Groundhog Day! - No NJP

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Bif1961
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by Bif1961 »

Every Battleship ship was listed in the attack as having heavy fires but in your dmage list non had any fires at all. Did every sailor aboard have super soakers? [;)]
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Mike McCreery
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by Mike McCreery »

ORIGINAL: Bif1961

Every Battleship ship was listed in the attack as having heavy fires but in your dmage list non had any fires at all. Did every sailor aboard have super soakers? [;)]

It is a freaking miracle but all the fires are out. I think NJP scored the same amount of BB's sunk last game but I could be off by 1. Last game one burned for 4 days until it was scuttled at 98% fire.
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Mike McCreery
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by Mike McCreery »

Musings of a fool
The differences...

There is such a world of difference between planning this game and the last game. I had played at least 3 games against the AI but they were relatively easy so no digging was required into the game. So, when I took on my first major DBB game it was all new. I knew what bombers were and what fighters were and that I had to run away from the phillipines as fast as possible.

I want this game to be as different from that as 3D chess from regular chess.

I didnt understand how the pilot system worked at the beginning of the last game and finally came to understand it completely in about the middle of it. This game will include an intense focus on airgroups and not just the groups but the commands and support units.

In the last game, HQ's were an afterthought. I want them to be front and center in this game. Also, I made a large mistake with shipping and huge numbers of engineers sat forgotten on the docks in mid to late 42.

Another functional change I want to make is what I am calling capillary shipping. I have not used the smaller barges and other ships to move transport and/or non-essential troops before and want to insert this layer of shipping between the enemy and my larger ships. I hope this causes less point loss in shipping and frustrates my opponent in naval combat.

I want to utilize the support ships in a more mobile and advanced role allowing deep strikes with my naval fleets and much more active hunting of his naval forces.

In many ways I want to move in both directions at once. Learning to move armies as combined groups and not just grabbing a division and an artillery unit because they are in the same base. So more of a strategic level of organization while utilizing the smaller ships and air forces that I somewhat ignored in my first full term game.

Another thing I am going to try to accomplish is to treat my air transports as an air-mobile group rather than just something to tote supplies to stranded armies. Bombers can drop supplies... That just created a thought, I can use outdated bomber groups to ferry supplies saving my transports.

I want to separate the forces in terms of duty as well. The army air force protects the bases and conducts land bombing. Th e marine forces are primarily escort for shipping. And the navy forces exist to kill his navy.

Overall I want to practice advanced tactics while optimizing efficiency and planning.

As for the AAR, I do not plan on posting every turn as in the last one. It was useful at times for me to go back and check certain things but not often enough to warrant it being repeated.

In terms of my opponent NJP. He is very good. His strength is his navy at least against me although he coordinates his air forces as well. What I found to be his weakness in the last game was his inability to focus on multiple targets at once. Now, this could certainly be affected by game mechanics, etc. However, it seems he concentrates on the last spot of invasion/attack to the detriment of possibly something more important nearby.

This allowed me to make great progress punching through from Port Moresby to Merauke in a deep strike in mid-43' It worked well when I decided to move into the south Phillipines later that year or in early 44. And it worked in multiple places on the coast of China and off Japan.

I will use this information to plan my first series of attacks between May and December of 1942 depending on the pace of the game.

In the last game and all the AI games I have played I have focused on taking territory. That is cool but you dont win the game that way. What I want to try to do is manage an active battle front in my favor rather than just try to push for more stuff. Last game was about pushing on every front as much as possible and exploiting the weak spots. This game should be more about defining 3-4 axis of attack and driving into the strategic weak areas to win the game smart rather than hard.

Turn 2 has been 5 days in planning now. Russia was easy of course. I spent a lot of time on Australia and new Zealand.

I have a really advanced plan for Java. Instead of all running to the mountain stronghold in the south they are all going to run to the mountain stronghold in the north because it cannot be bombarded by naval ships.

Diego garcia was a big deal in the last game. NJP lost at least a cruiser there and had other ships damaged and he never took it. I am not sure whether to defend it or not. I think that evacuating Ceylon including the AA regiment is a good idea.

India was a mess for both of us last game. In terms of myself, a lot of british and indian units got beat up for almost nothing. On NJP's side he never managed to take any of the large cities in India and I think it was largely a loss for him in terms of supply and fuel.

I would like to try to defend Madras, Calcutta, Bombay and Karachi in India if possible like last game. However, he has more forces and I think that if I try this tactic I may lose 2 or 3 of them because I am spread too thin. What I do know is that NJP will attack a different way than last time but I have no idea how.

My philosophy is to have at least a token force in every base that has industry or oil as to give a chance for it to be damaged upon capture. I also want to try to bomb any industry in range much sooner in this game than last one. For some reason it makes me feel bad... LOL!

These are just some of the things I am thinking about while prepping turn 2.


