Z Aar

[Colin I]

Game is starting to gear up:

SE Asia - we are on the back foot but holding on well - this is a valuable and dogged defence. Additionally, we sink another Allied cruiser.

China - great - clear weather. The communists get hit hard.

North of Japan - bad weather stopped us bombing him but we resume this turn.

MPP - still at all time high - gains in Islands and China have offset losses in Burma.

[Blashy]

We bomb the north of Japan, bringing a city from 10 to 2 and a village from 5 to 2. That prompts the home guard to gear up.

Our dive bombers in Burma sink a Battelship! We kill a corps and a tank unit, more US airpower arrives in Burma during clear weather season.

China will fall in 1944 but I expected China to fall, 1944 is much better than anticipated.

I love the intelligence tech, hello IJN... ;-) .

[Colin I]

Communists surrender - they have IW Level 0 and are easy meat to the experienced Japanese army. Without the communists on one flank the mainstream Chinese army will collapse rapidly.

We keep the controlled retreat in SE Asia - soon he will have China War veterans to contend with.

On the whole I'm content here - I'm taking China down faster than he advances in Thailand.

North Japan we dig in and bomb his supply dump.

[Blashy]

USA shows up with a fleet of the coast of Japan, attacking the North with carriers and a few shore bombing exercises.

Burma gets rained out in October, so once again the allies do not do much.

I have never seen so much rain in one game.

[Blashy]

Nov 1943.

We destroy a cruiser parked at Iwo Jima, 2 carriers intercept my carrier so I get a pretty good idea of where the IJN battlegroup is... I sense it is about to get bloody for both sides at sea.

I kill a unit in Thailand, I also eliminate the convoy from Thailand and bomb the one in Vietnam but I do not know if it was enough to stop the convoy (I doubt it).

That Peking unit is a pest, keeps holding on by 1-2 life. China will be doomed soon enough.

The North of Japan is severely hampered in supply, luckily they have HQs on site.

That was my last turn for today.

[LampCord]

If you look at the production queue in the beginning of the game I think it's ridiculous, and I can only imagine what it looks like at this point it's as if America isn't fighting at all in Europe.

I know what you mean. I've finished 2 games as the Allied player and haven't built a single surface fleet in either game. There are so many floating goodies waiting for the US player in the prod Q that I prefer to build out subs, air and ground units. You end up with a formidable armada just from what is in the queue.

I just make sure to have my techs up as high as possible so I can maximize these units when they come online. 7 or 8 CV's at level 5-3-5 can do some serious damage!

[Bill101]

The thing is that in Europe the US needs mainly ground and air forces for victory, and they don't take that long to build.

In the Pacific it's a totally different matter as it is ships and carriers that are needed in massive numbers, and they are not only expensive but they also take a long time to build. You'll notice that although the US starts with a lot of naval units in the production queue, it doesn't start with many ground or air forces, because you can easily build them yourself.

That said, it is on my mind to look out for any changes that need to be made to balance the game more, whether it be by removing a few ships from the production queue, or lowering US income a fraction. That's where the reports from all your games come in handy, so please keep them coming.

[Colin I]

Its not just the numbers of US forces but technology investment - I think it is very hard for Japan to maintain any edge at sea against a conservative US player in 1944. Also, if ports do not give much protection a defensive Japanese strategy is harder.

But back to the game - no big naval clash but 4 Chinese armies are destroyed and 2 allied ones (in Thailand). China will fall early 1944 but if I'm pitched straight into a battle with USSR not very optimistic.

[scottsmm]

Bill101,

sorry for the language I didn't know I was going to get quoted. In all honesty though I do think down the road to even the game balance out you should cut some of these units. With the US production only geared towards subs, and land units it makes it impossible for Japan to make any advances late, and let's the allies go just about anywhere they want while Japan just hopes she will survive until the end, but knows she has no chance to get better then a strategic victory.

[Blashy]

That was the reality of WW2, Japan could NOT win. It could only survive and hold on to try and ask for peace on somewhat equal terms.

