Slitherine

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ORIGINAL: Lipty

This is my first AAR report read (I finished PH's side last night) and have learned alot about strategies in the game. It has been interesting seeing what you take away from things that I completely ignored because I wasn't sure what it was for or thought it was just game fluff.

Thanks for reading, Lipty.
You commented that you were in a hurry once and didn't watch a single combat animation and that that was near blasphemous. I watched one the first time and assumed that it was just something to entertain me the first time time you do battle like the opening movie when I installed the game. What are you taking away from it? I assumed it was all shown on the combat report when I review it when the turn is done. Are there particular settings I should be using to get the most out of it ( I also had all times set to zero to speed up the play)?

Many little but significant things can show up during the combat replay that aren't reported on the actual combat report - coastwatcher sightings, sightings of enemy TFs, detailed information about particular combat [such as the example BBFanboy pointed out with his Shokaku example, etc.] In a close match against a tough opponent, I would always watch the combat replay and pick up a zillion things doing so. Perhaps in 1944 as the Allies, you can sometimes reach the point where it isn't absolutly critical to watch the replay, but even then it would be risky.
I started a scene one game as allied a few weeks ago (I abandoned the Japanese one I started because I was so overwhelmed by the complexity of the production system).

Hit a couple of stumbling points such as trying to get MacArthur to board a submarine to get him off the rock. I even tried at gunpoint and that SOB would not get in it. I had also immediately fallen back to Manila and Bataan when the Phillipines were invaded as I assumed those were the places to defend but in your AAR you staunchly defended Clark (do to terrain defenses if I remember correctly).

Just replace him as a commander if you wish to do so (though the resulting PP cost is high, so it might not be worth doing so).
My carriers are all being repaired in Capetown (except Sara that got torped 5 hexes from Johnson and went down like Titanic with all hands and planes on board). I was very aggressive going after every merchant I could find contrary to your strategy that has hardly had to replenish in 3 months.

Since your conterpart is AWOL and I am already kind of hi-jacking your thread... does it matter when I am re-assigning troops what group I associate them with or can I just safely pick pacific fleet for all?

Usually it's impossible to align units with headquarters - PPs are too precious. Generally, I just try to get them assigned to a theater HQ that makes the most sense and gives the best chance of linking up. Thus, American troops bound for the Pacific generally get a Pacific HQ attachment.

I have greatly enjoyed the AAR so far and have learned an immense amount (the acronym's still have me scratching my head at times but usually if I keep reading someone will through out enough info to figure what they mean) about strat but I am still struggling with the details of gameplay, but I guess trial by fire (albeit with AI rather than a thinking person).

Thanks for the work putting up this AAR.

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ORIGINAL: Encircled

Maybe PJH has put the request out for two day turns as he thinks you might be up to something, and if you say "No", it might confirm it for him.

As a reader of your AAR's, you do tend to take the offensive as early as possible, and maybe he suspects something is coming, and used a fairly devious way of getting confirmation?

Or am I thinking a bit too far outside the box?

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ORIGINAL: hkbhsi

I don't think it is possible to change to 2 day turns in game.

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ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

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ORIGINAL: hkbhsi

I don't think it is possible to change to 2 day turns in game.

There was a recent thread in the general that is possible now to change in a PBEM game. I believe it formerly was not possible, but the last official patch altered this. Anyway, it should be possible to do, but the sequence has to be done exactly correctly, and I believe the thread stated that the Japanese player has to initiate it.

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ORIGINAL: hkbhsi
Apart from that, I find that his request really shows poor taste; even if it's true that he is going to the defensive and turns would be slow, by accepting you would immediately let him know when you are ready to attack by asking to go back to 1 day turns.
Just my 2 cents.

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ORIGINAL: princep01

Man you have got a very acute case of Socatraitis.  Is it the center of the universe for you?  Yes, it is nice to hold it, but he's really going to have to stick his you know what wayyyyyy out there to grab that edge of the map and way behind India place.  Why the obsessing over it?

I'd be a lot more worried about a lot more places than that.  You already traded a lot of turf (and land objective points) to maintain your various armies/navies, but there isn't a lot more to give.  I do hope that once he steps across one of the "lines in the sand" that you'll jump on him like a hound on a June bug and send him scurrying back across the line a bloodied and chastened LYB.

Hood 

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ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Socatra is the single most important hex on the map. At least in a Scenario Two match using a regulation map and playing the game the way I play it.

Socatra is the key to India. (Yes, it would be possible to take India without it, but oh so much more difficult and messy.)

There is no other single hex or base that is a key to another major strategic center, though I could make some nominations in China and possibly one for North America.

It is highly unlikely Steve would come for Socatra now, but it isn't impossible. I can't afford to lose it now, that's for sure.

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ORIGINAL: Lomri
I've read a lots of AARs over the years and it seems to me that it is very common for the Japanese player to find an allied advance through Burma really hard to defend AND sort of "boring"....

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ORIGINAL: Miller

I think a lot of Jap players have trouble coming to terms with the fact their advance has reached its limits......then it becomes a case of logistics and setting up defences for the Allied comeback which can be rather tedious. Then come late 43/early 44 if the Allies win the decisive CV battle.........quitsville for many.

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ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Just in case there are any Allied players out there who have never gotten deep into a game because their opponent disappeared, you can do no better than Miller. He never gives in and he flips turns like crazy except when there's an important soccer match going.