Stitch

Greetings Bill, I have seen that AI carriers will intercept twice on CAP if your same carrier attacks it twice, just as enemy AA guns will fire twice in 1 defensive round if your carrier attacks a same unit adjacent. However, I have never seen, in my handful of game experience, my carrier CAP'ing twice on an enemy carrier attacking it twice. I would think that if carriers normally have 2 attacks, shouldn't they also have 2 defensive CAPs when so ordered? In your example, did you notice which carrier group was intercepting each of your sorties? Was there an overlap of coverage? ie. On your first attack, carrier B CAP'ped carrier A, then on your immediate follow-up, carrier C interdicted the attack on A? Or did carrier A interdict both attacks as well as do the normal combat damages two times? Thanks for looking into this, Bill. I will be much happier to know that I am wrong, and a CAPing carrier will defend twice against the same attacking carrier on the same half turn, as I can count on that during future manuevors. If it works for the AI, I can't imagine why it wouldn't work vice versa.

Yep, this is when the original "zerg" tactic was created!

From a tactical standpoint, I don't know if I would agree with this. As it is, I find the CAP assignment entirely useless, nay detrimental for 2 key reasons. First off, it will defend just the first enemy strike within range. What if you didn't want to give away your position? Or what if you wanted to wait to defend against that nearby bomber instead of those weak first strike fighters? Secondly, the CAP assignment for carriers work *only* one time per defensive turn. An enemy carrier attacking your CV? Better hope you get them in the first shot, cause you won't have a second chance even with available air power remaining. And anyway, CAP defense is so paltry (you take air losses and your ground unit gets hit) that it's almost pointless. I would rather be afforded the option to "micro-manage" to tell my units to stand down with a tac strike assignment than have the computer determine when it's going to waste my resources.

Interesting info Gorgin, thanks! Does any one have the reason(s) that they were put there in the first place?

What about for those people that don't want to sleep for the rest of their lives?

I've noticed the ire that this hypothetical incursion of the Russians has incurred upon our population! It appears to me that it boils down to the realism (historic) crowd and the what-if crowd. For the most part PTO is historical, due to the heavy scripting of events. When something happens that is game changing (Russian introduction) that is largely ahistorical, it will rankle the fur of the realism crowd. I will propose a mod that would be totally what-if. Take out historical scripting and the time factor, make victory based on total obliteration of the enemy, raise the tech level limits for all, and randomize initial unit placements and OoBs (or not). Playability will be exponentially increased and no one will be bewildered when the Russian enter in 43.

While a picture may paint a thousand words, a save file is pretty much the encyclopedia. I think Hubert is asking for a saved game file, not just a picture. So don't delete it or overwrite that autosave!

Wow, that is some very deep analysis into Japan's economy. Hopefully this will give them the edge for a decisive victory!

Nice idea. Sometimes those spotted units just disappear at the start of their movement, even though they many movement squares within spotting range of your carrier. It's just like your carriers decided to stop watching at the beginning of the enemy's turn. With a replay, you can at least try to follow them if spotted by another unit 10 squares off.

Mac has shown up in Australia in early 42 even if the Phillipines are *untouched* during my experiments. I doubt the scripting would be that complicated to determine his fate.

And even worst, they get to move immediately! You can pretty much kiss one of your Caps goodbye. This has been discussed here before, and nothing happened then either.

You know Blashy, in the game you're having with Colin, maybe that's why he couldn't get his LRA up to 5 as well, being maxed out at only 3 chits!

I agree with your long range aircraft postulate, Blashy. For scouting and interception, this war tech is critical for both sides. If JPN neglects to take Wake or even Guam early on, the US has a great spy post by just putting a Bomber there with LR. Also, more importantly, it saves the carrier groups from being killed en masse. On offense it allows for kills in stand off range, while letting your BB and CA get into the fray as a shield. This reduces the odds that the opponents carriers will spot your carriers as they move in to kill your bait. On defense it allows your carriers to move spread out in CAP. If one carrier is unlucky to be spotted/attacked the others can help defend at range. Oh, and it's fun to snipe repairing vessels in port from another island group!

