Since you've got a pretty good idea of how I'm playing the resources game, I'll speed up the presentation a little bit so one update doesn't just blur into another. This one has a fair amount to do with changes in laws...
In July, we increased to the 3-year draft, which is critical because it brings our reserve units up to nearly full strength. Later, in August, I increase the civil laws to "repression" for one, and only one reason -- counterintelligence. Foreign spies were starting to really bug me. Otherwise, I honestly see little reason why you'd want to take this step. If my spy situation ever improves, I might actually shift it back. We'll see.
Having a little balance in cash on hand, I chose to draw it down to improve my resources situation. In July, we did a large purchase with the USA for a variety of things. Later that month, I decided to use my extra energy supply to pay for the earlier expansion (giving Italy my surplus in exchange for half the cost of the other stuff). It's always necessary to have a 4:2:1 ratio between the three primary stockpiles (Energy, Metal & Rares), and it's a good idea to keep Energy ahead of the others because of your extra draw from oil conversion. But I can afford this for a while, and when I can't afford it anymore, I'll drop the trade.
You remember in my first game I started building forts all over the place. I decided the forts in Goa were a complete waste of effort. It got me nothing. I think that would have become apparent to me if I'd looked at the strategic situation -- that there's a definite difference between trying to hold Macao vs. trying to hold Goa. What about the Azores? We're about to find out....
I believe the Azores are important, because they're close enough to Lisbon to offer mutual support, and it's also the best placed of all of my possessions to hit trans-Atlantic convoys. A light cruiser might not be a bad idea either, even if I despair of having the resources to produce one. But I want at least one level of fort at the Azores, to keep from losing it. If they try to launch an all-out assault upon it, I can attack with planes from Lisbon while they try (and vice versa if they try Lisbon first). The Bf-109 is a long-term plan, and it's really the only thing available right now I want from the Germans which I also really intend to build. I may not finish that fighter unit for a long time, though. But I have it if I want it (the only thing Portugal can build on its own, airwise, is tac air).
In early October, the inevitable happened -- the Republicans fell, and the Nationalists were finally at peace, victorious but bloodied. They weren't interested in more war, alliances, etc. They were out of the foreign policy business for a while, while they recovered.
My Coal-to-Oil situation improved. This is a deceptively important issue for me, as without trade, my Crude Oil is sapped at an incredible rate from refining. I won't complain, because I can trade or even use that Fuel later. But the conversion of Energy to make up for it is drawing my Energy stockpile down at a similar rate, and I can't have that either. Improving this ratio improves my overall situation with two stockpiles. It might not be as important for other countries.
A proper "4:2:1" ratio of primary stockpiles would put me at 6400:3200:1600, so for now I'm ahead in both energy and metal (or maybe I'm way behind in rares!). I like my stockpile of Oil, but I'm not about to let that go without some serious shortages elsewhere. If I do, the whole thing will disappear, and I need that resource.
For now, now that most of my important colonies have at least some protection from garrisons, I'm working on forts. I may not complete these forts right away, but I want to progress each of them to a point where if I pick them up again it's not going to take forever to complete them (it normally takes 9 months I think). I do want to finish those 2 infantry divisions -- that's my offensive weapon when the war starts, along with those cavalry divisions you see further down the queue.
Mark January 9th on your calendar...
That's when I'm finally able to start building Convoy Escorts, which are vital to my plan to run a maritime empire during war. I don't know what kind of threats I'm going to face in that respect, but I know this will really be my only defense on that front, so I'll be purchasing quite a few of them, as I can afford to. The improvement in supply production will be welcome, also, as I'm definitely going to need to spend less of my IC on supplies at some point, and direct more toward production of units, etc.
In December, I move another newly constructed (obviously I got to where I wanted on one of the forts and back-burnered it) infantry division into Macao. That's 2 brigades of garrison and 4 brigades (in 2 divisions) of infantry. Some heft, if I get attacked, or offensive forces? Could be either.
At the very beginning of 1938, I find that the Germans have advanced their naval bomber tech and developed the FW200. What can I use those for? Hmm... Oh, yes! The story!
But more than that, I can use them to attack enemy shipping, to attack enemy convoys, and to serve as my eyes and ears. That one unit can also be used in other roles. It's really a very versatile plane, which is the only reason I choose it (I can't afford to have one of each type, so I must be choosy).
You'll notice that I have basically 3 brigades defending Cabinda. I'd prefer more, but that's sufficient for now, even if I do have both French and Belgians facing me there. If it must remain a defensive position, so be it.
In January, the Sea Lane Defense tech allows the Escorts, so they're in the queue first. I'll probably keep one unit building at all times, to build up a surplus for wartime. The cavalry is set to be ready by mid-year, when I expect there is a possibility for war. Tensions are rising -- you can sense it. The FW200 is moving along, but I can't devote all my attention to it. Maybe it won't be ready quite in time for war. But with wartime production I'm hoping I'll be able to get it ready soon after.
Did I mention, by the way, that I'm making money off of the Energy trade? I'm purchasing 50 units from Germany, and selling 30 of them to Italy for a very slight profit (relational differences).
I've done another of those trades, like with Italy, where I ask THEM if they want to buy my stuff. I looked for who might need Supplies, and hit Nationalist Spain up for whatever they would buy. I had to try a couple of other countries before I found one willing to make the purchase, which is a necessary task if no one is coming to me for sales.
You'll notice I've moved some Militia techs into the research queue. Before war starts, I want to have time to increase their stats in order to defend better (support weapons) and hit better (soft attack from the small arms).
Argh! Look at those spies! That's really hurting me -- 10% reduction in research? Time to ramp up the counterspy again (soon after this, I actually increased my espionage budget from zero so I could raise a couple spies in foreign enemy countries, who could do counterespionage on the ground there -- increasing my total counterespionage effort).
Once I do switch my efforts to counter the spies, they start dying like flies. The response in v1.2 is relatively quick. Soon, the enemy was barely affecting my research, and I could switch my efforts back to reducing neutrality (which remains important, to allow me free options). At some point, I notice the enemy AI gives up in attacking my research (it seems to happen at once for everybody -- I'm not sure if the AI collectively decides to stop every country from hitting research, or if every country's AI decides suddenly I'm not a good place to counter research -- dunno).
As my Metal stockpile falls below the 3200 target I'd set for it, I decide to take action to keep it where it needs to be. The deal with Austria will end soon, I expect, when the Germans take over. In the meantime, it'll be a good deal for me.