Price is high (see my previous thoughts elsewhere in the thread about that,) but since I got it two years ago I don't think there is another game I've sunk so many hours into. I'm lousy at forward planning too (as is probably becoming apparent..:D) and some of the savants over at Matrix flat out terrify me with their knowledge of the game. But for me, I'm not interested in using it as some sort of device for statistical analysis. I'm interested because you get aircraft carriers and subs and get to sink stuff with 'em. :yeah:

Again. Totally worth it! :D

I'd love to get WiTE. Maybe over Christmas...

26th August

Sailing on my APDs is a death sentence. They got in during the night and delivered the much needed supplies (still not enough, though,) but were hit by Dive bombers the next day as the mucked about. One sunk, another badly damaged. I'll have to use destroyers in the future. Japanese DDs can carry a small amount of supply. Better than nothing.

Betty flew en mass towards Moresby today, where she found several cruisers of various sizes. Leander, one of the smaller ships on offer, was the only one to fell Betty's slightly whimsical wrath. She went under with three torpedoes in her.

A number of Allied task forces are moving northward from Noumea. They seem to include cruisers as well as the expected supply ships. No sign of carriers, though. I wonder where they are?

If you (and I) learn it at some point, I'd love to have a game with you. Very much
enjoyed our CC5 games, too bad we never finished it. :up:

The unfinished aar can be read here:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=170994

These games are no doubt best played against human player.

27th August

Nothing happened! At all!

Well, a couple of allied fighters bit the dust over Moresby. No Bettys flew. Apparently something good on the radio.

The APD is still bobbing along home, burning merrily. She's a gonner and I should probably think of scuttling her to deny CCIP some of the victory points.

KB1 closes on PNG. I've dismissed the SCTF that was travelling with her as I want them to return to Rabaul and refuel. I want to batter his positions on PNG with some big guns.

Elsewhere, The huge, hulking beauty of the Yamato sailed into Truk. My, she is a beauty, and I yet to decide what to do with her. From past run ins I know she is almost invulnerable to everything short of a nuke or a lucky hit.

Meh, I've got to work tomorrow. A long day of dealing with class A idiots. I'm going to bed. Night night.

It is nice. I just can't wrap my head around the elevation, rather difficult to figure out which positions give you a good firing arc. :doh:

(plus those MG-42s are bloody scary)

Game of WitP would be nice, more interesting playing with/against someone. :yep:

In CC, you can hold right-mouse and drag to get the elevation. Gotta say. you should've played as jerry, not fair to put you on attack. :-?

28th August

Bettys fly to Milne bay and sink an xAKs that's floating peacefully at anchor. Lots of Bettys fly today, unfortunately, at some point, they run out of torpedoes. This is something I wish was automatic. If i have aircraft that are set to use torpedoes, they game should automatically create more, as needed, from the supply stockpile. I've done it now, so it should be fine next time.

Kates flew from KB1 and hit Milne bay as well. They has slightly more success and sank both a steamer and a destroyer. KB1 continues to close on PNG but I would assume that CCIP will now be well warned of the approaching storm and get his ships out of dodge.

I did find out that he has P-39s at Milne, which is useful to know. These poor aircraft are dying in the sort of numbers that make even Bettys feel smug. I do not know what level of pilot experience he has but they aren't doing too well against my Zeros.


http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/2...to1280x800.jpg


What a beautiful ship. What a colossal folly, In my opinion. How many carriers and aircraft could the Japanese economy have built if they hadn't created the Yamato? Ah well, I'll enjoy using her. She's formed up with a number of cruisers and destroyers and been given orders to head to Rabaul in the first instance. I want to try those guns out in a test bombardment somewhere - Milne bay looks nice.

The Surface group that split from KB1 yesterday is leaving Rabaul again with orders to raid Milne. I've also got a couple of flotillas of smaller ships moving around now. I'm hoping it might throw CCIP off or make him think I'm getting geared up to take Moresby. Might he rush valuable troops and ships forward knowing my carriers are waiting? Might he commit his own carriers? We'll have to wait and see.

CCIP made an interesting point in his last email that we had so far skipped two major battles that took place in real life. I don't think they are skipped - they will probably still take place. I think there will be a big show down somewhere off Moresby at some point, if for no other reason than it might be fun. :yeah:

I'm excited to see how the Yamato will fare in a bombardment and possible gunnery duel.

Question, will this game model the fact that the Yamato's 18.1'' shells used a time fuse, in that, if you are striking at destroyers and cargo ships, the shells will simply go right through them without exploding?

I don't know, to be honest. There is so much stuff like that modeled I'll be surprised it this isn't. I'll check when I load up the next turn. I'm supposed to be going out tonight (I know, a real life...:D) so I don't know if I'll manage another one today.

