The Battle of Midway - Playtest/Feedback/Release Thread

[JPetroski]

Hi -

Would anyone be willing to help me playtest this? If you've been scared off by OTR this is a much simpler scenario where you can dive into air combat a bit...

This is a pretty fast-paced scenario so I'd like someone who is stuck at home and has time to get through it relatively quickly. Not much happens for the first 4+ turns while air units are on the way, and after that all hell breaks loose...

Ideally I'd get two of you to square off against each other, but if we can only find one other person, I'll participate and take whatever team you don't want.


I have a few specific areas I'd like testers to explore:

1. I went ahead and made a last-second decision to remove most of the surface fleet from both sides. I had originally given each side their full oob but that was a lot of surface units that a) would have to move around each turn, extending them and b) possibly imbalance the late game. I've elected to remove most though not all of these. I've basically left it at the aircraft carriers plus a few destroyers to guard against submarines.

Does this mean that it's too difficult to find the enemy fleet and should each side get more recon birds?

2. I'm concerned that the targets may be too strong for the limited # of aircraft available. While this is a cat and mouse game where unfortunately one side can jump the other and simply win, I do want to try and forecast and ensure that victory is possible for either side with the units at hand at the start.

Anyone stuck in quarantine who could help with this? The turns should be very, very quick, especially if you make use of the formation '4' key with your aircraft. A current copy of the scenario is attached.

Japan moves first so whoever chooses that should get going. Feel free to use this thread to post your saves/feedback.

 

[Fairline]

Sign me up.

 

[Fairline]

John, I assume that I use 'Midway.scn' and ignore 'Lautest.scn'? I've also left all options selected in the Multiplayer Features pop-up at the start.

 

[JPetroski]

Yes I forgot to delete the luatest and will need to before release. Does anyone want to play Fairline? If I don't hear by the end of the workday, I'll play when I get off, but I have a full day of meetings.

 

[JPetroski]

Thanks for helping, @Fairline . I'll be able to check in more often tomorrow/update frequently.

If you happen to get any bugs please try and grab a screen shot or preferably the text of the lua error. I doubt there's anything at this point that is truly game breaking but we don't want white boxes of doom popping up regardless

I hope the fact that I can't get anyone else to play you isn't indicative that if I spent time building a Cold War scenario no one would play that either as I've been listening to a lot of Kenny Loggins and need me some Tomcat action

 

[Fairline]

Will do. I'm sure you know about this already and plan to edit later, but on the off-chance it's been missed, this is the start game pop-up:

 

[JPetroski]

Yes, I have a lot of "tidying up" work to do still I wouldn't count on me knowing all about it though, as I've been building this scenario fairly sporadically!

 

[Fairline]

Scouting

 

[JPetroski]

Same

 

[Fairline]

Contact! My scout plane ran smack into your Vindicator. While I was intercepting the scout with one of my CAP zeroes I ran into a B-17 which was damaged with 3 salvoes.

 

[JPetroski]

F4F's attack a Zeke without inflicting much damage at all.

 

[techumseh]

Will do. I'm sure you know about this already and plan to edit later, but on the off-chance it's been missed, this is the start game pop-up:

View attachment 551497

I'm sure irrigation will come in handy in the Pacific Ocean.

 

[Patine]

I'm sure irrigation will come in handy in the Pacific Ocean.

Pineapple, coconut, and breadfruit plantations?

 

[Fairline]

OK this is an exciting scenario with a great 'cat-and-mouse' feel. Reminds me of the game 'battleships'! I urge other people to give it a go...

Eventful turn:

The B-17 in I17 was finally shot down by 3 zeroes

Devastator spotted in E9 - shot down

Avenger spotted in G7 - shot down

F4F engaged G17. A pop up appeared every time I generated ammo in this engagement:

Thinking out loud here: would it be possible via Lua to allow the player to add 'marker' or 'waypoint' units? I'd like to keep track of where on the map I engaged your aircraft and maybe plot a course to where I think your carriers might be turn by turn.

 

[Fairline]

I'm sure irrigation will come in handy in the Pacific Ocean.

If I add enough fresh water I plan to make the whole Pacific drinkable.

 

[JPetroski]

OK this is an exciting scenario with a great 'cat-and-mouse' feel. Reminds me of the game 'battleships'! I urge other people to give it a go...

Thanks, Fairline. I really appreciate that! I was thinking this would be a fun little scenario if you ever were allowed to have a friend over again as you could probably move through it pretty quick while having some beers. The version I never had anyone play had very large fleets where it was pretty easy to spot them. I'm not 100% sure reducing them as much as I did was a good idea, but it may be for that whole "battleship" effect.

F4F engaged G17. A pop up appeared every time I generated ammo in this engagement:

So that's the warning indicating that there are units reacting to your attack. Prof. Garfield came up with that in OTR because having ranged attack units means the ammo carrier isn't in any danger during an attack as in normal civ (where the defender could score hits). Sometimes that can be desirable (like in OTR with jets blowing through a formation) but other times you really want to simulate a "dogfight." It's extremely complex in OTR but in Midway it's basically just "fighters and anti-aircraft guns will attempt to shoot at anything that calls up ammo near them. Coastal guns will do the same (although it won't really matter since I disabled most of the fleets).

Thinking out loud here: would it be possible via Lua to allow the player to add 'marker' or 'waypoint' units? I'd like to keep track of where on the map I engaged your aircraft and maybe plot a course to where I think your carriers might be turn by turn.

There's a few different options. OTR had a combat reporting system where you could see where engagements happened turn by turn. I'm pretty sure we also had a crashed plane icon for this. So definitely possible and something to consider for sure with the vast expanse of water and not much else!

 

[Fairline]

OK too many engagements to list this time; thing's are hotting up! Suffice to say I splashed 3 Dauntless and a Devastator but squandered way too many attacks trying to kill a lone F4F at F10. This little bugger survived attacks from 4 Zeroes with nary a scratch. Being flown by David McCampbell I guess!

I've also inadvertantly recreated history by forgetting to rearm my Kates with torpedoes. Back to the carriers we go boys. Oops.

 

[JPetroski]

Sunk one destroyer with a sub in F8
1x Kate shot down
1x Val attacked but survives

Btw - your bombs can kill carriers, but they just aren't as good at it. Remember that you also need to neutralize Midway to win.

 

[Fairline]

I figured Midway wasn't going anywhere but your carriers were, so I think I'm prioritizing them.

DD sunk at I15, 2 Buffaloes and a Wildcat downed. More tenacious pilots survived.

 

[JPetroski]

A few Val's shot down - still can't find your carriers!