End Game - US44 AAR

[AlanT]

Trying my hand with the "good guys" this time. It looks like the US has an excellent opening position. We'll see what the AIs can do to mess up our plans for world domination.

The game: vanilla AoD, normal/normal, v104. Someday I'll have to learn abut moding and the many packages that are out there, but for now I'm still learning. I plan to play thru the defeat of the Axis, 30 Dec 1946 at the latest.

Unlike the Soviets, America starts with things in production. From soup . . .

to nuts.

The list comes to 1 Nuclear Reactor, 14 CV, 2 BC, 13 CA, 21 CL, 3 DD, 3 SS, 10 Mech and 6 Arm. That's 603 IC worth, and waaay more than we can afford. Some of the carriers and cruisers are obviously overkill and it sounds right to put some serial production runs in place rather than all this parallel roduction. USS Providence CL-82 is in production and I'll have to keep that as my father was aboard. Let's hope nothing happens to the Providence!

A couple of observations:
Learning from my first game, I note that synthetic production is set at max. 371.9 oil is being used to produce 84.3 rares. Better plug that leak in our economy off right now. Also note, we start with ZERO money. Not very realistic, but that's where we're at. So, we can't conduct much (any?) trading or diplomacy until we have some cash. Must remember to budget some $ for intel.

Our technology is world class. All of our doctrine is current and we're set to get into some advanced research in jets, nuclear power and computers. We have some excellent research teams and 10 slots to use.

Super Heavy Advanced Carrier, Nuclear Waste Bomb, Practical Turbojet Engine, Advanced Heavy Tank and Electro Submarine are easy choices.

Flying Bomb Development, Advanced Air Transport, Agricultural Production, Advanced Cenemetric Radar and Improved Heavy Sub are what I chose to round out research.

Some of these lead to things I want, such as strategic rockets and better tanks or subs. Many of the remaining techs are either years in the future or, like battleships, an area we have a great lead in and are not necessary at this time. One I would consider switching is semi-modern static AA which leads to SAMs (which are a 1949 tech), so I see no real hurry with that. There may be a couple of blueprints we can trade for once our diplomacy has money to work with. As soon as the practical turbojet engine is done we'll roll into turbojet fighters and bombers.

But I'm new at AoD, so if I'm missing something important please let me know.

Getting on to our Order of Battle:
The US Army consists of 148 divisions, of which 59 are garrison and 48 are Mot/Mech/Arm. All the Inf, Arm, Mot, Mech and Arm are brigaded. Yup, ALL of them.

The USN starts with 310 ships of which 120 are TP, with 22 CV/CVL and 24 BB/BC. I'm very sure we out class the Axis in all categories.

The US Army Air Force (pilots get their own union in 1947) has 96 units (which should be called Wings or Groups, squadrons are a lower level of air unit). There are 39 Ftr/Int, 31 Strat Bombers, 19 TAC/CAS, and 6 Transports but only a single Naval Bomber.

The Stat bombers are brigaded with escorts, P-38s for the B-24s and P-47s for the B-29s. This really cuts into range and I'm not sure escorts are all that necessary at 5-600 miles. If it possible I'll probably assign most of those escorts to my CAS and TAC. (QUESTION: is this advisable?)

There is a level 1 rocket test sight in New Mexico and alevel 4 reactor in Tennessee. With another reactor in production and max size currently at 5 I don't see a need to put more into production.

Infrastructure might be a good investment if it wasn't 1944. Our largest resource producing provinces all have 80% infrastructure and as I understand the ecomony that is reducing our output. Have I got that right?

Last screenie for this message is the government and policy.

Should I make a slider move? If so what?

Does Harry Truman come in during the 1944 election? How does that work?

Suggestions? Comments?

Edit: Change some pictures, they're more readable now.

 

[dannyboy2016]

Truman will be Head of Government if you reelect FDR in 44. Then in 1945 FDR will die (date is random) and Truman will become President.

I look forward to seeing you go after the commies once the axis is crushed.

 

[unmerged(166917)]

I look forward to seeing you go after the commies once the axis is crushed.

+1. You should not stop until you reach the Ural !

 

[quaazi]

I say max out your hawk lobby, as I don't think there are any more events for it. If you're interested, this is the 44 elections trigger.

