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Which team did you play in the last game?

Glorious Arstotzka
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Author Topic: Intercontinental Arms Race: Finale  (Read 599906 times)

Olith McHuman

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Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Autumn 1940 (Strategy Phase)
« Reply #2715 on: May 29, 2017, 02:05:13 am »

Or we could roll hundreds out of the reckless...
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RAM

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Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Autumn 1940 (Strategy Phase)
« Reply #2716 on: May 29, 2017, 03:34:49 am »

I am given to understand that flywheels can be quite effective if used correctly...
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Sheb

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Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Autumn 1940 (Strategy Phase)
« Reply #2717 on: May 29, 2017, 05:15:24 am »

Two hulls just mean two targets...
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Kot

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Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Autumn 1940 (Strategy Phase)
« Reply #2718 on: May 29, 2017, 05:25:10 am »

No, it means it's still one target, just a bigger one.
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RAM

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Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Autumn 1940 (Strategy Phase)
« Reply #2719 on: May 29, 2017, 05:32:09 am »

It can be helpful wit hfluid dynamics, boxes are slow, lines are, well, complicated... I would expect them to be prone to breaking if a bomb hit the runway, but armour can do a lot and there shouldn't be much there that blows up, it is pretty difficult to damage scaffolding... Turning could be difficult. Getting both to turn at once would be awkward, and turning with the force of only one would be, well, also awkward.
But, really, If you are going to be that big anyway, then you don't really become more of a target with two hulls than one, and carriers can't really turn anyway, owing to them needing to stay pretty still to act as a runway and needing to act as a runway in order to fight anything...
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Madman198237

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Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Autumn 1940 (Strategy Phase)
« Reply #2720 on: May 29, 2017, 12:57:48 pm »

Catamaran's a bad idea before it amplifies rolling motions at sea. You can't be launching and landing planes if your runway tips uncontrollably from side to side and up and down.

I'd say that we should spend a design to make a LARGE hull. Just a hull. Well-armored, reasonably fast, and as large as early WWII fleet carriers. It will allow us to build at least two ships for the design difficulty of one. But now, it's the strategy phase. So there's not any real point to doing anything right now.
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Sensei

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Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Autumn 1940 (Strategy Phase)
« Reply #2721 on: May 30, 2017, 02:14:02 am »

Battle Report 10: Autumn 1940

Resources:
Some of you have expressed concern regarding the fact that special ore nodes are not as useful as generic ore nodes, a fact which I am aware of and, while I'm not totally satisfied with it either, I settled on it a while ago and didn't get any suggestions during the commentary period before the game started. Without going into the pros and cons of various different ways of handling it (which I HAVE considered at great length), I'll simply say I'm not changing it now and potentially triggering a mass upset of the game in regards to unit pricing. I also am and have been aware that this makes the northern landmass considerably more valuable in terms of resources. Again without going too deep into the separate issue of game balance, I predicted that placing very valuable resources on the small islands would allow Cannala to steamroll into Forenia in the Early game. I'm reasonably happy with how the game has been balanced so far; Cannala is arguably in the lead in terms of territory as it is, and both sides have traded the advantage back and forth on the northern landmass, so it's not a steamroll for one side or the other. Forenia has access to better resources but their lack of TC may force them to give Cannala the lead soon, which remains to be seen.

Anyway, as we are exiting the early game, we may be coming upon the point where your alliances may start to give resources as aid, or even allow advances in geological understanding which reveal more resources in existing locations. Just know that, believe it or not, I actually have planned much of this ahead of time.

New Equipment:

This turn, the Forenians have just gone straight ahead and spend the whole turn on a jet aircraft. The UFAF-F-40 "Thunderbird" is a dedicated fighter which is Very Expensive, but significantly outperforms existing fighters. Each of its two engines is more powerful than that in the Haast (but keep in mind the Haast is still less than the pinnacle of piston engines from this era, partly because it burns 87 octane fuel). The Thunderbird reaches the best speeds and altitudes of any aircraft in Forenia, but it lacks endurance, is relatively lightly armed with two cannons and two machine guns, and doesn't like to fly slow- which prevents it from taking off from carriers, or doing much to harass ground targets.

Cannala also decided to make a turbine motor this turn, but they decided to would be safest to put it on the ground. This lead to the development of the MXA1 "Bull", which is a heavy tank powered by a turboshaft engine (like a turbojet, but optimized to give power across a physical shaft instead of thrust directly from the exhaust). It uses the existing Daybreaker gun, with heavy armor on the front and turret. After a revision, the motor is water-cooled and relatively cheap to produce, but it still has the notable quirk of venting dangerous amounts of hot exhaust behind the tank, so that soldiers cannot actually stand behind it.

