Amazing update once again. You put the G in Graphics 
Are you going to push all the way to Suez before anything else in the Med?
Are you going to push all the way to Suez before anything else in the Med?
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Another great update to a great AAR, well done!
Is the Truk invasion the first step of a long series of island hopping?
Is the Truk invasion the first step of a long series of island hopping?
Probably the best AAR ive read on this site. Shame it's not for TFH. You probably would've won their AAR contest easily!
Keep up the good work.
Keep up the good work.
Considering he started it well before TFH was released, how could it have been? ;-)
I'm sure his next one will be TFH, and I look forward to that one as well.
I'm sure his next one will be TFH, and I look forward to that one as well.
A remnant from HoI2, I'm not aware of it being implemented (or at least used) in HoI3.
Hmm... I never even commented on this piece of jewelry? Well, it's about time.
I voted for your AAR in the ACA's just now. I love your graphical style of presenting the story, and the effort you put into it is clearly paying off.
Also, congratulations on your victory in Norway - a well-deserved battle star indeed.
Well, it's about time.I voted for your AAR in the ACA's just now. I love your graphical style of presenting the story, and the effort you put into it is clearly paying off.
Also, congratulations on your victory in Norway - a well-deserved battle star indeed.
The ring feels so HEAVY Sam...I don't think I can't go on (just kidding of course)
I like all the feinting advice in the Pacific. I definitely feel the need to give the Chinese better relief than my measly mountain corps can offer. I forgot to mention that the Japanese conquered Bhutan and are approx halfway across India now. Your feint idea might stop these guys in their tracks. Stay tuned for how that goes. As for weather off of Casablanca, I have no reason to expect any problems there. Gibraltar is still in British hands although I wasn't comfortable with the single garrison brigade they had there so I added one of my own divisions to supplement. I think i'll be stunned if I end up seeing any German or Italian troops in Morocco or Algeria...but it would be kind of cool if they do that! (don't hold your breath).
Yeah I may consider just that...even if it's just a feint to force the Japanese to suck their troops back towards the home island.
I think I'm going to end up leaving an undersized corps in Norway to ensure that those southern Norwegian ports are protected. The LAST thing I want to do is get distracted by another rescue mission. I can afford to spare 3 divisions.
Torch hasn't actually started yet...honestly it was more of an effort to answer some of the questions from other readers about what I'll do next. But I do intend to put troops in North Africa by the turn of 1943. Consider that graphic a planning diagram. I'm definitely going to be building up infrastructure and port levels there to begin the process of building a nice supply stockpile there. My initial objective we'll be Tripoli (a Level 10 port). I'll determine what to do from there based on the response I get from the Italian AI. Sicily would certainly be an historical and logical option.
As I mentioned to Nicegil above, I'll assess the situation once I secure Tripoli, but yeah for sure, I'd like to get Suez back for the British if I can. (and thank you for the nice commentAmazing update once again. You put the G in Graphics
Are you going to push all the way to Suez before anything else in the Med?
)Yeah, there is a large batch of Japanese Islands south of my Pacific Defense Perimeter and I intend to get them all with my Marines. The Japanese are having a terrible time supplying everything now that my submarine campaign is outpacing their convoy attack efforts on at least a 2 to 1 basis. Truthfully, there really isn't a strong strategic reason to take all the islands I mentioned. They create a drain on the Japanese economy which offers more advantages than occupying them myself can offer. But...the OCD in me can't stomach their presence behind my defense lines...and I would very much like to snuff out all their annoying attacks on my convoys. I may only focus on islands that have VPs associated with them since I'm so far behind in that category.
Thank you Thund91! I'm glad to have you here. These contests are fun sure and totally encourage people to participate. I've been fortunate in the past to have won a game so I'm happy to sit this one out. I have yet to buy Their Finest Hour, but everything I've seen in the development diaries makes it inevitable that I will get it. I can wait for now though...my focus is on this gameProbably the best AAR ive read on this site. Shame it's not for TFH. You probably would've won their AAR contest easily!
Keep up the good work.
Ya know? I'm not exactly sure about that...I mean for now my focus is here, but there's a little voice inside me wanting to try an AAR for a different game *eyeballing Victoria*
Thanks very much Gen. Marshall! I appreciate your vote and particularly appreciate your comments. I enjoy your contribution in Avindian's We the People...that's a fun AAR for sure. My only (gentle) suggestion might be to also have a look outside the HOI3 AAR category. There really are some outstanding AARs taking place all over these boards and I know those people would appreciate your vote as much as I do. But even if you don't, just the fact that you're voting at all is really awesome.Hmm... I never even commented on this piece of jewelry?