#########################################################################
#  US. Presidential Election of 1944 - Historical Outcome
#########################################################################
event = {
	id = 3715
	random = no
	country = USA

	name = "EVT_3715_NAME"
	desc = "EVT_3715_DESC"
        picture = "us_election"
	style = 0

	trigger = {
		government = democratic
		ideology = social_liberal
		NOT = { ispuppet = USA }
	}

	date = { day = 7 month = november year = 1944 }

	action_a = {
		name = "Current President (Dem.)"
		command = { type = set_domestic which = democratic value = 10 }
		command = { type = set_domestic which = political_left value = 6 }
		command = { type = dissent value = -2 }
		command = { type = headofgovernment which = 6046 }
		command = { type = foreignminister which = 6060 }
		command = { type = armamentminister which = 6077 }
		command = { type = ministerofsecurity which = 6005 }
		command = { type = ministerofintelligence which = 6128 }
	}
	action_b = {
		name = "Thomas E.Dewey (Rep.)"
		command = { type = set_domestic which = democratic value = 10 }
		command = { type = set_domestic which = political_left value = 6 }
		command = { type = headofstate which = 6038 }
		command = { type = headofgovernment which = 6050 }
		command = { type = foreignminister which = 6068 }
		command = { type = armamentminister which = 6090 }
		command = { type = ministerofsecurity which = 6110 }
		command = { type = ministerofintelligence which = 6128 }
		command = { type = oilpool value = 100 }
		command = { type = energypool value = 100 }
		command = { type = metalpool value = 100 }
		command = { type = rarematerialspool value = 100 }
		command = { type = supplies value = 200 }
	}
}

You're gonna have a choice between Roosevelt and Dewey. Roosevelt is a Benevolent Gentleman (Cg need -5%, Dis growth rate -10, Belligerence for DoW +20% ), and Dewey is a Popular Figurehead (Cg need +10%, Dis growth rate -50% ). Of those two, Roosevelt is obviously better, but he'll be replaced with Truman, a Die-hard Reformer (Cg need -10%, Belligerence for DoW -15%, Money Production -25%), which isn't the best trait, really. I don't like the money production penalty personally, but still better than Dewey.

As for your vice ministers, there's Truman in Roosevelt's cabinet, a Flamboyant Tough Guy (Alliance chance with close ideologies +50%, Leader skill efficiency -10% ) which is horrible, HORRIBLE, in my opinion. And John Bricker, a Corporate Suit (Money production +50%, Dis growth rate +10%, Unit build costs +5% ), which is little better, but the 50% money production should outweigh the 5% build costs. At least this one has some good in it.

I'd go with Roosevelt's cabinet, though, as Dewey's president and vice president don't complement each others traits that well.

Infra is always a good choice, though improving your industry when it is already the largest in the world doesn't seem so necessary. But sure, build infra in your top IC and rare/oil provinces. Though you should have a massive resource output already.

Your strat bombers are going to get raped without escorts, so I'd say to use them without escorts only when the luftwaffe can't operate at all anymore. Still, I'd advise against using strat bombers in strat bombing roles altogether at this stage of the war - what you'll be wanting to do is push as far into europe as possible before the commies get there, and a strong germany can hold the red army at bay for a few more weeks, which can be vital. You overpower the germans anyway, so just use your airpower for tactical missions.

 

[AlanT]

Thanks for the tips, Dewey sounds like a loser, but Truman is no FDR.

I want to try Churchill's strategy of moving into the "soft underbelly" and wonder how the German armies in the east will react to Allied forces landing in the Balkans.

Good to know the Luftwaffe is going to be a factor. My last game was as the USSR in 1944 and I might have seen the Luftwaffe twice (which is 2 more times than the Japanese Air Force put in an appearance).

What usually triggers the war between the West and Soviet block?

 

[quaazi]

Anomalies. I think when either power advances too far, as in USSR gets french territory or US polish, the war might trigger. That, and the Koreas.

 

[AlanT]

Revised Production

Made my first pass at revising production. Here are the highest priorities.

The shopping list comes to 1 Reactor, 7 CV, 1 BC, 3 CA, 5 CL, 3 DD, 3SS, 10 Mech and 6 Arm. This still exceeds the ICs available, but some of the costs listed are incorrect (for example that Reactor should be 50 not 15 , don't know why).

And now for a tour of the map:

Europe

Our troops in Normandy

And those in sunny Italy

The Pacific

We are in contact with Japanese forces in New Guinea

The situation in Burma

 

[AlanT]

Question for you experienced HoI/AoD players. Should I take control of my Alllies military forces? If so is there a prefered way to do this? For example should I make the US ground forces in Italy expeditionary forces of the UK (who controls Italy) before assuming control of UK? The idea being a US Corps acting as an expeditionary force will cause any territory it captures to become UK owned instead of US owned.

Or will the forces I assume command of, regardless of what country they belong to, cause everything they capture to be American controlled?

 

[unmerged(189717)]

Don't assume control over major allies, that's boring IMO.

 

[AlanT]

Don't assume control over major allies, that's boring IMO.

Okay then just the French, Canadians, Australians and South Africans - have I left anyone out? I think the Pols are already considered UK.

Still, I don't trust the UK AI to not go out and get killed or spend its time drinking tea instead of invading Norway, Greece and Yugoslavia.

I also find it unrealistic to be playing the US and not have a clue as to what or when the UK is going to do.

