I have learned a trick to force Japan to DOW on the USA - sometime around late November, '41, if I'm ready, and they haven't dropped all pretenses yet, I'll embargo them. Within a month, tops, you're at war.
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Nope! First time I tried it, I was frustrated as it was March of '42. Within hours I was at war.
Chapter 9: Research and Factories.
I am going to be honest with you and admit that I have not decided what my “standard” armor or motorised divisions will look like. That is why I have researched the Engineer brigade. There are two research projects that depend on this one, which will enhance the Engineer’s combat stats when involved in urban, cross-river and fort attacks. Engineers have their use, under the proper circumstances, and I want to be able to build them, should I need them. It always pays to keep your options open.
Since both of these techs are too advanced, I switch over to researching the Light Armour Engine tech instead.
As we continue, I keep watching my spies, but they seem to be in no risk of being caught in numbers that can start to worry me.
With that done, I go back to watching the Spanish Civil War, where the Nationalists in my game have all but taken the entire North of Spain. Our Neutrality is still at 99.76. It’s going to be a long time before I can even think about pulling my spies out of Japan.
It is October before the first ahead-of-time alarm shows itself. I switch over to researching the 1936 cavalry techs instead. We need those to begin researching the Motorised brigade. Wait a day so that the game can calculate new LS totals. Using these, and as more projects start getting up-to-date, I begin researching Light Cruiser techs and, later, destroyer techs.
I check my Construction Practicals. All of my bases and forts have gotten at least 1 level done by now. Construction Practical Decay has turned around. The practical has gone up from 5 in january to 5.6 now. With my first factories set to finish in late January ’37, everything is working as planned.
Franco won the SCW by 2 November 1936. Show’s over. Time to go home.
The Democratic party has won the elections, as expected. FDR can stay another 4 years. It is important to change ministers after an election, because the game will assign the ones in its files after an election. Wagner, Knox, Rowlett and Vandenbergh can come back. The reason I am keeping Vandenbergh is because changing press laws, among others, depend on how much support your government has. If I keep him until the war starts, I may be able to get better press laws and more stringent civil laws when the bombs start falling.
The infantry techs and anti-tank gun techs get up-to-date. I use the freed up LS to get all destroyer and CL techs going, as mentioned previously.
The Aircraft Carrier Armour is done and research in better CV engines begins, followed later by the other CV techs as research gets done.
As we enter 1937, I make a change in my policies where research is concerned. The Ahead-Of-Time penalty would only show up if we start researching 1939 tech or later, but there are a couple of important ’37 techs as well. So whenever a tech is done, I check the new date. If the date on the tech is ahead, I stop researching it for now.
The last Larm tech is done, and we can now begin researching Medium Tank Brigade.
The first factories are finally finished! I place them in the high-infrastructure provinces in the Northeast first. I don’t know if it is still the case, but in HOI 2 constructions came online faster if you build them in high-infra provinces.
This time, I begin building 15 factories. Our Construction Practical is now 15.3. Any construction in the queu will benefit from this, which means this new batch requires less time (324 days instead of 12 months). This effect will snowball as more factories finish, and is the secret to becoming a master of production in this game.
Note that I no longer have to produce any supplies. All our needs are fully met through trade. Of course, the way the AI works, some of those supplies might come from the Mauser factories in Germany, so once we go to war, those things will have to be inspected more closely.
Give it about two weeks before the new factories are “repaired” and the new IC comes online. I use this IC to build 9 more factories.
The Production Screen on fabruary 6th. All factories are fully funded and are scheduled to finish around Christmas, with leftover IC going towards Enterprise.
As more techs start getting up-to-date, I switch to bomber techs, Infantry Warfare and Special Forces in the Land Doctrines.
I have 68 “diplomats” and 61 spies in reserve, so I stop funding them for now and put the Leadership in training officers. It may seem like a waste, but I want those 3.52 points somewhere other than research, so that I can reassign them as needed in case of an emergency.
More Light cruiser techs finish and make way for Assault Concentration and Fighter Pilot Training.
USS Enterprise is ready for its 5-year-mission..oh wait…wrong game. Never mind. Just attach it to the fleet in Washington, then.
Also in April, the last Cavalry tech reaches level 3. Research on Motorised Brigades is now available. Since it is 1938 tech and we are in no hurry, I devote the LS to Ground Attack Tactics. A day later, I can begin researching Interdiction Tactics.
More techs finish. These are replaced by Port Strike Tactics, Naval Air Targeting and NAV tactics, the only 3 techs in the NAV part of the Air Doctrines that are 1936 tech.
