Japan needs your love

[Volbound]

Show us screenshots.

I didn't make one. I may try again with the Artillery additions.

In past versions, I took out China. However, I have always found it easier to win as China vs. Japan in HOI4.

 

[Volbound]

Show us screenshots.

Will do once I get on. I kind of quit the game after getting hold up and started a USA game. I may just try a new Japan game with artillery.

 

[coffeelingfine]

Ever since WTT Japan is just not very fun for me, mainly because China is such a slog due to the debuff and the annoying "escalate" decisions

 

[The Zeus]

I feel like for the alt history routes atleast its just poor design of what Japans foreign policy would look like then and it makes for really unsatisfying wars.

The Shogun route really should just be a part of the historical route, the Shogun taking charge maybe giving different bonuses and generals but fundamentally fails to alter the foreign policy. UK/US will not give resources so Japan fights China + Allies. And the Shogun is just for role play or different bonuses.

The allied route can be sorta like it is now. Becoming democratic you cut a deal with the UK for access to resources and there is no war in China or need to attack the allies, instead you join. But this can be taken as a insult or something to prevent America from joining so now you have to make up for their contribution. I don't know how fun this would be, its kind alike being Australia but keeping America out of it might keep the war somewhat balanced.

The communist path also doesn't radically alter your foreign policy, the Soviets cant fix your resource problems (maybe it could but for the sake of the path I will say no). But the war in China is different you join on the side of communist China and help them win and then attack the allies along with the Comintern making the war a free for all.

I think playing these could be fun and give different routes for the war to be waged, to a degree. And not unfun and baffling routes like the Shogun would just attack the Soviets for the lolz.

 

[Bossman Zero]

And not unfun and baffling routes like the Shogun would just attack the Soviets for the lolz.

Maybe you should read up on the Kodoha, because they were big supporters of the Strike North strategy, believing the USSR was the greater threat and that Siberia was rich in resources they needed. No, the baffling thing about that route is that they have the option of restoring the Shogunate, when in real life they wanted the emperor to abolish the Diet and rule absolutely. Making him a figurehead is counterproductive to that.

Which gets into another thing: the starting politics don't actually match how Japan was in 1936. Emperor Hirohito starts as the leader of the fascist Taisei Yokusankai, except that:

1. That party didn't exist until 1940, though with a lack of other fascist parties in Japan, this can be overlooked.
2. Its leader was Konoe Fumimaro, who was very much a fascist and also the Prime Minister at the time of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident.

Hirohito should really be a national spirit like the other constitutional monarchs, only turning into the country leader if the Kodoha faction comes to power and does the Showa Restoration. The Prime Minister of Japan in January 1936 was Okada Keisuke, an independent who, oddly enough, was targeted by the Kodoha in their attempted coup and resigned after its failure. So, 1936 Japan should start Non-Aligned with Okada and change based on which path is taken. Purge the Kodoha Faction makes Okada resign and changes the ruling party to Taisei Yokusankai, with Konoe as the head. Support the Kodoha Faction kills Okada and replaces him with Hayashi Senjuro as a stop gap until the Showa Restoration is taken.

Another thing to be noted if this change is made is that Konoe had no desire in getting into a war with the USA. But after the occupation of Indochina, the militarists under Tojo Hideki (yes, that Tojo) kept pushing to prepare for war with the US, undermined Konoe's attempts to reconcile with Roosevelt, and eventually caused Konoe to resign. Only for Hirohito to name Tojo as Prime Minister. There should be an event about this after gaining control of the Indochinese states.