Slitherine

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ORIGINAL: USS America

You guys are busier than a bunch of accountants on April 14th. 

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ORIGINAL: vonSchnitter

Even though I offer these files as I get them readied - which means I have very little prior time to look really close - my impression of the IJ AC production system so far can be summarized in one expression: booby-trapped. Of course, this is more of a gut-feeling going by numbers, than much of playing and testing.

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ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

Question: Do reinforcement units still come with "free" pilots, like in WITP? Or does AE pull them out of the pilot pool?

This is important, because if it's like WITP, you definitely want a full complement of A/C available in order to get your free pilots.

16.2.2 implies it's still like WITP, though that's not 100% for certain, and it's not clear what experience levels you can expect.

Created by the amazing Dixie

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ORIGINAL: Kitakami

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ORIGINAL: vonSchnitter

Thanks for the Kamikaze info.

I had a rather close look at the production of AC as is at the beginning up the end of 43.
So far all available AC during this time either have an R&D plant going or produktion will switch from an older model to the new one.

Few exceptions to this rule exist.

a) Kate - there is one factory with no produktion (Hiroshima). In case of expansion, switch the factory from B5N1 to B5N2, since here is no automatic upgrade.
b) E15K1 Norm - a floatplane. Better range than Jake, better performance in general - however the Jake gets radar eventually. No units spawn with the Norm.
c) Nate factories will not autoupgrade.
d) No production of Tojos whatsoever, without changing things. And no airgroups coming equipped with them. However Nate/Oscar groups can convert to Tojo.
e) Helen 1a (future MAD) will autoconvert to newer model (not MAD capable)
f) Out of production models (like Claude) can be reintroduced - they got dumped in WitP at the same turn. I am not sure if this is true for all models.

Thanks to both Historiker and vonSchnitter :)

Since there are not many factories we can just freely switch production in without stopping production of other models, thinking long and hard about this before turn one has become very, very important. A few thoughts (which are not necessarily the best way of doing things, but they may start a good discussion):

- A6M2 Zero production now upgrades to A6M2 Sen Baku, in 2/44... this will have to be changed manually to something better than Zeros before then. The questions are when, and to what?
- A6M3 Zero is not carrirer-capable. Yet, it may play an important part... how many should we produce per month? It does convert to A6M3a in 12/42, which is carrier-capable.
- B5N2 Kate... 32 per month I guess.
- There is no factory building C5M2 Babs... should we convert one? This plane does not convert automatically to anything.
- D3A1 Val production does convert automatically to D3A2, which in turn converts to D5Y1 in 11/45. Should this be manually converted to D4Y1 production in 4/43?
- I am considering keeping E13A1/1b production until the end of the war, instead of going with E15K1.
- F1M2 Pete is not a bad plane for point-defense in the beggining stages of the war. Later it may need to be phased out, but unescorted Brittish and Dutch bombers might get a nasty surprise once in a while.
- Should we continue G3M2 Nell production, or should we switch production to G4M1 Betty and, if so, when? It upgrades automatically to the G3M3 Nell in 5/42, which dies have radar, whereas the Betty gets radar only in 6/44, with the G4M2a model.
- The H6K5 Mavis has radar in 6/42. The H8K2 Emily gets radar in 3/43. The Emily is the better plane, so the question is... how important is radar?
- The J2M2 Jack is armored, and it appears in 9/43, earlier than the armored A6Mx models. The N1K1-J George appears in 9/43, and it is also armored. My thinking at this point is to choose only one for serious deployment.
- The P1Y1 Frances is armored, and appears in 11/43, one year before the G4M3a gets armor. How many units should field this plane?

Did not get into IJA planes, but please let me know what you all think about any/all of the above :)

" Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room. " President Muffley

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ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

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ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

Question: Do reinforcement units still come with "free" pilots, like in WITP? Or does AE pull them out of the pilot pool?

This is important, because if it's like WITP, you definitely want a full complement of A/C available in order to get your free pilots.

16.2.2 implies it's still like WITP, though that's not 100% for certain, and it's not clear what experience levels you can expect.

No more free pilots. That's why the pilot pool starts out so large. Everything comes from there.

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ORIGINAL: Mynok


Andrew Brown just confirmed that no new factories appear.

That means that factory expansion will have to be calculated for in supply usage projections. Frankly, I foresee a lot of groups getting stuck in Organizing (I assume they still do?) before arriving.

Created by the amazing Dixie

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ORIGINAL: vonSchnitter

well of course - booby trap may be a little strong.

But which of the choices do you prefer:

A German Dachshund having a go at your ancles

Or a German Shepard aiming for your butts.

And of course, you never know if both go for more "vital" parts of your male anatonomy eventually -

without testing there is no way of knowing.

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It's a bit of an old chestnut that has been addressed before, but the Model 32 Zero (A6M3) was carrier capable. An example can be seen departing the pointy end of Zuikaku in film footage said to have been shot at Santa Cruz. Hope this gets picked up and corrected in the scenario one data.

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ORIGINAL: vonSchnitter

Hi Gents !

Here we go again - some more data mining.

Looks like the dachshund/shephard thing has caught on
However I think I found reason to believe both may have a very distinct inclination to go after your vitals - reproduction related or not ...

Btw. Local Yokel: Mind if I use your file in a general compilation ?

Before we advance to the engine issue have a look at this:

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ORIGINAL: ChezDaJez

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It's a bit of an old chestnut that has been addressed before, but the Model 32 Zero (A6M3) was carrier capable. An example can be seen departing the pointy end of Zuikaku in film footage said to have been shot at Santa Cruz. Hope this gets picked up and corrected in the scenario one data.

It shouldn't get changed. No A6M3 Model 32s were ever assigned to carrier units. All carrier units that operated the A6M3 used the model 22 (A6M3a). Doesn't mean that Model 32s couldn't take off and land from carriers, just that they weren't assigned to any CV airgroup.

Be interested to see the unit markings on that A6M3 on the Zuikaku.

Chez

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ORIGINAL: Mynok


Yikes. That is going to change my choices for resource/fuel dump port significantly. I don't have the manual handy but will stuff still cross water between two level 3 or better ports or has that been eliminated?