Matrix Games

quote:

ORIGINAL: ADB123

The interesting part of playing the AI is not just the odd things that it does, but how it isn't constrained by the sorts of worries that human players have. For example, the AI isn't "concerned" about saving pilots, so it make huge numbers of air attacks. And it uses its CVs in a big way too.

So here I am in early Feb 42 in my Patch 1 game against the Japanese AI and I've been carefully husbanding my forces and setting up Java for the eventual invasions. Singapore has finally fallen, but Manila still holds. And Japanese invasion task forces flood the map, seemingly looking for any base that isn't occupied or being contested.

Then out of the blue, for the second time in this game, all but one of the Japanese CVs show up in the DEI. But this time they aren't fooling around Borneo and the southern Philippines. Four TFs surround Java and pound everything in sight into finer and finer rubble.

My carefully husbanded Dutch and British air units are smashed to bits. The couple of coordinated Allied air attacks that take off after one lone Japanese CV are swatted from the sky without causing the smallest wave around the Japanese ships. The ships in repair in Java are sunk in the drydocks, and the entire port system in Soerabaja is wiped out. To add to the carnage, LBA flies in and hits anywhere the carrier planes missed.

Suddenly, the situations in Oz and India look a LOT less secure. Sure, the AI is losing planes to AA and general mishaps, but that isn't stopping it from making certain that there will be nothing in the region to stop it once it sends in the troops.

If the AI can do this too me I don't want to see what a human opponent could do...

(Never-the-less, it's still fun, in a strange way... )

quote:

ORIGINAL: ADB123

The interesting part of playing the AI is not just the odd things that it does, but how it isn't constrained by the sorts of worries that human players have. For example, the AI isn't "concerned" about saving pilots, so it make huge numbers of air attacks. And it uses its CVs in a big way too.

So here I am in early Feb 42 in my Patch 1 game against the Japanese AI and I've been carefully husbanding my forces and setting up Java for the eventual invasions. Singapore has finally fallen, but Manila still holds. And Japanese invasion task forces flood the map, seemingly looking for any base that isn't occupied or being contested.

Then out of the blue, for the second time in this game, all but one of the Japanese CVs show up in the DEI. But this time they aren't fooling around Borneo and the southern Philippines. Four TFs surround Java and pound everything in sight into finer and finer rubble.

My carefully husbanded Dutch and British air units are smashed to bits. The couple of coordinated Allied air attacks that take off after one lone Japanese CV are swatted from the sky without causing the smallest wave around the Japanese ships. The ships in repair in Java are sunk in the drydocks, and the entire port system in Soerabaja is wiped out. To add to the carnage, LBA flies in and hits anywhere the carrier planes missed.

Suddenly, the situations in Oz and India look a LOT less secure. Sure, the AI is losing planes to AA and general mishaps, but that isn't stopping it from making certain that there will be nothing in the region to stop it once it sends in the troops.

If the AI can do this to me I don't want to see what a human opponent could do...

(Never-the-less, it's still fun, in a strange way... )

quote:

ORIGINAL: Boozecamp

Sounds about right.  I've had every Japanese carrier circling Java for at least three weeks, bombing the piss out of everything.  Nuclear powered-KB with self-regenerating bomb and torpedo stores.  I'm not at all against AI advantages, but I also would've liked to have had to actually figure I could fight for Java instead of giving it up for gone in mid January.

quote:

Surabaya

quote:

ORIGINAL: ADB123

The interesting part of playing the AI is not just the odd things that it does, but how it isn't constrained by the sorts of worries that human players have. For example, the AI isn't "concerned" about saving pilots, so it make huge numbers of air attacks. And it uses its CVs in a big way too.

So here I am in early Feb 42 in my Patch 1 game against the Japanese AI and I've been carefully husbanding my forces and setting up Java for the eventual invasions. Singapore has finally fallen, but Manila still holds. And Japanese invasion task forces flood the map, seemingly looking for any base that isn't occupied or being contested.

Then out of the blue, for the second time in this game, all but one of the Japanese CVs show up in the DEI. But this time they aren't fooling around Borneo and the southern Philippines. Four TFs surround Java and pound everything in sight into finer and finer rubble.

My carefully husbanded Dutch and British air units are smashed to bits. The couple of coordinated Allied air attacks that take off after one lone Japanese CV are swatted from the sky without causing the smallest wave around the Japanese ships. The ships in repair in Java are sunk in the drydocks, and the entire port system in Soerabaja is wiped out. To add to the carnage, LBA flies in and hits anywhere the carrier planes missed.

Suddenly, the situations in Oz and India look a LOT less secure. Sure, the AI is losing planes to AA and general mishaps, but that isn't stopping it from making certain that there will be nothing in the region to stop it once it sends in the troops.

If the AI can do this to me I don't want to see what a human opponent could do...

