Battle of the Coral Sea

[DoKGonZo]

My only real issue with late-war scenarios is that you're flying the same crap you fly in the MA all the time, and that the most interesting times of the war happened before 1944.

[ghostdancer]

We are reworking are approach toward scenarios a bit. There are a couple things that I have identified from past participation (I was in Midway), rule creations, and dissemination, etc. that we are changing.

Plus, for 2005 we are going to do a scenario every 4 months .. so 3 a year. Which gives an extra month to market it and work out the bugs. I believe the extra time is needed for now.

We are also probably going to focus on the next scenario being a big name / well known scenario. Part of the slide in scenarios was do to the transition from AH1 to AH2 but there are many other factors. Part is grabbing the attention of the player base.

It seems the more new pilots in the MA aren't really aware of scenarios or interested in the more esoteric /little known battles. A Big Week, Battle of Britain, Midway, etc. that are well known tend to pull numbers just because of their name.

Rangoon 42 might not have pulled numbers for lack of a better marketing push and also because of the subject matter not being widely known. So newer people did not sign up for it in large numbers. However, even if that is the case you will note that the people who did sign up for it stayed! It only had an 18% drop off from numbers from the first frame to the fourth.

To put that in perspective Midway had a 24% drop off. Rangoon actually tied for second place for the scenario that had the least drop off. So the people that got in their stayed.

So basically looking to hook people with one well known battle. Get them in the door and then run it so well they get the bug. Then the next one can be a battle that is more off the beaten path. And then the finally one of the year can be a big battle again or a more esoteric one depending on how the first two of the year went.

Right now .. and this is just me .. was thinking about Ploesti or Coral Sea for 1st, Siege of Malta (1942) for second, and then third could either be a Kursk type event or Ploesti/Coral Sea.

However, that is just me and its why we are actually going to run a poll in the MA. To gauge interests.

As for what if .. as I said I would love to see the Indian Ocean campaign. Where the Japanese brought in four CVs and attacked Ceylon. The British actually brought in several fast carriers to stop them but were out of position for the first Japanese attacks and then it was a cat and mouse game where neither side came to grips.

I think it would be interesting to have Sea Fires and Hurricanes face off againist A6M2s. But just me .. maybe for a Friday Night Squad Ops event.

[SilverFox]

Originally posted by Easyscor
   Any m2s in Coral Sea or Midway?

Of course.  It was 1942, and the Zero (a6m2) was still the Japanese Naval fighter.  My personal favorite plane is the Seafire  


GhostDancer, I'm hoping you've been in contact with =B17= on Ploesti.  My understanding was that he wanted quite a bit of time to spin up.   I've offered to help out with that one, since I was on the team that did Ploesti in AW.  Man, what we can do with moving trains in AH, and refineries, its gonna be awesome:aok   But to do this map justice will take some time, and my understanding is that the map is not started.  I could be wrong.

[DoKGonZo]

Originally posted by ghostdancer
...
Right now .. and this is just me .. was thinking about Ploesti or Coral Sea for 1st, Siege of Malta (1942) for second, and then third could either be a Kursk type event or Ploesti/Coral Sea.

...

OK ... I actually have two Eastern front designs I'm working on. One (Donjetsfront) is already posted in preview on my site. The other is a hypothetical, but would really be interesting to do.

[Brooke]

I'd like to see more than 3 scenarios a year if each scenario is 4 frames long.  At 4 frames each, 3 scenarios means scenario flying for 3 months out of 12.  Any ability to increase that number if there are more scenarios ready and waiting to be run?

[ghostdancer]

Possibly, however I made a decision to cut back to 3 for now. Since I don't think that several of the past scenarios were cooked enough on the rules, marketed, etc.

I sort of felt like they were rushed into and several things that should be looked over weren't and issues came up in game play.

So for right now I only worried about putting together 3 solid ones. Yes, 1 every 4 months. Instead of just trying to pump them out the door.

That might change if the next couple go really well.

Also want to work on leveraging the members of the squad ops event into scenarios (we get close to 180-200) in Friday Night Squads Ops events. And also use ties with the RJO to also bring in numbers.