Hi Bill, Please check into all nation max research limits, as I believe I have encountered Japan being able to max invest only 3 chits into long range aircraft. Thanks!

Yes, in this game Stalin seems there only to dogpile..which I guess can be more or less his strategy historically. The game now takes an ahistorical bent now, however. It becomes just a matter of Japan holding on for dear life, giving ground up slowly while making the Allies pay. Definitely, as a handicap, the more advanced player should be orchestrating Japan.

Yeah, US defensive script gives them tons of infantry to defend, plus their overworked production queue placements. I tried a West Coast scenario in the beginning of a game. My 6 army and 1 HQ units fought very poorly after a trans Pac voyage, and I could not hope to match the handful of fresh and supplied US units.

Remember that Amphib costs go down with a developed infrastructure. That HQ that used to cost 100 can be Amphib'd for 40. I am using that fact to do some Japanese island hopping. I just don't like those AI aircraft nests on those islands, especially those inside the Wake Island area. I find that in the beginning (and even during the middle!), many transports can go unescorted, thereby saving my fleet for other action. A spare tact bomber (in rainy weather even better!) can operationally move for 20 to an island, and they can spy on an Allied town if close enough. If you are going to be engaging, you must bring an HQ as well. Out of supply units do not attack well. You will find a lot of Allied planes garrioning those islands, and tanks kill planes quick. Caveat: On hard build limits, Japan has less than a handful of available tanks. Oh yeah, move quickly. Towns and ports can spot adjacent units, and bombers can spot out to 4 or more naval squares depending on tech. Hanging around is like inviting a US fleet over for a party!

Was wondering if you had snuck some units in Canada :eek: I like playing JPN because of what you are experiencing now. They get to take all the initiative with attacks in the beginning of the war but then need to switch to defense near the end. Knowing how and when makes a complete game for me. The Allies can't really play a measured defense in the beginning due to the lack of hardware on the ground. With the caveat of China, it's a more of a one-sided mentality.. no defense, just attack! Blashy has proven this wonderfully this time around, opting for build-up and research, and not really focusing on the defense, maybe save India, which I'm surprised didn't fall or get dented. But just remember, you'll just need to hold on to your homeland and Chungking for that minor victory!

Also, I've noticed that an enemy ZoC will add another +1 movement point onto the base terrain cost as well as some weather effects.

The AI is definitely not dynamic to a large extent. For intance, those single US tranports are headed towards Hokkaido with hopes to overwhelm Hakodate. For the uninitiated, those armies and HQ can definitely be hard to defend against. The problem is that it happens in every game. The other actions that you describe are also more or less pre-dictated, giving you the sense that once you figured out a counter, you can deploy it with prescience in the next game. But like watching the movie Valkyrie, the game is more or less following the actual path of WWII, so one can't expect much in the way of deviations. That said, I know that Hubert is working on a more robust AI that will perhaps appeal to those that have experienced the "historical" AI flavorings and wish for the AI to be unleashed. In the meantime, other humans players are one of the most devious types of "AI".

I think what you're seeing is just the "trade/resources" value of a China conquest. This list would also include other surrendered countries like the Phillipines, Portugese Timor, Dutch East Indies, Burma etc. The MPPs of the captured Chinese cities are already rolled up into your first MPP value (ie. the not broken down MPP score).

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.

Most likely because the unit was not fully supplied as of the start of the turn. Although I think I've had some odd occurances of not fully supplied units having all their action points, and being able to elite upgrade.

For Christmas, I wish that JPN could put more than 3 chits into Long Range Aircraft research. Oh yeah, and that the US could only put 2...in each!

Wow, that's amazing. 2nd Chinese Cap to go down by Mid '43. I can forsee several evil opportunities for JPN at this point which the luxuries of time open up. I would be impressed if the Allies can even force a stalemate at this point.