Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Landing in a non-base hex (4/22/2010 10:57:58 PM)
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ORIGINAL: Alfred Ah Bullwinkle, you know how much I admire your posts, particularly when you attempt to pull that rabbit out of the hat, but on this theme we part. You might recall my post of some months ago (in a discussion about CD capabilities on Hawaii) regarding cliffs, mangrove swamps, tides etc limiting invasion sites in real life but not being captured by the game engine. So I won't repeat myself here, however a few enlightening points about the Great Australian Bight might be useful. Ever wondered why the AE game map has no dot bases (let alone a real base) between Esperance and Ceduna? That is because there is nothing there to support any permanent human establishment. Basically: (a) no beaches, certainly nothing wide enough to support the amphibious TF unload rates of AE (b) predominantly vertical cliffs which could be scaled by individuals reprising the role of mountain goats but no possibility of getting vehicles/artillery tubes etc up on to the plateau (c) a distinct lack of drinkable water to support a battalion, let alone an AE invasion force from a 100 ship sized Amphibious TF (or 2 or 3 such TFs as employed by AE players). Would have to be a pretty tough choice for a commander to make, do I carry water or ammo (remembering just how heavy water is in comparison to carrying a 100 rounds of small arms ammo in addition to C rations all the time moving up to the plateau like a mountain goat) sufficient to see me through the AE engine 3-4 days minimum to walk from one road/trail less hex to the next. I hope we all remember what brought about the disaster of the battle of Hattin in 1187 AD, and they only had to cross 10 miles of waterless terrain (d) its a pretty strong and cold swell coming up from Antarctica which intersects the coast along the Great Australian Bight Of course if really pressed[:D], I'll detail why in general I concur with Jim D Burns. In WITP classic, landing on a non base/dot hex was extremely gamey, IMHO, in AE it is almost but IMHO not yet quite acceptable to do so. I accept that opinions will differ on this. People make HRs and are happy, so who am I to tell them nay? I've been from Adelaide to Perth on the train, somewhat north of the coast, but I understand how rough that land is, certainly water-wise. Any RL general would be insane to try to land on that coast. BUT, in game terms, to get there to try the Japanese player must run a naval search gauntlet that ranges from Are You Kidding Me? on the east, to Do You Feel Lucky, Punk?, on the west. If the Allied player has no naval assets at Sydney or Perth to intercept, then shame on him. The Japanese player is also going to be at fuel limits going that far south. He can get ashore, yes, because the map isn't impassable as it perhaps should be. The devs made the map, and perhaps they envisioned no off-base invasion attempts, but they also left the engine alone to allow them. But once he's ashore, then what? He's weeks and weeks away from attacking anything, with no hope of reenforcement. He's too far away for barge resupply (fuel again.) The Japanese don't have any AKAs, and very few 1944 LSTs. So his troops, out of the war for months, march across desert, drinking, yes, Magic Game Water, and arrive at someplace they want to attack, and are met by the might of the Aussie army, railed there in sweet comfort, well-supplied, with nearby national HQs, and enough planes to darken the sky. If the Japanese bring enough to really fight, they strip somewhere else. And if they invade through the Bight, it's like Cortez burning his ships. Win, or die. A stupid, stupid move. But not, IMO, one a player should be artificially prevented from making by a HR. Thanks for the geo lesson too. I really want to go back to Australia before I kick off. Just this week I was urging a friend stuck on business in central Asia to come home on the Pacific route, and to swing down to see Oz for a week. Reccoed the Great Barrier Reef since he would only have a week. Alas, the skies cleared and he's coming back through Frankfurt after all.
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