That is what I love so much about this campaign, it makes historical sense, unlike the ETO campaign where Germany can outright BEAT the allies, which is totally preposterous.

A good Japanese player will learn to dig in at the proper spots and make life hell for the allies to advance and they in turn will feel pressed for time while Japan bids its time until end game and wins by holding key positions.

If you want both sides to have equal chances of defeating the other... only chess will give you that.

[Blashy]

December 1943, the naval battle starts!

I used my super long range bombers up north of Japan to bomb both supply ports (convoy routes) from the Islands, that should hurt his MPPs. But at the same time he has 2 carriers that intercept my bombers, which lets me spot their location which is in between Japan and Manchuria. I decide to probe ahead with a ship on the coast of Tokyo and with no enemy ships near I move in with my carriers and attack those carriers OVER Japan using my long range air power, I sink two of them and a troop transport.

This lets me spot his armada around his carriers, he was keeping it close to home so I take the fight over there. This triggers his home guard but that is sure to happen eventually, sinking a couple of carriers was too appealing.

In Burma I kill a few units and bomb the ports just to be sure there is no transports, I could not get the rails severed so he can operate troops.

[Blashy]

Damn it, my firefox just crashed. This will be much shorter than what I had earlier.

I lose 3 carriers, was expecting 2 losses but bad positioning on my part cost me another.

I lose more ships than him but his navy is busted up, while mine is big and strong.

His convoys are gone, that should take 250-300mpps each turn from Japan.

I liberate Thailand, he goes for a hold of Singapore while Vietnam is poorly manned at this time.

I land a unit on the oil fields of DEI and take the port as well.

This is December 1943.

[arado234]

I havent recieved my copy yet and and I was wondering what are the victory conditions for either side.If its set historically then Blashy is right in that Japan had no hope against America so you cant (or shouldnt)take anything away from America.Japan is hoplessly outgunned and remember this game doesnt even include the Atomic bomb except as a script,so Japan is already one up one America.

[Blashy]

I havent recieved my copy yet and and I was wondering what are the victory conditions for either side.If its set historically then Blashy is right in that Japan had no hope against America so you cant (or shouldnt)take anything away from America.Japan is hoplessly outgunned and remember this game doesnt even include the Atomic bomb except as a script,so Japan is already one up one America.

Let us see if this is the right size I attached.

BAH! It will not save it in the same size I have it on my desktop which is a measly 228k.

[Minty]

Banzai! come on Colin , hold on for the love of the emperor!

[Blashy]

Two HQs are cut off from escaping via transport in Vietnam and Singapore. Vietnam has no defense while Singapore has 2 fighters, 1 Army and 1 HQ.

China will surrender next turn, Peking partisan survives 3 attacks. I am glad I got his 2 carriers now because with Chinese plunder he would have refitted them.

We grab the village of Tinian (close to Iwo Jima) .

I think both convoys are down again.

Russia is years away from joining it seems (still at 23%).

[scottsmm]

Blashy,

Your right they don't begin to actually think about joining your side until 44', 45'.

[Colin I]

China surrenders - if THAT doesn't upset Stalin nothing will.

SE Asia continues to decline but rather expected that. The battle with US Navy shows how hard it is to stand up to them - they fought me right off the coast of Japan. US actually took more losses despite better technology but obviously i can't afford the losses as much.

US is Island hopping - I've taken a few too.

Well Japan has an extremely experienced military and airforce now released for other duties ;-)

He holds the island you drop the nukes from.

Should be an interesting finish ;-)

[Stitch]

December 1943, the naval battle starts!

I used my super long range bombers up north of Japan to bomb both supply ports (convoy routes) from the Islands, that should hurt his MPPs. But at the same time he has 2 carriers that intercept my bombers, which lets me spot their location which is in between Japan and Manchuria. I decide to probe ahead with a ship on the coast of Tokyo and with no enemy ships near I move in with my carriers and attack those carriers OVER Japan using my long range air power, I sink two of them and a troop transport.

