Focus Pacific: Release

[Joglinks1]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants


Do you have a particular class of ACM and SC in mind that you think would be appropriate?

the ACM class doesn't matter. Take the least useful for combat. It is to maintain the mine fields.
as for the SC's the CH-13 class at 15kn.

don't add any, make them available from the production line.

[BillBrown]

Joglinks is my opponent.

Doing Dec 8 turn, I ran out of French and Russian Pilots in the pilot pool.

Layered CAP has been great for the Soviets. I think starting on turn 2 he should have done more sweeps.
The Soviet aircraft can hold their own against the Nates and Oscars when they are escorting.

I agree that the Soviet subs are very effective.

[btd64]

ORIGINAL: paradigmblue

Focus Pacific Patch 1.04 Preview

I'm putting on the final touches for this patch, I'll edit this post to be the official patch notes with a link once it's up.

Balance Changes

Japanese Economy

Additional tweaks have been made to Japanese resource production, further increasing the time the Japanese player has before the resource situation on the Home Islands becomes dire. This should give the Japanese player the time to begin serious resource importation efforts.

Japanese Aircraft Production

Japan now receives organic replacements of the G5N2 Liz, G5N3 Liz and G8N1 Rita.

Soviet Air Experience Adjustment

Starting Soviet Air Experience was a touch too high. It has been lowered from 40 to 30.

After a lot of discussion and deliberation, I've made the decision not to change the Soviet aircraft weaponry for now, as the devices seem to be working as the original WitP:AE designers intended. I'm a little torn on this - in one game I'm playing, my Soviet Air Force is being trashed by my opponent, but in another, my bi-planes are the terror of the skies. I'm withholding judgement for now.

Japanese Navy

Japan now starts with additional DMS ships, as well as more LSDs, increasing their early-game amphibious capability, as well as ensuring they still have some amphibious capability once their bonus wears off.

French Navy

Additional French naval assets have been added in the form of sub-chasers and some older destroyers along with the mine-laying cruiser Pluton. The AV Gauchet has been moved from Kwangchowan to Tahiti.


French Leaders

France had a significant shortage of both naval and air leaders. They now have 20+ additional leaders of each type of varying quality.

Dutch Navy

It always struck me as strange that the Java-class Dutch cruisers had no options for modernization. They now have an option to convert to CLAAs. The Netherlands also receive the third planned ship of the class - the Celebes.

Dutch mine-layers carry far fewer mines in game then they were able to historically. This has been fixed.

Art Changes

French Ship Art

La Feir Torpedo Boats, De Grasse cruisers and St. Louis cruisers all have new, better art, thanks to Cardas and Gary Childress

Map Changes

Buin

Buin has been added as a base in Shortland's former position. Shortland has been moved south.

Bug Fixes

Aircraft armament placement

Many aircraft had incorrect armament placement in their extended range configuration. Known instances of this have been fixed.

French Cruiser Armament

Some French cruisers had incorrect armament - a relic of when I first started the mod and didn't understand how the game handled ship guns. Known instances have been fixed.

Incorrect Aircraft Upgrades

Some Dutch and French planes were upgrading to the wrong models. This has been fixed.

Fuchin Base Force

Fuchin starts without a Japanese force in it - it shouldn't. It now should start with a Japanese border fort unit. It looks like this may have been a legacy bug from stock. This will prevent the base from auto-flipping.

Para, can you email me your final list. I'm looking into adding some toys for both sides for my next patch of scenario 75. I'll let you know when done....GP

[paradigmblue]

ORIGINAL: Joglinks1
5. French City in China. I fear that will become a bulwark never to be taken.

Naval bombardment works wonders to neutralize Kwangchowan.

Soviet Air Problem

So I banged my head against this for a while, and have implemented a few different fixes and balance changes.

1) Additional fighter cover at Akita and Sapporo, along with aviation support. These Zeroes can provide more CAP as well as sweep the Soviet coast and Vladivostok.

2) More bases built to 2+ on Home Islands

3) Additional Oscar squadrons at Harbin - this is important to protect the aircraft factories there

4) Lowered starting experience for some Soviet squadrons at Vladivostok - honestly, this is the change that has the most profound effect. Just by lowering the starting experience of some of these squadrons a bit, it translated into huge differences in k/l ratios. Japan should have no trouble getting positive ratios over Vladivostok now. The difference is huge. I initially lowered the xp to 45 for the biplane squadrons there, but had to bump it back up a bit when that resulted in the Japanese downing 90 Soviet fighters on the first turn with only 7 losses.

[paradigmblue]

Question - Japan starts with 36 ACMs. Is that not enough to maintain the minefields? Am I missing something here?

[paradigmblue]

Focus Pacific Patch 1.04 Preview - Updated 7/4

Still making changes based on community feedback. I would like to get this out tonight, so please let me know suggestions/bugs/balance issues before then. A quick note - how would you feel about the German ships that arrive in the game coming with some escorts? Additionally, is there any interest in the Graf Zeppelin in game? It would be gimmicky, but sometimes I feel like the Japanese don't get enough fun new stuff to play with in the mod.

