B-29 Superfortress: Bombers Over Japan, 1944-1945 (Mission Logs)

Started by BanzaiCat, August 27, 2014, 10:06:58 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

bob48

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

'Clip those corners'

Recombobulate the discombobulators!

BanzaiCat

I'm trying to incorporate everyone into the narrative, somehow, but unfortunately not all events in the game thus far have allowed everyone to take part (tail gunner, for example). Or to not take part more than I'd like.

The B-29 is kind of a cold fish compared to the B-17. With Queen of the Skies, you at least had a crewman and his machinegun, and that was it. Now you have two top turrets and two bottom turrets that can be remotely controlled by more than one person. It takes some getting used to. Then again I'm learning more about the B-29 than I've ever learned, which is kind of cool too.

JasonPratt

Quote from: Staggerwing on September 04, 2014, 06:37:16 PM
You could bring us coffee...  ;)

AWAKEN! {sploosh!} ...those electrics were moisture-proofed in a giant cold aluminum can flying through clouds, right?


Quote from: Banzai_Cat on September 05, 2014, 07:47:19 AMThen again I'm learning more about the B-29 than I've ever learned, which is kind of cool too.

True; I for one wasn't aware the turrets operated remotely. I don't have a clear idea how far back people are spaced either -- I get the impression Bob the tailgunner is stuck waaay back away from everyone else.
ICEBREAKER THESIS CHRONOLOGY! -- Victor Suvorov's Stalin Grand Strategy theory, in lots and lots of chronological order...
Dawn of Armageddon -- narrative AAR for Dawn of War: Soulstorm: Ultimate Apocalypse
Survive Harder! -- Two season narrative AAR, an Amazon Blood Bowl career.
PanzOrc Corpz Generals -- Fantasy Wars narrative AAR, half a combined campaign.
Khazâd du-bekâr! -- narrative dwarf AAR for LotR BfME2 RotWK campaign.
RobO Q Campaign Generator -- archived classic CMBB/CMAK tool!

BanzaiCat

The tailgunner has their own pressurized compartment, so yes, they're separate from everyone else.

Though it's my understanding that for takeoffs and landings, the tailgunner sits with the three gunners in their compartment. Also, he's the only one that's in charge of his own guns; nobody else may fire them...except of course if he buys the FarmTM and ends up getting replaced by another crewman.

Don't worry, Stagger...I knocked on this faux-wood table I'm working at today when I typed that one-handed.

undercovergeek

Quote from: Banzai_Cat on September 05, 2014, 07:47:19 AM
I'm trying to incorporate everyone into the narrative, somehow, but unfortunately not all events in the game thus far have allowed everyone to take part (tail gunner, for example). Or to not take part more than I'd like.

its cool, i like to think im just a silent hero in the back

throwing pickled onions at bob

BanzaiCat

Some thoughts on the game:

(1) The weather is a real bitch. That much is probably obvious from the fact that we had strikes two missions in a row. If you get a 'Bad' result on the weather table, you have to roll on another one to determine what happens, if anything, and that's where the lightning strikes come from. There's at least two results that have that happen, where you roll for damage to cockpit instruments and then roll twice for damage to wings (just as if they were hit by enemy planes or flak). We've been very lucky with the cockpit instruments - the ONLY way to avoid damage is by rolling a '7,' and I did that both times.

(2) Bad weather (even 'Poor' weather) tends to propagate itself. There's modifiers to weather table rolls in the next Zone if weather in the previous Zone is Poor or Bad - I think it's a +1 for Poor and +2 for Bad.

(3) Flak is also a lot deadlier than I remember from the B-17 game. We were lucky in Mission 1 because of the complete cloud cover, which serves a negative modifier to the flak die roll. OTOH, Mission 2's completely visible target left us also very vulnerable, giving a positive modifier and therefore the damaged bomb bay doors and busted turret. If we had dropped the bombs and turned around and then got hit, the bomb bay doors would have been frozen open, causing drag and additional fuel loss.

(4) Speaking of fuel...Mission 2 was a very close call. The tail winds in Zones 4 and 3 (IIRC) helped 'restore' two Fuel units. I didn't scan the mission log - I'll get to that before I play Mission 3 and write that one up - but we had five Fuel units left when we landed. I didn't find anything in the rules about circling the base trying to lower the landing gear manually. I just assumed this would be allowed to happen. Kind of silly to ditch or bail out when you still have fuel and a chance (even a slim one) of being able to land that bird in one piece.

