Introducing Scenario 119

[Alhazred]

Hello all,

I am quite new to WitP. I do have a very long wargaming experience under my belt, with a soft spot for the Pacific that started way back in the days when we used to play double-blind Flat Top (Avalon Hill) by email. I have also played the original Pacific War and loved playing Japan/Italy in World in Flames. (Yes, those were the days)

What I found out rather quickly about WitP is that I really really like it, but the stock scenario is, well, not the most accurate (or satisfying). I also quickly found my way into all the fan made mods which are clearly works of love.

I also came to realize that I did not agree with the details or the scope of everything contained in these mods (no offense intended to their authors). Specifically, and especially if one wants to play against the AI, it is best to stick close to the stock while fixing it as best as one can.

Thus, I have come up with Scenario 119 - the Minimal Mod. It borrows heavily from existing mods (especially CHS). It is based on Scenario 115 for Andrew Brown's excellent map as base and was modified from there. It attempts to fix the most egregious shortcomings of the stock without changing too many things (especially in the OOB front). It has a total of three new aircraft types (two Japanese and one allied), implements the advanced aircraft engines concept from CHS, decreases AK carrying capacities, and fixes all the errors found by witpcheck (at least to the extent that they were fixable) and adds a host of other small fixes, most of which, I admit freely, are not my own.

I have tested the Minimal Mod several times, playing both sides and ran into no major problems in the first six month of the war. More extensive testing has not been possible due to time problems.

Below is the readme for the scenario and a link to download it from (~ 4.5MB). Credit should be given, in no particular order, to: CHS team, Andrew Brown, Nik, the Elf, this forum and Spooky's website.

If anyone uses this scenario, I would appreciate any feedback that they may have.

Version : 1.0
Date: Tuesday, 16 May 2006
Base: Andrew Brown map v 5.1 and scenario 115.


Installation:
Extract the contents of the .zip file to your WitP installation.

Art Changes:

Used the Elf’s excellent planetop art files for stock scenario. Modified to include the two new Japanese aircraft and the Sea Gladiator to Sea Hurricane change. Incorporated many plane side views from CHS art files.
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Game Changes:

LOWERED CARRYING CAPACITIES OF ALL AK. LARGE AK TO 5500, SMALL AK TO 2800.
(Rationale: Make logistics efforts harder for both sides)

INCREASED ALL AIRCRAFT DUR BY SEVERAL POINTS (2-4 points).
HALVED ALL AIRCRAFT ORDNANCE ACCURACY RATINGS.
(Rationale: Make air2air less bloody)

Adopted Official Japanese naming scheme for all Japanese aircraft.
Used Japanese designations and Japanese Popular names (where they existed).
Also used Ko, Otsu and Hei, instead of –a,b,c suffixes.
Example: Renamed Ki-44-II-b Tojo (Aircraft 050) to Ki-44-II Otsu Shoki.

Changed aircraft engines Mansyu and Nissan to Mitsubishi II (Device 242) and Nakajima II (Device 244) respectively. Also see below for engine production changes in locations.
The following aircraft now use these engines:

Nakajima II (avail 08/43):
A6M8, N1K1-J, C6N1-S, B7A, P1Y, C6N, Ki-84 (both marks)

Mitsubishi II (avail 11/42):
A7M2, J2M, J7W, B6N, G4M2, G4M2e, Ki-46 III KAI, Ki-100, Ki-102 Ko, Ki-67, Ki-46 III

(Note: Aircraft replacement screen will still have places that indicate the old names. The locations themselves and the production change menu will indicate the new names. Regardless of the name indicated, the engines should work the way they are intended in this mod. Remember that Mansyu is actually Mitsubishi II and Nissan is Nakajima II.)

(Rationale: Slow down Japanese late-war engine production).

Devices:
Type 13 Radar (Device 139) penetration set to 500
(Online fix for Japanese Radar)

13mm MG (Device 181) effect lowered to 3 (from 4)
(Cannons get >3, 12.7 mm get 3)

Added 37mm Cannon Ho-203 (Device 224), a 37mm cannon used in Ki-45 KAI Hei (Aircraft 053), Ki-46-III KAI (Aircraft 054) and Ki-102 Ko (Aircraft 059).
(37mm Type98 cannon was a handloaded version of the 37mm AT gun used, as far as I can find, only in the Ki-45 Otsu. Later aircraft using a 37mm gun were fitted with the automatic Ho-203.)

