Am I cursed? Or does the UK Decolonize WAY too often - last 7 games!

[ClavintheGreat]

Even on historical mode, is it just me, or does the UK decolonize way too much. It's gotten to the point where I have to tag to them and autocomplete it's mutually exclusive focus so they cannot take it. I beg the Devs to decrease the chance for the UK to decolonize on both Historical and Non-Historical. It makes the UK so weak, and leads to game lag, and bordergore, particularly in Ireland, where I've seen the UK take the entirety of Southern Ireland and leave Northern Ireland alone. The last 7 games I've played they've decolonized and I'm getting really sick of it. I even went into that "game options" console pregame where you can set game rules and put the UK on "Democratic - Historical" in the hopes that in my most recent game, which may I add ALSO HAD HISTORICAL FOCUSES ON, they wouldn't decolonize, to no avail. It's frankly ridiculous. Either my computer is cursed or the percentages NEED TO CHANGE.

The UK should not be shooting themselves in the foot 60-70% of the time on non-historical and what seems to be WAY over 5% of the time, 15-20% in my experience, on historical.

Maybe 80% of the time if they're going communist, and 15% otherwise would be a good percent for ahistorical, and 1-3 % on historical.

Additionally, I think the Devs should add another mode where all countries follow the exact historical focus order with no chance of deviation, but that's not the purpose of this thread.

For the rest of you, do you notice this as well? Because its really frustrating to play as Russia or Germany and see the UK neuter themselves with such frequency.

 

[MobiusTwo]

I'm sad I can only upvote this once. British decolonization is one of my least favorite aspects of HOI4. I propose a few changes to limit the frequency of decolonization, or at least make it more immersive.

1. Going fascist or non-aligned should lock you out of decolonization. There is zero chance or reason why the United Kingdom's staunchest imperialists would support suddenly ending the Empire during a time of crisis. This would prevent the AI from insisting on Edward VIII's royal marriage or organizing the Blackshirts and then going straight into decolonization. Likewise, I think that choosing decolonization should lock you out of going fascist or non-aligned (perhaps a modified version of the marriage event that simply notifies you of the abdication).

2. For democratic United Kingdom, only the Labour Party should be able to decolonize. Winston Churchill, a member of the Conservative Party, was a fierce opponent of decolonization, saying in 1942 that “I have not become the King's First Minister in order to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire.” The Indian independence movement picked up a lot of steam after Churchill's government was surprisingly ousted in July of 1945. New Prime Minister Clement Attlee of the Labour Party was much more receptive to decolonization. Unfortunately, there is no way to get Clement Attlee in power and no substantial representation of the Labour Party in the game at all. There should be some focuses that allow you to form a Labour government, or at least some election events that give the player the option to choose a Labour leader.

I suppose the extremely contrived communist path should encourage the player to decolonize, so there's that.

Only under these relatively specific conditions should the UK ever be able to decolonize. It would definitely lower the amount of times it happens, which would be great since in my opinion the United Kingdom throws the game every time they go down that part of their focus tree.

 

[Dlin369]

Based off the files

AI alternative strategy plans that include decolonization

Spoiler

ENG_alternate_communist_plan = {
name = "United Kingdom Communist plan"
desc = "UK becomes communist and will spread the Revolution!"

enable = {
original_tag = ENG
OR = {
has_completed_focus = ENG_concessions_to_the_trade_unions
has_country_flag = ENG_AI_RANDOM_COMMUNIST
has_game_rule = {
rule = ENG_ai_behavior
option = COMMUNIST
}
}
}
abort = {

