DESIGNER'S NOTES FOR "HYPOTHETICAL U.S. ASSAULT ON A JAPANESE-HELD ISLAND"
SCENARIO

by Jim Alexander
jalex@algernonsdilemma.com

September 2001

SINGLE-PLAYER vs MULTI-PLAYER PLAY:

As the A/I (at least as far as the defending Japanese are concerned) doesn't 
function too well, I've attached TWO VERSIONS of this scenario.  There's a 
version (version A) which you should play if you are playing the scenario 
MULTI-PLAYER (against a human opponent) or if you're playing SINGLE PLAYER 
as the Japanese.  

If you are playing SINGLE PLAYER as the Americans, however, play the second
version of the scenario (version B) -- where I've fixed certain Japanese units, 
thereby preventing the retarded A/I from having them move about rather
haphazardly, and NOT defend as they should.

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OVER-VIEW:

Firstly, I designed the following scenario as a large "campaign" style game.

The map consists of a hypothetical Pacific island, complete with hypothetical
cities, villages, rivers, and beaches -- which is approximately 110 hexes
by 100 hexes.

The Japanese side is set up to defend the island -- including two airfields.
The American side consists of four divisions which are invading from the sea.
(NOTE: The American side also has a substantial off-shore fleet which surrounds
the island, and which can be beneficial if used to thoroughly saturate the
coastal defenses PRIOR to the actual landing of Marines on the island. There 
is also some American air support.

The Japanese side begins play with all of their alloted forces already on the 
board, granting them a substantial initial advantage in numbers (whereas the 
American side begins with less than a third of its alloted forces on the board).  
The Japanese side also has considerable defensive positioning (including a 
series of bunkers, pillboxes, trenches, and very annoying caves).

The scenario is 120 turns in length, and begins with the Japanese controlling
all of the OBJECTIVE hexes.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Ideally, this game would be best suited as an EMAIL game between two human
players, with complete FOG-OF-WAR (and players who won't cheat and look
at the others player's hidden deployments/reinforcement schedule, etc.).

Unlike Talon Soft's "Waterloo" scenario editor, the "West Front" scenario
editor doesn't allow the designer to specifically control the AI (allowing
for specific strategies per individual units).  As such, I can't vouch for
how well this would play out against the AI.  Even given the fact that I've
included two versions (one for play as the Americans against a Japanese AI, 
and the other for play either as the Japanese against an American AI or
multiplayer), the AI will likely do retarded things and send Japanese troops
into their own minefields, and abandon secure defensive positions to come out
into the open and spit at you.  (As you can see, I have love for this game's
AI.)

For players who take the American side, learn the map before you play.
Don't fall into the biggest trap of this scenario -- which is bringing your
troops ashore where they can't possibly traverse the terrain inland.  Find
places where they CAN make their inland from the coast, and land them there 
(unless, of course, you like stranding your troops in the water with no
possible route inland).

Likewise, try to avoid dense jungles and swamps... unless, of course, you
like wasting 40 turns to cross a single mile of terrain.

Secondly, review your REINFORCEMENT schedule BEFORE you start.  Learn which 
waves are coming WHERE and WHEN, so plan your attack accordingly.  If you 
play the American side haphazardly, you'll likely get wiped out (the retarded
Japanese AI notwithstanding).  An amphibious assault of this scale needs to 
be well-thought before it's undertaken.  All of your troops do NOT arrive at 
the same time, at the same place.  Familiarize yourself with the reinforcement
schedule.

For players who take the Japanese side, again LEARN THE MAP before you play.
Find out where your defenses may be the weakest, and be prepared to transport
troops there if necessary.  Utilize your strengths (and there's no shortage of
those, as I've amply supplied the Japanese with defensive positioning which
make Iwo Jima and Okinawa look like cakewalks for the Americans).

----

If you have any questions or comments about this scenario, please feel free
to email me at: jalex@algernonsdilemma.com

 

