Gotta Build 'Em All - A Pokemon themed Japanese AAR
Dec 14, 2020 16:43:34 GMT -6
mycophobia, captainloggy, and 1 more like this
Post by kriegsmeister on Dec 14, 2020 16:43:34 GMT -6
Starting Info
After just over a year hiatus I'm finely returning to this project with much renewed vigor. My first attempt (seen here) only had a brief beginning published before I was whisked away to a middle eastern desert for the first half of 2020 (highly don't recommend). I was however able to continue playing but had no reliable internet access to post my adventure. However, once I reached the late 1910's I realized that I was oh so woefully behind in my goal of building one ship named for each and everyone of the ~900 Pokemon currently known. Thus I decided to restart my campaign, with a very different strategy and approach to my production cycle, that of quantity over quality and the forgoing of all refits in favor of scrapping ships once they attain (o)bsolescence (with the exception of 1x CVL and 1x CV conversion). As well, most all secondary expenses such as fortifications, enhanced training, intelligence gathering, and research will be kept to a bare minimum to focus funds on construction.
The key aspect to this plan is...well...the construction plan, which has been fairly planned out. There are 898 currently known Pokemon, with the 70 year time frame of the game, that means I need to be commissioning ~13 new ships every year (12 subtracting our initial 1899 Fleet). Every decade will cover one generation of Pokemon...more or less. The OG 151 have their production schedule already laid out, and a rough outline for Gen II's 100 Pokemon. These 251 Pokemon have been broken up into 5 separate, 50 ship, 5 year phases. These will be looked at in depth in the In-character portion of this post. Later generations have not been laid out yet as I am waiting to see how well I am able to adhere to the Phase I-IV programs, as gen 3 and 5, with their well over 100 new Pokemon, may require a different approach.
As for the actual naming of the ships they will roughly follow this pattern
-B and BB will be named after fully evolved Starter and Legendary/Mythic Pokemon
-BC will be named after Pseudo-Legendary, unevolved/Baby Legendary, and (maybe) Starter Pokemon
-CA will be named after 3rd stage fully evolved Pokemon
-CL will be named after stronger/prominent 2nd stage and single stage fully evolved Pokemon
-KE will be named after weaker 2nd stage and single stage fully evolved Pokemon
-DD will be named after unevolved Pokemon
-CV will be named after (if <=60 aircraft) 3rd Stage fully evolved Flying Pokemon or (if >60 aircraft) Flying Legendary Pokemon, and later when carriers replace BB/BC then all Legendary Pokemon
-CVL will be named after 2nd Stage and single stage fully evolved Flying Pokemon
-AV will be named after unevolved Flying Pokemon
-Classes will be generally grouped by typing, shared characteristics, or already established Pokemon lore groups
-Class names will be either the lead dex number or my personal favorite of the group
-Classes should be mostly unique and easily distinguishable from others
Other naming tidbits and fluff
-Aircraft manufacturers will be changed to antagonist "Teams" and aircraft to Berries (e.g. Rocket Oran, Yell Nanab, or Galactic Leppa)
-Nations may be referred to as different regions: Japan-Kanto, China-Johto, Germany-Hoenn, Russia-Sinnoh, US-Unova/Alola, France-Kalos, UK-Galar
-The Fleet Admiral (Me) will be referred to as the Champion, Elite 4 Members and Rivals are Admirals (Elites), Gym Leaders are Vice/Rear Admirals and Commodores, and lastly Captains and Commanders are Trainers
Lastly, before I get into the actual AAR bit, current settings for the game are Fleet Size of 10, Research rate of 60%, normal technology, Harsh Peace Deals, and of course, manual build.
I'm also using a few mods
A New Journey Begins
"Hi, my name is Satoshi Bildem. I'm 10 years old and I just became the new Pokemon Champion of the Kanto Region. It comes with a lot of new responsibilities, but I think I can handle it. Since, I don't really need to
battle all that much anymore, I'm devoting myself to the task that Professor Oak originally entrusted in me so long ago. That of completing the Pokedex and cataloguing every single Pokemon in the world. So far I've
managed to capture 51 Pokemon since I left Pallet town 3 days ago, with 15 more shaking in their pokeballs. Lets take a look!"
A fairly respectable fleet that, as we'll see later, compares well against the other regional navies in regards to our light forces, but is lacking in heavy ships. In total we have 3x Coast Defense Battleships, 2x 1st Rate
Armored Cruisers, 2x 2nd Rate Armored Cruisers, 7x 2nd Rate Protected Cruisers, 6x 3rd Rate Protected Cruisers, 3x Fast Monitors, 6x Gunboat Minesweepers, 5x Gunboats, 5x Torpedoboat Destroyers, and 12x Torpedoboats
Note: Cruiser rating: 1st Rate >8000 tons, 2nd Rate 8000-5000 tons, 3rd Rate <5000 tons
The initial budgeting plan of this fleet can be seen here
Now let us delve into the design details of each class of ship, starting with the smallest vessels and working our way up.
Torpedoboats and Destroyers
First our smallest and oldest pair of ships in the fleet, the Omanyte-class Torpedoboat consists of the class namesake and the Kabuto. These were some of the first ships laid down for the new fleet in our own shipyards, and the inexperience really shows in their design. Small, cramped, as well as sitting very low in the water makes it so these ships are only really usable for coastal operations, but their relatively high speed and 2x Torpedoes will make them a threat to any large ships who decide to wander into Kanto waters.
Next we have the Magikarp-class Torpedoboat, Magikarp, Goldeen, Horsea, Krabby, and Tentacool were purchased from the Kalos region in the mid 1890's. Similar in size to the Omanyte's, they trade one of the 75mm guns in favor of a 1 knot higher speed, and a more flexible torpedo arrangement. These ships serve alongside the Omanyte's in Kanto's Coastal Torpedo Flotilla, patrolling the coasts to deter any would be invaders.
The Psyduck-class Torpedoboats were purchase from Kalos a year after as the follow up design to the Magikarp's. 33% larger than the older ships, Psyduck, Slowpoke, Seel, Shellder, and Staryu remove many of the shortcomings of the previous class. Another knot faster and sporting a second 75mm gun, these ships are more apt to venture away from the coasts with more spacious accommodations, though they are still not capable of very long voyages.
Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, and Eevee form the Pikachu-class Torpedoboat Destroyer Flotilla, a new ocean going design who's purpose is to act as a torpedoboat escort to the battlefleet as well as destroy enemy torpedoboats should the battleline engage hostile ports. These vessels have much improved sea handling over the smaller torpedoboats and sport an impressive armament of 4x 8.8cm guns as well as the standard 2x torpedoes of the other ships. Purchased from the Hoenn region, we have plans to make several more ships in our own shipyards to a similar design.
Gunboats
The Aerodactyl-class Gunboats (Aerodactyl, Omastar, and Kabutops) are another set of ships to come from Kanto's first modern shipyards in the early 1890's. These vessels are intended to be the light gun component of our littoral forces, with firepower that can harass other small vessels. The Aerodactyl's also carry a small 2in thick armor belt, and 1in armor deck to protect its vital compartments.
The Sandslash-class Gunboat Minesweepers were built in the early 1890's to bolster gun fire support of our coasts and territorial waters, as well as to provide some capability to sweep mines. Overall modest armament and protection allow these ships to stand up well against peers and smaller vessels.
Weezing and Koffing form a class of Gunboats purchased from Galar. Their modest firepower and armor were deemed useful to to help protect our merchant fleet, but mostly this purchase was done to deny Johto the opportunity when Galar had announced their intent to sell rather than sail them back home for scrapping.
The Raticate-class built in Unova has some proponents categorizing it as a Large Gunboat, while others see it as a small 3rd Rate (un)Protected Cruiser. Either way, Raticate and her sistership Persian, carry an impressive armament and limited armor protection over the vitals. The main draw is their relatively high speed and range, enabling them to operate with the fleet, or as powerful independent units.
Protected Cruisers
The Raichu-class 3rd Rate Colonial Colonial Cruisers were the first domestically built ocean going warships, intended to "show the flag" in our few oversees possessions, and to demonstrate our new emergent naval capabilities to the foreign regions. Raichu, Magneton, and Electrode are of a small size with a very thin 1-1.5in protective deck. Though they carry decent firepower with numerous small caliber guns to rain high-explosive shells on peer adversaries, as well as boasting numerous below-the-waterline torpedo mounts for dealing with larger vessels.