Figure out a way to get squads more interested and use them to whip up enthuisiasm among their pilots while at the same time leaving a good mix open for independents in both flying and leading.

Couple other things were under discussion also on structural changes and marketing.

So we will see.

[ghostdancer]

Ploesti map is not started. The new TE should be out soon .. so we would need to make a Ploesti and other maps.

I need to get in touch with B17.

[Easyscor]

Originally posted by ghostdancer
Possibly, however I made a decision to cut back to 3 for now. Since I don't think that several of the past scenarios were cooked enough on the rules, marketed, etc.

That's exactly right.  Just because an event has been scheduled for 8 months doesn't mean it's ready on time or should go forward, particularly if a substitute is finished and ready to go.

[DoKGonZo]

Rangoon was definately rushed - but I had no choice, and it's a good thing we rushed. The next window was February and as it turns out that would have been an impossible date for me.

Ghost, you and the other CM Staffers may want to check into the off-site BBS I rigged to discuss scenarios at my hosted forums. We're also discussing promotion, web support, and so on from a player-contributor perspective. Plus we can swear on my BBS.  There's a lot that us old bastards can add to the effort now that we're awake again.

3 or 4 events per year - if they're done right - is plenty. I'd say 3 is OK if they're at least 6 weeks long each. That's 6 weeks flying and 6 weeks of promo, registration, and practice - with a month off in between for the CM staff.

----

PS/ SF, I tried replying to your email but it bounced. I think you used the wrong address when you used my form to contact me. I just replied again to the address you have on your homepage.

[Vudak]

I think I'll sign up for the next scenario, never flew in one, but walked on BoB once.  Was a change of pace.

Anyway, I voted for Malta just because I've always loved that chapter of JG26 "Schlageter" about the Red Hearts.  That said, I really don't care what is next.  Ploesti could be cool.

[SilverFox]

Originally posted by DoKGonZo  
PS/ SF, I tried replying to your email but it bounced. I think you used the wrong address when you used my form to contact me. I just replied again to the address you have on your homepage. [/B]

I got that one, which, BTW is the same one I used on the form.  My ISP had an exchange server glitch, and nothing was getting out or in.  Fixed now.


Its good to see people are actually voting with some thought.  Nothing looks really that interesting when its boiled down to who vs who.

[tonyki61]

Has this senario ever been run?
This would be pretty cool.

[SilverFox]

Actually, the Turkey shoot was later in the War.

Some arguments for Coral Sea:  

It will be difficult for Coral Sea to compete against Midway or Pearl in a vote because less is known about the actual battle.  Sure, most people know that it was the first CV to CV battle, but there was never (to my knowledge) a movie made about it, nor some great tragedy that brought the nation together on an issue.  Its simply not as well known.

However,  for scenario purposes, Coral Sea offers an excellent opportunity for two balanced sides to fight a historical battle that actually resulted in a split victory.  There are elements built in to keep players in the frames, and the victory conditions are designed to assure a stand up out of your chair finish.  As an avid scenario player, veteran of many, Group leader in many, I put into it what I felt blended historical perspective, with playability.  Above all, I wanted people to be drooling for the next scenario.  

I've blended the historical elements, like Admiral Crace's CA task force into the scenario, and as those LTVs are trying desperately, under heavy fire to go feet dry at Port Moresby, you can bet they are hoping that the Royal Navy task force isn't close by.

The feedback I am getting from those who have read the proposal is very positive.  Coral Sea, has the potential to be fun

SilverFox -- AH
=SC= -- AW

[jordi]

I would vote for Coral Sea . . .

Jordi

Lurking . . .

[DoKGonZo]

The only real issues I see with doing CS next are:

- 2 early-war Pacific events back to back.
- The general unpopularity of early-war Pacific.
- Special rules needed to prevent MA-style anti-shipping attacks (since we are in the pre-Kamikaze era at this point of the war).

The first two issues can be helped with pre-event promotion and getting things like patches and prizes worked into the offering.