}

ai_national_focuses = {
limited_rearmament_focus
shadow_scheme_focus
air_defense_focus
radar_focus
uk_industrial_focus
ENG_a_change_in_course
ENG_concessions_to_the_trade_unions
general_rearmament_focus
royal_ordinance_focus
uk_small_arms_focus
uk_extra_tech_slot
ENG_revisit_colonial_policy
ENG_guide_the_colonies
ENG_towards_dominion_independence
ENG_withdraw_from_contested_territories
ENG_self_government_for_the_mediterranean
ENG_self_government_for_the_middle_east
ENG_self_government_for_the_americas
ENG_self_government_for_africa
ENG_self_government_for_asia
ENG_foundations_for_an_indian_state
ENG_the_three_nation_solution
ENG_towards_indian_independence
ENG_decolonization
air_rearmament_focus
fighter_command_focus
aircraft_production_focus
ENG_the_fate_of_the_royal_family
ENG_eliminate_the_upper_class
ENG_for_the_good_of_the_revolution
#March 10 1936
#May 20 1936
#July 30 1936
#October 10 1936
#October 10 1936
#December 20 1936
#February 30 1937
#May 10 1937
#July 20 1937
#September 30 1937
#December 10 1937
#February 20 1938
#April 30 1938
#July 10 1938
#September 20 1938
#November 30 1938
#February 10 1939
#April 20 1939
#June 30 1939
#September 10 1939
#November 20 1939
#January 30 1940
#April 10 1940
#June 20 1940
#August 30 1940
#November 10 1940
#January 20 1941
#March 30 1941
#June 10 1941
#August 20 1941
#October 30 1941
#January 10
#March 20 1942
#May 30 1942
#August 10 1942
#October 20 1942
#December 30 1942
#March 10 1943
#May 20 1943
#July 30 1943
}

research = {

}

ideas = {

}

# Keep small, as it is used as a factor for some things (such as research needs)
# Recommended around 1.0. Useful for relation between plans
weight = {
factor = 1.0
modifier = {
factor = 1.0
}
}

Weights for doing reinforce the empire

Spoiler

ai_will_do = {
factor = 1
modifier = {
factor = 0
has_completed_focus = ENG_concessions_to_the_trade_unions
}
}

Weights for Doing the Decolonization Focus

Spoiler

ai_will_do = {
factor = 1
modifier = {
factor = 0
OR = {
has_completed_focus = ENG_global_defense
has_country_leader = {
name = "Winston Churchill"
ruling_only = yes
}
}
}
}

As far as I can tell they shouldn't be choosing decolonization on historical unless they go communist. On ahistorical, Steady as She Goes has the same weight as A Change in Course as does reinforcing the empire vs decolonization.

Some questions that might help include:
What country are you playing exactly + what path? Are you playing with any mods? Have you tried reinstalling your game?

 

[Dlin369]

I'm sad I can only upvote this once. British decolonization is one of my least favorite aspects of HOI4. I propose a few changes to limit the frequency of decolonization, or at least make it more immersive.

1. Going fascist or non-aligned should lock you out of decolonization. There is zero chance or reason why the United Kingdom's staunchest imperialists would support suddenly ending the Empire during a time of crisis. This would prevent the AI from insisting on Edward VIII's royal marriage or organizing the Blackshirts and then going straight into decolonization. Likewise, I think that choosing decolonization should lock you out of going fascist or non-aligned (perhaps a modified version of the marriage event that simply notifies you of the abdication).

2. For democratic United Kingdom, only the Labour Party should be able to decolonize. Winston Churchill, a member of the Conservative Party, was a fierce opponent of decolonization, saying in 1942 that “I have not become the King's First Minister in order to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire.” The Indian independence movement picked up a lot of steam after Churchill's government was surprisingly ousted in July of 1945. New Prime Minister Clement Attlee of the Labour Party was much more receptive to decolonization. Unfortunately, there is no way to get Clement Attlee in power and no substantial representation of the Labour Party in the game at all. There should be some focuses that allow you to form a Labour government, or at least some election events that give the player the option to choose a Labour leader.

I suppose the extremely contrived communist path should encourage the player to decolonize, so there's that.

Only under these relatively specific conditions should the UK ever be able to decolonize. It would definitely lower the amount of times it happens, which would be great since in my opinion the United Kingdom throws the game every time they go down that part of their focus tree.

