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FatR -> RE: Dec 8, 1941 (5/2/2010 1:21:00 PM)
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Just sent the first turn of my game to Yubari. God, giving orders to almost a thousand of ships and units was exhausting. I don't think I'll be able to start my own AAR, so I'll put my thoughts on production here, for John and everyone else's who is interested here:
1)Vehicles I increased to about 140. Armament should be fine.
2)Increases in naval planes production in this mod are not backed by appropriate engine factory expansions, so both Mitsubishi Ha-32 and Nakajima Ha-35 must be expanded immediately. Ha-32 moreso, due to my changes in plane production and low reserve. I used factories that make trash engines for this, but even after repurposing all of them they must be expanded quite a lot. In stock, it's better to create and excess of Ha-35s in the beginning, because you'll use it throughout the war and Ki-44 uses it as well. In this mod, as in RL, Ki-44 flies on Nakajima Ha-34 (which production I'll be expanding to create stockpiles by the time Ki-44 and Ki-49 become available). And Ha-35 becomes obsolete in 1944. So I plan to minimaly expand the huge Ha-35 plant at Maebashi, just to avoid shortages at the beginning and to create two mid-sized plants, which will be relatively easy to repurpose. There will be demand for Ha-32s throughout the war, but with a noticeable drop in 42/9, when Ki-21 goes of production to be replaced by Ki-49. So, I plan to produce it at three plants of roughly equal size, and switch one of them to Ha-34 on 42/9.
3)Toko Rocket and Kayaba Argus engine research will be used to speed up Mitshubishi Ha-43.
4)Planes.
Naval fighter: With changes in this mod, naval fighters are in good shape. I'll be using all of the available types, to test their strengths and weaknesses.
J8M is axed.
Naval fighter-bomber: Sen Baku research is shifted to A6M7. Just because some airgroups cannot really use anything else.
IJN nightfighters: IJN gets a lot of night fighter groups, but its night fighters suck, save for Denko, which is available on 46/1 and therefore has a very slim chance of mattering at all. At least, I axed night fighter versions of Myrt and Judy. Irving S, unfortunately, must remain, because some potential night fighter groups require it for upgrades. Otherwise, it's inferior to A6M8-S and P1Y2-S.
IJN land bomber: It is unclear whether Francis can replace Betty. No real acceleration anywhere. Research/production of naval Ki-67s (Yasukuni) will be expanded if and only if the land-based version proves itself great and if my economics will allow for it.
Carrier attack planes: A bit more reseach shifted to Judy. Myojo is cancelled.
IJN Patrol: H8K all the way. No expansion, but the Mavis plant is converted to them.
IJN Floatplanes: I plan to use E15K Norm to partially replace Jake. Partially because E13A1b is superior as an ASW plane. In stock Norm is not worth building ever, but in this mod it has good range. The production of Jake is increased slightly. Pete will be produced at 3/month until I find a better use for its plant.
IJN Transport: I'm undecided whether to keep the transport version of Mavis or Emily. Both remain in research for now. Besides them, only transport Betties will be built.
IJA Fighters: Ida plant and the smaller Nate plant are converted to Ki-43-Ic. The larget Nate plant will keep building Nates until running out of engines. I plan to heavily accelerate Ki-44-Ia, Ki-84a, Ki-84b and mildly accelerate Ki-83. And Ki-44b, if it is at all possible. Ki-84b, which has service rating of 2 in this mod, will be the end fighter of IJAAF. To make my ambitious research plans possible, I switched alot of small research factories to Ki-44-Ia. If any acceleration is obtained, these small factories will be shifted to researching fighters up the line, just before Ki-44-Ia becomes available.
The fighter version of Ki-93, the fighter version of Ki-102, Ki-61s, except for the pinnacle version, which I want to build in small numbers for homeland defense, and Ki-202 are removed from research.
IJA Fighter-bombers: IJAAF doesn't get much fighter-bomber units until 1945. Too bad, because its fighter bombers are not that bad. I plan to use Ki-45s whenever possible and midly accelerate Ki-102b for late war. It has poor ceiling, but I doubt that even carpet-bombig B-29s can hit much from higher than 30k.
The fighter-bomber version of Ki-93 and Ki-119 are axed. So is the research of the Nick's upgrade - I'll get it anyway, in due time.
IJA Night Fighters: IJAAF has better nightfighters than IJNAF, but very few units. They'll fly the nightfighter versions of Ki-45 and the Ki-102 as they become available. The latter is midly accelerated. Other nightfighters are cancelled.
IJA Bombers: Ki-21 -> Ki-49-IIa -> Ki-67-Ia(T). This seems to be the way to go both in the stock and in this mod. In the stock you must ignore other versions of Ki-67, here 67-Ia(T) will just upgrade to Ki-67-Ib, retaining the ability to carry a torp. I devoted a lot of research facilities to accelerating Ki-67-Ia(T), even skipping Ia altogether (it has less bombload than Ki-49. As about everything else, Ki-48s will not be built, because they just eat too much air support, HI and pilots for their pathetic payload. Their divebombing ability does not entice me, because a 100-kg bomb hardly can sink anything and I can just skipbomb with Helens, once IIa is available. I converted Ki-48 plant to Ki-21 right away. Ki-49-Ia will be build in limited number for ASW purposes, but only after IIa, with its armor and superior range, is available, Ki-21 production will be switched to Ki-49. Ki-51 will be built in limited numbers for squadrons fighting in China. I'll decide later, whether replace it completely or not.
IJA Transport: Topsy -> Helen KAI. Topsy is chosen to optimize engine use and because MC-21 Sally lacks range. Only Topsies and Helen KAIs will be built.
5)Ship conversions. Lima xAK - all available hulls to xAK-t. Two of the Husimi xAKs - to AS. Ansyu xAK - all available hulls to PB. Kiso xAKL - 70% to ACM, 30% to PB. To'su xAKL - 30% to ACM, 70% to PB (I want to use them as my main escort around Home Islands).
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