Opening Moves (FC Nimitz AAR)

[BanzaiCat]

I was just thinking yesterday that this game had a big 'Victory in the Pacific' feel.

[PanzersEast]

Hmmmm, so it almost sounds like you could grab a cheap copy of the old AH "Victory in the Pacific" and then make up an "Orders" chart for the Japanese and play using that chart and ViTP's combat mechanism and reinforcement schedule, no?

That maybe possible... one of the biggest things about the game is the random fleet compositions.  You are suppose to shuffle the ships starting at each location and then when move orders are rolled, take off that number of ships from the top.  You could possible have 3 Carriers with 0 Escort ships..... so, for me some house rules have to apply. That can seriously affect your AAA rolls and protection from the carriers as the fighters from the Carriers maybe in a different zone.

Need to play though some more, but I can for sure see some house rules being implemented.

PE

[BanzaiCat]

^ Good point - thinking there needs to be a priority list of ship draws. Maybe even a blind pool to draw from and use chits to represent Japanese naval forces in general, and not have them on the map?

[GJK]

Yeah, I read on BGG somebody mention their issue with the possibility of having a carrier group with just a couple of carriers and someone responded with a bunch of hypothetical "well just suppose that...." and that the carrier counter actually represents auxillary ships, etc.  But yeah, I think that a house rule or alternative manner for dealing out what you face may be in order.  Likely I would take the charts from "Carrier" who has a random draw mechanism where you draw a "fleet type" chit and that chit will then have a TF composition so you may draw "1 CVL" and then the associated chart lists what goes with a "1 CVL" chit and then you randomly draw the ships that make up that 1 CVL TF.

[BanzaiCat]

Good idea, but to be fair to FC:N, it does state in the rules that the individual ship counters are assumed to have escorts with them.

Under Ship Forces, pg 5, second column:

There are several types of Ship Forces in the game. For game purposes, larger Ships are assumed to have several escort ships built into their counters.

So if you say, draw Akagi, it's not just Akagi but the carrier plus escorts. How many, who knows. But they do address that - I only just read the rules halfway through right now.

[BanzaiCat]

PE, what's your experience with the rules?

I'm finding a few things that seem to be clear, but then later in the rules it's made unclear.

For example, take airfields. On page 4, under Airfield Capacity, it says "One Land-Based Aircraft counter can operate from each Airfield." Which is odd considering Airfields can have different numerical values, and one would assume that the numerical value has a relation with the number of aircraft that field can hold. But whatever.

Moving on to page 12, at top left, it says "Place a value of Airfield counters on the Island equal to the number of US Land-Based Aircraft counters." Then in the example, it says "The US has 6 Land-Based Aircraft. Place Airfield counters totalling 6."

I know the Airfield points are hit points for battle, but that's kind of vaguely admitting that a 6-size Airfield can hold 6 Aircraft, whereas the rule on page 4 says only one per Airfield.

Am I missing something?

[PanzersEast]

PE, what's your experience with the rules?

I'm finding a few things that seem to be clear, but then later in the rules it's made unclear.

For example, take airfields. On page 4, under Airfield Capacity, it says "One Land-Based Aircraft counter can operate from each Airfield." Which is odd considering Airfields can have different numerical values, and one would assume that the numerical value has a relation with the number of aircraft that field can hold. But whatever.

Moving on to page 12, at top left, it says "Place a value of Airfield counters on the Island equal to the number of US Land-Based Aircraft counters." Then in the example, it says "The US has 6 Land-Based Aircraft. Place Airfield counters totalling 6."

I know the Airfield points are hit points for battle, but that's kind of vaguely admitting that a 6-size Airfield can hold 6 Aircraft, whereas the rule on page 4 says only one per Airfield.

Am I missing something?

I missed the assumed escorts, but to me that still feels a little awkward.  I am going to go back and re-read the rules.  I thought the movement explanation could used a little more detail.  Warfighter was by far their worst rule book....