(Never-the-less, it's still fun, in a strange way... )

quote:

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

quote:

Surabaya

I have not tried this yet but there has been some discussion about this and I think Java can be defended. The thoery is if you can hold until April, the amphibious bonus expires and the if Java has not fallen yet, you have a good cahnce to hold. From other threads I gther these tactics I will try after the next patch/restart:
Pull all the little units from around the DEI and put them in Java. Supply, Supply, supply so they will rebuild to full strength. Supply from Capetown while you can. use boats, planes, whatever. Get all untis to Java, abaondon the rest of the DEI

Pull the best air units out of Singapore. It is a lost cause. Taht is the firghters and especially the torpedo bombers.

There is a convoy full of troops headed to Singapore at the beginning of the game. Not any more. It is now headed to Java.

Are you emptying Java of Fuel and transport it to Australia. If not please do so. Repeat when necessary. You can afford to lost AK's, but play it safe with TK's and AO's. You already don't have enough. The fuel is like gold, but these ships are more valuable

Any mines left? pick likely landing sites

Leave enough support in Batavia and Surabaya to support Naval and air. Everything else goes to either Loemadjang or Malang. Not both, but I can't decide which one. I think Loenadang because of the big airfield.

Increase supply and build your fort

I haven't worked out what to do with the air forces. I am always temped to go after the carriers but that is usually a one way mission. I think I will preserve them. Any suggestions

Contest the landings with your surface forces. Hope for bad weather.

Accept the fact the the KB will block of the southern access to the islands eventually. Might want to put you subs on manual and take a shot there. The non-american subs don't suffer the same torpedo problems.

If you can do it time consider trying to put one of the Australian divisions that show up in Aden to Java. Don't know if that can be done in time though. And don't put both there. You will need that one elsewhere



That is the beginning of my plan, considerations, additions, deletions?

quote:

ORIGINAL: castor troy
hopefully you talk about playing vs the AI. In PBEM every experienced Japanese player will take Java in 42, no matter what you do. The more you bring to Java, the more will be lost. There are so many bases on Java where you could land, you can´t keep the Japanese from taking one and as soon as they´ve got one, they can bring as many units as they wish and in 42, they simply have far more units than the Allied. Not to talk about their airforce. The Allied just can´t compete.

Of course there were (and will be) also PBEMs where an Allied player will hold Java, but there were also PBEMs I know of when the Japanese took out the US West coast. It´s very unusual but if a very experienced Japanese player meets an unexperienced Allied player then this works. Of course also vice versa, but usually (I would tend to say 19 out of 20 times) it won´t and the same goes for a PBEM defense of Java. I guess in 19 out of 20 times I would knock the Allied out on Java.

quote:

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth
That is the beginning of my plan, considerations, additions, deletions?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

My only comment is that as Japan, you better get to Java pretty quick. Dutch troops at start are very weak; once the 100-day mark passes and they start to train, they will get much tougher. Nevertheless, it won't last through the Japanese conquest. Any reinforcements sent there will be lost.

quote:

ORIGINAL: xj900uk

Hate to burst your bubble,  but Java fell very quickly to the Japs in Feb '42, admittedly one month later than you seem to be experiencing.  The Dutch/Abdacom were confident they could hold it,  but their powerful (on paper) air and sea forces were swept aside like they were made of chop-suey.
What difficulty are you set on?  Historical?

quote:

ORIGINAL: AHFlattop

I too am seeing similar results in my game against the AI. Singapore fell on Feb 24th and within days, Java was invaded at Merak and some other minor ports. The Phillipines fell in late March. I used March to strengthen Port Moresby using my carriers then prepped to reinforce Java. KB showed up with all CVLs and CVEs off Java in early March and has been circling Java since mid May. All my airforce has been destroyed including B-26s, B-17, P-40s that I'd sent from Australia. Now as I'm reinforcing Java with Aussie troops, supplies with the 5 American cairriers plus 2 Brit CV and 1 Brit CVL. The info screen says I've destroyed over 900 Bettys and 600 Zeros, 150 Vals and 100 Kates, totalling about 3000 frames in all. FOW may be exaggerating these number a bit. Its May 20th and I only hold southern Java and might not get there in time.

Right before I arrived, KB seem to teleport off Port Moresby to support an invasion then moved to raid Brisbane and Sydney. I managed to sink the Junyo with what assets I could find. It seems the Ai gets almost unlimited planes as reinforcements. According to the info screen, I've sunk over 200 ships but I think its about double than number. The AI appears to have no shortage of plane reinforcements and no shortage of transports. I've caught and sunk about a 100 ships in transport TFs loaded with troops and destroyed maybe 40-50,000 troops on those transports but the AI is still managing to capture distant allied based behind the Noumea-Christmas island line.

quote:

ORIGINAL: xj900uk

Hate to burst your bubble,  but Java fell very quickly to the Japs in Feb '42, admittedly one month later than you seem to be experiencing.  The Dutch/Abdacom were confident they could hold it,  but their powerful (on paper) air and sea forces were swept aside like they were made of chop-suey.
What difficulty are you set on?  Historical?