How to avoid Kingdom of Bohemia's puppet when playing Austria-Hungary?

[Zeprion]

When playing Hungary and trying to remake Austria-Hungary, after you took the focus "Restoration of Austria-Hungary" you will get claims on your former lands, including Czechoslovakia. Because they don't like having their territory claimed by others, you can only reach 0 czech opinion of you if you go for improve relationship.

When you go for "Protect Czechoslovakia" one of 3 things will happen: in my experience (so no official numbers) there's a slim chance they refuse and you gain a wargoal, and a 50/50 chance that they either accept to be integrated back or worst out of all 3: they want to be your puppet. If they want to be your puppet, you can't refuse and annex them afterwards, so you're stuck with a puppet in regions you should have had a core.

I already made a topic about this one, suggesting to add option for Austria-Hungary to refuse Czechoslovakia's puppeting and greatly buff "seek closer bound with Bohemia" decision.

Add option for Austria-Hungary to refuse Czechoslovakia puppeting?

I don't think anyone likes that RNG dependent factor. It's better if they refuse than if they want to be a puppet. Could Austria-Hungary have an alternative option to refuse CZE puppet request and if CZE still refuses gain a wargoal instead?

forum.paradoxplaza.com

But I was wondering if there is a way to bypass Kingdom of Bohemia in the current state of the game as it is? You can always restart in singleplayer games, but you can't do the same in multiplayer games, so going for Austria-Hungary is risky as it depends very much on your luck.

Restoring Austria-Hungary could be very fun if it wouldn't be a complete gamble everytime.

Some people said the focus "Reintegrate the Railroads" gives Czechoslovakia a +35 opinion of you, which is better than 0 but I have yet to check whether it's a change significant enough for Czechoslovakia to accept most of the time.

Other people said that "Reintegrate the Railroads" is irrelevant as Czechoslovakia's opinion of you has no weight, and that the RNG is: 20% annexation, 50% puppet, 30% refusal. This can be modified by the following:
- World Tension over 20% -> +20% annexation chance.
- Czechoslovakia is not in a faction -> +20% annexation chance.
- Czechoslovakia is in a faction -> -10% annexation chance.
- Germany is going for "Demand Sudetenland" or "Fate of Czechoslovakia" -> +100% annexation chance.
While not an 100%, the best you can get with this is 60% annexation chance, which is better but still RNG dependent.

Is there a way to guarantee that this puppet is avoided? Even a way to make Czechoslovakia always refuse is preferable to puppeting them.

 

[ThaHoward]

Reintegrate railroads have a hidden bonus that Austria and Czechoslovakia are more inclined to accept it.

From my experience, boosting relations and reintegration of railroads have resulted in Czechoslovakia accepting every single playthrough I have as Austria-Hungary. Either I am extremely lucky, or I made my own luck by doing the focus and boosting relations. Earlier I also did the focus when Germany did their Demans Sudetenland, give CZ more incentive to accept with the addes benefit of Germany not gaining a wargoal on you - that may have changed. Likewise everytime I have been Bulgaria, UK accepts my demand for re-armament (without anything in return) every single time I boost relations with them. I believe boosting relations to 100 helps from experience, and the PP loss is marginal.

 

[Dryhad]

First: there is no way to guarantee annexation or to outright prevent the puppet outcome (except for being the AI, which for some reason is exempt from this nonsense and always gets annexation).

You are correct that Reintegrate the Railroads and indeed Czechoslovakia's opinion at all are irrelevant to this calculation (so don't bother wasting PP on boosting relations with CZE). This misunderstanding probably stems from a confusion with the Austrian annexation event earlier in the tree which does care about both of these things.

