A really fun scenario overall. I like many had one raised eyebrow when we started counting the available fighters to the required task's as Nef pointed out above. But we adapted and moved out sharply
The 325th VFG defended Frame 1 and 2 and Attacked on Frame 3, Flew the F4 / SBD (fighter mode) and TBM so my comments are from that prospective:
You had to put the bomber AC into fighter defense mode or you would lose your ships for sure. For us that was the SBD's. And those were fun engagements. A SBD horde vs. a D3A horde is a fair fight
Scouting made all of the difference, we pushed our scouts out 50 miles from the boat and it mostly worked. Again a task for the SBD's and not the limited fighters.
The F4's had to stay over or very near the boat and they had to be prepared to deal with multiple waves of attacking AC. In many cases fighting 5 to 1. Meaning you just couldn't dive in on the first guy or the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th dive bombers gets past you. Really we used our F4's to break up the incoming attack at high altitude and hopefully force them to make a hasty off angle attack. And the limitless SBD's for the heavy defensive work.
Points mattered - I know many don't follow them but they matter and you had to be very careful about where and when you attacked vs. running away and gaining the landing bonus. In fact this was the first time where I was posting point ratio's per frame to my squad (my own internal calculations using the LOG data). That helped I would say. I liked the point scenario.
In almost 8 years of FSO play this was a first. In Frame 3 we launched 13 TBM's, attacked a CV Task Group and 7 made it back to the CV with safe landings. This was only possible due to the high bomber to low fighter ratio. In every other FSO scenario where we had TBM's or Torpedo's we all died and many times without reaching the target. So it was more enjoyable and better playable experience to reach the target, drop ordnance, and more than 50% return safely. In my humble opinion this fighter to bomber ratio should be considered in other scenario's.
The only BUG I experienced was in Frame 3: I created my mission while CV22 was in its pre jump location. After it jumped I attempted to edit the mission and lay in routes from its "game" position to the target area. Couldn't do it. Each time i tried the route would start from the "pre-jump" location. Couldn't make it change either. When in and out of the mission planner. I jumped back and forth between bases. Nothing I attempted could get the mission route to start from the CV's new location within it containment grid.
Bottom line:
Theres something to this low fighter to high bomber ratio that should be considered for other scenario's. I don't care if its historically accurate or not myself. Its a game and its got to be fun or folks don't show up.
The Point Scenario forced you to think as a planner or you could throw it for your side. As a CO or planner if you didn't consider the points in your plan you probably hosed your side.
Retain the larger CV containment box's. Its a little harder to find and requires more planning and coordination.
BINO <S> a very fun scenario. And to the rest of the CM's that ran it <S>
Viper61
Ops Officer
325th VFG
