Permission to open this thread was given by Qorten
*This is a gameplay thread. ONLY the AAR manager [me] and the AAR players may post here. Comments may be made here: Comment Thread*
The Introduction
Greetings, Gentlemen.
Let me being this meeting by expressing my concern over the state of the Empire. Several years ago, when a single incident caused the explosion of violence in Manchuria, I was told that the invasion would help the Empire to achieve self-sufficiency and improve the Empire's position against China. However, according to the latest economic report, the reality is very different.
Apparently, the Japanese industry is still hampered by lack of critical rare materials and the stockpiles of strategic resources are not big enough to allow further industrial expansion. Moreover, I am being told that we are still dependant on the imports of oil from the United States of America, which not only weakens our position, but also strains the budget.
In the light of this report, how can the Empire's influence in China be increased if the Americans are able to stop exporting oil to us should we become too aggressive? This is also the matter of national security - will we be able to stop Chiang when he deals with the communist rebels and tries to take Manchuria and Korea by force? After all, we cannot be sure how the Americans will react to such turn of events. I am very interested to hear what my best officers have to say about this matter.
Before you answer, let me elaborate further on the way I perceive the Empire's situation. While I have no doubt that most people are loyal to the Empire, I hear that the current government is very unpopular. This is not the first government that have problems with maintaining stability. This cannot be tolerated. Stability of the Empire must be maintained.
When we consider our geopolitical situation, the Empire is surrounded by potential enemies, ranging from China to the Soviet Union. The relations with the western powers are also cold and have been gradually deteriorating since the previously mentioned invasion of Manchuria. Our country is isolated, which means that stability and self-sufficiency are matters of utmost importance. They will have to be achieved by coordination of political, diplomatic and intelligence efforts. It is also my will to hear your opinions about this issue.
I have to mention the fact that the western countries still do not consider us to be their equals. This is something which I and many Emperors before me have been trying to remedy for years. Unfortunately, the increasing isolation does not bode well for the future. In fact, it encourages conflict, which is worrisome. This brings me to specific matters concerning the Army and the Navy.
If we acknowledge that the Empire's isolation and international standing will inevitably lead to conflict, a strong military will be the key to our success. The Army has been greatly expanded over the years, but I think that much more will need to be done if we are to face the Soviets or the Americans. Therefore, I direct my question to the Army officers - which direction should we take in order to ensure successful development of our forces? What are your thoughts on army reorganisation?
Since we cannot defend our possessions and project our power without naval supremacy, I have no doubt that the Navy will play an important role in any future conflict. As we all know, the continued expansion of our naval industry consumes many resources and is a very long process. In fact, several new warships are currently under construction. I want to hear it from the officers of the Imperial Navy - what are your thoughts about the current and future naval developments? How do you evaluate our chances in a potential conflict with the western powers?
Another matter I would like to bring to your attention is the expansion of our aircraft industry. I have been hearing that the effectiveness and importance of the air-power are constantly increasing. Therefore, I want to hear your opinions about the role of air-power in the future conflicts.
It came to my attention that the infrastructure in our overseas possessions has much to be desired. If that is so, it is possible that it will hamper our efforts aimed at improving our position on the Asian mainland. I want to hear your thoughts about this issue and evaluate possible solutions to the problem.
Finally, it should come to no surprise to you that I will inquire about homeland defence. Are you confident that we will be able to defend the Empire against the most probable threats in the following years? If you have any doubts, what do you think needs to be improved?
You may now speak.
---------
*Since this is the first post, I will clarify several things:
- the players are supposed to consult each other when necessary, create plans and discuss them among themselves; each faction should present one final plan approved by all mini-factions of a given major faction, which should be designated with bolded words "FINAL PLAN", written in capital letters; preferably, the whole process shouldn't take more than 5-6 days
- during peace-time, plans are supposed to cover a period of at least six months
- during war-time, plans are supposed to cover a period of at least one month, although their various elements can be more detailed or more general
- more comprehensive plans have higher chance of gaining more influence for the given faction; this is de facto your best chance of convincing me to do sth
- the Army can choose its doctrine path, but the Navy can make suggestions
- I will evaluate the plans, approve them and determine the influence level of both factions in regard to IC/MP/LP etc. in a single post; keep in mind that the total influence of a given faction will not be lower than 25%
- after that, I will execute the plans and post the first chapter
- minimal roleplaying is expected during staff meetings, but your posts should be first and foremost informative
- you can consult each other by PMs if you think that it will help you to coordinate your actions, but major points and plans should be made in this thread, as I will not assign influence levels based on outside sources
- readers are not supposed to post in this thread; comments should be made in the Comment Thread
ENJOY!