Added 40mm Cannon Ho-301 (Device 225), cannon used in the late war Ki-44-II Hei Tojo (Aircraft 074).

47mm AT Gun (Device 280) Load Cost lowered to 6
(Para regiments were not bringing these with them on their missions)

Aircraft:
Lowered Manouevre rating of A6M3 Reisen to 35 (Aircraft 004).

Lowered Manouevre rating of A6M3 Ko Reisen to 35 (Aircraft 019).

Lowered G3M (Aircraft 025) cruising speed to 172 mph, lowered endurance to 925.

Lowered G4M1 (Aircraft 026) cruising speed to 195 mph, lowered endurance to 840.

Lowered G4M2 (Aircraft 027) endurance to 840.
(Original numbers were too high for normal loads carried by these aircraft)

Added the correct version of the late war Ki-61 Hien into slot Aircraft 037.
Ki-61-I KAI Hei Hien is available 06.44, has a manoeuvre rating of 34, and carries 2x250lb GP bombs. The original Tony (Aircraft 055) has been modified to the early war version, see below.

Lowered maximum speed of H6K4 (Aircraft 035) to 212 mph, lowered endurance to 1295.
(239 was top speed of H6K5, 1400 was maximum range with no load).

Renamed H8K (Aircraft 036) to H8K2 Seiku and moved availability to 04.43.
(The model available in 03.42 (H6K1) had worse performance and defence than modelled in the game and only 14 were built.)

Lowered manoeuvre rating and durability of E8N (Aircraft 042).

Increased endurance of F1M2 (Aircraft 043) to 360, manoeuvre rating to 27. Lowered durability to 22 (from 29 in CHS).
(Endurance of 200 was for attack missions when only the main fuel tank was used. Regular patrol missions used external fuel tanks to boost range. Lower durability is meant to simulate the effect of the extra fuel on board.)

Lowered cruise speed of E13A1 to 138 mph (Aircraft 044).

Lowered manoeuvre rating of E7K2 to 22 (Aircraft 045).

Ki-45 Ko Toryu (Aircraft 051) rear facing armament reduced to 1x Type98 7.92mm MG (Device 186). Type changed to a fighter. Max load reduced to 250. Rate of climb reduced to 2609.

Ki-45 Otsu Toryu (Aircraft 052) performance reduced slightly across the board.

Ki-45 Hei Toryu (Aircraft 053) rate of climb reduced. Cannon changed to 37mm Ho-203 (Device 224).
(All Ki-45s depicted are actually the KAI version, which has been omitted from the name to make it shorter. The shorter name fits better in the intel screens.)

Ki-46-III KAI (Aircraft 054) Type 98 37mm cannon replaced with 37mm Ho-203 (Device 224).
This aircraft no longer upgrades to Ki-102 Ko.

Ki-61-I Hien (Aircraft 055) is now available in 06.43, and is armed with 2x German MG151 cannon and 2x MG and has a manoeuvre rating of 34. It now upgrades to Aircraft 037, the late-war version of the Ki-61.
(These aircraft were equipped with the German cannon due to the problems with the Japanese cannons. Later versions carried the Ho-5 model 20mm cannon.)

Increased manoeuvre rating of Ki-84 Ko Hayate to 36 (Aircraft 056).
(The Hayate was one of the best aircraft of the war, and certainly one of the best aircraft that Japan fielded).

Ki-102 Ko (Aircraft 059) 37mm cannon changed to Ho-203 (Device 224), added 1x rear 12.7 Ho-103 MG (Device 187).

Ki-48 (Aircraft 065) now upgrades to Ki-49 Donryu (Aircraft 066).
(Level bombers should upgrade to other level bombers, not fighter bombers)

Replaced MC21 (Aircraft 074) with Ki-44-II Hei Shoki late-war variant.
This plane is available 06.43, and equips the late-war Shoki squadrons.
Equipped with 2x40mm cannon and 2x12.7mm MG.
Manouevre rating and durability are 32/31.
Slightly higher speed compared to Ki-44 Otsu.
No other plane upgrades to it, nor does it upgrade to anything else.

Increased Endurance of Ki-54 (Aircraft 075) to 300.
(Previous value was too low)

Changed Sea Gladiator to Sea Hurricane (Aircraft 077).

