RT02 Midway Island

[Rex Tyrannus]

Just tested using world builder (vanilla civ, 1.61). A carrier with three fighters (its maximum capacity) can take a battleship down to 22.something/40. I had actually used four fighters and put the battleship to 20/40, the lowest it can go from aerial strikes. After that, a submarine can take it down at 86% odds (we were in coastal waters), though I managed to lose two of my four test battles at 86% odds. WTH?

In any case, I sent 16 fighters against four carriers. None was intercepted. My vote definitely goes for Roosey having battleships and destroyers and us having carriers and subs. (And both sides having ****loads of marines.)

 

[Strauss]

That sounds alright. I would like one or two Battleships for us with limited use, but I'm fine with anything the team decides.

 

[LuvToBuild]

How about no more than 3 subs at any one time and no more than 2 battleships? This gives us some flexibility while still forcing us to use primarily ACs and fighters. The battleships can help protect the ACs primarily while the subs finish off weakened battleships and destroyers. The battleships would also be good for naval bombardment of coastal cities prior to a marine invasion, something we haven't discussed yet. Can we use artillery or should we be limited to naval bombardment and air strikes? I lean towards the later in keeping with the theme but artillery might be necessary if we run up against an inland AI city. Most cities will probably be coastal given the proposed map type but there could always be that one screwy AI city that's one tile off the coast. Air strikes could help prior to SAMs but the battleships would be useless. Also, the early advent of SAMs by Roosevelt might make us wish we had a couple of battleships around for bombarding defenses.

So, 2 battleships, 3 subs, and an endless number of ACs, fighters, transports and marines, plus maybe a couple of artillery pieces?

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

That sounds like a good formula, LTB. Though, I'll have to probably step up the scale of the whole opperation. If I give us five carriers, three subs, and two battleships, I should probably give the enemy at least 10 oil-based watercraft, too.

So, while I build the map, you folks ponder this....

Our team:
5 carriers with three fighters each
3 subs
2 battleships (maybe start them out injured?)
2 transports
We can build more subs and carriers once we get oil, but can never build more battleships.

Their team:
5 Battleships
5 Destroyers
5 Submarines
2 Transports

I have very little modern navy experience, so I have no idea if this is balanced (considering that we have brains and the AI doesn't) or imbalanced.

 

[Strauss]

As I said, I'm not much of a naval expert either. The starting navies look good, but I'm wondering how only one island having oil is going to work. If we fail to capture the island, we can't build any new naval units. If we do capture the island and manage to hold it, the enemy can never build any naval units again once all are destroyed.

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

Half correct. We can't build more ships until we retake the island. The enemy, however, has uranium so will always be able to build these ships.

 

[Strauss]

Wow, I didn't know about being able to build ships with Uranium. I still learn something every day

 

[Cosmichail]

lurking again/off topic

@Greyfox,

That would be a "Jedi mind trick" and I would use it on the babe across the street. Asian I suspect being in Singapore and wow those ladies are hot.

 

[pholkhero]

lurker's comment:
I think it's a caning in Singapore if you use the mind trick, right?

anyway, anybody see the "Family Guy" episode (one of the newer seasons) where Peter gets his segment on the nightly news "What Grinds my Gears" (or something like that) and one of his gripes is: "you know, what else i hate? When i can't find the droids i'm looking for!" and scene cuts to 2 stormtroopers in their Tatooine home, watching TV on the couch, eating off of TV trays, and one says to the other: "Hey yeah! I hate that, too!"

funny stuff. funnier when not in disjointed narrative form.

Carry on

 

[Strauss]

So, when are we starting this one up? Are we still waiting for one more player?

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

As a matter of fact, I just played (no spoilers). I'll write it up tonight.

 

[Strauss]

So we're starting with 4? I still have nightmares from the 4-man roster in STR-02

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

Well, I figured we'd start and our first four reports will be so good that there'll be a line out the door to sign up. What do you think?

 

[Strauss]

Well, I figured we'd start and our first four reports will be so good that there'll be a line out the door to sign up. What do you think?

I think you're living in your own little dreamworld

 

[pholkhero]

Happy Little Wonderland (TM) ??

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

The Backstory
December 7, 1941 8:00AM (ish) -- Kyoto, Japan

Ah, the calm quite of a December morning in the Pacific. Notice the splendor of trees here in Kyoto. Utterly Bob Ross esque. How wonderful the peace is. I must remember to write a haiku to this perfect moment. Perhaps after breakfast and a nice morning prayer. Hmmm. Troubling news from Europe, though. Germany has taken France. I'm certainly thankful we're so far from the madness of war. Europe is ravaged, but that's nothing to do with us, right?

*CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*

Admiral, we have enemy ships in sector 47.

It's a trap!

Fighters coming in.

There's too many of them!

Accelerate to attack speed! Draw their fire away from the cruisers.

*CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*

Watch yourself, Wedge! Three from above!

Red Three, Red Two, pull in!

Got it!

Three of them coming in, twenty degrees!

Cut to the left! I'll take the leader! They're heading for the medical frigate Midway.

Pressure's steady.

Only the fighters are attacking. I wonder what those Star Destroyers Battleships are waiting for.

That blast came from the Death Star Marines! That thing's operational! Home One, this is Gold Leader.