A week goes by. A Destroyer tech finish. Naval Underway Replenishment takes it place. This is really a useless tech in and by itself, but researching it will feed our Base Strike DoctrineTheory. This will help us research the rest later on.
The artillery techs can just keep going. By now, they have reached 1936, and are still behind the times. A good thing I’m not planning on building any artillery for another two years or so.
Fire Control Systems Training, Commander Decision Making, Spotting and Basing are the next techs I plan on researching, along with Tactical Command Structure and Mechanised Offensive.
On 22 May 1937, I have all the ’37 techs I want in the queu. When the Aircraft Carrier Anti-Air Armament tech is done, I begin the first 1938 tech: Industrial Production, another vital link in our chain towards becoming the Arsenal Of The World.
A week later, Fighter Ground Control and Interception Tactics are up-to-date. Education and Industrial Efficiency take their place. Supply Production, Agriculture, Combat Medicine and First Aid follow within the month.
On the 21st of June, Enterprise’s first CAG finishes. I attach it to the airforce for now. This makes our Light Aircract Practical jump from 1.6 to 3.4. It is still below-par, but at least it slows the decay.
July 1st. Our first bomber tech is done. It is replaced by Decryption Machine.
I take a peek at the Diplomacy Screen. Our Neutrality, over the past 1.5 year has gone from 100 to 99.43. whee.
Marco Polo. Another show to watch while we wait, and this one is a fair bit bigger than the SCW. More importantly for us, though, is the fact that this Japanese decision drops our Neutrality to 85.06.
Not far enough to reduce the draw on our CG needs, but it’s a start.
A couple of days later, Japan is accepted into the Axis. This links their threat to the threat generated by the Axis in general, which will become interesting in a couple of years.
More techs. Encryption Machine, Supply Transportation. Medium Tank Brigade finishes in September. We’re still lightyears away from anything even closely resembling Fireflies, but it’s a start. I immediately get to work on improving the tank’s main gun and Engine. In early October, our artillery techs are up-to-date, and we can begin work on the last two Medium Tank techs.
Supply Organisation is next, followed by Mountain Warfare Equipment.
On the 10th, Japan annexes Shanxi, which makes our Neutrality drop another 2 points.
Special Forces research makes way for Desert Warfare Equipment. On the 1st of November, I begin researching Motorised Infantry.
As you can see, our Construction Practical has already dropped another 2 points, but our factories are only weeks away.
On the 14th, we begin researching a new generation of Small Arms.
One day later, a bunch of factories are finished. After spreading them out across the Northeastern US, I order the construction of another 20, as always keeping the planes and carrier at the bottom of the queu.
The next day, another 9 factories finish building. These are also replaced by more factories.
Unfortunately, the game always has something up its sleeves to make life more interesting. This time, the dreaded Parliamentary Scandal reduces both our Leadership and Increases our CG need for almost a month. I respond by placing all available LS (35.81 in this case) into research. I’d rather run out of spies than stop research.
CG needs go from around 25.7 to 47.17. Three weeks of 22 ICdays lost. Bummer.
Now I can’t replace Naval Underway Replenishment because I only have 30.08 LS total. Double bummer.
Before I end the chapter, I quickly check the new ministers, since it is the start of a new year, but there is nobody interesting around, so the entire cabinet survives for another year.
In the past two years, we have gone from 256 IC to 294, and we’re just getting started.
See you next time!
Hi!
I´ve been playing along as the US, well I technically ahead of you. Its kinda awesome that you can have more peace time IC than other majors in wartime XD. Didn´t know the thing about factories coming online sooner on high infra.
How much IC do you plan on keep building? Keep building until 1938? I tried this as the USSR and stopped building IC after July 1938(so that IC finishes in mid 1938 so I can start building) and my resources started going into the red, so realistically how much IC can the US support? because it seems trading becomes pretty hard after a year or 2 and was wondering if I should trade resources ahead of time.
Also, from what I have seen as the US you pretty much don´t need to build much in the way of army until after the war starts. so it seems building IC until later is more of a viable option for the US. Are you getting the resource techs?
I´ve been playing along as the US, well I technically ahead of you. Its kinda awesome that you can have more peace time IC than other majors in wartime XD. Didn´t know the thing about factories coming online sooner on high infra.
How much IC do you plan on keep building? Keep building until 1938? I tried this as the USSR and stopped building IC after July 1938(so that IC finishes in mid 1938 so I can start building) and my resources started going into the red, so realistically how much IC can the US support? because it seems trading becomes pretty hard after a year or 2 and was wondering if I should trade resources ahead of time.