PE

[PanzersEast]

I think I have most everything figured out and now I can do a proper AAR.....  this was one of my Battles when all of a sudden the Japanese decided to come in and smack me.... when I moved in they had limited assets in the area and I thought I could do a quick grab, NO SO!

[BanzaiCat]

Let me guess: they're now speaking Japanese on that island?  ;D

[PanzersEast]

So far I played through a second time with the 1942 Scenario and I am holding pretty strong through 4 turns.  I have sunk 2 CV, BB, several Cruisers and DD.  I have been using scouts and then jumping on fleets when I can.  There is such a huge build up at New Guinea I have conceded it at this point.  One of their BB strained into the Marshall Islands which I held and I dispatched a killer group  and destroyed it.

Another was 2 Carriers with a Cruiser and BB that attacked Midway with no Infantry.  I dispatched a Hunter/Killer Taskforce with 2 Carriers, several DD Squadrons, 2 Subs and 3 Land based Air Groups.   I lost only 1 DD Squadron and 1 Cruiser Damaged and 1 Infantry Damaged... they lost all of their Ships.  Right now I am playing defensively from the Marshall Islands East.  The ships I destroyed above where from Scouting.... it has been handing to learn where they groups are heading, however I have been lucky because if some of those ships went to where my Hunter Task Forces where, it could have been a different story because they could have joined the battle..... I also pulled the Battalion Battle Plan that adds one straight to the Fox Hole.


PE

[BanzaiCat]

So, does the game feel balanced at all to you?

Seems that the randomness of the Japanese attacks would be a major turn-off for people. However, it's an effective way of managing a solitaire-driven, grand-strategy wargame in a simple no-fuss manner. At least that's my perception; I've yet to play it.

[bayonetbrant]

I've yet to play it.

slacker

[PanzersEast]

So, does the game feel balanced at all to you?

Seems that the randomness of the Japanese attacks would be a major turn-off for people. However, it's an effective way of managing a solitaire-driven, grand-strategy wargame in a simple no-fuss manner. At least that's my perception; I've yet to play it.

I have seen some anomalies... for example I caught one BB that moved to one of my Controlled Areas and I spend a group in to destroy it.  By the rules, it just sat in the coastal area while I bombed it for several rounds.

I don't mind the randomness, however it is difficult to program a solitaire game on this scale.  In the 1942 campaign you are heavily outnumbered in ships, so the natural course of action is to be on the defensive and strike where opportunities present themselves.  This is where scouting come in handy, I can scout and then react.  I do feel like it should not be an automatic each time.... there needs to be a chance you do not have any intel.  Even when I move in to strike a target, because I have not scouted all the areas, a Japanese force could swoop in and things can get heated.... for now, the 42' scenario is for sure a defensive one and I am just trying to hang on to my Objectives until 2 more turns end the campaign. 

Over I do enjoy the game, however I can see how some would not like the randomness and the sometimes weirdness of how the game throws things at you.

The rules state

Solitaire Decisions
There will be times during the game when you need to make game decisions for the Enemy Forces. The rules provide you with procedures to guide your decision making. If the rules leave you with more than one equally valid option, you are free to choose from the available options.

Example: You inflict 1 Hit on Japanese Ships in an Area. There are several Ships in the Area with the same value. You get to decide which Ship to Damage.

I think there are times where you need to go beyond that and decide that moving that BB to a enemy held objective with no support is just not a good idea  :D

PE

[BanzaiCat]

That's another thing...I think they recommended newbies start with the '42 scenario, though that one has to easily be the most challenging of the four. Maybe that's a trial by fire intent there.

[jomni]

That's another thing...I think they recommended newbies start with the '42 scenario, though that one has to easily be the most challenging of the four. Maybe that's a trial by fire intent there.

Maybe they don't expect you to do amphibious operations.  Just learn naval and air combat in a challenging setting.