I voted for your AAR in the ACA's just now. I love your graphical style of presenting the story, and the effort you put into it is clearly paying off.
Also, congratulations on your victory in Norway - a well-deserved battle star indeed.
Thanks a lot everyone! I was very honored by eqqman's nomination as AARtist of the Month for October. I hope to continue living up to that title.
Well if you do a Vic AAR after this I may have to take a look over there. But I'm sure you're next HoI AAR will be TFH ;-)
Me said:
I'd say a megacampaign is the proper way to get to know some more games... I hope I'll like CK and Vic2 as much as I like the HOI AARS.
Nice twin victories, one in each Theatre. The battle anim-gif's were superb - you have outstanding dedication and talents.
Truk turned out to be a massacre for the Japs which I think indicates that your land forces outclass them significantly. They are in trouble.
Bring on Operation Torch.
Truk turned out to be a massacre for the Japs which I think indicates that your land forces outclass them significantly. They are in trouble.
Bring on Operation Torch.
Being an island empire the Japanese are very vulnerable to economic warfare against their sealanes. Factories don't run without raw materials, and unlike Britain the Japanese have a very slender industrial base. So a submarine campaign against convoys plus a carrier offensive against their island garrisons is good, solid strategy. You just can't allow them to take over the resources of China and India... Remember that post-War the Japanese listed 'island-hopping' as one of the key factors in their defeat. If you try to plow through their island fortresses one by one you will prolong the war and require greater resources. So I suggest you look for a place where a small, tech-superior force can defeat an infantry horde. Hong Kong may have been a good choice. Going for the Home Islands would certainly panic a rational Japanese General... whether or not it would sway the AI, I cannot say.
The graphics if anything are getting better. That giant globe you used for 'Torch' is now part of my permanent screen-saver collection.
The graphics if anything are getting better. That giant globe you used for 'Torch' is now part of my permanent screen-saver collection.
By the by, Director, he's already taken Truk, which I believe is one of the islands we hopped irl (we just bombed the bejeezus out of it). Compared to Truk, the other Japanese islands should be easy, and unlike RL, this Japan is in a better position in Asia and China/UK in India need pressure taken off, so securing the sealanes to prevent convoy attacks on US is definitely sound. Also, in-game the islands are generally easy to take. I can use my starting navy as cover as US and have everything not Japanese Home Islands occupied in a month or two with a corps of Marines.
Japan also has a decent industrial base; its just resource starved.
Japan also has a decent industrial base; its just resource starved.
Hmm... I never even commented on this piece of jewelry?
I voted for your AAR in the ACA's just now. I love your graphical style of presenting the story, and the effort you put into it is clearly paying off.
Also, congratulations on your victory in Norway - a well-deserved battle star indeed.
ok, had better confess the same, this is truely awesome stuff from your brilliantly conceived opening gambit (probably the only way to make a USA AAR interesting as opposed to just well written), to the most recent updates. And yep, I do think your graphics are getting better (if that was possible)
You ever consider holding of the invasion until sometime in early 1945? I know your trying to attack before the second eastern front falls but I don't see that holding out by the end of 43 anyways. It would give you more time to prepare, bomb out the axis and nibble at their weak spots but on the other hand it might make you have to abandoned the Pacific to give Europe the resources it needs? Ever think of a Japan strat first? Simply because they are weaker and then you can put all your effort towards Germany?
No worries about anything imminent Lord Curlyton...I still have a long way to go on this one. How others manage to run more than one AAR at a time is beyond me. This one has my hands more than full. I'll admit I have an obsession with World War 2 history and some day I'd like to try and pry myself away from it...at least for a little bit.
I honestly haven't had a ton of time to play other games outside of HOI, however, I do own both CK2 and Vic2. CK2 in particular is probably the prettiest Paradox game I've seen to date and is an interesting departure from the regular build/conquer template of HOI and Vicky. A Megacampaign, though, wow...I don't know if I have the endurance to pull off one of these: Bastions: Tales of the Anglo-Prussians. The scale (and effort) of that megacampaign is breath-taking. Thrashing Mad also did a Poland megacampaign that is extremely impressive.
