Choices for next Setup: Input please

[Buzzbait]

Salute All

I will leave the Finland setup to the next CT Staffer to create, since it doesn't look like it will be ready for this Friday.

There has been a lot of discussion recently about balance and setups, so I thought I would put some choices for people forward.

Here are three possibilities:


1st Setup

Malta 1941  (uses Sicily/Malta map)

It's December 1941 and Kesselrings Aeroflotte 2 has just been transferred to Sicily with orders to suppress Malta with an eye to a possible invasion.


Axis

109E4
109F4
110C4
Val
Ju88a
C-202
C-47  (limited)

1 Cruiser Fleet  (no LVT's enabled)
1 Convoy Fleet  (LVT 2's enabled)

Ground Vehicles

MkIV
M8's
M3's

British

Hurricane I
Hurricane II
P-40E  (wasn't on Malta, but is a possibility)
Boston
TBM  (for British Torpedo bombers)

1 CV Fleet  (no LVT's enabled)

Sea Hurricane I's  (Hurri I's)
SBD's

Ground Vehicles on Malta

M8's
M3's


Setup  #2

Tunisia late 1942  (uses Tunisia Map)

The Germans build up their forces for Rommel's defence of Tunisia and  first introduce the Wurger to N Africa.

Axis

109F4
109G2
190A5
110C4
Val
Ju88a
C202

Ground Vehicles

MkIV
M3
M8
Ostwind


British/U.S.

Spit V  (no Spit IX, not needed, and not available in '42 in Tunisia)
Hurri IIC
Hurri IID
P-40E
Boston
Lancaster (limited, subbing for B-24)

Ground Vehicles

MkIV
M8
M3
M16

1 CV Fleet

Sea Hurricane II  (Hurri IIC)
Martlet  (F4f4)
SBD
TBM


Setup #3

Phillipines:  late Summer 1944   (uses either Phillipine map or Mindanao Map)

As the U.S. successfully invades at Saipan, 'Bull' Halsey takes his Task Force to conduct airstrikes and soften up the Japanese defences in the Phillipines prior to McArthur's invasion at Leyte gulf later in the year.

U.S.N.

4 CV's

Hellcat
TBM
SBD

3 Cruiser Fleets


Japanese land bases

A6M2
A6M5
Ki61
Val
TBM  (for Judy)
Ki67

1 Cruiser Fleet


No land units or LVT's or field capture, this setup will have very high repair times for Japanese fields, so that once down, they are down for week.  The USN has the objective of destroying all the active Japanese Airfields with airstrikes.

There will also be long repair times on the USN fleets, so they are not really replaceable if they are sunk.


Comments please!

Express your opinions!

[eskimo2]

Setup #3

Phillipines

PTO is long past due.

However, "this setup will have very high repair times for Japanese fields, so that once down, they are down for week. The USN has the objective of destroying all the active Japanese Airfields with airstrikes. " will kill this set-up.

I am a dedicated CTer, and am becoming more and more dedicated to the Axis since they are so often out-numbered.  However, if/once all of the Jap front-line bases are down for the rest of the week, so am I, and so is most everyone.  I'll fly 25-30 miles for a fight, but if I have to fly 50-60, well... I'd rather go to the MA.  I'm too impatient.

To me, the single greatest thing that the CT or any arena can offer to promote fun and numbers, is quick/close action.  Tough CVs are a good way to promote this.

eskimo

[GRUNHERZ]

Setup #3 sounds great!

Otherwise you will never hear the end of the allied whiners SpitIX crying.  Here there is only a marginal Corsair whine possibility....

I would reconsider the Japanese down time, what will happend 100% guaranteed is the allies will just CV vulch the coastal bases, and everyone knows that airfields die much more easily than carrier fleets since deacking is such an easy job and USN jabos have such heavy bomb capability- with a long downtime the Japanese will be in a hopless position especially once the FH are destroyed.

[keyapaha]

3 please:)

[Sakai]

Originally posted by Buzzbait
Salute All

I will leave the Finland setup to the next CT Staffer to create, since it doesn't look like it will be ready for this Friday.

Three simply because the PTO hasn't been up really in some time, but those other two are smashing and I would take any of these three hapily with only a modest amount of pants wetting.

Sakai

[Oldman731]

Originally posted by Sakai
Three simply because the PTO hasn't been up really in some time, but those other two are smashing and I would take any of these three hapily with only a modest amount of pants wetting.

Sakai

Agreed.  The Pac lovers have been very patient, and altho' my own preference would be for #2, all three look quite nice.  If you do the Pac, consider using the Mindanao map instead of the Philippines.

- oldman

[oboe]

I like them all, but #3 is definitely overdue.  

