WWII in the Pacific

[MasterBratac]

Anybody have strategies for WWII in the Pacific? I tried a game as China but the Japanese kept me from doing anything with hordes of bombers and tanks.

[Elephantium]

As China, I like to build fighters and bombers in the NW corner cities and ground units in most of the other cities. I also continually build Workers in a couple of towns to help keep up my infrastructure.

I don't think I worried too much about research -- China really needs to be producing Infantry to block Japan's advance. Once their offensives are stalled, you can put together a counteroffensive somewhere -- going for Beijing is always good, or you can try to push down towards Thailand. The real key is to get some rails built to connect your capital to the front lines and focus your attacks on one city at a time.

[Quintillus]

Workers for infrastructure, particularly mines and roads, are key. China's infrastructure - and really, pretty much everyone's, except the U.S. maybe, is lacking. I agree with fighters being a priority as China - build enough of them, and the bombers won't do much damage. Quality infantry is also important early on - IIRC I usually build the standard infantry (not guerillas), as they hold up decently on the defensive and are cheap. Flamethrowers cost too much early on, light tanks are too light (and you don't need the speed - though once you are on your feet, a few to hunt down retreating troops is helpful). A few MG Battalions are nice to really stop Japan, and I usually build a couple somewhat early.

Trade with the Allies also helps a ton, and I'd make regular Tanks the research priority. But, you can stop Japan without them.

With practice, China games can go pretty well.

[timerover51]

Another way to have fun with the War in the Pacific is play the Allies as Hot Seat. It does get a bit tedious, but it sure makes inter-Ally trading a lot easier.

[Vaney168]

When I play this scenario I tend to stick with the Commonwealth, I like there good starting position. I don’t skip my turn yet before the scenario starts, I tend to draft some soldiers in Singapore and Rangoon just to counter the Japanese when they try to attack, I try to do the same with Hong Kong as well but it usually falls within 2-3 turns after. On the next turns that follow I try to blow up the roads close to Rangoon and Singapore so that when the Japanese come they get stuck on a tile that has no road so they miss a turn. I try to build as many Anzac’s and Artillery pieces as I can to bombard those units and try to kill them, us the same tactic for Rangoon, while the Japanese are concentrated there, I try to take there smaller Islands that have the Victory points.

[bigFRANK]

Its a scenario I havent played much, as the Chineese I have dragged a slow but painful game out to the end (points loss) and as the Americans I have sunk half the Japanese fleet in the opening moves of the game but not played to the end. For some reason the instant into a war puts me off the game some what.

[Vaney168]

I have tried this scenario a couple times, I find the United States to be a bit to easy because they are pretty save in the corner of the map, I find that the Chineese and Japanese are harder to play due to there position and being attacked from all sides. That is why I find the Commonwealth a perfect civ to play in this scenario, you can build up a pretty good army and have a moderate challenge while your at it

[Quintillus]

Actually, I think the Japanese are the easiest to play. The U.S. is never much of a threat because of AI ineptness at naval invasions, and the British suffer similarly. Only China can really pose much of threat of conquering anything, and Japan already has an advantage at the beginning.

The only downside as Japan is that as you crank up the difficulty, all your enemies get stronger, whereas as one of the Allies your allies as well as enemies get stronger. But I still think Japan is easier, even on very high difficulties. Although I am rather biased, since I've won on Japan on Sid in this scenario, but no one else.

[timerover51]

Japan also has the advantage of the most production centers, with the US having the least. One of my other problems with the scenario, which I have played and do like, is that the map should really be a bit wider and with more room to the south, so that you can move ships from the west coast of Australia to the east coast of Australia by traveling south of Australia. I have used Steph's editor to expand the map, but I have not gotten around to filling in the new areas. To the west, it should extend partly into British India, and in the east, at least give the US room up to say, Salt Lake City.

[Vaney168]

Although Canada did not really play a major role in the Pacific theatre It would have been nice to see them in the game as well

[Elephantium]

@Quintillus: The scenario gets harder if you up the VP threshold. I think it's 30k right now...that's pretty easy to hit as the Japanese on any level. If you bump it up to 60 or 100k, your job gets a bit harder (still, you'd need an AI that could handle the naval warfare for it to be a decent challenge!)

[Vaney168]

I still think it is fairly easy playing as the United states of the Commomwealth despite increasing the difficulty level, As long as your able to sink the Japanese navy they don't really pose any more of a threat as they mostly consentrate on fighting against China, I usually try to take all the small Islands with the VP points

[scratchthepitch]

I played as Commonwealth, and lost to domination. The Japanese gobbled up a lot of China and I wasn't paying attention to that region, so it came as quite a surprise when the game was suddenly done. I think I played again as China, I remember the Japanese northern army spazzing out as it got destroyed attacking a Chinese city I had heavily reinforced. I don't remember if I finished that game. It was my favorite of the Firaxis supplied scenarios I tried.

[Quintillus]

I'm surprised Japan can get domination, especially before a VP limit, especially without lots of Australia. Did you have non-default victory limits?

Originally Posted by Elephantium

@Quintillus: The scenario gets harder if you up the VP threshold. I think it's 30k right now...that's pretty easy to hit as the Japanese on any level. If you bump it up to 60 or 100k, your job gets a bit harder (still, you'd need an AI that could handle the naval warfare for it to be a decent challenge!)

That generally makes sense - it's 40K by default. However, even if I did bump it up to 100K, I'm not sure if it would matter. Loading up my Japan on Sid game, the final tally was 40,910 vs. 10,045 - a huge difference. Even with only location VP's, I had almost 12,000, so merely breaking even would have been more than enough. So, I suspect that even on Sid, with the AI's lack of naval skill, I probably could have held out for a victory at 100K.

[scratchthepitch]

Originally Posted by Quintillus

I'm surprised Japan can get domination, especially before a VP limit, especially without lots of Australia. Did you have non-default victory limits?

It may have been a VP win for AI Japan. It was several years ago. I remember I had not changed anything and it was before I started modding the game, so it would have probably been with whatever was set up originally in the scenario. The surprise was a surprise because I was doing pretty good. I had prevented the Japanese from taking any of the SE Asia territory and killed their southern tank army. After that I worked on getting infrastructure and units built up for an offense and about the time I was ready to go, "game over".

[Quintillus]

Japan can sneak up like that. Another one of my favourite WWII Pacific games, I was the Commonwealth, and had to go into turbo mode to prevent them from winning first - it was literally down to the last turn, and stretching my forces to be sure I'd be over 40K that turn.

[Registrar]

Agree very strongly with Quintillus 5/23. In every game my first build in every city is a worker. Improve your territory as fast as you can. Roads, mines, irrigation and when possible rrairoads. pays off very handsomely later in the game.