Good reminder to set aircraft directives each turn. If those carriers were in tactical mode the light would have never gone on and the Allies wouldn't gain the initiative here. Of course, if it were to lure the American fleet over...

I am inclined to think that this battle signals the turn around in the war. For JPN, each carrier they lose must be equaled to 5 BB/CV of the enemy. IMO, anything less is a decisive loss.

Oh, and I've experienced AI games where China falls but Stalin still refuses to budge. I think it's because more than just the US needs to pressure them, but then again, I have real bad luck with research as well.

[Blashy]

Not much this turn, I have snow north of Japan so I can not bomb him.

At sea I take another small island, close to Wake.

Russia is at 71% but still a small threat.

Japan is having a difficult time with partisans, they kill the one on Peking but another one appears on Kunming cutting off 3 units who are under attacking by Australian troops.

Another partisan pops up in the far west of China and will take another city next turn, that part always happens as there is no rail for Japan to send units, you have a good chance of getting all 4 far west cities in every game.

Rain season is back in Burma / Vietnam so he will most likely be able to get away with his HQs.

It is January so the weather is bad for the Allies.

[Colin I]

Japan indulges in a spending spree - the loss of SE Asia income is massively offset by the defeat of China.

I think inevitably there is a naval tipping point and its very hard to stop the US getting control of the sea. I think I did OK not to get trashed and now the Chinese wealth will mean its not a walkover for him.

I expected to be at war with Russia but I'm glad to have some breathing space. Chinese partisans are bad and one of my Amphib assaults ran into a fighter group but another worked. additionally, nailed a careless British submarine.

Its early 1944 - I'm feeling the heat but bear in mind Japanese MPP are at record levels.

[blashy - some internet problems at home - might not be as frequent with turns]

[scottsmm]

For the Japanese player I strongly encourage that you take back that island where the nukes will come from. It will destroy the mainland in Japan if you don't succed at doing this by 1945. Something to think about doing.

[Colin I]

Not easy to stop the nukes - last naval battle was near Japan but his technology was better - call it a draw which is strategically bad for Japan. This is only going to get worse, in 44 doubt I can beat his US fleet in deep water action.

This is where I have a problem with scripts - the location you mention may have been the historical site but Blashy already has bombers in range from islands to the North of Japan - why can't he drop them from there? And does weather affect this activity.

But he doesn't have enough to level China ;-)

A Thousand Suns,

Cherry Blossom in the Air,

Californian Fire

Where is Desert Dave when you need a decent Haiku ;-)

[Blashy]

Yeah just being able to launch bombs from ONE location is not really making sense. There was a reason the Japanese were though in the Philippines, Taiwan, Okinawa and Iwo Jima. They did not want USA to close to home. All those locations you can easily launch nukes.

Heck if I can have 5-6 air on Esotoro there is no reason I could not launch an A bomb from there as well.

[Blashy]

Feb 1944.

A better turn for the Allies than expected.

We make our first steps into Chinese territory as we kill the paratroop that was guarding the first village into China from Thailand. In taking the village we cut off 2 other units from supply as we have a partisan that has taken the village behind them (last turn).

We take the northern most village into Singapore, just two airflleets and one HQ guarding it now.

In Vietnam we almost kill the HQ on the capital.

In West China another city falls to the moving partisan unit, I should be able to get two more and that will be it.

I again manage to bomb the two ports giving convoy supply so the island convoys are totally cut off, that has to be 250 or so MPPs each turn.

I capture one more island and the village of Saipan who is on the same island as Tinian.

He tries to land and capture the Solomon Islands but I have a UK TAC Bomber on the city so his unit is without supply.

He goes after my sub but in dying my sub does 3 points of damage to his destroyer, so I am happy, reinforcing the navy is quite costly for Japan that was my goal for the UK navy, let it die by not reinforcing my starting units but whatever damage I did I knew it would hurt in the long run.

The biggest prize is that he brought his carriers around that area and I got clear weather in February, so I used my L3 NW Tac bombers and sink one carrier while the other takes damage from my fighters. It sure was a nice time to get clear weather!