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Feltan -> RE: japanese plane management first timer (1/17/2010 11:54:22 AM)
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To the OP,
I am going to part ways with my forum friends on this issue. To be clear, their advice is generally sound, and you would benefit from following it. However, it all rather misses the point in my opinion. While aircraft production is, in fact, important -- produce as much as you can -- I advise not to spend so much time fretting about it. In my experience, by say mid-1944 or so, it is all rather a moot point. Eventually, the quantity and quality of late war Allied aircraft will lay waste to most carefully crafted of Japanese aircraft production schemes.
To the best of my knowledge, there is no expert production formula that will "win the game" for the Japanese, nor will you enjoy yourself trying to come up with one -- unless you are really more of an odd duck than the rest of us.
No. There is a different way.
Embrace bushido. Abandon the western concept of "plane management." Mimic the real life Japanese concept of "spirit over steel." Be clever, unpredictable and aggressive -- rock your opponent back on his heels, and make him wonder "what is this crazy bastard going to try next."
Before your next evening gaming session, sit down to a nice dinner of sushi or sashimi -- or if you have weak knees, at least some teriaki chicken and rice. Use chopsticks. Drink copious ammount of sake. Then drink some more sake. Then, sit in front of the computer screen and say to yourself, "Die you dog-faced round-eyed imperialist oppressor!" Try a land attack at low odds; conduct a submarine offensive off of India; land some troops amphibiously outside of the "normal" perimeter of Japanese influence -- Do something different! Be calculating and dangerous.
For example: In a current PBEM, I sent an empty convoy of about 20 maru's with light escort on a bee-line for Diego Garcia. I wasn't quiet about it -- lots of air recon from subs on Diego Garcia to telegraph the move. The KB was about six hexes behind the convoy, and as planned I drew out the British fleet from Columbo and gave it a rather good thrashing to my opponent's extreme dismay. I had conducted some air operations south of the Marshal Islands to give the impression that the KB was in the South-Eastern Pacific -- I caught my oppenent off guard, and his style of play can best be described as "careful, reserved and conservative" since this episode.
The point being: By being a little different, and by sinking a pair of British aircraft carriers and a pair of battleships, I probably did more to contribute to the long term survival of the Japanese Empire in that game than if I had spent 40+ hours trying to optimize a detailed aircraft production agenda that will eventually end up in the crapper anyway.
So, do produce as many aircraft as you can -- pay attention to the Japanese production side of the game. However, don't delude yourself -- you can't materially change the shortage of pilots, nor the quality of airframes, and you aren't going to out-produce the combined Allied nations in the long run no matter how hard you try.
Regards,
Feltan
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