Hey all.
First up I have to say, this is a great game! I've owned it for years, along with Vic2 and EU3, but never found the head space to really get into it. I recently read an excellent AAR over at theescapistmagazine.com which ignited the fire I have for hardcore strategy. Of course, I was completely overwhelmed with just how complex this game is compared to Vic2, so I've spent much of my working week slacking about and reading AARs and watching youtube tutorials. I think I'm finally getting somewhere now.
I started a 36 campaign (vanilla hoi3) as Japan following some of the tutorials and guides I've read (and after a disastrous Nat China start), and I'm doing pretty well.
I reorganised my armies better (I think...they seem to be pretty efficient) and sent the bulk to the Shanxi border, bolstered IC production and research, set up a network of spies at home etc. - all as per the tutorial guide.
By the start of 1938, I'd annexed Shanxi, Commy China, National China, the blue dudes south of china and Xian Be (or whatever that horrible mountainous region is called). So not bad at all. I'm now back to peace-time for the moment, and a little stuck as to what to do next.
My current plan is to invade and annex Yunnan and Tibet, as well as invade the Phillipines in order to control that coastline. I have 2 divisions stationed near Hong Kong, just in case of British or Portuguese interference, but I'm likely to use them, or one of them, in the Phillipines campaign.
The issue I'm having though is raising their threat levels. I have a number of spies in each of the above nations with orders to raise threat, but even after a few months all of their threat levels are still zero. I'm not sure where I'm going wrong. It's imperative for my current goals to conquer these nations before WWII breaks out, or at least before the USSR decides to expand their eastern empire as I don't want to be fighting 2 fronts.
I'm also struggling to decide which faction to lean towards. As expected, Japan is already very much fascist - my neutrality isn't quite low enough to join the axis yet though - but I have USSR to the north of me (and a threat of a war which I really don't expect to win) and I have the UK and France west of Yunnan (which makes me wonder whether it's worth invading Yunnan or leaving it as a buffer). So with the right nursing I can have a choice of joining any faction I want (eventually).
Also, USSR will not sign any non-aggression pact with me which makes me fear a future war with them and also makes me wonder if joining their faction is a better option than joining the axis or allies. Currently, I'm friendly with pretty much everyone important, and have some profitable deals with the US and USSR.
What's a good next move then? Should I attempt the invasions I've mentioned above, or seek to invade another country abroad (such as the Portuguese colonies in africa or maybe a south american country)?
I really didn't expect China's nations to fall so quickly, so it's kinda caught me off guard.
Thanks in advance.
First up I have to say, this is a great game! I've owned it for years, along with Vic2 and EU3, but never found the head space to really get into it. I recently read an excellent AAR over at theescapistmagazine.com which ignited the fire I have for hardcore strategy. Of course, I was completely overwhelmed with just how complex this game is compared to Vic2, so I've spent much of my working week slacking about and reading AARs and watching youtube tutorials. I think I'm finally getting somewhere now.
I started a 36 campaign (vanilla hoi3) as Japan following some of the tutorials and guides I've read (and after a disastrous Nat China start), and I'm doing pretty well.
I reorganised my armies better (I think...they seem to be pretty efficient) and sent the bulk to the Shanxi border, bolstered IC production and research, set up a network of spies at home etc. - all as per the tutorial guide.
By the start of 1938, I'd annexed Shanxi, Commy China, National China, the blue dudes south of china and Xian Be (or whatever that horrible mountainous region is called). So not bad at all. I'm now back to peace-time for the moment, and a little stuck as to what to do next.
My current plan is to invade and annex Yunnan and Tibet, as well as invade the Phillipines in order to control that coastline. I have 2 divisions stationed near Hong Kong, just in case of British or Portuguese interference, but I'm likely to use them, or one of them, in the Phillipines campaign.
The issue I'm having though is raising their threat levels. I have a number of spies in each of the above nations with orders to raise threat, but even after a few months all of their threat levels are still zero. I'm not sure where I'm going wrong. It's imperative for my current goals to conquer these nations before WWII breaks out, or at least before the USSR decides to expand their eastern empire as I don't want to be fighting 2 fronts.
I'm also struggling to decide which faction to lean towards. As expected, Japan is already very much fascist - my neutrality isn't quite low enough to join the axis yet though - but I have USSR to the north of me (and a threat of a war which I really don't expect to win) and I have the UK and France west of Yunnan (which makes me wonder whether it's worth invading Yunnan or leaving it as a buffer). So with the right nursing I can have a choice of joining any faction I want (eventually).
Also, USSR will not sign any non-aggression pact with me which makes me fear a future war with them and also makes me wonder if joining their faction is a better option than joining the axis or allies. Currently, I'm friendly with pretty much everyone important, and have some profitable deals with the US and USSR.
What's a good next move then? Should I attempt the invasions I've mentioned above, or seek to invade another country abroad (such as the Portuguese colonies in africa or maybe a south american country)?
I really didn't expect China's nations to fall so quickly, so it's kinda caught me off guard.
Thanks in advance.