Japan - War Effort Suggestions for the Political & Economic Focuses

[Taniwha]

'Freedom for Australia and New Zealand' is ahistorical and vaguely insulting. They weren't just functioning democracies, they were more democratic than most 'free' nations at the start of the game.

How's the free and democratic Japan supposed to be saving them exactly? 'Alright, Britain, you need to give the Australasians more constitutional flexibility. No, ignore the fact that they could achieve that by passing a law in their own parliaments, you need to unilaterally do it. That's what freedom means. If you don't, we'll attack you- and also them- so that once we've conquered their democracies, we can give them democracy. Freedom!'

 

[Lamartine]

'Freedom for Australia and New Zealand' is ahistorical and vaguely insulting. They weren't just functioning democracies, they were more democratic than most 'free' nations at the start of the game.

I was a little confused by that too. It's not unusual for HOI focuses to have cynical names for Realpolitik policies. The USSR for example has the focus Respect Baltic Self-Determination which pointedly does not respect Baltic self-determination.

But in this case I'm not sure why democratic Japan would have a realpolitik to DOW the United Kingdom over the purported subjugation of Australia and New Zealand

 

[Kosaki MacTavish]

Also, about making Philippines independent, it can be reworked a bit.

Make it a requirement for both USA and Philippines in Japan's faction, then rename it to "Hasten the Tydings-McDuffie Transition". Philippines would be already on the 3rd-4th year of the expected 10 years of that transition period (begins in 1934) towards independence.

 

[UlulvarCape]

I honestly am in the belief Japan needs a full on rework of it's political tree as opposed to small war effort changes since I truly believe this focus tree doesn't do it much justice anymore. I will however state that the military section and the "colonial" trees can have some war effort additions. Japan is still one of my favorite countries to play.

One thing I'd like to say, I honestly don't believe Japan going democratic, it's kind of annoying having to wait a while for it to happen peacefully, and I think the pre-emptive coup should be a peaceful coup with a chance of civil war, and it's kind of weird IMO to go through a civil war and then restore Hirohito as a constitutional monarchy with him as Emperor. I do agree that it should be able to be support anti-colonial resistance, like Ethiopia.

 

[Simone87]

@Simone87 true, but first and foremost I wanted to offer the Japanese player the option to join the Axis itself (just like Hitler wanted). Perhaps the focus could be renamed to simply "Join the Axis" ?

I think it'd be better to implement a new focus, shared between kodoha and toseiha factions, mutually exclusive with the co-prosperity sphere's one.
So the player could always sign the Tripartite pact, if he/she chose not to join the Axis.