Removed F4F3 armour (Aircraft 082).
(Accent differences between F4F4 and F4F3)

Renamed F6F to F6F-3 and lowered F6F and Hellcat max ceiling to 35500, max speed to 376 mph (Aircraft 085 & 086).
(Stats were for F6F-5, which entered service in May 44, but availability is for F6F-3, which has slightly worse stats)

Changed SB2U Vindicator (Aircraft 091), weapon 3 to external, not internal.

Reduced SBD Dauntless (Aircraft 092) Build Rate to 25.

Lowered F6F-5N Hellcat manoeuvre by 1 (Aircraft 094).
(On board radar suite lowered performance)

Reduced TBD Devastator (Aircraft 097) Build Rate to 25.
Increased TBD Devastator Endurance to 265 (2/3 hexes).

Reduced Boomerang II (Aircraft 120) Build Rate to 6.

Increased Brewster 339D (Aircraft 124) start pool to 20.
Reduced Build Rate to 1.
(Fill out starting TO&E, but keep reinforcements low).

Lowered Manouevre rating of Thunderbolt II to 34 (Aircraft 132).

Blenheim IF night fighter (Aircraft 133) now upgrades to Beaufighter IF (Aircraft 134).
instead of Hurricane II.
(Hurricane II is not a night fighter)

Reduced external load for Martin 139 (Aircraft 146) to 5x250lb bombs, lowered endurance to 430 and Build Rate to 3.

Changed Beaufighter VIC (Aircraft 149) so that it has no wing MGs, has a rear facing Vickers K (Device 149), has a maximum of altitude of 19000 feet, endurance of 420, Build Rate of 10 and is available starting in 07.42.

Changed start date Beaufighter Mk 21 (Aircraft 152) to 03.44.
Maximum altitude reduced to 19000 feet.
Reduced .50 MG number to 4.
(Australian version which did not enter service until early 44).

Ventura V (Aircraft 154) armour removed.

Modified P36A (Aircraft 159) to match its real characteristics.
Increased max & cruise speed and climb rate.
Reduced armament to 1x .50 cal MG (Device 161) and 1x .303 cal MG (Device 150).
Reduced max load to 200, External load to 2 x 100 lb bombs.
Lowered Build Rate to 1.

Lowered P39D and P400 Manoeuvre to 28 (Aircraft 160, 161).
P400 max altitude lowered to 14000.
(P400 had no oxygen)

Lowered Manouevre rating of P-47D to 34 (Aircraft 170).

Reduced B-18A, B-17D and B17E Build Rates to 1.
(Make it hard to assemble large 4E flotilla in 1942)

Removed armour from B-18 (Aircraft 179), increased starting pool to 12,.
(This was an obsolete aircraft)

Avail date of B25C moved to 12/41 (Aircraft 185)
Avail date of B25J moved to 4/43 (Aircraft 186)

Renamed B17C to B17D (Aircraft 193)
(This was the mark actually in service at the time. All B17C’s had been converted to B17D’s in the field.)

B26B (Aircraft 188) upgrades to B26G instead of B25J.

Reduced INT loads for B-18, B-17D & E, B25C, B26B, B25J and B29
(They should have a harder time hitting naval targets)

Lowered max altitude of LB30 to 21000 (Aircraft 196)
Lowered endurance of 600
Lowered Max load to 6000
Changed defensive armaments to Vickers MG

Removed 2x .50 cal MG from PBY4 (Aircraft 197) defensive armament (1 each from F and BR)
Lowered max load to 6000

Removed 1 .50 cal from B24D (Aircraft 198).

Air Groups:

1st Ftr. Sentai (Air Group 020) now upgrades to Ki-43-I Otsu (Aircraft 048).

84th Ftr. Chutai (Air Group 036) now upgrades to Ki-45 Ko Toryu (Aircraft 051).

5th Ftr. Sentai (Air Group 141) is restricted to a max aircraft of 24, and upgrades to Ki-45 KAI Ko Toryu (Aircraft 051).

Added F2/5th Chutai (Air Group 750) arriving at Nagasaki equipped with Ki-45 KAI Ko in April 42.