AI churchill is scripted to avoid taking the decolonization focus and the fascist/nonaligned branches and in the ai_strategic_plans for both non-aligned and fascist the reinforce the empire branch is scripted as focuses to take.

 

[MobiusTwo]

AI churchill is scripted to avoid taking the decolonization focus and the fascist/nonaligned branches and in the ai_strategic_plans for both non-aligned and fascist the reinforce the empire branch is scripted as focuses to take.

I don't doubt you, but I believe the problem is the AI choosing to decolonize, and then going down one of those paths where it is scripted to avoid decolonization. I'd had many games where this happens, so just having the Churchill, fascist, and non-aligned paths being scripted to avoid decolonization is not enough of a stopgap.

 

[ClavintheGreat]

What country are you playing exactly + what path? Are you playing with any mods? Have you tried reinstalling your game?

Of the 7 decolonizes in a row which pissed me off to the extent I felt the need to write a forum post about it:

6 were played with Better Colors, Darkest Hour Map Style, 777 Flag Rework, Player Led Peace Conferences, and State Transfer Tool
1 of these was as Fascist (Phalanx) Spain - non-historical
3 of these were as the Soviet Union - all 3 were played on historical, did the purge and tried to play mostly historical (except a cheeky Tannu Tuvan conquest to get rid of officers purged), and the last one I did the game settings forcing UK into "Democratic Historical"
2 of these were as Monarchist Germany - one historical, one non-historical. In both I did "focus on the true enemy" but didn't go to war until early 1940.

1 was played multiplayer with no mods
I originally started as Monarchist Portugal and by friend was Carlist Spain, things did not go as planned and we ended up as Italy and Fascist (Phalanx) Spain. (On a side note, the Portugese civil war was ridiculous, I had 6 divisions and the other side had 12+, and they took the good ones!) this was on non-historical.

I have not yet tried reinstalling as I'm probably just getting super unlucky. I'd be happy to hear your thoughts on my situation now that you know the details.

I'm sad I can only upvote this once. British decolonization is one of my least favorite aspects of HOI4. I propose a few changes to limit the frequency of decolonization, or at least make it more immersive.

Only under these relatively specific conditions should the UK ever be able to decolonize. It would definitely lower the amount of times it happens, which would be great since in my opinion the United Kingdom throws the game every time they go down that part of their focus tree.

I completely agree. The UK throws the game way too often and they need to fix the percent chance for it to occur. I love the new UK focus tree, but I really dislike the decolonization.

 

[Emren]

I always play historical, unmodded games. After 800 hours, I have never seen UK decolonize.

 

[SophieX]

Of the 7 decolonizes in a row

In my understanding, it is not enough to check the historical box; the player must also follow the "historical" focus-path. Doing something "a-historical" will allow the AI to get away from its historical focus-path.
Example: If you play Germany and choose "oppose Hitler" instead of "Rhineland", France is likely to go the commie-path.

So at minimum 5 of the 7 games you played a-historical ( if I understand correctly )...

 

[sekelsenmat]

Even on historical mode, is it just me, or does the UK decolonize way too much.

Maybe maybe the woke crowd appeared at Paradox and demanded to make decolonization mandatory.

Seriously though, I've never seen this, but I always play with "Historical mode" general mode.

Which countries exactly you see released? And at which dates?

 

[Gort11]

Yeah, I haven't seen this happen in my games either. It's probably leftover mod cruft.

 

[ClavintheGreat]

Maybe maybe the woke crowd appeared at Paradox and demanded to make decolonization mandatory.

Seriously though, I've never seen this, but I always play with "Historical mode" general mode.

Which countries exactly you see released? And at which dates?

Well the UK usually takes the focus that begins decolonization in '36. The most annoying part is the "withdraw from contested territories" because that leads to all sorts of problems (like the Spanish Army of Africa having to travel around the entirety of Africa to get to Spain because the stupid Brits gave the Republicans Gibraltar. I see all of them released, usually they finish the final decolonization focus anywhere from 42-45.

