What do you consider 'gamey'?

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Big B
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What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by Big B »

I am just curious as to forum opinion on this.

I like a pretty wide open game without House Rules.
Nonetheless, I have to acknowledge that there are some thing the game allows you to do - which seem pretty 'gamey'

My own list is pretty short;
Namely, my beef is creating low value TF's (such as single-ship AK TF's) to put around high value TF's - to divert enemy air strikes and absorb bombs... I can't think of a single real-life example of the battle Fleets doing this (they tried to protect them - not troll with them).
Having said that, I will point out this has never happened to me by any opponent, but I am just trying to think of situations which (to me) seem to be just 'gaming the game engine'.

I can't really think of anything else I would condemn off hand, and I wouldn't want to restrict an opponent from doing what he/she can...

Does anyone else have really strong opinions on this?


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BBfanboy
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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by BBfanboy »

Might not have happened in RL but if a bunch of CVs were in a port for damage repair and the enemy's CVs were spotted heading that way, I think it is entirely likely that low value ships would have been used to soak off some bombs. Naval ships like AVPs, not civilian xAKLs .

Part of the reason for this is that the game gives the player very limited control over naval strikes, so covering your CVs in port with LBA is not guarantee they can fight off an enemy CV force. IRL the aircraft would be sent regardless of weather.

And of course, both sides can do it, whatever game action you name.

Having said all that, restricting sacrifice TFs is a house rule I would go along with.
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mind_messing
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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by mind_messing »

ORIGINAL: Big B

Does anyone else have really strong opinions on this?

The forum loves to argue this one to death every couple of months.

The simple response is that "gamey" is a spectrum.

On one end, you have the die-hard realists, who'll do their best to recreate history with a long list of house rules to ensure that nothing remotely ahistorical can ever happen.

On the other, you've the crazy-minded folk who'll use the game mechanics to do things that would have never been historically possible.

I fall in the latter category, and that's fine. Some people don't, and that's also fine. The best advice is to find someone who has views that land somewhere close to your own on the spectrum and come to an understanding.
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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by Lokasenna »

Waterfowl and goat.
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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by InfiniteMonkey »

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Waterfowl and goat.
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Barb
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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by Barb »

Actually - US used similar tactic IRL - as a counter of Kamikaze Attacks.
They had set up a number of floating "Radar warning posts" - called pickets - with lower value ships (DDs, DEs, PFs, LCI(G), LCT(G), ...) outside the main fleet - just for the purpose of Early radar warning, directing CAP, and soaking up attacks.

One considerable difference vs the "gamey" tactic of using xAKLs or other bunch of ships - They were all Military vessels, not Civilian. And they were not single ship TFs, but picket station contained several ships - example 2-3DDs, 2-3 LCI(G) on each station.
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Macclan5
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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by Macclan5 »

Having read a dozen or so AARs and a number of threads - I would have to agree its a spectrum.

I do not think you can accurately define it. There are singleton examples for each and every circumstance.

The singleton low value xAK in front of a Naval Task Force is often cited as an example. BUT what if it was a emergency supply "run the gauntlet" ??

Does that mean the British efforts to resupply Malta were "gamey" ??? Should we call out Sir Winston ?

I recall reading one AAR where the player routed a small US Destroyer convoy (2 or 3 destroyers) to circumnavigate Borneo - scouting and merchant hunting; the Japanese player accused him of gamey tactics because the KB was in the area (damaged?) and reacted exposing their location and damage status... the argument being that such circumnavigation scouting amounts to a suicide mission and would not have happened in real life.

I disagreed with this as 3 Fletcher's very well could have undertaken such a mission.

Its all about calculated risk taking.

-

The answer of course: "it depends" ... as it so often does in this game due to the amount of critical details available.

Hopefully any dispute between players is resolved in a level and mature fashion; else don't play them again.

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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by Lokasenna »

I find stratosphere-teleporting-to-wavetop torpedo attacks annoying, but they're not the end of the world. And conceivable, a database editing project could "fix" that (I highly doubt a Betty could climb to 28K feet with a 2-ton torpedo and full fuel load, for example. Or a Frances to 33K.).

Besides this, when one thinks in terms of VPs gained and lost.... I can't think of a single thing that's "gamey." Nearly every attempt you make to exploit something can in turn be exploited by your opponent. It's just a matter of adjusting your tactics. Typically, I find cries of gameyness to be coming from someone who doesn't want to adjust their tactics to a challenge that their opponent has presented them.