(The 84th Chutai and 5th Sentai were the first units to operate the Ki-45 (the 5th actually scrambled Ki-45s against the Doolittle raid) but I did not want to make the Ki-45 KAI Ko available that early, so I added a Chutai of the 5th to arrive as reinforcements equipped with Ki-45 in April. Also, the 5th was the first unit to ever conduct a Kamikaze attack and used Ki-45s to do so, later during the war.)

22nd Ftr. Sentai (Air Group 163) and 246th Ftr. Sentai (Air group 171) arrive equipped with Ki-44-II Hei Shoki (Aircraft 074).

105th Ftr. Sendai (Air Group 199) arrives equipped with Ki-61-I KAI Hei Hien (Aircraft 37).

51st Ftr. Sentai (Air Group 209) arrives equipped with Ki-84-I Ko Hayate (Aircraft 056).

56th Ftr. Sendai (Air Group 211) arrives equipped with Ki-61-I KAI Hei Hien (Aircraft 37).

No 31 RAAF sqdn (Air Group 991) uses Beaufighter VIC instead of Beaufighter Mk 21
(Mk 21 not available in 43)

No 30 RAAF sqdn (Air Group 1244) uses Beaufighter VIC instead of Beaufighter Mk 21
(Mk 21 not available in 43)

Corrected OAHU spelling (Air group 1433)

Changed 46th FS to P36A, 47th to P40B (Air groups 1437, 1438)
Changed ready/damaged numbers to 9/7, 11/12 and 11/6 respectively for 45th through 47th FS.
Put all squadrons in Pearl Harbour to Training 10%, except 45th and 47th FS (Escort/CAP 60% & 40 %) and VP-22 (Search 50%) and VP-24 (ASW 50%)
(PH squadrons not ready for air to air combat at the time)

Leaders:

Removed MacArthur, D. (Leader 15852) from command of Southwest Pacific.
New leader set to None.
(He is commanding USAFFE, and quantum tunneling is yet to be discovered)

Locations:

Changed Locations 1501, 1502 & 1503 (21st, 22nd, 23rd Aviation Units) to type IJA Aviation Rgt (964). Changed leaders to None.
(TO&E and HQ imply they were IJA Rgts not IJN Units)

The following Soviet units were assigned to Far East Command HQ (Location 0128)
12th Air Army Engineers (Location 2180)
12th Air Regiment (Location 2199)
10th Aviation Rgt (Location 2208)
10th Air Army EAB (Location 2214)
9th Aviation Rgt (Location 2229)
9th Air Army EAB (Location 2228)
(None had been assigned to any HQ)

The following changes are to keep in line with the advanced engine production (see above):
Added the following research factories to Kanazawa (Location 0221).
Mitsubishi II engine x75
Nakajima II engine x50

Removed Nissan engine x9 from Hamamatsu (Location 0222).

Removed Nissan engine x7 from Shimizu (Location 0223).

Removed Ishikawajima Engines x20 from Tokyo (Location 0342).
Added Mitsubishi II engine x10 (research).

Beaufort VI-X production was lowered to 10 and Wirraway production to 20 in Melbourne (Location 0764).

Beaufort VI-X production was lowered to 15 in Sydney (Location 0766).

Following production changes were made in San Diego (Location 0850).

Lowered LB30 to 10
PB4Y to 20
B24D to 40
Liberator VI to 40
PBY Catalina to 35

Following production changes were made in Los Angeles (Location 0851).

Lowered B25J to 25
SBD to 35
A20B to 10
A20G to 50
P51B to 25
P51D to 50
P38G to 35
P38J to 45

B17E production was lowered to 10 in Seattle (Location 0853).

Changed Leader of 46th Chinese Corps (Location 2304) to None.
(Previous leader was an inappropriate level)

Sarawak Force base force (Location 2409), changed to SE Asia HQ (instead of ABDA) and 6inch CD guns changed to 12inch CD guns.

Changed Leader of 29th Australian Bde. (Location 2541) to None.
(Previous leader was set to arrive in 1944)

101st Australian AT Rgt (Location 2878) arrival date corrected to 420315.

IJN destroyers (Location 3512) Leader corrected to Tahara, Y. (Leader 5863)
(Previous leader was due to arrive 1942.)

Download link to the Scenario

http://www.filecloud.com/user/files.php ... 988#160661

[JeffroK]

Looks interesting.

Does it use AB's normal map or the extended version?