We saw it. All craft prepare to retreat.

You won't get another chance at this, Admiral.

We have no choice, General Calrissian. Our cruisers can't repel firepower of that magnitude.

To be continued...

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

The Aftermath
January 1, 1942

Well then, that blew. We had four battleships stationed at Midway. We took three of theirs with us, but the transport unloaded Seals that easily took out the city's machine gun defenses. Worse, the once mighty Imperial Navy of Japan is forced to limp back to a defensive position, tail between its legs. The Americans must pay. But first, we need to take a head count.

By divine luck, our entire carrier fleet was away on exercises, so it remains intact. We must base our counterstrike and the future of our empire on these floating runways and their 15 fighters. To help the cause, two of our battleships escaped the carnage at midway and three submarines were on reconesence missions.

These later ships will ever so precious to us, for without them, our carriers can do nothing. Therefore, I've given them each a special designation. Meet Revenge, Wrath, and Botany Bay

And their older brothers: Yamato and Missouri

For the moment, I've ordered all vessals back to Kyoto. We need to form up a tactical group to go on the offensive. I also switch tech to rocketry, which we'll need to Nuke the Bastards TM

I also wanted to get a feel for the land, so I set up some signs for future settlement. If we're to whipe the Americans from the oceans of the Earth, we'll need some production factories.

I load up our first transport with a settler, marine, and worker and start to send him toward the iron and stuff, but then I realize that I want the Whipping post online to start whipping and drafting stuff. This is pretty dumb as I've already put a worker and a marine on the boat headed for the one tile island with a marine already on it. Oh well, he can drop off his settler, then come around and load up another and go out to the iron.

Just before I'm about to press enter on January of 1942, Civ kindly reminded me to check my civics options. Duh, 1942 and we're in Tribalism, Despotism, Barbarism, etc. I revolt to police state, nationhood, state property, and ...er...?...oh yeah! slavery. The anarchy is five turns. Ugh! Fortunately, Roosevelt will have the same anarchy unless he wants to stay on the dumb bus forever.

To be continued...

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

The Preparations
February-March, 1942

I'm still trying to get our subs back to safe territory when I relize that Civ wants to set Revenge on an unusual path.

Can subs travel under ice?

Yes they can! Can regular ships do this? Hmmm... We might have to test this. Moving on, while bringing one of our subs back, I decided to test just how stealthy they are. (This will be a problem for us as the US has three subs, too. But their destroyers can see our subs. We ain't got squat to see theirs). Anyhow, it looks like Roosey's found himself a harbor. Welcome to Battleship Bay, boys and girls.

In March, I founded Okasa.

Too bad we can't whip that work boat yet. Damned anarchy and one-pop civ. :sigh: Someday this will be a drafting MF of a city. I promise. I say whip Globe Theater, whip a granary, whip a lighthouse, and draft about one unit per turn, but I'm evil and hate my overfed citizens with a relish.

As March comes to a close, I have 15 fighters running recon routes and I see nothing. It looks like we'll have a few turns of peace to get our **** together.

To be continued...

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

The Battle is Rejoined
April, 1942

Peace my ass! In between March and April, Roosevelt sends a battlship into our waters.

er...*two* battleships, that is. But we've got one of our own, plus two carriers on scene. Further, we have a second battleship one turn away and a few subs very close as well. Are we ready for our first test of carrier power?

Yo, she-bi*ch, come get some!

Three fighters later, we have one battleship down to 27/40, and the other at 33/40. I move fighter group two up into attack position where the battleships can't reach. After the air show, both American battleships are 20/40 and I've backed both our carriers are out of harm's way. Both our battleships are ready to pounce next turn, and if he flees, he'll be headed in the direction of one of our subs.

Let's press enter and see where Roosey wants to take this.

To be continued...

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

Death of a Battleship
May, 1942

In what is either an an amazing stroke of good luck or an amazing stroke of AI stupidity, Roosevelt decided to press his advance with his wounded battleships. Now his two battleships at 20/40 are in range of two healthy Japanese battleships, two healthy subs, and three carriers.

But then, he's also got two new healthy battleships on the scene too. Ugh! [Note: Screen shot either lost or never taken, but the two new battleships would be just off frame right in the above pic. One his combat I and the other has no promotions.]

Well, let's start on the wounded. Battleship one is a combat one ship and we have 95% odds with Missouri. The subs only have about 60% odds or so because the enemy is in coastal water and has a combat one promotion. So I don't take chances and bring the big gun to take out the promoed ship, leaving the noob for the subs.

We win the first battle! Us: 1. US: 0. But I note something interesting. Do battleships cause collateral damage? Because the other enemy ship is down to 18 strength! Woo and Hoo! This means our sub can take him at 84% odds.

Battleship two is down. Us: 2. US: 0. Now lets see if our fighters can take the bite out of battleships three and four. Six fighters take three and four down to half health. Yamato can take either of them, but would probably lose IBT to the remainder. I think I'll try to draw them deeper into my snare and back out slightly. We can save some carnage for June, right?

And speaking of snares, while bring in a sub to counter a retreat, we find lone wolf come to join the frey.

Well, we'll just have to make him feel nice and welcome, won't we boys?

To be continued...