The Forenian Army currently has the following equipment:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
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Sensei

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Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Autumn 1940 (Strategy Phase)
« Reply #2722 on: May 30, 2017, 02:14:22 am »

The Cannalan army currently has the following equipment:
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Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Autumn 1940 (Strategy Phase)
« Reply #2723 on: May 30, 2017, 02:15:00 am »

The War This Turn:
Forenia is attacking the jungle, and the plains. Cannala is also attacking on the plains, and trying to regain their foothold in the mountains.

The Battle at Sea

Forenia's new Thunderbird jet is effective, but its significant expense, limited endurance and inability to launch from carriers prevent it from really making an impact at sea, so it will be discussed in greater detail later.

Cannala has a Major Naval Advantage this season.

The Battle for the Jungle:
Attacking: Forenia
The dry season continues.

The MXA1 Bull tank makes its debut here, a very heavy tank with a very effective cannon, and good speed for its size. Here in the jungle, the Bull's significant noise means it can often be heard before it's seen, sometimes allowing infantry to lay mines or ambushes and hide at its approach. Of course, like the Armadillo, it can easily defeat Forenia's water-mobile Salamanders, but its primary concern is more on defeating Forenia's heaviest tank, the AS-T33. The Bull is somewhat faster, has a heavily armored turret making it well protected in a hull-down position, and has a bigger gun. While the Bull is seen as a symbol of Cannalan might, it is few enough in number and some of its advantages are mitigated by the lack of long ranges or open space, that Cannala doesn't completely dominate armored warfare- still, it's better than just having the Armadillo. It is also, notably, not invulnerable to a lucky shot with Forenia's Sarukh rockets, and a hit to the rear armor with an RPG will reliably disable the engine and probably cause a fire. The extremely exhaust gasses are a problem from soldiers trying to fight on narrow jungle roads with a Bull for support, and on one occasion a forest fire was started by a Bull staying in one place too long. Cannalan tank crews also smoke meat by tying it to the grates over the exhaust vents (it usually comes out a little dry).

Over the jungle, the UFAF-F-40 Thunderbird sees its first real sorties. General 'Magic' Tershkova flies one herself, and remarks that its speed and cannon armament make it easily capable of intercepting bombers, hitting them hard, and speeding past before their turret gunners have a good shot. It can also take out fighters, but again preferably rushing past rather than dogfighting, as the Firebird goes fast but doesn't make tight turns compared to the slower aircraft. It can, however, out-climb Falcons, and if they follow, loop around and get an easy shot once they've slowed down. There are some downsides- its limited fuel time, and limited ammo, mean engagements are quick before it has to return to the airfield. Also, the Sorraia guns' small caliber makes them rather ineffective at high speeds and short engagements. Though in limited numbers, the Thunderbirds help Forenia maintain fighter superiority and keep enemy bombers at bay. The Thunderbird is no use against ground targets, a task which falls to the Haast and less-expensive DB's.

In fact though, infantry are still the bread and butter of jungle combat, and Forenia still has some advantage, mainly due to their flamethrowers and heavy infantry armor. Neither new vehicle is an extremely dramatic upset here.

Forenia gains ground. [Forenia 4/4, Cannala 0/4]

The Battle for the Plains:

Attacking: Both

Cannala's new heavy tank sees much better use here. The plains have long-range engagements where the MXA1 Bull can can leverage its bigger cannon and heavy armor against AS-T33's. The Daybreaker cannon achieves a relatively low velocity for a cannon of its 4-inch caliber, and requires some skilled aiming to hit at long range, but its HEAT shells can penetrate the AS-T33's heavy front armor on a good hit, while the Forenians' DT-75 cannon used in the AS-T33 needs to get closer to be effective. When not advancing, the relatively low profile and heavily armored turret of the Bull makes it possible for tank commanders to find or dig a ditch in which to hide the body of the tank, making for a small and difficult-to-kill target. Armadillo tanks equipped with Daybreakers are useful at long range as well, but they lack the heavy armor which makes them difficult for the Forenian AS-T33's to kill. The Bull also gets up to a good clip for crossing open areas. While it represents a fairly small step in tank arms and armament, and infantry strongly prefer to fight alongside Armadillo or Marauder tanks for support because the Bull is outright dangerous to stand near, its simple combination of a big gun and heavy armor (and an engine which prevents it from being slow or a large target) means that the Bull takes Cannalan armor from mostly being at parity with Forenia plus a few unique features, to a measurable advantage.

