File Name: Running on Empty.zip

File Submitter: Clemens

File Submitted: 6 May 2012

File Category: WestPac

DB Used: HCDB-120426

Authors: Clemens

Battleset-WPac: .scq - WPac - WestPac

 

Scenario Background:

Running on empty.

 

China's declared exclusion zone and subsequent attacks on ships has caused shipping insurance companies to stop offering insurance to any ship that comes within 500 miles of the conflict area. The consequence of this is that Japan is down to two weeks worth crude oil and natural gas. The only solution the Japanese have been able to come up with is for the government to buy several ULCC's, and LNG carriers and have the JMSDF operate them. These ships must reach the Tokyo area for unloading as soon as possible.

 

Blue Orders:

SITREP:

 

The JMSDF has sent a large escort group to the Malacca Straits to escort vital oil and LNG tankers to Japan. Some US assistance will be available to your escort group from Clark Field and Anderson AFB. Major PLAN surface assets have retired to ports in the East China Sea for repairs and re-supply. The only available US carrier is committed to patroling the eastern portion of the Yellow Sea to prevent sorties by PLAN surface assets. Most military assets of allied nations in the South China Sea were destroyed in the opening phases of this conflict.

 

The threat to your convoy from the PLAAF and PLAN air and submarine assets is considered to be extreme. Expect large numbers of sorties from all PRC airbases during your transit.

 

Orders:

 

Proceed by the fastest possible route through the South China Sea enroute to Tokyo. The survival of your command and the merchant ships you are escorting is vital to the conduct of the war.

 

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Thanks for breathing new life into the scene. This looks like fun. Hugely outnumbered, with DF-21's lurking unseen (I'll bet) and most of the PLAN in the way. I'm going to try to stay the course and finish the last one, but..

Thanks for breathing new life into the scene. This looks like fun. Hugely outnumbered, with DF-21's lurking unseen (I'll bet) and most of the PLAN in the way. I'm going to try to stay the course and finish the last one, but..

 

 

I won't say if there are DF-21's out there, all I will say is that there are some surprises that you don't see used very often

Thanks for breathing new life into the scene. This looks like fun. Hugely outnumbered, with DF-21's lurking unseen (I'll bet) and most of the PLAN in the way. I'm going to try to stay the course and finish the last one, but..

 

 

I won't say if there are DF-21's out there, all I will say is that there are some surprises that you don't see used very often

I like scenarios up that area of the world, especially when they look tough to crack, thanks:)

I like scenarios up that area of the world, especially when they look tough to crack, thanks:)

 

Your welcome, I'm enjoying putting these together actually. It's a big change from 6-7 yrs ago when I last played harpoon. I'm trying to base these off of a 2015 to 2020 time frame though and I I really miss the Spruance and Perry classes, setting up decent asw defense without these and the S3 is tough, thank god for the imaginary SV-22.

Man I'm still going with this one!

I've had a couple of "user errors" (lol) that have held me back but even so there is plenty of action.

I think I'm getting things under control now but still got a long way for those 'surprises' to pop up......

Thanks again for your time in throwing heaping this one together:)

I've very little spare time these weeks, but I'm playing and enjoying it very much.

I've played as 18 hours playing time, and by moment:

 

239 chinese planes shot-down. A lot of Y-8 AEW, Hong-5 ECM/Il-28, Hong-6/Tu-16, J-10 and Flanker-G, and some J-8.

4 chinese submarines sunked, I think 2xKilo II, 1xMing, 1xYuan. 2 by Orion, 1 by P-8 and 1 by Japanese submarine.

 

Two chinese AGI or similar unarmed ships sunked near the Guangzhou coast.

10 AD Mobile and 7 armored (coastal based SSM, I suposse) destroyed in the Chinese base near Paracel islands, the base also destroyed, mainly by the Guam-based B-1B, and later by Clark-based F-16.

Next, I want to destroy Guangzhou East, forcing the Chinese to deplete his SAM with decoys, using HARMs, and later obliterating the airport with the JASSM-equipped B-1B...