*This is a gameplay thread. ONLY the AAR manager [me] and the AAR players may post here. Comments may be made here: Comment Thread*
The Introduction
Greetings, Gentlemen.
Let me being this meeting by expressing my concern over the state of the Empire. Several years ago, when a single incident caused the explosion of violence in Manchuria, I was told that the invasion would help the Empire to achieve self-sufficiency and improve the Empire's position against China. However, according to the latest economic report, the reality is very different.
Apparently, the Japanese industry is still hampered by lack of critical rare materials and the stockpiles of strategic resources are not big enough to allow further industrial expansion. Moreover, I am being told that we are still dependant on the imports of oil from the United States of America, which not only weakens our position, but also strains the budget.
In the light of this report, how can the Empire's influence in China be increased if the Americans are able to stop exporting oil to us should we become too aggressive? This is also the matter of national security - will we be able to stop Chiang when he deals with the communist rebels and tries to take Manchuria and Korea by force? After all, we cannot be sure how the Americans will react to such turn of events. I am very interested to hear what my best officers have to say about this matter.
Before you answer, let me elaborate further on the way I perceive the Empire's situation. While I have no doubt that most people are loyal to the Empire, I hear that the current government is very unpopular. This is not the first government that have problems with maintaining stability. This cannot be tolerated. Stability of the Empire must be maintained.
When we consider our geopolitical situation, the Empire is surrounded by potential enemies, ranging from China to the Soviet Union. The relations with the western powers are also cold and have been gradually deteriorating since the previously mentioned invasion of Manchuria. Our country is isolated, which means that stability and self-sufficiency are matters of utmost importance. They will have to be achieved by coordination of political, diplomatic and intelligence efforts. It is also my will to hear your opinions about this issue.
I have to mention the fact that the western countries still do not consider us to be their equals. This is something which I and many Emperors before me have been trying to remedy for years. Unfortunately, the increasing isolation does not bode well for the future. In fact, it encourages conflict, which is worrisome. This brings me to specific matters concerning the Army and the Navy.
If we acknowledge that the Empire's isolation and international standing will inevitably lead to conflict, a strong military will be the key to our success. The Army has been greatly expanded over the years, but I think that much more will need to be done if we are to face the Soviets or the Americans. Therefore, I direct my question to the Army officers - which direction should we take in order to ensure successful development of our forces? What are your thoughts on army reorganisation?
Since we cannot defend our possessions and project our power without naval supremacy, I have no doubt that the Navy will play an important role in any future conflict. As we all know, the continued expansion of our naval industry consumes many resources and is a very long process. In fact, several new warships are currently under construction. I want to hear it from the officers of the Imperial Navy - what are your thoughts about the current and future naval developments? How do you evaluate our chances in a potential conflict with the western powers?
Another matter I would like to bring to your attention is the expansion of our aircraft industry. I have been hearing that the effectiveness and importance of the air-power are constantly increasing. Therefore, I want to hear your opinions about the role of air-power in the future conflicts.
It came to my attention that the infrastructure in our overseas possessions has much to be desired. If that is so, it is possible that it will hamper our efforts aimed at improving our position on the Asian mainland. I want to hear your thoughts about this issue and evaluate possible solutions to the problem.
Finally, it should come to no surprise to you that I will inquire about homeland defence. Are you confident that we will be able to defend the Empire against the most probable threats in the following years? If you have any doubts, what do you think needs to be improved?
You may now speak.
---------
*Since this is the first post, I will clarify several things:
- the players are supposed to consult each other when necessary, create plans and discuss them among themselves; each faction should present one final plan approved by all mini-factions of a given major faction, which should be designated with bolded words "FINAL PLAN", written in capital letters; preferably, the whole process shouldn't take more than 5-6 days
- during peace-time, plans are supposed to cover a period of at least six months
- during war-time, plans are supposed to cover a period of at least one month, although their various elements can be more detailed or more general
- more comprehensive plans have higher chance of gaining more influence for the given faction; this is de facto your best chance of convincing me to do sth
- the Army can choose its doctrine path, but the Navy can make suggestions
- I will evaluate the plans, approve them and determine the influence level of both factions in regard to IC/MP/LP etc. in a single post; keep in mind that the total influence of a given faction will not be lower than 25%
- after that, I will execute the plans and post the first chapter
- minimal roleplaying is expected during staff meetings, but your posts should be first and foremost informative
- you can consult each other by PMs if you think that it will help you to coordinate your actions, but major points and plans should be made in this thread, as I will not assign influence levels based on outside sources
- readers are not supposed to post in this thread; comments should be made in the Comment Thread
ENJOY!
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