B-29 Superfortress: Bombers Over Japan, 1944-1945 (Discussion Thread)

Started by BanzaiCat, August 20, 2014, 07:42:17 PM

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BanzaiCat

I just got this in the mail today and am excited to read through the rules and give it a go.



PanzersEast's B-17 Grog Wagon AAR gave me an idea to do the same thing for this B-29 game. If anyone is interested in attaching their GH screenname to this bit of fiction, it would make my playthrough a lot more interesting.

B-29 Name: Miss Punctuality

The B-29 has more crew positions, of course (11 total), and they are as follows:

Pilot (CAPT): Banzai_Cat (because if this thing crashes, it'll be my fault, and I'm rollin' the dice, so...)
Copilot (1LT): JasonPratt
Bombadier (1LT): Nefaro
Navigator (2LT): mirth
Flight Engineer (MSGT): Barthheart
Radio Operator (SGT): bob48
CFC* (SSGT): Jarhead
Left Gunner (SGT): Shelldrake
Right Gunner (SGT): GJK
Radar Operator (SSGT): undercovergeek
Tail Gunner (SSGT): Staggerwing

* Central Fire Controller

EDIT UPDATE:
I have read through the rules and boy oh boy, this ain't your daddy's B-17: Queen of the Skies.

  • The first 10 missions require a HELL of a long way to go to get to the target. After Mission 10, it's assumed that Iwo Jima is captured, so missions are based from there, making things less stressful.
  • Apparently, not all Gunners are required for missions. Sometimes, to save weight for extra bombs, Gunners did not go along for the ride. Sometimes too, guns were left off. There's some die rolls to make to see if the Gunners and guns suck up extra gas once this behemoth takes off. So the Gunners' lard asses may cause us to ditch in the ocean at some point (LOL).
  • The game downplays Japanese aircraft attacks as being much less frequent than in B-17, QotS, which makes perfect sense. Also, Japanese pilots were poorly-trained, so this isn't like going into the heart of the Reich. However, the system seems to balance Japanese aircraft counters with Green, Average, and Ace pilots all. Until I get into the charts and tables, I won't know for sure but I'm betting it'll be more Green enemies than Aces.
  • Speaking of Aces...there are not any crewmember aces in B-29, not like B-17 had them. The reasoning the rules give is that the firing systems and weapons on the B-29 were much more sophisticated than on the B-17, and the spray and pray tactic is highly discouraged in training. Makes me think Gunners are generally just taking up space, so hopefully you Gunners will get some action/get on most of the flights. Only the tables will tell for sure once we get this going.
  • There IS, however, a Novice and Veteran status crew can have. I think you get Veteran status after seven missions, though I need to double check that. Apparently there's modifiers to table die rolls based on experience, so it does play something of a role.
  • Overall, it's been WIDELY indicated by players experienced with B-17 and B-29 that their similarities end at their names. So this AAR may report in a different way than you might be used to, if you're a B-17 QotS fan (as I am. I still have my copy right here by my desk!)



mirth

"45 minutes of pooping Tribbles being juggled by a drunken Horta would be better than Season 1 of TNG." - SirAndrewD

"you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire" - Bawb

"Can't 'un' until you 'pre', son." - Gus

Staggerwing

Can I be tail gunner? I'll keep those Nakajima-powered Rump Rangers at bay!
Vituð ér enn - eða hvat?  -Voluspa

Nothing really rocks and nothing really rolls and nothing's ever worth the cost...

"Don't you look at me that way..." -the Abyss
 
'When searching for a meaningful embrace, sometimes my self respect took second place' -Iggy Pop, Cry for Love

... this will go down on your permanent record... -the Violent Femmes, 'Kiss Off'-

"I'm not just anyone, I'm not just anyone-
I got my time machine, got my 'electronic dream!"
-Sonic Reducer, -Dead Boys

BanzaiCat

LOL. Sure, Stagger. I'll do it as a first-post, first-get position called out. You in, Mirth?

GJK

I've had dreams where I was a waist gunner on a B-17.  The right side gunner on a B-29 will work nicely if you care to add me.  :)
Clip your freaking corners!
----------------------
Blood Bowl on VASSAL - Ask me about it! http://garykrockover.com/BB/
----------------------
"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

-Dean Vernon Wormer

Barthheart

I R an engineer, so flight engineer should be right up my canoe.... or something...

bob48

Geek and I are waist gunners on the B17 - so I'm happy to go with any available gun position - if not, I'll be the guy that crawls through that long tunnel above the bomb bay, distributing coffee and sarnies.
'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'

'Clip those corners'

Recombobulate the discombobulators!

Barthheart

Put Bob on the radio and he can pun the Japs to death!  O0

bob48

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'

'Clip those corners'

Recombobulate the discombobulators!

mirth

Let me be Navigator. We might make it back to base!
"45 minutes of pooping Tribbles being juggled by a drunken Horta would be better than Season 1 of TNG." - SirAndrewD

"you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire" - Bawb

"Can't 'un' until you 'pre', son." - Gus

BanzaiCat

Thanks, guys. 'Lessen I'm missing something, we have five spots left. I bet 'geek might take one, but I don't want to shaghai/speak for him. Though it may come to that...  >:D

Nefaro

#11
I volunteer for Central Fire Controller. 

Or Bombardier if CFC is already taken.   But you don't want that kind of curse on your bomb accuracy, do you?  :P  It would be a shame travelling so far just to blow up an empty rice paddy or baby milk factory.  Well, the latter might be somewhat worthwhile in the long run.  ;)

BanzaiCat

Quote from: Nefaro on August 21, 2014, 07:10:20 PM
I volunteer for Central Fire Controller. 

Or Bombardier if CFC is already taken.   But you don't want that kind of curse on your bomb accuracy, do you?  :P  It would be a shame travelling so far just to blow up an empty rice paddy or baby milk factory.  Well, the latter might be somewhat worthwhile in the long run.  ;)

Someone's gotta do it, so I'll put you in the Bombadier's position. You're an officer now, congratulations. And oh yeah, we might all die on takeoff on the first mission anyway when those big ass bombs blow up after we crash land, and who's fault will that be? This guy, not you.

Though they WOULD be 'your' bombs, technically...

In any case, welcome aboard.  :crazy2:

Jarhead0331

Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


BanzaiCat

Thanks, JH. Put you in the Radio Observer position. Will change it if you want; thought about CFC, might change you over to that if there's no other people wanting to sign up.

All, be sure to check back as I'll be updating the first post from time to time. I'll probably start a different thread to just post each Mission result, much the same as PE did for his B-17 AAR. Meantime we can use this thread to discuss whatever.