Forenian infantry makes a lot of use of their Tiger Armor here, soldiers wearing it can walk much further over the grassy plains which characterize this island than the mountain trails and muddy swamps of other battlefields. On the defense, they man fixed guns and fight off Cannalans who enter trenches. Cannalans in close quarters usually use the QFW Mk.2 SSRA, or its shot-firing cousin the QFS, and these small caliber weapons are very ineffective against an armored soldier. Armored soldiers are also hard to pick out of fixed weapon positions, the M1913 rifle or M1928J rifle cannot penetrate its armor at long range even with hardened steel rounds. Forenian soldiers who raid trenches usually ride up in a Salamander, which has armor enough to defend itself against emplaced guns like Can Shredders and and destroy them so infantry can have an opportunity to attack. The Cannalan Raider performs a similar role, but its lighter armor leaves it potentially vulnerable to autocannon fire, even if judicious use of vehicle-mounted smoke grenades can mitigate this somewhat. For the most part, actual small arms are pretty close to parity, with some small advantages and disadvantages here and there but nothing that changes the shape of the battlefield, with a small mention for Forenia's better rifle scopes and widely-available binoculars which are still valuable despite being pretty unimpressive on the world stage. Forenia has an advantage in infantry combat thanks to their Tiger Armor mainly.

Artillery (and close air support) is as important as ever, especially now that every infantry squad has a radio operator who can speak without first finding a safe place to assemble two radio boxes. Common artillery guns are Forenia's B2 Destroyer with rocket-assisted rounds, which has similar range to Cannala's Nightstorm 6-inch Howitzer, but less effect on impact. Forenias SPAT (Self-Propelled Artillery) has been mostly supplanted in role by the quick firing, quick moving Sarukh trailers, which allow Forenia to apply overwhelming amounts of inaccurate rocket fire to an area. Since the Sarukh is mobile, it can often operate inside enemy artillery range: after firing a volley of rockets, the Sarukh's position is given away, but the trucks carrying them can leave before counter-battery fire hits. Cannala has the advantage of their naval shelling, with full Nightstorm Longbow guns on their Khorne battleships. While useful, the 6-inch guns still only cover the edges of the island. General Cortez turns red with shame when the visiting American ambassador asks why the Khorne's guns are so small.

Air combat favors the Forenians, their new Thunderbird jet sees very few losses, but also, limited use in the first place. The expense of the Thunderbird means that while it's fairly effective at taking out fighters and bombers, the great majority of air kills are still by Forenian pilots in Stingers. The Thunderbirds Cannala managed to shoot down were usually when one slowed down to attack an A-2 Spark or other low, slow flier, and a few to bomber turrets. Hits from a Can Perforator, used widely by Cannalan aircraft and their SPAA, will quickly cause a Thunderbird to lose control, it's not durable and doesn't fly well when damaged. Cannala's carriers do help a little in ensuring their planes are equal in number, so the Forenian air advantage isn't total and absolute; at times Cannalan air attacks do get through. AA guns from either side are reasonably effective; but Forenia's Haast in particular is known for sometimes refusing to die even when hit by a good string of Can Perforator fire in particular, as is the Reckless Effect which is used to deliver paratroopers. Timed fuzes are somewhat accurate, but even massed fire relies on luck to bring down bomber wings. There is one other advantage for Cannala here though: Their radar arrays (by land or sea) are more mobile and more readily available, allowing them to coordinate their attacks better to avoid Forenian fighters, and intercept their bombers.

Forenia's advantage in air and infantry combat isn't overwhelming enough to overcome the combination of an armored advantage, and a naval advantage which allows Cannalans to fight in superior numbers.

Cannal gains ground. [Cannala 2/3, Forenia 1/3]

The Battle for the Mountain:
Attacking: Cannala

Cannala was unable to hold ground on Mt. Konstantin before, and unfortunately while it is an impressive vehicle the Bull alone isn't enough to change that: A heavy tank isn't an extremely important role here, as they have very limited mobility, and infantry tactics are much more important. Forenia's new jet helps ensure that Cannalans have less air support

Cannala cannot regain a foothold. [Cannala 0/2, Forenia 2/2]

Events outside the War:

The Outside World:

In Europe, Germany easily invades and occupies Norway and Denmark, while Britain apparently feels it necessary to invade Iceland (which they do quickly and without bullets fired). Germany goes on to win the Battle of France and forces France to sign an armistice, and in Britain attacks the French navy, destroying most of it, in fear that their ships would be handed over to the Germans- many Frenchmen are killed. The axis now controls most of western Europe, right up to the English Channel.

Igor Sikursky flies the first helicopter with a single lifting rotor. In California, USA, the first McDonald's restaurant is founded.

Alliances:
The French colony near Cannala has expressed a willingness to help fight for the allies, against the wishes of the Vichy Government which currently controls France. If Cannala "invades", they will be able to take control of the resources immediately, as the local population will support them.