I'm going to do a post about strategies soon, I think. I've been formulating plans here and there - as it's not the grand campaign it's easier to get away with a lot of forward planning. If anyone has any thoughts on the direction things are going in so far, or what they think might be possible I'd like to hear them and see whether they tally with my own views so far. CCIP doesn't seem to be having any major problems getting used to the game, which is heartening to know, and I'm looking forward maybe seeing how he operates with the big picture type games. I've enjoyed several CMSF PBEMs with his over the months and have been impressed with various elements of his play. In this game too i think he's getting to grips with things nicely.

Pfft, amateur :D Everyone who has a real life and gets out under that big circle in the sky isn't serious at gaming :O:

I think I've seen a few times where battleship AP shells would pass through unarmoured targets without exploding. As Egan says, I would be extremely surprised if it wasn't modeled.

And now you've made me reinstall the game. Curses. What's this 'real life' of which you speak?

I doubt that the model is that detailed. AP rounds may be less effective against thin-skinned targets, but I don't think Yamato's shells will be any different than any other large AP rounds. Hard to get every detail right.

I keep hearing rumors - real life this......real life that.....
Bah, I don't believe any of it.

It's overrated. They haven't even patched it, and no matter how hard I try I can't get the Steam Achievements to trigger. And the hardware requirements are frankly ludicrous .....

Anyway. I think I've got a turn to play.

29th August

Lovely.

Admiral Yamamoto's day begins with a cup of coffee and a bacon roll. The sun is shining as he sits in his bunkers patio and only the distant drone of Aircraft engines turning over at the airfield distracts him from the Tokyo Rose's 'favorite Classical records you've heard on an TV advert' radio show.

First come in the sub reports. Two or three attacks by skippers who, he realises with a sigh, are still having trouble getting used to the entire Carrier/Destroyer thing. Luckily none of subs were damaged.

Then he reads the Report of I-9 who had been on patrol south of Ndeni. 'Have torpedoed Saratoga stop crew request salad cream with ham salad rolls stop'

Yamamoto leans back into his chair and lights a cigar as a smile breaks out across his face. it's going to be a good day...

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/8931/weegiemoto.jpg


Note: In my head historical figures always sound like they are from Glasgow. Be it, Julius Casear, Queen Victoria or Yamamoto. N, I don't know why either.


Well, the torpedoing of Saratoga shouldn't be regarded as anything other than a fortuitous shot. I don't think she would have take as much damage as Enterprise may have taken, and she is probably still able to operate with her group. I badly need to get some Patrol aircraft flying over that region but I have a shortage of them ans most of the ones I have are concentrating over the Slot.

Still, It will be interesting to see whether CCIP pulls it back.

It was also a good day over PNG. Betties raided Moresby and torpedoed an AMC without taking any losses. An hour later a raid from KB came over and finish the job, sinking a tanker and an AM as well. Well, the AM might not have gone under but there was so much smoke pouring out of her I don't know how she could stay afloat.

This was followed by a raid on Milne bay where a huge wave of escorting Zeros shot down 5 P-39s. The Kates did their part and sank another AM.

So...not a bad day. pretty good. I lost a high number of Zeros today, though - 9 altogether, but this was dwarfed by the number of aircraft he lost in total, even including the single figure number of Betties, Vals and Kates I lost. I'll have to refit one of the sqaudrons of Zeroes on Rabaul. This was the one that starred to well at Lae, earlier on, and now contains two aces. The problem is that it was filled out with a number of lower experience pilots. The squadron is suffering for that now. I'll have to see whether I can swap some fly guys around. My off-map pool of experienced pilots is pretty low.

The squad will have to wait for the next supply convoy to arrive before they can draw more aircraft, though.

Elsewhere, a small convoy is due to depart Wewak today or tomorrow carrying an Airforce engineering battalion to Shortlands. The work on the airfield there is going very, very slowly, as it is starting at size 0 and it always take longer to get from there to a size one than to any other size.

KB1 will stay near PNG for another 24 hours and then head back to Truk to refuel and replace aircraft. A surface task force will go into Milne bay tomorrow (I hope,) but are unlikely to hit anything now. It should put the wind up him, though. I also have a small decoy flotilla getting ready to 'test the waters' it won't fool him for long (if at all,) but it might give me any idea of what sort of reaction I'll see later on.

And those totals for the day: 4 ships sunk and a carrier wounded. Result.

Thanks to you, I keep having this mental image of Yamamoto standing in front of a group of reporters, IJN logos on the wall behind him, sponsored by Toyota during a post-match Q&A with reporters. :har: