Japan versus China and an observation effecting the Soviet Union.

[pdstanbridge]

A quick question for those in the know. Playing as Japan, and attacking China they run out of infantry equipment fast. To the extent that in my game at least the Soviets are basiscally giving China 10,000 guns a month in 1938! Do you know if these guns come from the Soviet stockpile, or are they just 'made up' to meet the quota from the Chinese?

If they come from the stockpile (I think they must do), I can potential problems later on for AI Soviet Union. Over the course of 12 months thats a lot of inf weapons given to China that the SU need to build divisions. The AI Japan/China war frequently stalls in 39, but the constant demand for inf weapons continues. I thought it worth sharing as it's an interesting point.

I'm just trying to work out why the SU always fairs so poorly in most (but not all) the games I've seen play out.

 

[HugsAndSnuggles]

Do you know if these guns come from the Soviet stockpile, or are they just 'made up' to meet the quota from the Chinese?

Highly doubt they are made out of the void: then it would, likely, be the case for all AI lend-lease. Currently, even the focus drains their stockpile. Also, that's not exactly a lot, both for Soviet industry and for China.

The AI Japan/China war frequently stalls in 39, but the constant demand for inf weapons continues.

To be fair, that was the idea: to stop Japan in China, and thus secure Southern border. Of course, even after getting all of China, AI is unlikely to follow up with attack on SU in foreseeable future, but that's more of a meta knowledge.

I'm just trying to work out why the SU always fairs so poorly in most (but not all) the games I've seen play out.

Because they are designed to by the devs? Or do you think that just because they can't make much better AI, they can't make much worse AI either?
Likely, do not build nearly enough divisions, and leave half their army in the Far East (how many players even consider leaving more than a token force there?).

 

[Synicus]

During WWII the Soviets got intel that the Japanese had no intention on attacking them. I'm certain this helped them win the war more than lend lease.
In game the entire east is about 15-20% of their victory points and resources. The AI defends it fiercely even when attacked in the west.

As a player the follow up attack is very likely.
And historic like, such an attack plan should be very complex so they have a hard time responding to it.

 

[Cpt.Cross]

When playing Soviet You will often end up with hundreds of thousands of Infantry Equipment you couldn't possibly need and often as a player i will send vast quantities of it to China and to Spain.

The reasons I think that the Soviet AI fails to make a push are:

- AI goes into an unnecessary service by requirement in 1938 reducing production needlessly.

- Lack of production leads to aircraft shortage ( which AI needs to be able to push) and it will never recover from this.

- AI Pushes to attack particularly aggressively as Soviets and wastes all equipment early in war, due to low production it will never recover from this.

- After losing equipment it will be pushed to Moscow, unlike real USSR, AI SOV has all its Military factories in the west and only its sheer volume of divisions and crappy supply zones prevent it from capitulating in months from this point.



On the reverse though as Air power is so important to the AI if you reduce Germany's planes in wars against the Allies then it will experience the same grind against Soviets that it cannot recover from.

 

[Synicus]

As Japan, I use heavy fighters & tactical bombers to help cover the vast air zones or the East. The heavy fighters devastate the support and strategical bombers.
Also good for the Pacific.
At any rate, what they went through before the war and after purge is just amazing they held together.

 

[Iskulya]

In an unmodded game the AI cannot cheat like that and conjure equipment out of thin air. The AI usually puts a huge emphasis on the production of infantry related equipment including infantry equipment, but also support equipment and artillery. Usually to the point where it's not uncommon to see most major countries having over 45 MIL dedicated to infantry equipment alone. They'll easily be producing enough to supply quite a bit of LL. I've even played games where the Soviets were sending 5-10 volunteer divisions to EACH of the tags in the Chinese United Front. Fun times.

From a realism perspective(the anomalous huge number of volunteers aside), the Soviets sending equipment to China is pretty plausible. Stalin attached a lot of importance to a strategic alliance with the Chinese Nationalists to the point that the Soviets pushed a pretty disastrous and suicidal alliance between the Chinese communists and nationalists which culminated in the Shanghai massacre of 1927.

With that said I'm skeptical that they were providing 10k infantry equipment a month. It's more likely that you were misreading the figures. 10K was probably the total amount they had received. The Lend Lease icon in the diplomacy menu provides information as to the total equipment received alongside the monthly delivery numbers. Playing as the Soviets, I can usually manage shipments of over 1,000 infantry equipment a month to China before the end of 1937. It's well worth it to weaken Japan and reap extra army XP.