Timotheus -> RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman (8/28/2017 8:37:20 PM)
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Hullo. I have played Andy's improved AI with stock Japanese AI forces (scenario 33) and..... it is too easy. It is September 1942, and Japanese air power (especially naval air) is decimated, their pilots now are terrible compared to mine, I am attacking Rangoon, I hold (and always did, never lost that base) Port Moresby (although that was touch and go for a while), and worse, I am still defending Palembang with Dutch forces (Java fell though). I would say Japan AI already lost the war. I sank fleet CV's: Akagi, Kaga, Junyo, and light CV's: Ryuho, Shoho, Hosho. And worse for Japan, I murderized their naval air to the point that my 4-5 All-American CV task force, now with CLAA ships (poor Japanese air!) have ZERO fear of Japanese air power, both naval and land, at least where I am fighting, North Oz, NE Oz, Port Moresby (all Allied). My P40's (some are P40K now) murderize poor Japanese Tojos and Oscars, not to mention Bettys and Nellys raids which are like all you can eat buffets! The AI for land war is atrocious. In Burma, 30,000 Japanese blitzed my bases, capturing Prome, Magwe and going on to attack Shwebo. Trouble was, they did not garrison Prome and Magwe.... with anything! So I moved my UK'ers into those bases, and the 30,000 stack in Shwebo continously bombed (no AI Japanese LRCAP) and assaulted by much smaller force, and since no supply was getting to those Japanese (no LOC, and I also got a message that the Japanese in Shwebo were surrounded!) the huge 30,000 stack melted away. Similarly, Japanese uber stack in Burma #2, roughly 30,000 troopers also (playing with FOW), got to the hex to the right of Akyab - and stopped there, as I had more than enough forces in Akyab to resist. I moved in a single puny Burmese unit - the Mandalay Battalion with AV of....13..... into Arakan Yoma and cut off supply to the Japanese uber stack #2. And..... once I moved UK'ers into that hex, with again continous bombing and artillery, they melted away. I am now 2 hexes away from Rangoon in 2 directions, and will soon (2-4 weeks I think) capture Rangoon. In China, there are some 100,000 troops uber stacks which have no trouble taking a base from me but... they move way too slow and the AI is not aggressive enough. Yes, I lost the outer layer of bases - Chengchow, Kaoping, Tatung..... but last push was into Kweisui and Paotaw (which are now Japanese). But Changsha with its factories is extremely safe. And... I do not feel in danger in China at all. Never felt in danger. I am running convoys from Perth into Darwin, UNESCORTED, because I have B17's in Darwin, which obliterate any attempt to base warplanes in closest enemy airbases - Lautem, Dili, Koepang (Timor Island). I basically do not need fighters in Darwin - B17's guarantee air superiority in that whole region N Oz. And so I sent 1-2 AK's and AKL's from Perth into Darwin which is such a fortress now even a human player would not be able to take it. No Japanese AI action near Perth, nor are they intercepting convoys Perth > Darwin. My main convoy route to Oz is continous fuel (and some resource) HUGE convoys CONUS > Pearl, then well protected tankers with DD's Pearl > Suva, and smaller tanker convoys Suva > Sydney. Zero enemy action against Suva (or Noumea) other than subs which are kept suppressed by ASW DD's and air sqadrons flying ASW (almost zero hits on enemy subs, but am keeping them down, and that's what counts). But no surface raids. Gotta say an enemy CV or even surface raid into Suva.... or worse yet an invasion into Suva.... would make this game REALLY interesting. But, nope, nothing. Japan got Tulagi - whoop dee doo, couldn't care less. They DID get Tanna (it is between Noumea and Suva) which got my blood pumping, but they did not support it with naval/CV, nor did they base airpower there, and they have landed minimal land forces there.... So I landed a division there (overkill but just to make sure) and took it. I can see what Andy's AI script was doing - there was tremendous pressure on Port Moresby (still is) with 30,000 troops there, a lot of troops are in Buna and Lae, and I believe Japan's plan was to go for Tanna, base air there, and at least try to raid my LOC Suva-Noumea from there... I think I killed off so much Japanese stuff that they simply don't have the assets to do this and so.... it's a cakewalk for me. Sorry for giving a mini AAR and writing so much..... one of my worse traits...... Anyway..... I am writing all this to get answers to these questions, since I think I will go now vs Japan AI Ironman and try my skill there: 1) Did Palembang fall to Japan in your game and when? 2) Is AI in China giving you some trouble or is it a cakewalk? 3) Did Burma fall - are you defending Kohima/Imphal and struggling a bit or are you fighting in Burma? 4) Was India or Oz in any danger? Either by amphib or raids? 5) Suva, New Zealand, Noumea, Sydney (?LOL?) - were they invaded, or at least threatened or raided by the Japanese AI? 6) At end of 1942, are you winning the air war decisively, or is Japan AI putting up a fight in the air (in my game Japanese airpower is pretty much bye bye at end of 1942)? I am not asking whether there were invasions into Darwin, Port Moresby, India, Ceylon because I would like to be (un)pleasantly surprised by the AI. If you could just answer with YES/NO (that way I won't know whether it was a small raid, a Kido Butai sweep or a full amphib) that would be awesome. I do not want to play Japan Ironman AI and have another cakewalk, basically. Thanks for answers, if any. Cheers!
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