Little questions or thoughts.

Blenheim IF to Hurricane, I think this is to cover the large numbers of Hurri's in India/Burma, well over 1,000 were sent there. The Beaufighter has its own production run.

The Beaufighters first used by the RAAF were IC & later VC, these all originally had 6 x .303 in the wings. Some of them had the mgs removed and extra fuel tanks in the wings. No RAAF Beaus had the rear firing gun exept as a local fitment, and then it was often a .50cal.

LB-30 had .303 Brownings, not Vickers.

P-36A, the Hawk 75A-7 used by the Dutch had 1 x .50cal and 3 x .30cal, as did the P-36C I am unsure of the Mohawk but assume the Brits fitted .303's

But there are so many variants around that all of these are minor comments.

[el cid again]

I also came to realize that I did not agree with the details or the scope of everything contained in these mods (no offense intended to their authors). Specifically, and especially if one wants to play against the AI, it is best to stick close to the stock while fixing it as best as one can.

I have some bad news: the AI is not able to play at all. It is rigid hard code, and (quoting) "it will do the same thing 99 times in 100 - the 100th it won't because that ship got sunk first". It is not AI at all - it is a script written in advance. This implies your assumption is correct - you want it to function? Leave it with what it was intended to have. Andrew wrote me that Russian unit testing had indicated it is dangerous to move as much from stock slots as had been done. And at the same time, I merrily did exactly the same thing in different ways - and ran into the same brick wall. Yet if some of the changes were discretionary - many were technically sound - even unavoidable. You want to add units? You must use SOME slot. I have found there is hard code in EMPTY slots - probably legacy code (this game used to be a different one) or "hooks" to a future game (it is intended to do NATO no less - or so microscopic data implies). There is NO safe way to add ANYTHING. There will be less hard code in WITP II. And there may be some documentation some day (I keep offering to pay for it): just a list of what slots are code free would help. But for now... test your heart out.

[Alhazred]

Does it use AB's normal map or the extended version?

The normal map, again, in an effort to stay close to stock.

Little questions or thoughts.

Blenheim IF to Hurricane, I think this is to cover the large numbers of Hurri's in India/Burma, well over 1,000 were sent there. The Beaufighter has its own production run.

Interesting - were those night fighter Hurricanes? Because my rationale in forcing Blenheim IF to convert to Beaufighter IF is to keep night fighter units equipped with night fighter planes.

The Beaufighters first used by the RAAF were IC & later VC, these all originally had 6 x .303 in the wings. Some of them had the mgs removed and extra fuel tanks in the wings. No RAAF Beaus had the rear firing gun exept as a local fitment, and then it was often a .50cal.

You are right about that. I went with the solution proposed by the CHS group on this one (as well as many others), which was to call lump Beaufighters IC into VC. This way adding yet another new slot was avoided.

But there are so many variants around that all of these are minor comments.

Minor or not, thanks for the comments! They are appreciated.

[Alhazred]

I have some bad news: the AI is not able to play at all. It is rigid hard code, and (quoting) "it will do the same thing 99 times in 100 - the 100th it won't because that ship got sunk first". It is not AI at all - it is a script written in advance.

Be that as it may - it is what we have. Hence the rationale to get at least some mileage out of the "script" by sticking close to ....well... the script.

[;)]

[JeffroK]

quote:

Little questions or thoughts.

Blenheim IF to Hurricane, I think this is to cover the large numbers of Hurri's in India/Burma, well over 1,000 were sent there. The Beaufighter has its own production run.


Interesting - were those night fighter Hurricanes? Because my rationale in forcing Blenheim IF to convert to Beaufighter IF is to keep night fighter units equipped with night fighter planes.

No , not night fighter Hurris, but the RAF gets the Beaufighter as a NightFighter which covers the loss of the Blenheims. The Beau should still get the .303's as their removal was a field mod and only done to a % of the aircraft. (As was the fitting of the Cupola gun)

AI:

I reckon it works, in a rough & ready way.

Especially in the early years as Japan it does a good effort at recreating history.

Of course it does dumb things, and if you upset its timetable it could be inclined to forget its tasks. It can be persistant at taking a base, I've fought off 4 attacks on Amboina and now BB & CV TFs are in the area supporting them.

Until someone come up with something better, and PBEM isnt an option for me, it does a good enough job.