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BBfanboy
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by BBfanboy »

You have written yourself a tall order!
But you are correct - planning from the get-go makes a huge difference to how efficiently you can bring forces to bear. It is very easy to send a unit away from its HQ and never get them together again. Setting objectives and allocating forces is crucial to having an organized operation.

Looking forward to your work! Good luck.
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
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Mike McCreery
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by Mike McCreery »

ORIGINAL: mind_messing
ORIGINAL: Wargmr

The Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor!!! Wait, didnt this happen before?

There's a twisted part of me that wants to make an AAR comprising of bits taken from everyone else's AAR's.

Just to see if anyone notices...

Good luck!

This would never work here. People pick apart these posts like tech buzzards :P

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Mike McCreery
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by Mike McCreery »

December 8, 1941

The Allies start off the night with an attack on Takao. I have been called aggressive before, I have no idea why... Not the transports I was hoping for but my Sub Commanders will thank me in the future ;]



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Mike McCreery
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by Mike McCreery »

Betty's hit Hong Kong harbor from long range and hit the light transports loading fuel.

Every ship I know I am going to lose is loading up fuel to reduce the amount left for Japan. Come to think of it, every ship I think is going to live is doing the same thing :P

I also shut off production to Miri, Palembang, Medan. It may not be much but every 1000 gallons of fuel he doesnt have is another delay he must suffer through to get to his objectives. And I dont expect him to be easy on me this game.



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Mike McCreery
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by Mike McCreery »

A carrier attack takes out the battleship Legaspi...


Wait Wut??



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Mike McCreery
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by Mike McCreery »

I take a bunch of cheap pot shots trying to hit light industry and pretty much fail miserably. 1 hit.



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Mike McCreery
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by Mike McCreery »

Japanese capture Khota Baru and Tay Tay.

Overall a pretty quiet 2nd turn.

His carrier fleet pulled back to 8 hexes off of Pearl Harbor which is the logical counter to what I did last time which is why I didnt pursue him this time.

My guess is he is opting for either a strong Australia SE pacific thrust or PH. We will see within a few days which one seems more likely.

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BBfanboy
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by BBfanboy »

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

A carrier attack takes out the battleship Legaspi...


Wait Wut??



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[:D]
Did you do an art update? The label says the ship is an xAP - on an Iowa class hull! Must be a secret Philippine navy project.
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
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obvert
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by obvert »

WTF?!? [:D]
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
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Lowpe
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by Lowpe »

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

Every ship I know I am going to lose is loading up fuel to reduce the amount left for Japan. Come to think of it, every ship I think is going to live is doing the same thing :P

I also shut off production to Miri, Palembang, Medan. It may not be much but every 1000 gallons of fuel he doesnt have is another delay he must suffer through to get to his objectives. And I dont expect him to be easy on me this game.

That is not cricket! [:D]

Think of all the unhappy shareholders you are making!
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obvert
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by obvert »

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

Every ship I know I am going to lose is loading up fuel to reduce the amount left for Japan. Come to think of it, every ship I think is going to live is doing the same thing :P

I also shut off production to Miri, Palembang, Medan. It may not be much but every 1000 gallons of fuel he doesnt have is another delay he must suffer through to get to his objectives. And I dont expect him to be easy on me this game.

That is not cricket! [:D]

Think of all the unhappy shareholders you are making!

Ahh, but it's a good idea! I loaded em up but for some reason didn't think to turn off production of oil! Doh! [:D]
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
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Mike McCreery
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by Mike McCreery »

My esteemed opponent has started an AAR so you can go read just how WRONG I am about things!!!

Good thing I cant read it, it would probably be depressing!!

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Mike McCreery
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by Mike McCreery »

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

Every ship I know I am going to lose is loading up fuel to reduce the amount left for Japan. Come to think of it, every ship I think is going to live is doing the same thing :P

I also shut off production to Miri, Palembang, Medan. It may not be much but every 1000 gallons of fuel he doesnt have is another delay he must suffer through to get to his objectives. And I dont expect him to be easy on me this game.

That is not cricket! [:D]

Think of all the unhappy shareholders you are making!

Ahh, but it's a good idea! I loaded em up but for some reason didn't think to turn off production of oil! Doh! [:D]

You cannot turn off the oil but you can turn off the refineries so when he gets there he has to process it. :]

I love NJP like a brother so I want this to really hurt!!
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obvert
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by obvert »

I also tried to suck oil to places that would hold out longer, so I could syphon it off longer. Or that when the went to Japan I could easily bomb the port.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
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Mike McCreery
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by Mike McCreery »

December 9, 1941

The cloaking device on my AKL appears to be ineffective.



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Mike McCreery
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by Mike McCreery »

FEAR ME!!!!!

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Mike McCreery
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RE: Groundhog Day!

Post by Mike McCreery »

Oscars and the AVG tangle over Rangoon. We are going to need more airplanes...



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