(5) The navigation rules add a lot of suspense to the game's first part and the final approach, but it gives me the feeling that we're flying alone. I can't imagine ONE B-29 by itself from every base in the Marianas, but that's the vibe the rules give. I think instead it's more a small group of planes that you, as the human solitaire player, are technically leading to the rendezvous. Again, I didn't find a reference to that in the rules, but that's what I'll assume.

(6) Japanese fighter attacks are thus far kind of lame. As I said in the Mission 1 log, the game seems to discourage them. Then again, the B-29 was a fast beast and Japanese early warning was generally nil. When they could get fighters up in the air, they had to be positioned just right to have a hope in hell of getting one pass on these bombers. Follow-up attacks are very rare in this game, too. I do kind of miss the clouds of Messerschmidts and FWs attacking my B-17 like I'm the only plane in the sky, to be honest.

The enemy planes, though, are just one slice of the terror pie. The largest piece is fuel, followed closely by weather. The fuel part won't be a big worry once Iwo Jima is cleared and we're based there (starting with Mission 11, God willing we get that far). I think we remove the aux tanks then and get larger bomb loads.

W8taminute

Another excellent narration BC.  It's funny that this being only the second mission and thus far poor Miss Punctuality gets slapped twice by lightning. 

Three cheers for my appearance as well.  I like the choice in plane you had Flying Warrant Officer (飛行兵曹長) W8taminute-san take up on that intercept attempt.  It looks like you got a shot of the authentic cockpit of the fighter as well.   O0
"You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend."

Romulan Commander to Kirk

BanzaiCat

Yeah, that was the best Oscar cockpit shot I could find. It had controls labeled with numbers, so I had to 'shop them out.

bayonetbrant

quote on Facebook from the link to this thread
QuoteI nearly shared this, thinking it was genuine history. AWESOME computer graphics.
The key to surviving this site is to not say something which ends up as someone's tag line - Steelgrave

"their citizens (all of them counted as such) glorified their mythology of 'rights'...and lost track of their duties. No nation, so constituted, can endure." Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers

BanzaiCat

That's pretty awesome to know; thanks for sharing. I appreciate the positive feedback on this piece. I'm just having a good time playing and weaving a narrative around it - it's even better knowing people are enjoying reading it.  O0

Nefaro

Quote from: JasonPratt on September 04, 2014, 06:27:33 PM
(When I say "relieve my tedium" I don't mean reading the AARs which are great.  O:-) That's just a running joke about the copilot being of no real use in the game mechanics.)


You should be the cameraman since you have such a good view of our gunners missing those fighters coming in from 3 O'Clock.  :P

JasonPratt

Perhaps I should taunt the bogeys approaching from the 12 to 3 quarter? Does taunting confer us any bonuses?
ICEBREAKER THESIS CHRONOLOGY! -- Victor Suvorov's Stalin Grand Strategy theory, in lots and lots of chronological order...
Dawn of Armageddon -- narrative AAR for Dawn of War: Soulstorm: Ultimate Apocalypse
Survive Harder! -- Two season narrative AAR, an Amazon Blood Bowl career.
PanzOrc Corpz Generals -- Fantasy Wars narrative AAR, half a combined campaign.
Khazâd du-bekâr! -- narrative dwarf AAR for LotR BfME2 RotWK campaign.
RobO Q Campaign Generator -- archived classic CMBB/CMAK tool!

bayonetbrant

Quote from: JasonPratt on September 12, 2014, 08:14:38 AMPerhaps I should taunt the bogeys approaching from the 12 to 3 quarter? Does taunting confer us any bonuses?

it makes you 17% cooler; same basic effect as drinking a Modelo.
The key to surviving this site is to not say something which ends up as someone's tag line - Steelgrave

"their citizens (all of them counted as such) glorified their mythology of 'rights'...and lost track of their duties. No nation, so constituted, can endure." Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers

Jarhead0331

Quote from: Barthheart on September 04, 2014, 10:38:13 AM
Excellent!  O0

Off to the PX to buy Mirth a pocket compass and Jarhead and GJK BB guns fer target practice.  ;D

Can you please pick me up a laser sight while you're at it. Thanks.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18