The percentages you cite are (for the most part) technically accurate, but only in a particular and misleading way; you are also not interpreting them correctly. The highest probability you can get for annexation is in fact 91%, not 60%. For this to happen, world tension needs to be over 20%, CZE needs to not be in a faction, and Germany needs to have begun Demand Sudetenland. It is also worth noting that if Germany has *completed* Demand Sudetenland then the higher probability still applies, you need not (and should not) wait for the Fate of Czechoslovakia (although this will produce some particularly heinous bordergore if Germany has already annexed the Sudetenland)

 

[eastcoastceojam]

Here's the relevant event that Austria gets when Hungary asks them to be assimilated. Looks like 75+ opinion and the Railroad focus have a big impact:

# Austrian Referendum - event for Austria to allow it
country_event = {
    id = DOD_hungary.1
    title = DOD_hungary.1.t
    desc = DOD_hungary.1.desc
    picture = GFX_report_event_election_vote
    
    is_triggered_only = yes
    
    option = { #sure
        name = DOD_hungary.1.a
        ai_chance = {
            factor = 80

        }
        if = {
            limit = {
                AND = {
                    NOT = { HUN = { has_completed_focus = HUN_reintegrate_the_railroads } }
                    NOT = { AUS = { has_opinion = { target = HUN value > 75 } } }
                }
            }
            random_list = {
                70 = { AUS = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.2 hours = 24 } } } #country votes yes
                30 = { AUS = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.3 hours = 24 } } } #country votes no
            }
        }
        if = {
            limit = {
                OR = {
                    AND = {
                        HUN = { has_completed_focus = HUN_reintegrate_the_railroads }
                        NOT = { AUS = { has_opinion = { target = HUN value > 75 } } }
                    }
                    AND = {
                        NOT = { HUN = { has_completed_focus = HUN_reintegrate_the_railroads } }
                        AUS = { has_opinion = { target = HUN value > 75 } }
                    }
                }
            }
            random_list = {
                80 = { AUS = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.2 hours = 24 } } } #country votes yes
                20 = { AUS = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.3 hours = 24 } } } #country votes no
            }
        }
        if = {
            limit = {
                AND = {
                    HUN = { has_completed_focus = HUN_reintegrate_the_railroads }
                    AUS = { has_opinion = { target = HUN value > 75 } }
                }
            }
            random_list = {
                95 = { AUS = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.2 hours = 24 } } } #country votes yes
                5 = { AUS = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.3 hours = 24 } } } #country votes no
            }
        }
    }

And here's the one for getting Czechoslovakia to join with Hungary. I may be looking at the wrong event, but I don't see any modifiers for opinion or the railroad focus:

#protect Czechoslovakia
country_event = {
    id = DOD_hungary.10
    title = DOD_hungary.10.t
    desc = DOD_hungary.10.desc
    picture = GFX_report_event_czech_soldiers_01
    
    is_triggered_only = yes

    option = { #Agree to join the Empire
        name = DOD_hungary.10.a
        ai_chance = {
            factor = 20
            modifier = {
                threat > 20
                factor = 2
            }
            modifier = {
                is_in_faction = no
                factor = 2
            }
            modifier = {
                GER = {
                    OR = {
                        focus_progress = { focus = GER_demand_sudetenland progress > 0}
                        focus_progress = { focus = GER_end_of_czechoslovakia progress > 0}
                    }
                }
                factor = 10 #ohshitohshitohshit
            }
            modifier = {
                is_in_faction = yes
                factor = 0.5
            }
        }
        custom_effect_tooltip =  GAME_OVER_TT
        HUN = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.11 hours = 6 } }
        
    }
    option = { #A close association status
        name = DOD_hungary.10.b
        ai_chance = {
            factor = 50
            modifier = {
                HUN = {
                    is_ai = yes
                }
                factor = 0
            }
        }
        HUN = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.12 hours = 6 } }
    }
    option = { #Refuse
        name = DOD_hungary.10.c
        ai_chance = {
            factor = 30
            modifier = {
                is_in_faction = yes
                factor = 2 #we're good thanks
            }
            modifier = {
                HUN = {
                    is_ai = yes
                }
                factor = 0
            }
        }
        HUN = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.13 hours = 6 } }
        set_country_flag = HUN_AH_CZE_refused #needed for munich chain
    }

}

 

[desphorin]

Here's the relevant event that Austria gets when Hungary asks them to be assimilated. Looks like 75+ opinion and the Railroad focus have a big impact:

# Austrian Referendum - event for Austria to allow it
country_event = {
    id = DOD_hungary.1
    title = DOD_hungary.1.t
    desc = DOD_hungary.1.desc
    picture = GFX_report_event_election_vote
   
    is_triggered_only = yes
   
    option = { #sure
        name = DOD_hungary.1.a
        ai_chance = {
            factor = 80

        }
        if = {
            limit = {
                AND = {
                    NOT = { HUN = { has_completed_focus = HUN_reintegrate_the_railroads } }
                    NOT = { AUS = { has_opinion = { target = HUN value > 75 } } }
                }
            }
            random_list = {
                70 = { AUS = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.2 hours = 24 } } } #country votes yes
                30 = { AUS = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.3 hours = 24 } } } #country votes no
            }
        }
        if = {
            limit = {
                OR = {
                    AND = {
                        HUN = { has_completed_focus = HUN_reintegrate_the_railroads }
                        NOT = { AUS = { has_opinion = { target = HUN value > 75 } } }
                    }
                    AND = {
                        NOT = { HUN = { has_completed_focus = HUN_reintegrate_the_railroads } }
                        AUS = { has_opinion = { target = HUN value > 75 } }
                    }
                }
            }
            random_list = {
                80 = { AUS = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.2 hours = 24 } } } #country votes yes
                20 = { AUS = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.3 hours = 24 } } } #country votes no
            }
        }
        if = {
            limit = {
                AND = {
                    HUN = { has_completed_focus = HUN_reintegrate_the_railroads }
                    AUS = { has_opinion = { target = HUN value > 75 } }
                }
            }
            random_list = {
                95 = { AUS = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.2 hours = 24 } } } #country votes yes
                5 = { AUS = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.3 hours = 24 } } } #country votes no
            }
        }
    }

And here's the one for getting Czechoslovakia to join with Hungary. I may be looking at the wrong event, but I don't see any modifiers for opinion or the railroad focus:

#protect Czechoslovakia
country_event = {
    id = DOD_hungary.10
    title = DOD_hungary.10.t
    desc = DOD_hungary.10.desc
    picture = GFX_report_event_czech_soldiers_01
   
    is_triggered_only = yes

    option = { #Agree to join the Empire
        name = DOD_hungary.10.a
        ai_chance = {
            factor = 20
            modifier = {
                threat > 20
                factor = 2
            }
            modifier = {
                is_in_faction = no
                factor = 2
            }
            modifier = {
                GER = {
                    OR = {
                        focus_progress = { focus = GER_demand_sudetenland progress > 0}
                        focus_progress = { focus = GER_end_of_czechoslovakia progress > 0}
                    }
                }
                factor = 10 #ohshitohshitohshit
            }
            modifier = {
                is_in_faction = yes
                factor = 0.5
            }
        }
        custom_effect_tooltip =  GAME_OVER_TT
        HUN = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.11 hours = 6 } }
       
    }
    option = { #A close association status
        name = DOD_hungary.10.b
        ai_chance = {
            factor = 50
            modifier = {
                HUN = {
                    is_ai = yes
                }
                factor = 0
            }
        }
        HUN = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.12 hours = 6 } }
    }
    option = { #Refuse
        name = DOD_hungary.10.c
        ai_chance = {
            factor = 30
            modifier = {
                is_in_faction = yes
                factor = 2 #we're good thanks
            }
            modifier = {
                HUN = {
                    is_ai = yes
                }
                factor = 0
            }
        }
        HUN = { country_event = { id = DOD_hungary.13 hours = 6 } }
        set_country_flag = HUN_AH_CZE_refused #needed for munich chain
    }

}

You aren't looking at the wrong event: it is true that the railroad focus only has implications to austria but not the Czechs.

And to OP: the most consistent way of annexing the Czechs, like the event code said, is to complete your focus while Germany is demanding sudetenland or fate of czechoslovakia. Anything else does not significantly improve your odds.

 

[Silverhood]

Maybe if it was made a 35 day focus so you can do it before Germany finishes theirs. Then you just need spies and to keep an eye on Germany's focus choice.
Or, finishing the focus does nothing, but enables a decision to go ahead. This gives the player some agency on when to pull the trigger.

 

[Dlin369]

Wait till German demands Sudetenland - once the allies show they won’t defend the Czechs the Czechs will look to anyone for support - ergo they’ll accept annexation. You can declare war on Germany to take Sudentenland back later - if you are going for AH you should play the long game