Also, from what I have seen as the US you pretty much don´t need to build much in the way of army until after the war starts. so it seems building IC until later is more of a viable option for the US. Are you getting the resource techs?
I plan to build IC until fall 1939, which gives me a 2-year window to expand the military.
At wartime, I have been able to support over 600 IC as the US in the past.
You need some support brigades, marines, tanks (to build up Practicals) and some garrisons to replace the ones we got rid of earlier. But other than that, it's mostly planes and ships.
I have not researched the resource techs other than supply production. Yeah, we'll go into the red with some resources for a while, but once the better laws start coming (around 1940), we'll be swimming in resources.
At wartime, I have been able to support over 600 IC as the US in the past.
You need some support brigades, marines, tanks (to build up Practicals) and some garrisons to replace the ones we got rid of earlier. But other than that, it's mostly planes and ships.
I have not researched the resource techs other than supply production. Yeah, we'll go into the red with some resources for a while, but once the better laws start coming (around 1940), we'll be swimming in resources.
The USA's huge IC is, frankly, historical. I've heard that they accounted for roughly a third of the world's GDP, and a larger portion of its industrial output.
I went to get some specific numbers, and found an interesting book: The Economics of World War II: Six Great Powers in International Comparison.
As of 1938, the German and Austrian GDPs combined about $376 billion in constant 1990 dollars. By 1941, Germany and Austria's GDP had increased to $441 billion. German/Austrian GDP peaked in 1944 at $466 billion.
By contrast, the USA's GDP started at about $800 billion in 1938 before increasing to $1.094 trillion by '41 and peaking at $1.5 trillion in '44. By 1944, this was more than triple Germany's economy and roughly half of the economic output of all major members of the Axis and Allies combined.
In spite of the fact that they came in late, American production accounted for 40% of more of each of all rifles, machine guns, artillery pieces, tanks and combat aircraft produced by the Allies. Most dramatically, the Americans produced 90% of the "major naval vessels" (presumably, anything larger than a landing craft).
Before it was made obsolete by the atomic bomb and by Japanese surrender, the plans for Operation Downfall involved a flotilla of 42 aircraft carriers, 24 battleships, and over 400 destroyers and destroyer escorts. This would have been involved in landing the Sixth Army, the First Army, the Eighth Army, and nearly four entire corps as follow up - all considered, essentially an entire army group - onto Japan, across the Pacific Ocean.
What I'm getting at here is that, in this game, the USA has far less economic power than it should. Rolling in with an immense IC after a few years of buildup is probably the only way to best represent exactly how immense their production was.
I went to get some specific numbers, and found an interesting book: The Economics of World War II: Six Great Powers in International Comparison.
As of 1938, the German and Austrian GDPs combined about $376 billion in constant 1990 dollars. By 1941, Germany and Austria's GDP had increased to $441 billion. German/Austrian GDP peaked in 1944 at $466 billion.
By contrast, the USA's GDP started at about $800 billion in 1938 before increasing to $1.094 trillion by '41 and peaking at $1.5 trillion in '44. By 1944, this was more than triple Germany's economy and roughly half of the economic output of all major members of the Axis and Allies combined.
In spite of the fact that they came in late, American production accounted for 40% of more of each of all rifles, machine guns, artillery pieces, tanks and combat aircraft produced by the Allies. Most dramatically, the Americans produced 90% of the "major naval vessels" (presumably, anything larger than a landing craft).
Before it was made obsolete by the atomic bomb and by Japanese surrender, the plans for Operation Downfall involved a flotilla of 42 aircraft carriers, 24 battleships, and over 400 destroyers and destroyer escorts. This would have been involved in landing the Sixth Army, the First Army, the Eighth Army, and nearly four entire corps as follow up - all considered, essentially an entire army group - onto Japan, across the Pacific Ocean.
What I'm getting at here is that, in this game, the USA has far less economic power than it should. Rolling in with an immense IC after a few years of buildup is probably the only way to best represent exactly how immense their production was.
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They had a navy larger than all the rest of the major combatants combined. They had by far the biggest airforce.
However, the SU had by far the biggest army (about 4 times the size of the US Army, I'd say, who had around 99 divisions or so).
However, the SU had by far the biggest army (about 4 times the size of the US Army, I'd say, who had around 99 divisions or so).
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Very well done misterbean! I'm not "new" anymore but close enough to it, to know that with minimal effort most new players will quickly get a solid grasp of the game. Good job.
