How to make Pacific Conflict historical

On this line, the old guy could be named:
Axis & Allies 2nd Edition (Classic)
or, to cover all:
Axis & Allies 1st/2nd/3rd Editions (Classic)
Since you don’t see “Classic” anywhere in the box or the manual or anything for real, it fits better between parenthesis (people that don’t know stuff might think it’s not the one, since the one they have is not called “Classic” anywhere, of course).

If you can convoy japan and take korea directly… that is always a good thing… but that rarely works out because of naval bases and airbases, usually it is best to attack the money islands (easier and more reliable) from ANZAC you can hit everything you need to. You start with two transports in the pacific, I recommend buying your naval pieces round 1 and maybe getting a transport round 2 (you start with infantry on the mainland so you don’t need to buy that until after 2 or 3 more boats).

I agree with Taamvan but in one game I did build an airbase in Shan State later in the game which helped to crush Japan. As it happened, Axis won in Europe in that game, rather narrowly. I think SZ37 had the USN parked in it, just with assistance from the UK.

Yes, I know you can’t see vote. I just took a guess based on voter results and comments. I did remove the quote. :-)

How a cheaper Navy helps the allies is this. The US comes in after turn 4. With a cheaper navy, namely transports, Japan could be a real threat to Australia, forcing the US to pay attention to it, making it historically accurate.

The US paying some attention to Japan helps the Germans.

Lastly, IMHO, the game is close enough that these changes don’t ruin the game. But seeing your point, to go along with this, you would also have to fix the sub problem which is horrible. The advantage Germany had in the beginning of the war with their subs just doesn’t exist in the game. They need to make the subs more stealthy, like rolling the dice to locate them before attacking them, (destroyers would have a better chance than other units) and greatly expanding the areas they can convoy. Also giving the Germans a wolf pack advantage that the US copies and made use of much later in the war against the Japanese.

This whole incredible aspect of WW2 was somehow left out of the game.  A real shame. That would bring some balance.

@Noll:

Defiance if you write a letter to the WoC support you can get shipped 6 japanese tactical bombers and a correct battle strip for Pacific '40.

Wait what? Is this because Japan lacks enough tac bombers, a problem that has always pissed me off?! I can finally get enough?

A lot of this depends on the UK.  If Germany pulls off a successful Sealion, then the US should spend primarily in the Atlantic so they can liberate England.  You don’t want to totally ignore the Pacific, but just spend enough there to keep Japan from going wild all over the Pacific.  With good strategy and some luck, a smaller US presence, ANZAC and India should be able to keep Japan busy long enough for the US to get England back in the game before Italy and Germany get too strong.
However, if Sealion fails or is not attempted, and the UK stays in the game for a while, then I would say US should spend primarily in the Pacific.  Again, you don’t want to completely ignore the Atlantic.  Perhaps a few destroyers to hamper German sub activity, some troops to help take back/keep Gibralter, maybe even a small invasion force on Normandy that can be backed up by British troops and open the way to liberate France.  With a small US presence, the Brits should be able to keep Italy in check in Africa and the Med while also harrassing the Germans enough so the Russians can better keep them from taking too much of Russian territory.  Meanwhile, a much larger US presence in the Pacific can pound the Japanese navy out of existence while steadily driving them back to Japan.  The US should be able to replace it’s naval losses better than Japan, especially since Japan will also have to support the land offensive against China and India.  Japan will keep losing valuable units while the Allies grow stronger.

He didn’t want to be left out like a child, lol.