If it were possible to leave the MTO and CBI as British theaters while the US controls ETO and PTO I would have an easier time making this work.

 

[vfbstuttgart]

A 1944 game with the USA, thats to easy.

 

[AlanT]

A 1944 game with the USA, thats to easy.

I'm new, need to learn a lot and want to try a few countries. It looks like a '36 game as Germany is both too easy and too long. As a learning game it makes sense to play some '44, playing a maritime power is interesting to me, and I need to learn production/diplomacy/intel.

What do you suggest as more challenging, China '44?

Once I'm ready for the longer games maybe China, USSR, Italy or UK '36? Or maybe Turkey, not many people seem to play Turkey. Or the US in 1936 while guaranteeing China and/or Ethiopia so that I get in the war early?

 

[quaazi]

Well, to be honest, US in any start is very easy. Tougher games would be Japan, France, Italy... in 36, of course, I don't think I've played teh other starts this year at all.

Um, I feel I should clarify, tougher major powers. Of course, if you want to play Mongolia or Albania or Luxembourg, go ahead - people have pulled those feats off, albeit with a bit of cheaty/eventy. Just not a very... accessible game.

 

[Rockingluke]

I also find it unrealistic to be playing the US and not have a clue as to what or when the UK is going to do.

This is where multi-player comes in handy. With a human US and UK, you will rampage pretty much unhitched through the Axis forces. I imagine it would be fun too. I would offer to play but I feel timezones may be a problem there.

Regarding the UK, its AI is notoriously incompetent. But then again it has provinces in Canada, Caribbean, South America, Africa, India, and SE Asia to deal with so I suppose it could be worse. I noticed it derping a bit in Libya in one of my games. Lots of pockets and being pocketed occurred. Then Italy took Palestine. Pretty crazy, but still makes thing fun.

 

[AlanT]

Found some misplaced units. I can rebase these to the correct location (where they are already based), but that results in some loss of readiness. How easy is this to fix within the game files?

Anyone know if this has already been reported as a bug?

All 4 air units from Corsica are in England - Norwich and Portsmouth.

One air unit from Saipan is in Imphal.

 

[unmerged(196337)]

Once the iron curtain gets put up and you start doomsday, bring down the iron curtain and reunite DDR with west germany and that way you have a allie.

 

[vfbstuttgart]

I'm new, need to learn a lot and want to try a few countries. It looks like a '36 game as Germany is both too easy and too long. As a learning game it makes sense to play some '44, playing a maritime power is interesting to me, and I need to learn production/diplomacy/intel.

What do you suggest as more challenging, China '44?

Once I'm ready for the longer games maybe China, USSR, Italy or UK '36? Or maybe Turkey, not many people seem to play Turkey. Or the US in 1936 while guaranteeing China and/or Ethiopia so that I get in the war early?

Playing Ethopia is very hard, because you are in a war with Italy at the beginning.

 

[quaazi]

He means guaranteeing Ethiopia to join the war.

Generally, bringing the US into the war before 1941 is considered gamey. The US has a production penalty when at peace, and being at war for the US, what with it's indestructible navy and god-given geography, is somewhat of an unfair advantage.

 

[AlanT]

He means guaranteeing Ethiopia to join the war.

Generally, bringing the US into the war before 1941 is considered gamey. The US has a production penalty when at peace, and being at war for the US, what with it's indestructible navy and god-given geography, is somewhat of an unfair advantage.

You are correct sir.

I'm new at AoD and don't know all the proper protocol. (Some of this is tongue in cheek.)

What are the Marquis of Queensbury rules for multi-player games?

Can the US hold that reason to enter the war until Jan 1, 1941 --> to avoid being "gamey"? Or does it go away when Ethiopia is annexed/puppeted?

But it would be okay for UK/France to guarantee Ethiopia and DoW Italy as soon as she attacks Ethiopia, right? Might as well wreck the Axis junior partner before Hitler gets too far.

Put some teeth in that there League of Nations boys! Call it the League of Extraordinary Nations. By jove, that might be a whole new scenario. Crusading democracies that don't take guff from Fascists and other dictators. USSR, Germany, Japan and Italy vs UK, France and USA - - begining in 1936. Maybe we can give the Vatican a few Infantry Divisions while we're at it. If the Fascist-Commies came looking for a fair fight they came to the wrong place!

I'm also curious why the USSR doesn't whack Japan in China and get that over with by 1940.

Is it considered gamey for the Germans to take advantage of a weak UK AI and invade Britain? You know, while America is trying to not be gamey instead of sticking it to the Axis early and often.

Maybe I should have opened with - "Dammit man, I'm a wargamer not a role player." - Dr Leonard McCoy

 

[Titan79]

(...) Can the US hold that reason to enter the war until Jan 1, 1941 --> to avoid being "gamey"? (...)

Actually it would be December, 7th (or even better 8th) 1941, not January....