Wow 42 Aircraft Carriers.
I once had 15 and didn´t know what to do with them anymore lol. Yeah USA is a beast IC wise, despite being nerfed to its historical counterpart. 600 IC huh? Is that base IC or effective IF? 400 base IC still seems pretty beastly.
I once had 15 and didn´t know what to do with them anymore lol. Yeah USA is a beast IC wise, despite being nerfed to its historical counterpart. 600 IC huh? Is that base IC or effective IF? 400 base IC still seems pretty beastly.
That's effective total IC with all wartime laws and modifiers.
As for the RL carriers. The USA had around 37 carriers. This does not include the dozen or so light carriers.
edited to add: that's total CV over the course of the war, obviously. Some were sunk while others were still in development.
As for the RL carriers. The USA had around 37 carriers. This does not include the dozen or so light carriers.
edited to add: that's total CV over the course of the war, obviously. Some were sunk while others were still in development.
Yeah, but in game?
I mean Axis wise Germany and Italy are usually at the bottom of the Ocean by the time the US enters the war, and you don´t need 42 Carriers to deal with Japan.
Well, Americans seem to like going big or going home
I mean after you sink the Japanese Navy you can pretty much carpet the pacific with Carriers lol.Seems crazy
I mean Axis wise Germany and Italy are usually at the bottom of the Ocean by the time the US enters the war, and you don´t need 42 Carriers to deal with Japan.
Well, Americans seem to like going big or going home
I mean after you sink the Japanese Navy you can pretty much carpet the pacific with Carriers lol.Seems crazy
Just because the US had around 95 strategic bomber groups, that doesn't mean that I will.
But given the fact that a carrier takes between 1 and 2.5 years, depending on Practicals, it pays to have tons of IC. I'm not going to build any plane or ship, apart from the ones still in the queu, for at least another year. So when I begin, I have to go big to make up for lost time.
But given the fact that a carrier takes between 1 and 2.5 years, depending on Practicals, it pays to have tons of IC. I'm not going to build any plane or ship, apart from the ones still in the queu, for at least another year. So when I begin, I have to go big to make up for lost time.
A few things I do differently:
I always have the two Industrial techs researching as the USA (and a few others). Also, I'll add in the construction theory (not sure the name of it) and always keep that going as I don't want to lose my hard-earned construction practical for when it's time to build a rocket site and nuclear facilities. I also research nuclear theory continuously, and add a few ranks of electrical theory to keep my radar techs from degrading heavily.
It all comes out in the wash at the end, as 600+ is my usual. In HPP, you can IC-whore the USA to over 900, which I've done. It's boggling.
One question - are you ever going to build convoys and escorts? Periodically, I add in 20 serial transports and 10 serial escorts. I like to have 500+ transports and 300ish escorts...you lose a lot early on.
I always have the two Industrial techs researching as the USA (and a few others). Also, I'll add in the construction theory (not sure the name of it) and always keep that going as I don't want to lose my hard-earned construction practical for when it's time to build a rocket site and nuclear facilities. I also research nuclear theory continuously, and add a few ranks of electrical theory to keep my radar techs from degrading heavily.
It all comes out in the wash at the end, as 600+ is my usual. In HPP, you can IC-whore the USA to over 900, which I've done. It's boggling.
One question - are you ever going to build convoys and escorts? Periodically, I add in 20 serial transports and 10 serial escorts. I like to have 500+ transports and 300ish escorts...you lose a lot early on.
My mind is boggled... I'll try to say something more intelligent next time round.
Don't worry about it. There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.
I'm not going to focus on nuclear R&D too much, because I'm not going to play the whole war, but I will give some primers at the appropriate time.
As for researching ahead, that's everyone's choice. I don't usually do that, because I have so much I want to research. The hardest part when playing Romania was the fact that they basically have no Leadership to speak of.
As for convoys and escorts, I plan to build them in one go this time around. So expect a production of about 200 IC, just convoys, at some point, followed by the same in escorts. Most games I just start a serial production of 99 each in 1936. Don't ask me why I didn't this time. Too focused on the AAR, I think.
Gotcha.
I also always have Education at the top of my queue. Those 5% increases are enormous over time. I haven't done the math, of course, but it does seem effective to me.
I also always have Education at the top of my queue. Those 5% increases are enormous over time. I haven't done the math, of course, but it does seem effective to me.
Oh! And yes, always build factories/any facilities in your best infrastructure. It definitely builds faster, the higher the infra level.