It's one thing if you and your opponent set out to simulate the actual war instead of playing the game with its host of abstractions and possibilities. But you set out to play WITP:AE and not replay the war in the Pacific with relatively minor what-ifs (and for most games there isn't a difference here), then be a good little player and adjust your tactics.
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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by Big B »

I wholeheartedly agree.

And for the record, my original thought was limited to trolling with empty AK's...out in front of your combat task forces.

Pickets are entirely different, as is low value bait TF's, etc.

But as you pointed out below...two can always play that way. [;)]

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{snip}....., then be a good little player and adjust your tactics.
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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by DD696 »

My father was on a destroyer picket ship (USS English) off Okinawa back in '45.

I seriously doubt that he thought that he was being "gamey".

A "target", yes.
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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by spence »

IJN submarines sitting for turn after turn IN an Allied port while half a dozen aircraft are flying ASW missions overhead for turn after turn is permitted only by the game system which rates the whole IJN as experienced in every facet of naval warfare because they conducted a few shore bombardments and landed a few troops in various ports "under the guns" of a (charitably) 4th rate world power engaged in its own civil war.

The game and only the game permits the Japanese Player to break open a pre-existing 3 year stalemate in China by declaring war on the Western Powers. The Japanese had a horse-drawn supply system that essentially kept them in a facsimile of control within a day's foot march (20 miles if one gets generous) of a railroad (if they garrisoned all the bridges and didn't deploy their railroad repair units too far apart). Meanwhile in the game IJ Armor regiments race hither thither and yon overrunning Chinese troops whenever encountered apparently filling up their gas tanks at the local Circle K gas station.
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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by Big B »

ORIGINAL: DD696

My father was on a destroyer picket ship (USS English) off Okinawa back in '45.

I seriously doubt that he thought that he was being "gamey".

A "target", yes.


..Nor would I suggest such [;)]
..on the other hand, maybe the Japanese would have complained that was being 'gamey' had the concept been around at that time - followed by: Too bad - so sad? [:D]

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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by Lokasenna »

ORIGINAL: spence

IJN submarines sitting for turn after turn IN an Allied port while half a dozen aircraft are flying ASW missions overhead for turn after turn is permitted only by the game system which rates the whole IJN as experienced in every facet of naval warfare because they conducted a few shore bombardments and landed a few troops in various ports "under the guns" of a (charitably) 4th rate world power engaged in its own civil war.

Ah, hello again, old friend.


Please note that being in the same hex (which is a 46-mile radius polygon) does not mean the sub is IN the port. It's only one hex, yes, but there's still a lot of water there.

Also, the IJN sure kicked the snot out of the USN several times when there was "global" force parity (on paper) between the nations (see Guadalcanal, campaign for). Their superior experience levels are cited by every serious source as a major factor in these battles.
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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by AW1Steve »

The very existence of the game is "gamey". But , consider this. You , as the commander , are "grand poobah" of your side. On the allies , FDR, Churchill, Stalin , Chang-Kai-shek , and all of their Admiral and general as one. You can do anything you want , and all are in perfect lockstep. Yes ,m you have to occasionally pay points , but seriously? And the IJN and IJA are in perfect harmony? Yeah , right. Talk about gamey! In seriousness , this is not a simulation. A lot of real world assets are restricted , or limited. Other simply can't be simulated. As far as I'm concerned , the only thing that I consider truly gamey is some design flaw in the game that is deliberately used to win. And for me to accept such a "flaw" , you'd better have at least one developer to say on forum "yeah , this is a problem".

Now as far as "unrealistic play", that's for something for opponents to discuss. Before, during and after. If you see something that bothers you, say something to your opponent.

To me , character is much more important than house rules. My own rule is "if it seems wrong , or even excessively weird, don't do it". And before you try something in the game , justify it in your own mine as honestly fair. If you can't honestly do that , then don't play that way.
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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by rustysi »

Anything that takes advantage of a 'flaw' or 'hole' in the code. Not that I believe that the game is really flawed, but as I've said before, the code can't take every little instance into account.
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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by mind_messing »

ORIGINAL: rustysi

Anything that takes advantage of a 'flaw' or 'hole' in the code. Not that I believe that the game is really flawed, but as I've said before, the code can't take every little instance into account.


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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by LargeSlowTarget »

IMO "gamey" in the narrow sense means taking advantage of flaws in the game engine at "operational level" which allow to do things in the game that simply could not be done IRL. Example would be putting anything else than Glens (or Seirans for the I-400 class) on float-plane-carrying-submarines. Not possible IRL due to physical restrictions (size of hangar and planes). Also, adding reserve planes to the submarine air group was not an option IRL, but is possible in the game. Another example would be running all off-map convoys at full speed all the time - made possible in the game by the fact that ships in off-map convoys don't use fuel. IRL fuel consumption is an issue and therefore convoys used cruise speed most of the time.