I'm concerned about the field downtimes as well - the U.S. will probably have a numbers advantage every night, and their jabo-capability is very potent, even without the F4U.

Balance is a very tough thing to achieve in the CT.   I appreciate the effort Buzz!   27th Sentai will be there regardless!

[Kweassa]

Is there a 1942 Tunisia setup with new skins?

 If so, I'd like to play in it.

[Buzzbait]

Salute

Oh yeah, forgot for Setup #3

Could put the FM-2 Wildcat on one of the US Carriers instead of Hellcat.

FM-2's were only assigned to Jeep and Escort Carriers, which didn't travel with Halsey's big TF34 which had all fast ESSEX class CV's.

Not that historical to include it, but would provide some variety.

[Buzzbait]

Salute

In regards to people being concerned about the Japanese Fields being down and their pilots having to fly a long distance:

I think people are missing the point.

In order to win this Scenario, the USN has to knock down the Japanese fields.

Therefore THEY have to come to the Japanese fields.  Once they knock down a field, they have to move onto the next one.  Which should bring them in range again.  There are no field captures.

The Japanese will have the advantage of the defence, and being able to wait for the USN attackers.

They will also want to launch Strikes on the CV's as well of course.

[eskimo2]

Originally posted by Buzzbait
Salute

In regards to people being concerned about the Japanese Fields being down and their pilots having to fly a long distance:

I think people are missing the point.

In order to win this Scenario, the USN has to knock down the Japanese fields.

Therefore THEY have to come to the Japanese fields.  Once they knock down a field, they have to move onto the next one.  Which should bring them in range again.  There are no field captures.

The Japanese will have the advantage of the defence, and being able to wait for the USN attackers.

They will also want to launch Strikes on the CV's as well of course.

Buzzbait, this is a good objective for a scenario, but I don't veiw the CT as a scenario.  For the most part, I don't fly in the CT for the big picture (winning the scenario/battle).  I fly in the CT because I like historical airwar match-ups.  I like the little fights, pretending that I'm Pappy Boyington or Saburo Sakai.  When I'm Pappy, I want to fly a big blue hog and blast zeros out of the sky, and when I'm Saburo, I want to terrorize big blue Navy planes with my Zeke.  It can be fun to have an overall objective/battle, but not at the expense of killing the little fights, the action, the game.

If I can't kill someone, or get myself killed every 10 minutes or less, I'll go to the MA... every time.

As you have it laid out, This set-up will start out very strong.  Folks have been waiting for a PTO set-up for a long time.  But once the Allies start killing Jap bases, the fighting in that area will end.  It will then start back up at the next two closest bases, or when the next Allied CV nears a Jap base.  This will continue until all of the front line Jap bases are dead, and then the CT itself will die for the rest of the week.  Very few Allied flyers will want to fly 50+ miles to do a jabo run.  Even fewer Jap players will be willing to wait 15 to 20 minutes for Allied pilots to return to the base under attack once they die.  

My suggestion:

Use Mindinado.

Give the Allies all 6 CVs.  3 with Hellcats, 1 with hog-1s, 1 with FM-2s, and one with F4Fs.  (and all with TBMs and SBDs)

30 minute downtime for CVs is plenty.  Sink one and it's prolly out of the picture for the rest of the night.  5k to kill a CV.

1 to 2 hours down time for all base objects is plenty as well

eskimo

[Karnak]

#3 of course.

See sig.

[Sabre]

While Eskimo has some valid concerns, I'd like to #3 a chance.  I didn't think the Big Week set up would go over well either, but it generated some great and unique action in the CT.  If Mindanao is used, it has enough bases within CV strike range to make the action last quite some time.  I would suggest making the objective bases no further than two sectors from a coast line, if you use Mindaland that is.  You might also consider upping the ack leathality a bit, to make the Allies job more difficult (at least up to a value of 100% of MA, if not higher), and/or upping hardness of field objects.

Sabre
CT Staff

[eskimo2]

Originally posted by Sabre
While Eskimo has some valid concerns, I'd like to #3 a chance.  I didn't think the Big Week set up would go over well either, but it generated some great and unique action in the CT.  If Mindanao is used, it has enough bases within CV strike range to make the action last quite some time.  I would suggest making the objective bases no further than two sectors from a coast line, if you use Mindaland that is.  You might also consider upping the ack leathality a bit, to make the Allies job more difficult (at least up to a value of 100% of MA, if not higher), and/or upping hardness of field objects.

Sabre
CT Staff

If this is done, you can make all of the inland bases neutral/3rd country.

eskimo

[eskimo2]

And disable ship/shore guns and give both sides PTs.  Give the Japs M-16s and M-8s.

eskimo