I'm glad you like the animations Hardradi...they're a pain in the butt to build (haha). Regarding Truk, it was my understanding that in the OTL Truk was essentially bypassed because of the extensive defensive emplacements there (called the Gibraltar of the Pacific). I'll need to read up on the battle that actually took place there. I intentionally picked Truk for my first amphibious effort for a few reasons: a) I wanted to overtly deviate from the OTL b) Truk is worth 2 VPs and seemed to be a centerpoint for the successful Japanese harassment campaign against my convoys and c) it has a Level 10 naval base and I need another deep water port to support my naval efforts in the South Pacific. As for Torch, I had a slight delay there assembling all the infantry required...but rest assured, it's coming. I've been waiting to finish the next series of Infantry techs before churning out a new, big batch of infantry...that set me back a few months.Nice twin victories, one in each Theatre. The battle anim-gif's were superb - you have outstanding dedication and talents.
Truk turned out to be a massacre for the Japs which I think indicates that your land forces outclass them significantly. They are in trouble.
Bring on Operation Torch.
I think I mentioned earlier that I did take a sneak peak into Japanese production and my sub campaign against their convoys has been extremely successful. They literally had no convoys or escorts deployed and ALL of their production was allocated to replacing their convoy losses. Now, you'd THINK that would put all of the Japanese units stationed on islands out of supply and therefore extremely vulnerable targets. The reality (in game) is a little different however. Supply (or lack thereof) was never a factor for the Japanese garrison in Truk...I simply overwhelmed them with sheer numbers. I suspect the AI grants a great deal of "latitude" to AI run units when it comes to supply (particularly on VH difficulty). In Norway, even the "unsupplied Germans (no port) were able to give me a HELL of a time...it was only towards the end of a week long battle that they displayed any effects of lack of supply. I had more supply problems then they did. I'm not complaining...I actually appreciate the additional challenge. (also Director...got a little chuckle that my graphic might be on your screen saver...glad you liked it!)
Hi and thank you darthkommandant. I own a Dorling Kindersley World War 2 history "picture-book" that I freely admit provides a good deal of graphic inspiration for me in this AAR. I'm always a sucker for books like that and if you feel I'm achieving that here, then I consider it a great compliment...thank you
Thank you for the nice comment loki100, I'm making an effort to stick with the original graphical intent...re-creation of period feeling graphics. I think I have a lot of room for improvement in that...sometimes my time availability doesn't allow for the level of detail I'd like. So if there's one place I'd like to put more effort it would be towards more authentic looking period graphics. I just have to keep reminding myself, though, I have to actually play the game too....haha (this is where I sometimes get myself in trouble).
I'm definitely delaying things in Europe until I've built up the forces and technologies I feel will be necessary to take the continent. I don't think that will take as long as 1945 though...more likely 1944. Also, given that I'm pretty keen on building and deploying atomic weapons, I'm not in any kind of headlong rush to win the game before those are even available. So in the meantime, as you've suggested, I've been putting more effort towards Japan, relieving pressure on China, building up my Navy (and more significantly my Carrier Air Groups). In a way, I've prioritized construction of the things that take longest to build: BBs, Nukes, other ships, CAGs, Mech, etc. When I achieve the Overlord OOB I've hinted at (and will be outlining in more detail shortly), then I'll be able to put my major focus on the Germans. As always, your suggestions are very welcome PvtPrivate.
Thanks everyone...I'm working on the next update and hope to have that completed inside 1 week.
One last little reminder, it's that time again for AARLand Choice Awards (ACAs) and encourage everyone to participate by placing your votes for your favorite AARs. I also encourage everyone to have a look at the other AAR sub-forums. I love World War 2 history and HOI is my favorite Paradox game, but there really is some exceptional AAR writing going on all over AARLand and I know all those folks would very much appreciate you having a look. Just to give you some idea, have a peek at Avindian's ballot (on Page 1) which puts a vote in every single available slot. Pretty damn cool if you think about it.
Move into Europe when your ready but I'm very worried about that massive Wehrmacht of doom,it has almost 1400 brigades after all, many are heavy hitting arty,mech, and td brigades. I think your going to need a greater than a 1:1 attack ratio.
Maybe not, but that would be because once the Axis has a direct land connection across all of Eurasia it tends to swarm to every little problem spot and its logistics go, in as nice a possible way, batshit crazy. The US could easily send an army thru the Japs and open up a Siberian front to with lighter units (INF/MTN/AT/ART/AA) and the Germans will likely heavily overreact. If he can tie up half the Wehrmacht in frozen tundra the odds are much more favorable.
Also, if he pushes through N. Africa and past Suez theat tends to draw a heavy response as well. With those two feints/thrusts he could tie up more than enough Axis power to perform Overlord.
Also, if he pushes through N. Africa and past Suez theat tends to draw a heavy response as well. With those two feints/thrusts he could tie up more than enough Axis power to perform Overlord.
I can't overstate how much I love the graphics! This is an amazing AAR, keep it up!