without flying.
The Allied player has many groups he trains at start of long scenarios but I only train on good weather days. (fly) The rest of time I just sit and I don't see much gain but these pilots are alreay over 50. (I think it is under 50 pilots that gain without flying)

Hi, Mogami,

thanks one more time for a useful post.

I confirm that pilots don't need to fly to train. I received last turn an Oscar Sentai with mean exp 50 (all 36 pilots between 40 and 60), and put it to training 0 %.
This turn the mean exp is 51, with the same number of pilots. I don't check each pilots to see if only pilots under 50 gain something but the limit should be 50 or 60.

Agree with you to disband two mean units to build a crack one. My problem is that all bomber units are over 65 exp but all have between 5 and 20 really bad pilots (exp between 25 and 40).

Anotehr question: had you once received from Tokyo the IJN torpedo-cruisers (those with 20 tubes) or are they locked in Japan ?

I send all useless ships to Japan and sent several times old BB that are too slow to join my TF. Each time they come back with some CL and DD but these two stay in Japan.

Hi, I've enver been sent Kitikami or Oi

Since you're talking about ac training and replacements....

In a scen 19 pbem game playing the Allies, my 2 US CV's started with understrength F3F Wildcats. (17 & 21) F4F reinforcements trickled slowly in and when there were 40 in the pool or so, I thought one group would receive 36 F4F's while the other one topped up its F3F group.

What happened was that a Marine VMF sqd that arrived at Noumea upgraded it's 24 F3V's to F4V's

This was unfortunate since my carriers now received the spare F3F fighters, boosting both groups to around 30 ac. Since the F3F isn't in production anymore, I will not be able to top my CV fighter groups for a long time. (With 60 F4F's arriving each month, it'll be another month before one group upgrades to F4F's.)

My question is: Shouldn't carrier airgroups be prioritized?
Would be interesting with an option that allowed you to prioritize certain sqd's. Having a lot of understrength units isn't very efficient.

It should also be possible to move sqd's without ac's. In one game I'm stuck with 2 Nell sqd's with a lot of good pilots in Truk. The other Nell sqd's are down in the Solomons, and I will not move them the long way back to Truk simply to get rid of the 'ghost' sqd's and free up the pilots.

Why not simply be allowed to merge any two sqd's with the same type of ac, no matter where they are stationed? Would simplify matters a lot!

Hope these are issues that will be discussed for WitP

Interesting post, PzB.

I hope WitP allows you to designate who gets the upgraded aircraft and that the next patch of UV does the same too.

As to merging squadrons, I would tend to believe that it should be an option only for squadrons at the same base. That means moving distant units to the same location, with the attendant possibility of losing a/c's through the usual operational accidents. At that, it should even be possible to switch pilots between squadrons using the same a/c on the same base.