Empire - Now V1.6b Dec 21 WITP AE - Hot and out!

[cavalry corps]

Ship classes and notes in Empire...
We will start the top of the tree.

CV and Naval Aircraft (this is a game for realistic R+D)
Both sides suffer from a retarded availability of good aircraft for the carriers during 1942. After that it starts to accelerate. The allies get the much better carrier-capable aircraft in the long term, but 42 belongs the Zero as top predator of CV fighter aircraft.
Japan suffers from the lack of a good aircraft capable scout plane, that is without diluting their bombers. Japan relies on the long-range Jake. As this war opens, this aircraft has not long entered service and is in short supply. The first reconnaissance version of the potentially excellent Judy is available from the start( engine needs accelerating) but its service rating is terrible at 4. This represents the lack of spare parts for these prototype aircraft, as well as the engine problems they generally had. The allies also suffered from the lack of a good ranged floatplane early in the war. You will see these aircraft develop on both sides as the war goes on. Generally speaking, Japan always has the edge for float recon units as well as specialised ships to put them on.

A lot of Japanese aircraft carriers arrived with only carrier-capable aircraft units not carrier trained. All Japanese carriers start with slightly less AA than stock but get more significant AA upgrades esp. in 44.
Staring aviators on Akagi, Kaga, Soryu and Hiryu are the most elite, un replaceable... Zuikaku and Shokaku had recently been commissioned and their pilots are a step down. Others arriving are generally another step down again.

ALLIED CV
You have a number of extra CV at the start of the game or soon after the start. Some of them are a bit obsolete so you need to be careful with them. The Ranger for instance has no TT ammo until a late war update. Historically the ship operated in the Atlantic against U boats and was considered unsuitable for the Pacific. The President Hoover Is in the game as a kind of training carrier. It could also be used for ASW escorting convoys and so on. Like all slow ships it is easily targeted by torpedoes.

The British have a number of quite good carriers at the start or soon after and they can be a thorn in the side of Japan, if used carefully. They have generally obsolete aircraft (Roc, Skua and Swordfish), Hurricanes appear in early 42. In Scn 42 two USN CV are slightly delayed until May 42 for play balance.

Remember that aircraft are designated as to the kind of carrier they may operate from (House Rule - you can ignore if you like!) after their title like (cvl) . Generally speaking the late war decisive aircraft can only operate from CV/CVB. This means generally as the war progresses CVE and CVL become slightly less useful as front line prospects. In this game of course, you receive the Midway class carriers later in the war- heralding the first Jets . Britain also has one built for them by the Americans. These are the most powerful ships in the game.

JAPAN CV
Japan has the option to build quite a lot of additional aircraft carriers CVL/CV 43 onwards subject to expanding facilities. The improved Shokaku are pretty good but also there is the T class that are heavily armoured and a little bit better than the original game but maybe arrive a little too late. We also have the late war option to build CVB, the shipyards will need expanding.

There is a period during 1942 when there is nothing available other than to build the Junyo class plus the other CVL. Superficially these look quite good... but because they are slow and because they also had short flight decks I downgraded them to CVL from an aircraft operation viewpoint. This means after 1943 they will be very limited as to what they can do. If Japan can get by without them until mid 1943 then it's good. But if we have some unexpected losses during 42 you may have to build them. Who knows. That is all fun...part of the game design to give the players choices that they can make some of which may not be in their favour later.

Japan has the option to build quite a lot of small CVE for convoy escort etc. These are not as good as the allied equivalence but they can be useful. Again they are restricted as to the kind of aircraft they can operate realistically.

Next discussion will be BB/CB/BC

Password for download Empire 1941

https://gingerdragonltd-my.sharepoint.co...A?e=BHCtQC