Balance Changes

Japanese Air

Japan now starts with several more Home Island airbases built to 2+. New JNAF base units start in Akita and Sapporo. Each of these bases now supports two new Zero squadrons. Updated 7/4

Harbin now starts with two additional Oscar Ic squadrons. Updated 7/4

Japanese Economy

Additional tweaks have been made to Japanese resource production, further increasing the time the Japanese player has before the resource situation on the Home Islands becomes dire. This should give the Japanese player the time to begin serious resource importation efforts.

Japanese Aircraft Production

Japan now receives organic replacements of the G5N2 Liz, G5N3 Liz and G8N1 Rita.

Soviet Air Experience Adjustment

[s]Starting Soviet Air Experience was a touch too high. It has been lowered from 40 to 30.[/s]

[s]After a lot of discussion and deliberation, I've made the decision not to change the Soviet aircraft weaponry for now, as the devices seem to be working as the original WitP:AE designers intended. I'm a little torn on this - in one game I'm playing, my Soviet Air Force is being trashed by my opponent, but in another, my bi-planes are the terror of the skies. I'm withholding judgement for now.[/s]

The issue here turned out to be the individual experience of the squadrons at Vladivostok and Vorishlov. These have been adjusted downwards, and now Japan can achieve good results against these squadrons. Allied players may be a bit dismayed by this, but it was never intended for archaic soviet bi-planes to be downing scores of modern Japanese aircraft with no losses. Updated 7/4

Japanese Navy

Japan now starts with additional DMS ships, as well as more LSDs, increasing their early-game amphibious capability, as well as ensuring they still have some amphibious capability once their bonus wears off.

Japan now starts the game with 15 additional sub chasers. 7/4 update

French Navy

Additional French naval assets have been added in the form of sub-chasers and some older destroyers along with the mine-laying cruiser Pluton. The AV Gauchet has been moved from Kwangchowan to Tahiti.


French Leaders

France had a significant shortage of both naval and air leaders. They now have 20+ additional leaders of each type of varying quality.

Dutch Navy

It always struck me as strange that the Java-class Dutch cruisers had no options for modernization. They now have an option to convert to CLAAs. The Netherlands also receive the third planned ship of the class - the Celebes.

Dutch mine-layers carry far fewer mines in game then they were able to historically. This has been fixed.

Art Changes

French Ship Art

La Feir Torpedo Boats, De Grasse cruisers and St. Louis cruisers all have new, better art, thanks to Cardas and Gary Childress

Map Changes

Buin

Buin has been added as a base in Shortland's former position. Shortland has been moved south.

Bug Fixes

Aircraft armament placement

Many aircraft had incorrect armament placement in their extended range configuration. Known instances of this have been fixed.

French Cruiser Armament

Some French cruisers had incorrect armament - a relic of when I first started the mod and didn't understand how the game handled ship guns. Known instances have been fixed.

Incorrect Aircraft Upgrades

Some Dutch and French planes were upgrading to the wrong models. This has been fixed.

Fuchin Base Force

Fuchin starts without a Japanese force in it - it shouldn't. It now should start with a Japanese border fort unit. It looks like this may have been a legacy bug from stock. This will prevent the base from auto-flipping.

[BillBrown]

Fuchin starts without a Japanese force in it - it shouldn't. It now should start with a Japanese border fort unit. It looks like this may have been a legacy bug from stock. This will prevent the base from auto-flipping.

Moho should also be fixed. It auto flipped for me.

In the Soviet Union, the bases Anadyr(158,30) and UelKal(160,30) have base forces in them with no possible supply
path. They use ablut 6 supply per turn together. They start with some supply, but it will be used soon.

[paradigmblue]

ORIGINAL: BillBrown

Fuchin starts without a Japanese force in it - it shouldn't. It now should start with a Japanese border fort unit. It looks like this may have been a legacy bug from stock. This will prevent the base from auto-flipping.

Moho should also be fixed. It auto flipped for me.

Good call. Moho is now home to the 15th Border Defense unit.

[Joglinks1]

ORIGINAL: paradigmblue

Question - Japan starts with 36 ACMs. Is that not enough to maintain the minefields? Am I missing something here?

They are all over the place but not where they are needed. I did a rough calculation and my estimater is about 50 are needed

[Joglinks1]

ORIGINAL: BillBrown

Joglinks is my opponent.

Doing Dec 8 turn, I ran out of French and Russian Pilots in the pilot pool.

Layered CAP has been great for the Soviets. I think starting on turn 2 he should have done more sweeps.
The Soviet aircraft can hold their own against the Nates and Oscars when they are escorting.

I agree that the Soviet subs are very effective.

The problem with sweeps is that the AI seems to go by unit ID from the database. So if you have bombers with a lower ID, they fly first and the sweep goes in after. It might be perception and only the dev could confirm my bold assumption.

[paradigmblue]

ORIGINAL: Joglinks1

ORIGINAL: BillBrown

Joglinks is my opponent.