 

The Chinese have shoot down only seven Western planes, basically F-15J, F-15E and EP-3.

I'm afraid of mine presence, but the surface group has MCM helicopters ...

 

Very interesting, balanced and funny scenario, thanks Clemens!

 

 

 

 

SPOILER ALERT:

 

 

 

The J-20 are coming near Japan some 15 hours after the game start. This data and a fourth targetable Port and Airport base in the targeting menu, I suppose they are some occult base ...

None of his shore based? cruise missiles have reached my bases.

I managed to destroy the Spratley port facility and Guangzhou East in the first day. Had a few losses from surprise Flanker patrols but have kept my airfields intact. Lost a Japanese frigate to grounding and the Tico CG Chosin to what I think was a mine. Killed 5 subs thus far as well with no losses to them.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

The Guangzhou East attack was a coup de main using a pair of P-8s and EP-3s and the 4 B-1Bs out of Anderson. The EP-3s gathered an electronic OOB of the Guangzhou East air base and determined their defenses were weak to the south and west - just a couple of isolated SA-2 batteries and radar facilities. The P-8s managed to make a hole in this weak coverage with SLAM-ERs and were followed up by the B-1's massive JASSM strike. The JASSMs made it to within 7 miles of the airfield before they started taking losses. Even then, less than 40 of 96 hit but it was enough to destroy the place!

I got a peek to the scenario yesterday but hadn't played longer than for a few minutes, waiting for a quiet time at home to fully enjoy the scenario. But I got a question: I receive some error messages on opening the scenario, so far the only result is that I do not have automatic air patrols, is there any other problem arising from these error messages? Would'nt like to spend some hours playing to get the scenario crashed or something.

 

Looking forward to have a moment to play it, it looks great! Furthermore, I've visited a sister ship of the LNGs in the convoy, so there is some emotional link there :lol:

I got a peek to the scenario yesterday but hadn't played longer than for a few minutes, waiting for a quiet time at home to fully enjoy the scenario. But I got a question: I receive some error messages on opening the scenario, so far the only result is that I do not have automatic air patrols, is there any other problem arising from these error messages? Would'nt like to spend some hours playing to get the scenario crashed or something. Looking forward to have a moment to play it, it looks great! Furthermore, I've visited a sister ship of the LNGs in the convoy, so there is some emotional link there :lol:

 

You should offer some details of your error messages so we can get it figured out.

But I got a question: I receive some error messages on opening the scenario, so far the only result is that I do not have automatic air patrols, is there any other problem arising from these error messages?

 

If I had to hazard a guess, and that is all it is without more detailed information on the errors from you, I would say you have not updated to an HCDB version equal or greater to what the scenario download specifies, HCDB-120426. Grab it from http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?/files/file/235-hcdb-120621-1980-2015-era/ and unzip it into your HC directory, overwriting the existing files. You will want to have that straightened out before playing for hours because you might have a fishing dhow in place of a CVN if using a database that doesn't have the units the scenario implements.

 

You should offer some details of your error messages so we can get it figured out.

 

True, will do next time

 

But I got a question: I receive some error messages on opening the scenario, so far the only result is that I do not have automatic air patrols, is there any other problem arising from these error messages?

 

If I had to hazard a guess, and that is all it is without more detailed information on the errors from you, I would say you have not updated to an HCDB version equal or greater to what the scenario download specifies, HCDB-120426. Grab it from http://harpgamer.com...-1980-2015-era/ and unzip it into your HC directory, overwriting the existing files. You will want to have that straightened out before playing for hours because you might have a fishing dhow in place of a CVN if using a database that doesn't have the units the scenario implements.

 

Thanks, this solved the problem. Thought I had the latest databases (I'm new to this databases stuff), will pay more attention to scenario requirements next time

Some of the escorted merchants are equipped with suitcase nukes ... I suppose they are not purpose, and it was only a simple error editing the scenario choising the erroneous class of merchant ...