Based on the Raichu-class, Arcanine, Rapidash, and Ninetales are slightly enlarged versions intended to operate with the battle fleet as fast scouts. The Arcanine-class 3rd Rate Cruisers carry 4x additional guns in modified layout, as well as a thicker protective deck, and much thicker conning tower armor. Though despite the 11% increase in displacement, they are a knot slower in comparison to the older ships.
The Gyarados-class Fast Monitor is a rather unique series of ships built for the Kanto navy by the Kalos region. The three ships, Onix, Arbok, and the class namesake, each carry a single very powerful 330mm gun in the bow. While being an overall decent seagoing warship with good armor, speed and secondary armament, albeit in a small vessel; the enormous bow cannon creates a massive strain on the ship and crew. While doing incredible amounts of damage when it lands a hit, the problems start at actually trying to hit where the crew aims it, and to keep it on target after successive shots. These ships are thus relegated to night time coastal raids where they can make short work of shore side structures.
The Seaking-class 2nd Rate Protected Cruisers comprise the Seaking, Seadra, and Kingler. Purchased from Hoenn, they are an excellent all-round cruiser, with good speed, armor, and armament. Though the Hoennite short barreled 15cm guns lack a little bit in range, they still pack a good punch. They fill a multitude of roles, both independently cruising and raiding, as well as supporting the battlefleet as a light scout and screen against smaller ships.
The Scyther and Pinsir were purchased in lot from Galar with the larger but otherwise similar Butterfree-class ships. These 2nd Rate Cruisers carry a pair of very powerful twin 7in turrets that allows them to effectively engage almost every opposing ship other than the largest 1st Rate Cruisers and Battleships. In conjunction with their good armor and excellent speed and range make these ships very effective independent cruisers and have spent most of their carriers away from home waters.
The sole ship of its class, the Lapras is a 2nd Rate Cruiser that differs from most other ships in the fleet in that it sacrifices some firepower in utilizing slightly smaller 130mm cannons as apposed to the 15cm and 6in guns of other 2nd Rates. However the weight savings from this allows the Lapras to have much improved armor in both the belt and the turrets, allowing it to withstand more damage and continue fighting.
The Primeape, was for several years the Flagship of the Kanto Navy, even still it is a very powerful ship with a strong protective deck and several 6in, 4in, and 2in guns that give it a substantial broadside firepower. Its currently serves as Flagship of the raider squadron, conducting voyages around the Pacific and Indian oceans attacking enemy shipping, and thwarting enemy raiders.
Armored Cruisers
The larger counterpart to the Scyther-class, the Butterfree and Beedrill 2nd Rate Armored Cruisers (though it could be argued they are technically Protected Cruisers with their protective deck scheme) are much more combat focused. They carry many more 7in guns and a full set of secondary and tertiary guns. Their armor is also significantly thicker. However, despite the 33% increase of tonnage over the Scyther's, they do lose a knot of speed and range. This is not a huge problem as they are intended to support the battlefleet.
The Poliwrath was the first 1st Rate Armored Cruiser purchased for the Kanto Navy from Kalos and was for a short time the most powerful ship in the fleet, replacing the Primeape and before the introduction of the Charizard-class and Pidgeot. While the 200mm are short in range and penetration, they will cause a lot of damage when passing through the enemies armor, and the 155mm and numerous 75mm guns aid in massive high explosive output to tear away opposing superstructures. Its armor is proof against its own armament at all but point blank range. Its speed and range allow it to act independently or as a heavy scout/flanking unit of the battleline. The Poliwrath serves as the basis for the currently building Victreebell-class ships in our domestic shipyards with substantial support and advice from Kalos.
The Pidgeot is currently the largest and arguably most powerful vessel in the Kanto Navy, and is the current Flagship under the command of Rival Blue. Purchased from Unova, she marks a new generation of 1st Rate Cruisers being at least 1000 tons heavier than all peers. With all that weight comes excellent speed and range, excellent armor protection, and 4x powerful 10 in guns with an assortment of smaller secondary and tertiary weapons. A few of the Elites and Leaders of the high command view her as the next step towards a stronger navy and see future ships patterned on her, rather than the Charizard's as being far more useful.
