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Hortlund -> RE: Where the eastern wind is blowing... AAR against Canoerebel (5/5/2012 1:00:10 PM)
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Oh, and one more thing about the Coral Sea.
What exactly is there that is worth taking? The entire operation in the SwPac is all about one thing - trying to deny the US the ability to stage offensive operations from that area. And while that is all fine and well, there might be better ways to achieve that goal than to follow an AI-like script to attack and take Port Moresby, Rabaul, Guadalcanal, Noumea, Suva, or wherever you want to call it quits.
I am certain of two things.
1) Canoerebel is expecting me to invade Port Moresby.
2) Canoerebel is expecting me to invade Darwin.
Why? Because everyone is doing it when they play as Japan. Why is everyone doing it when they play as Japan? They think it is of vital importance to hold those pieces of land so that the US player cannot use those bases to stage offensive operations towards the NEI/Philippines. So usually the game follows the same script. Early Japanese conquest of NEI and Phillipines, after that, and as soon as possible - onwards towards Australia or India. There, somewhere the Jap offensive stalls, the initiative slips over to the allies, and the rest of the game is spent trying to delay the inevitable defeat of the Japanese forces.
NEI right now is a sideshow, because I have taken Palembang and Manila and Singapore cannot hold. The strategic objectives are already achieved. The oil is mine. Whats left here is the secondary objectives of clearing the SLOCs back to Japan. That is also practically over. What is left after that?
If I am right, and the US CVs are around Timor right now.. what exactly are they hoping to achieve? They are in the middle of Betty/Zero-range, they are a huge threat to any shipping of mine of cource, but even if he slides his CVs right into one of my invasion convoys right now, I lose a handful of ships that cannot be replaced, some land units that can be replaced, and worst-case-scenario, some capital ships that would be nice to have in the future. But these are acceptable losses if that means I can completely conquer the entire NoPac-area.
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Because what if there is another way to delay the US counteroffensive? What if there is a way to force the US player to leave the script and fight in another area, completely on Japanese terms, where half of the year is invasion-proof? Instead of fighting very close to major bases or even supply sources, perhaps it is possible to force the US player to fight in dreadful conditions with few built-up bases, and without any cover for his own SLOCs other than his CVs can provide? Isnt that better than fighting the entire Australian or Indian army over terrain that ultimately never can be held for more than a short period of time?
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