Slitherine

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ORIGINAL: Ian R

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ORIGINAL: rustysi

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Edit - meaning a cap of 50, or possibly 59 in TRACOM.

Have considered this, but I figured a cap of 99. For myself if that didn't work I'd inform my opponent that I'd be lowering the number. Japan gets a lot in this game, wouldn't want to take more.

Some allied players (as reported here) like to hide a bunch of their best pilots in TRACOM, so they can re-activate them when the F4U, Spitfire Mk VIII and ultimately the F6F become available. They might actually want more than 99.

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ORIGINAL: jdsrae

I’ve asked my veteran pilots if they want a posting to Training Command but they’ve all politely declined.
They are all happy competing for top ace status, promotions and bragging rights.

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ORIGINAL: rustysi

...I would recommend saving some others 'for a rainy day'...

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ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

The Allies can do it as well and then have highly trained pilots graduating as well.

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ORIGINAL: traskott

Thanks!. Will try it in my PBEM. :)

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ORIGINAL: rustysi

I'd let my opponent know first. Don't know what type of game you're playing, but this is not WAD and some might frown upon it.

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ORIGINAL: LargeSlowTarget

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ORIGINAL: Kull

If this really is a bug driven by "numbers of pilots in TRACOM", then it should be fairly common. It would be helpful if other folks with long running games could look at their games and post similar screenshots showing non-standard Experience values on that screen.

Coming late, had to wait for a fresh turn to do screenies.

As you can see, I have 340+ IJN pilots in TRACOM.

The experience is currently 62.

There are 62 post-graduate "no name pilots" in the pool.

There are no pilots on the "10-12" class ready to graduate.

There are 473 pilots in the "7-9" class with an exp of 56.

I have emptied a recon group of its pilots and then pulled one replacement pilot from the pool.

The "replacement" pilot showed up with an exp of 62.

The I pulled more "replacements" from the pool - exp was between 67 and 55 so way above the "national experience" set in the editor!

For comparison, the IJA pilot replacements show up with 34 exp, close to the "national experience" - I have "only" 78 IJA pilots in TRACOM.

Edit: Now, I am suprised about the high recon skills of the "replacement" pilots! The number of pilots "In pool" dropped from 62 to 39 (WTH? 24 pilot spulled should leave 38 in pool, but well...) so those new guys in that recon squadron really came from the "no name pilots" replacements!

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ORIGINAL: obvert

I'd love to play a game with NO pilot training. It would be fun to see how that impacted combats. I predict less extreme results in both air combat, bombing of ground troops and airfields, and naval strikes. It might also bring night bombing into more historically realistic territory.

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ORIGINAL: Kull

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ORIGINAL: obvert

I'd love to play a game with NO pilot training. It would be fun to see how that impacted combats. I predict less extreme results in both air combat, bombing of ground troops and airfields, and naval strikes. It might also bring night bombing into more historically realistic territory.

That's actually easy to do. As per the attachment, use the Editor and open the scenario you intend to play (Scen 1 is the example)

1) Click the "Scenario" button (top right, circled in Red)

2) Click the "Pilots" button (bottom left)

3) Change the "Exp" numbers of every Nationality to zero (or preferably some miniscule value like 4 or 5, just to make sure the code doesn't hiccup with all the zeros)

4) Then "File", "Save Scenario As...", (select name and number), and voila, the "Inexperienced Pilots Scenario"

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ORIGINAL: obvert
It's even easier to do than that. Just don't train pilots!

I don't mean have no skill but have the national rates of starting experience and the pilot pools in game determine the outcome more than extensive in game pilot training.

As a Japanese player I don't think I should have endless pools of skilled and experienced pilots, and I think the national rates should make more of a difference as the game continues, as it was designed.

The Japanese player would have to really think about how to use those beginning experienced pilots. The Allied player would then have to consider attrition in a different manner, as well as where to put the starting Tigers and other aces. My theory is that it would slow the pace of game for both sides and make for a more dynamic and creative experience if coupled with PDU-off and DBB.

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ORIGINAL: LargeSlowTarget

I agree. In my mod I tried to "model" the very selective but high quality pilot training program of the Japanese at the start of the war and its expansion in numbers and watering-down in length and quality during the war. So "my" IJN pilot schools get only 150 recruits per month in 1942 and they graduate with an exp of 45, but the quantity goes up and the quality down each year and in 1945 500 recruits enter flight school each month, but the graduate with only 25 exp.

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ORIGINAL: Kull

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ORIGINAL: LargeSlowTarget

I agree. In my mod I tried to "model" the very selective but high quality pilot training program of the Japanese at the start of the war and its expansion in numbers and watering-down in length and quality during the war. So "my" IJN pilot schools get only 150 recruits per month in 1942 and they graduate with an exp of 45, but the quantity goes up and the quality down each year and in 1945 500 recruits enter flight school each month, but the graduate with only 25 exp.

That sounds like a sensible approach, especially since it uses the in-game pilot training system to address both the skill level at graduation and (just as important and maybe more so), the pilot intake numbers each month. Presumably this is a new change to your mod? The screen shot you posted earlier shows default 1944 pilots-per-month values for IJA/IJN.

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Just for the records, I would have let known my opponent first if I had been aware of the issue - I discovered it with this treat as I never really paid attention before.

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ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

If you want the higher skills but the lower experience, draw pilots into the appropriate type of aircraft. Then, send them to the reserves and put them into an inappropriate aircraft. Do that a few times, finally leaving them in the type of aircraft that you want them in. Every move from a bomber to a fighter or what ever such combination that you use will decrease the experience but leave the skills where they are at. Then they will learn new skills faster and will build up there experience. As the song goes, "I am so dizzy, my head is spinning!"

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ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

They will get more experience flying missions, even if it is in a quiet sector.