Doing Dec 8 turn, I ran out of French and Russian Pilots in the pilot pool.

Layered CAP has been great for the Soviets. I think starting on turn 2 he should have done more sweeps.
The Soviet aircraft can hold their own against the Nates and Oscars when they are escorting.

I agree that the Soviet subs are very effective.

The problem with sweeps is that the AI seems to go by unit ID from the database. So if you have bombers with a lower ID, they fly first and the sweep goes in after. It might be perception and only the dev could confirm my bold assumption.

No, you're absolutely right - unit ID has lot to do with air attack order. If you have a unit that can split, however, that will artificially lower it's unit ID. So if you have a fighter squadron that has a higher ID than the bomber unit that you want it to proceed, use the split function on the unit screen to split the squadron, which will then fly the sweep before the bombers.

[paradigmblue]

ORIGINAL: BillBrown

In the Soviet Union, the bases Anadyr(158,30) and UelKal(160,30) have base forces in them with no possible supply
path. They use ablut 6 supply per turn together. They start with some supply, but it will be used soon.

I'll add some very small resource/LI centers to keep them going.

[paradigmblue]

Any thoughts on more German assets or other issues that have cropped up? If not I'm going to move ahead with releasing the patch.

[btd64]

ORIGINAL: paradigmblue

ORIGINAL: Joglinks1

ORIGINAL: BillBrown

Joglinks is my opponent.

Doing Dec 8 turn, I ran out of French and Russian Pilots in the pilot pool.

Layered CAP has been great for the Soviets. I think starting on turn 2 he should have done more sweeps.
The Soviet aircraft can hold their own against the Nates and Oscars when they are escorting.

I agree that the Soviet subs are very effective.

The problem with sweeps is that the AI seems to go by unit ID from the database. So if you have bombers with a lower ID, they fly first and the sweep goes in after. It might be perception and only the dev could confirm my bold assumption.

No, you're absolutely right - unit ID has lot to do with air attack order. If you have a unit that can split, however, that will artificially lower it's unit ID. So if you have a fighter squadron that has a higher ID than the bomber unit that you want it to proceed, use the split function on the unit screen to split the squadron, which will then fly the sweep before the bombers.

If I recall correctly, if you set up your sweeps first, most of them will go first in either the am or pm turn. Then attack missions. Like all things AE, it will not happen all the time....GP

[larryfulkerson]

If I recall correctly, if you set up your sweeps first, most of them will go first in either the am or pm turn. Then attack missions. Like all things AE, it will not happen all the time....GP

It's been my experience that the lower number TF's leave port before the higher number TF's. This is especially handy when you need
the DMS ships to leave Manila for the Baatan hex to clean out all the Jap mines before any other TF will pass through the hex. So I
usually form that TF first in order of forming TF's.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

If I recall correctly, if you set up your sweeps first, most of them will go first in either the am or pm turn. Then attack missions. Like all things AE, it will not happen all the time....GP

It's been my experience that the lower number TF's leave port before the higher number TF's. This is especially handy when you need
the DMS ships to leave Manila for the Baatan hex to clean out all the Jap mines before any other TF will pass through the hex. So I
usually form that TF first in order of forming TF's.

This is dead on. It's a cardinal rule of the first turn. Always, Always, Always make the Minesweeping TFs the first ones you create at Manila.

I have also noticed that the lowest TF number is also the one most likely to be engaged in combat if an enemy TF enters the hex.

I often play musical chairs with TFs once the reach port hexes, disbanding a low numbered cargo TF and disbanding a high numbered combat TF so I can reform the combat TF as the lower numbered one.

I'm constantly working to lower the numbers of my combat TFs.

One way to overcome the lower numbered TF being the first to be engaged if an enemy TF enters the hex is to set the higher numbered combat TF to patrol the hex.

Patrolling TFs are almost always the first to be engaged.

[paradigmblue]

Sorry for the lack of release, keep running into other small issues that I want to include in the patch.

For one, I'll be reducing CD guns at a few locations, especially at Petropavlovsk. My PBEM opponent has invaded that hex, and the CD gunfire was obscene, even with BB support. Some ships took upwards of 30 hits. I'll be halving the CD guns here, and slightly reducing them at some other locations around the map.

[HansBolter]

Any progress on the release of 1.04

Been holding off starting a new game of this until more of the bugs get worked out.

[btd64]

Hey Hans, I believe Para is suffering from staffing issues at the store, so he is working lots of hours. On the other hand, I am working on some new ships and aircraft, plus some other fixes. My scenario, (75) should be close in about a week for v1.05....GP

[sanderz]

quick question - is it intended that the A6M8 factories can upgrade to the A7M2?

EDIT : and Kate to Jill?

only there is then no need for the later model factories e.g. i would cancel the jill, build 30 kate, then in one day upgrade to whatever model jill and research starts immediately rather than have to gradually build up research factories -- as a result A7M2 and Jills can be available a lot earlier than intended

no problem if this is as intended but just thought i'd mention it