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HansBolter -> RE: Strange Occurence with CVB Midway Corsairs (5/31/2019 11:39:31 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Hans, of greater interest is how did you manage to nurse the game so long?
Well, as you and others have pointed out in other threads where I mentioned this scenario, the AI gets TONS of stuff to lose, which has allowed it to remain at least halfway viable for far longer.
In addition, I took a very methodical and historic approach in moving on Japan. I purposely slow paced my advance in late '43 and early '44. All the while, I was taking a decidedly a-historical approach in China and the DEI. I overran all of China, liberating all but two bases by 11/45. The entire DEI has been liberated except a few bases here and there the Aussies and Kiwis are currently clearing.
I was also very conservative with my carriers, using them solely to cover invasions, never to raid. Once, in mid '43 the AI sortied a combined carrier force into the central Pacific while I had operations underway in the Marshal's. It was the first time I had EVER seen the AI sortie carriers after the Pearl attack in a combined manner with more than 2-3 carriers. My carriers were scattered and not in position to react. The TF hung around the same area long enough for me to vector subs in and I finally scored a hit. This caused the TF to turn back for Japan and I didn't another carrier sortie until mid '44.
The AI still had a viable carrier force when I arrived in the Mariana's in the late summer of '44, but unfortunately sent them down from Japan piecemeal in 2s and 3s, sometimes sending two TFs of 2-3 at a time. With a fully fleshed out DS by mid '44, no sortie of 3-6 carriers was going to put a dent in it. I sunk about half of what came at me and let the other half limp back to Japan without pursuing. My hopes of another combined carrier sortie were dashed.
I haven't seen a single carrier since. They are either all laid up in dry dock or sunk trying to make it home. As the assault on the Home Islands have gotten underway, the AIs resilience is flagging. There are empty minor bases in Honshu that are autoflipping while Tokyo has 600+ LCUs stacked in it. The AI still has a large air force that is putting up a fight, but the ground game is down to whatever is currently stationed at a given base. The major bases all have large stacks. While Nagasaki fell easily to the Marines, the Army is having a devil of a time with Kagoshima. My first attack lowering forts to 8 destroyed over 400 combat squads.
The last remaining sieges in Korea/Manchukuo at Mukden and Keijo are also brutal with losses in the 300-500 combat squad range per attack. And these are being executed with 8k AV Russian hordes.
Overall, even given the lack of challenging counter attacks the game has held my interest and I am determined to see just how much I can conquer before the March 31. 1946 end date.
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