You've never seen England decolonize? Lucky man.

 

[Gort11]

You've never seen England decolonize? Lucky man.

Not in historical AI focuses mode, no.

 

[Adolf - Finite War]

I guess I must have been very lucky in my very ahistoric US game for which I checked the historic box since everything went perfectly fine.:

German gunboat policy worked till Poland refused to back down which is extremely frustrating to happen as Player lead Germany btw!
Same thing in Asia the MP-Bridge incident let to the 2nd Sino-Jap-War which dragged on for quite a while - concessions by the Chinese should never happen in historical mode.
France and Britain formed the Allies and went down their historical paths. Britain decolonizing would really have screwed over my Manifest Destiny in the Carribean and British Guyana as the focuses don't give war goals on the decolonized states.
And finally the German-Soviet War in 1941 - I remember this failing for one of my USSR games where the Axis waited till 44? I believe to attack me which made it even more trivial then what it tends to be in '41.

 

[Secret Master]

I've never seen the UK decolonize with historical focuses turned on, either.

Now that I think about it, I don't think I've even see decolonization other than the one time I did it for the lulz.

 

[xtfoster]

I've never seen it either, but then again when playing 'Historical' I do more than just check the friggin box. I also make sure every AI is set to actually follow the historical path. I have 2 presets saved...one with everyone on historical and one with everyone on random.

 

[ClavintheGreat]

I've never seen it either, but then again when playing 'Historical' I do more than just check the friggin box. I also make sure every AI is set to actually follow the historical path. I have 2 presets saved...one with everyone on historical and one with everyone on random.

That's a good idea. I'm going to do that now. Starting another game today, wish me luck that I break the curse!

 

[Fireforce20]

First post so go easy. Addressing the OP I have found the same thing consistently on my non-historial runs this past while, perhaps timed with 1.9.2 if I stretch the memory. I run with all of the paradox expansion DLC and only 1 mod- strategic view adjustments. My last 8 runs only once has the UK not decolonised. Its made for strange dyanmics and political geography. When i've invited the now non-aligned UK to join the axis i can then inevitably annihilate France in a matter of a week simply by naval invading at Calais and walking into Paris. The rest of the game becomes relatively easy with a Germano-British pact (except for the Yanks) so i've tended to let the Brits side with Italy in the "isolate Italy" event. I also find recently that the Carlists and anarchists appear every time in Spain andmore often than not unless I send volunteers and/or ultimately declare on Republican Spain they win and present me with a two front war against the Comintern. Finally i have had Austria decline anchluss and Sudetenland go against me more often than not.

My current run is most interesting, factions galore
Poland/Romania (despite align romania focus!)/Baltics
Germany (me) + Britain/Romania post 1940 +occupied France/Poland/Czech
North American Union- Yanks and Canada
Commonwealth of nations- France/canada/New Zealand/Aussies/South Africe and assorted europeans i invade
Comintern- Finland/Soviets/Baltics/Spain

Unusual highlights
Soviets declared on romania for Beressabia and took Baltics +East poland in peace conference. Romania then flipped axis
Soviets took Karelia and rolled Finland into a collaboration commie government
Republicans won civil war, Soviets seemed to occupy Catalunya for a time before handing it back and Spain joining Comintern
Japan has almost completely rolled China by December 1940 and declared on the Soviets quickly occupying Vladivostock

 

[ClavintheGreat]

Alright, I think I found a solution:

In my recent game I played as England and didn't decolonize.... streak broken!

 

[FindFloppies]

Yeah, I haven't seen this happen in my games either. It's probably leftover mod cruft.

I would agree. I have over 2000 hours, and I play a-historical most of the time, and the UK decolonizes about 1/5-1/3 of the time, roughly. I've never ever seen it happen 7 times in a row. Probably mod cruft somewhere, or just bad luck.

 

[Spelaren]

Unhistorical is barely random at all tbh.