In a sense the ability for Japan players to conquer China (albeit not easily and without guarantee of success) is gamey on a "strategic level" - and so are the 1945 levels of supply and fuel production available to the Allies from Day 1 which allow earlier-than-IRL Allied counter-offensives - but IMO these issues go beyond being gamey - you simply cannot model everything in a game.

Then there is "gamey" in a wider sense - i.e. stuff that "technically" could have been done IRL, but no sane commander would have ordered. IMO this category includes the deliberate use of "low value" civilian merchant shipping as bait or as shields in order to deflect and soak-up enemy attacks, and the use of civilian ships as "pickets". Usually the job of the military is to protect and defend civilians - not the other way round. Hard to imagine that a "Western" commander would consider the deliberate sacrifice of civilians (at least of his own side) as a valid military tactic (it might be different for China, Russia, Japan and Germany, where the leaders valued lives much less - but even they would not surround a task force with a "deflector shield" made of civilian ships, since these were not "low value" IRL). However, the use of civilian shipping for a supply run with a carrier TF covering it is of course not gamey at all, nor is the use of combatant ships as pickets.
The same issue with "sacrificial tactics" exists for military forces, like "submarine invasions" in the rear areas with splinters of LCUs being sacrificed for no genuine military purpose but just to annoy the enemy, or ground attacks with the only goal to kill devices and squads considered unnecessary "supply eaters" or stacking limit ballast. Difficult to imagine such orders IRL.

Now, as it has been pointed out here and on other threads, there is a spectrum and all depends on the type of game you want. Finding an opponent with the same mindset is important - in that case, even "historic" players do not necessarily need a long list of house rules - just the application of self-restraint.
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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by Macclan5 »

ORIGINAL: LargeSlowTarget

Now, as it has been pointed out here and on other threads, there is a spectrum and all depends on the type of game you want. Finding an opponent with the same mindset is important - in that case, even "historic" players do not necessarily need a long list of house rules - just the application of self-restraint.

Nice line.

I would add "historic players" should/could/would be aware of "roleplay" and consequence as opposed to pure self restraint.
(In fairness I speak as someone who fits that mold more closely).

You mention the Strategic conquest of China which is an excellent example (USA supply as well)

Possible = Yes. Risk = Yes. What if = Yes

Historic = No. For very good reasons.

The Imperial War Cabinet 1939 - 1945 was divided between Army and Naval factions with a small smattering of Civilian (and latter Peace) advocates. The Navy and Army factions were 'famously' mistrustful and antagonistic to one another. They hid important governmental secrets from one another i.e. losses at Midway. They hid weapons designs from one another often and even in the same factory. They competed for resources and the attention of the Emperor; and the household of the Emperor was very careful to balance one faction against another throughout the 1930s and 1940s.

The "all out direction" to fully subdue China (an Army priority) was not really strategically possible because the Navy would have never agreed and the Emperor would have been 'unlikely' to completely support one faction over another.

Further even within the Army faction there was 'caution' about the complete and utter destruction of Communist Chinese factions. The Army considered the Soviet Union to be the primary hemispheric threat base upon the Battle of Kahlkhin Gohol back in 1938 (?)

Self restraint or "roleplay" the realities would of course factor this in.
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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by SheperdN7 »

China was essentially the Pacific War's version of the Eastern Front IMHO. Japan went into China with a clear "kick down the door..." policy. Unfortunately for the Empire and the Third Reich, the "whole rotten structure" never came crashing down for either of them. In EF's case, the soviets amassed the most powerful military juggernaut the world had ever seen right after Kursk, and then the end was certain for Hitler and the other lunatics. In China's case, it was just going to be a stalemate for the rest of time until one had a Stalingrad type of loss and even if that loss happened to China they simply would look over their shoulder and 2X the losses would just take their place.
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RE: What do you consider 'gamey'?

Post by CaptHaggard »

Thus far, the only thing that bugs me to the point of commentary is the strict adherence to withdrawal, particularly of naval units.

If—for some unavoidable reason—a particular ship cannot be withdrawn (possibly it's limping somewhere badly damaged, etc.)—why not be given an option of withdrawing a comparable vessel, be dinged a few PP, and call it square? Why the Draconian punishment of endless penalties for a specific ship that, as of now, can't do London/Washington any good in the Atlantic anyway?

Too, in some ways, looking forward to withdrawal schedules and planning around those is gamey as well.

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