Battleships
Lastly but not leastly, we have Charizard, Venusaur, and Blastoise comprising the Charizard-class Coast Defense Battleships. These were slightly older vessels of the Hoenn navy that we purchased, they were a compromise design in trying to fit good armor and armament into a small package. The main shortcomings are the ships short range and slow 16 knot speed, and while the world standard is 12in caliber main guns, the Charizard's 28cm cannons are still quite formidable. As the name implies, these ships are meant to be used in defensive actions, though can occasionally can make offensive pushes into hostile ports near to Kanto. We are in desperate need bolstering our battleline with more ships to assist and soon replace them.
Future Construction Program
The key focus to this campaign is building and naming ships, a metric f*ckton lot of ships. In order to fulfill this massive requirement requires a significant amount of planning. As mentioned before every generation is broken down into decade with an outline for the order of production for each group of ships, and every year there will be careful budgeting measures to ensure how much can be invested into each hull. Currently at the game start we have 15 ships under construction, 2x 1st Rate Armored Cruisers, 3x 3rd Rate Protected Cruisers, 6x Destroyer Minesweepers, and 4x Gunboats as seen in the next pictures.
The 2 ships of the Victreebell-class, Victreebell and Vileplume, are based off the design of the Poliwrath. The largest ships thus far built in our domestic yards, the dwarf the previous largest ships of the Arcanine-class by threefold. Even with substantial technical assistance from Kalos they have put a severe strain on our production capabilities, though now that we have laid the foundation for constructing ships of this size, successive classes should be more manageable. In almost all regards these vessels are a repeat of the Poliwrath with the exception of slightly different armament. They carry better 8in guns than the Kalos 200mm, as well as carrying a more balanced secondary and tertiary battery of 5in and 4in guns over the handful of 155mm and numerous 75mm cannons. All three ships are intended to form a fast attack division to support the Charizard's in battle.
The Vaporeon and her sisters Jolteon and Flareon, showcase a new generation of 3rd Rate Cruisers with thicker armor and heavier firepower. They should fare well as both independent raiders and as fast scouts able to take and dish out more damage in fleet engagements while still retaining a high speed to disengage when needed.
The Rattata-class Destroyer Minesweepers are a sister design to the Pikachu-class. Rattata, Meowth, Vulpix, Growlithe, Ponyta, and Ekans each carry a pair of torpedos, and a pair of the powerful Hoenn 8.8cm cannons for dealing with ships and torpedoboats respectively. They trade the second pair of guns of the Pikachu's for minesweeping equipment to protect our fleet in offensive operations.
The Slowbro-class represent another modest Gunboat design mostly to keep our other slipways active while production is focused on the Victreebell's. All round fair armament and good armor will make the Slowbro, Tentacruel, Dewgong, and Golduck good coastal patrol ships and convoy escorts.
All 15 of these ships are due to be commissioned within the year which leaves us to think what comes next, well I have a nice and fancy chart scheduling the remaining 85 ships to be built of Gen 1 over the next 10 years. There will be a near continuous assembly line of Gunboats, Destroyers, and Protected Cruisers. Larger Armored Cruisers and Battleships will be built in a slightly alternating pattern of B, AC, B, AC . If it isn't obvious to some, Dark Blue are Battleships, Light Blue are Battlecruisers, Dark Green are Armored/Heavy Cruisers, Light Green are Protected/Light Cruisers, Red are Destroyers, and Yellow are Corvettes/Gunboats/etc. Some notes on the slight quirks; Machamp and Golem might swap with Dragonite depending on research progression and whether the Mew-class are Semi- or full Dreadnoughts; and the Ivysaur-class are slightly misaligned from the rest of the destroyer production due to a last minute name swap with the Seaking's.
By Jan 1910 we should have all 151 ships in the the fleet, minus a handful of stragglers. In total we will have 8x Battleships and 1x Battlecruiser, 12x Armored Cruisers, 30x Protected/Light Cruisers, 30x Corvettes/Gunboats, and 70x Destroyers a very well balanced fleet if I do say so myself.
I will end this first post here, the next will be comparing how we stand against rival regions, comparing our ships and laying out plans for conquest.