Local Events:
The Forenian parliament has reached an agreement regarding marijuana, with no shots fired in the parliament building: The drug will be legal. To mollify the opposition, a law has been passed prohibiting its use in government buildings and churches, however. Most people now smoke it in dens (a new sort of establishment which has been very successful despite being characterized by their competition, the Forenian Bar Association, as dirty and full of criminals), or in their own homes. However, growing demand has had an unintended effect: Large amounts of cannabis are smuggled in from Cannala, and while eventually Forenian Police crack down on the smugglers, and local growers establish themselves, the initial rush is enough to give Cannalan an expense credit.

Cannala has narrowly elected Eduardo Charpes as president. For days after the election, the streets in the capital are almost unusable due to being filled with both protests, and parties which are difficult to distinguish from protests. The investigation of El Presidente's assassination fizzles to a halt, the exact origins of the Totemo Iyana gas used are unexplained, with no particular leads. Charpes (now formally El Presidente, but commonly referred to by his given name to distinguish him from his predecessor) begins to relive Juraki laborers of their assigned debts and shuts down some Juraki labor camps, but even so the Juraki being integrated into Cannala are poor and desperate. After a spate of violence, vandalism and arson by recently-released Juraki, Charpes is forced to put this program on hold. He also institutes CLLO, the Cannalan Liquor Labeling Organization. Diegeo Garcia's Crown Rum is slapped with a label which says 75% water, but Diego himself says that the CLLO is simply out to slander him. Also, due to marijuana smuggling to Forenia, Cannala gains an expense credit.

Turn 11, Commence!

You may now begin voting for your design phase!
« Last Edit: May 30, 2017, 02:24:27 am by Sensei »
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evictedSaint

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Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Winter 1940 (Design Phase)
« Reply #2724 on: May 30, 2017, 02:20:04 am »

Quote
Design: UFS-CV-40 'Tiger Star', Pattern A

Similar to the Wasp Nest, the Tiger Star is a carrier designed to project Forenia's airpower further at sea.  Build from the ground-up to be a carrier rather than relying on the converted hull of a CV22, it features a longer runway with a rocket-powered (or failing that, steam or hydraulic or pneumatic or just none at all) catapult to launch planes that require take-off assistance.  In addition to the longer runway, it also features a ramp towards the end to help heavier or slower planes get a little extra lift for take off.  It features two hydraulically powered open-ended lifts on the rear of the ship, allowing it double the launch speed of aircraft.  Being open ended means larger planes can be lifted by hanging the tail off the end.  Additionally, the increased runway allows planes to be stored above-deck when expecting combat situations, allowing planes to be scrambled.  An additional lift sits in the end of the ship before the ramp to allow planes to land and be stored below-deck; this lift defaults in the "up" position when unpowered.  The Tiger Star also features an above-deck command tower/smokestack combo, off-set to one side of the runway and counterbalanced by engine placement below deck.  The hanger features three "fire curtains" and has enough room for unused planes to be hung from the rafters.  The deck is made of steel rather than wood, in order to withstand the forces a jet aircraft would put on it.

The edges of the carrier are liberally sprinkled with bumblebees and AC18's for defense, as well as a new "safety net" to prevent careless sailors from falling into the ocean.  The torpedo belt is medium armor.

I am open to other names.

Edit: I love our General's new nickname.
« Last Edit: May 30, 2017, 12:11:04 pm by evictedSaint »
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RAM

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Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Winter 1940 (Design Phase)
« Reply #2725 on: May 30, 2017, 02:33:40 am »

How heavy is the bumblebee?
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piratejoe

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Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Winter 1940 (Design Phase)
« Reply #2726 on: May 30, 2017, 02:37:08 am »

I say we make a tank or coastal artillery gun of 12inches
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VoidSlayer

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Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Winter 1940 (Design Phase)
« Reply #2727 on: May 30, 2017, 02:37:55 am »

They made a bigger and heavier tank then ours.  We need to match it and exceed it!

I am thinking a monster with four main tank cannons, a heavy artillery piece and anti air guns on the top and very heavy alloy armors on all sides, driven by four treads powered by god knows what kind of engines.  It is also large enough to crush smaller tanks.

I was right about the weed!  I am wrong about this! I mean right.. yes we need this monster of a tank.

piratejoe

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Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Winter 1940 (Design Phase)
« Reply #2728 on: May 30, 2017, 02:42:38 am »

So, a p1000ratte
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Powder Miner

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Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Winter 1940 (Design Phase)
« Reply #2729 on: May 30, 2017, 02:42:57 am »

Our naval disadvantage punched us this turn and unless we move to correct it we're going to have the absolute shit kicked out of us next turn as their naval advantage fuels their plains conquest, keeps us from accessing new fronts, helps regain a foothold on the jungle (I asked Sensei; he said it may have an effect there), and not addressing the naval issue will ALSO prevent us from ideally utilizing TC in the future. It is just ABSURDLY critical we address this before we get really put into a bound by it, rather than just mirroring the Cannalans here.

A carrier or a destroyer, I say.
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