So I finally got around to starting a new AI campaign. Aargh! The dreaded first turn!
*Remember what bases I need to build up in airbase, port and fortifications depending on what vague plans I outlined to myself whilst walking to work yesterday and then changing them on the fly when I realised some of them will be in Japanese hands by the end of turn 3.
*Going through and manually loading all my squadrons with new pilots and trying to remember to set them so that they draw from new replacements BUT ONLY those squadrons I plan to use for training purposes for the next few months.
*Look at China. Go and do something less upsetting.
*Remembering to set all those self same squadrons to proper orders, and heights, and ranges. And then realising that half of them are going to be shipped to Australia in about three turns and ordering them all to fly to SF or San Diego to catch a ship.
*Spending all my beginning balance of PP on something frivolous like a AAA unit and them realising I could have used it to buy out an independent battalion which could have been very useful somewhere early on.
*Building the first supply convoys to head to Australia and then realising I kind of need some of those escorts for combat TFs and why haven't i got any ships going to Alaska or NZ? I'd better scrub the whole lot and start again.
*Realise that a 20 ship AK convoy going to Australia may not be well protected by a single destroyer..
*Look at China. Go and do something less upsetting.
*Changing the prep settings for several dozen units and then realising that none of them are going to go where I planned for them to go. Change them all back to do. Wonder what to do with the Marines. Why are they set for Pago Pago? Is something going to happen in Pago Pago?
*Set my Carriers to run away from anywhere the KB might be/decided to be.
*FORGET YET AGAIN to change Force Z's orders. I will, of course, remember this in turn 2 as the combat replay shows the inevitable happening.
*Set all the Dutch submarines to do something useful.
*Start setting all units in the DEI and Malaysia to Strat mode for transport if they look like they might be useful somewhere else. Pretend that this isn't running away. Notice that half of the units I've set to strat are Militia units who are armed with sharpened vegetables and confusing names. Set them all back again and, in the spirit of Imperialist fairness, send them all somewhere they will die protecting Singapore.
*Look At China. get distracted by the USSR. Wonder why they are in the game. Do everything already done, but in Russia. Wonder when the football starts on the telly.
*Crawl around the map looking for little three aircraft fighter units and Indy Battalions and start trying to do something interesting with them.
*Discover that half the aircraft I've filled up with new pilots are due to be withdrawn in 14 days. Wonder why they are even in the game.
*Fail to spot that several ships I've stuck in long range convoys are due to start being withdrawn in about three weeks, which means I'll end up having to pay a huge PP penalty on them until I can get them back to a base they can withdraw from.
*Start the fun process of weeding out all the cargo ships that can upgrade to important tenders of various sorts and, even more importantly, can upgrade to APA and AKA. Tell them to hide at Mare Island for two years.
* Drink whisky. Look at China and take a deep breath. Order EVERY DARN UNIT IN OPEN GROUND TO RUN AWAY. Spend some time explaining to their leadership why it simply isn't going to possible to supply them with anything at all until late 1944.
*Sit back, relax, and end the turn to start the war. Realise one second too late I forgot India.
WITP:AE. It's a grand game, isn't it?
