Little Entente & Balkan Pact - Suggestions For More Immersion

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LeanLeaf

Banned
Jan 16, 2022
259
1.127
Hello, it's me again. This one is a little too big for War Effort. I don't know where it would fit in terms of content size, maybe a DLC, maybe a rework, these are better questions for the devs.

By the way, developers, it's amazing that you guys have this War Effort initiative where you go back and make minor tweaks to old focus trees.

I know the Little Entente & Balkan Pact are a somewhat minor part of World War 2, most people who know about World War 2 probably never even heard of the Little Entente & Balkan Pact, but I believe having a Little Entente & Balkan Pact rework offers and alternative style of play with a focus on diplomacy trying to contain Hitler & USSR as well as an excellent opportunity for 4-5 players co-op with minors.

What if after a lot of political power investment the Little Entente & Balkan Pact would turn into a fully-fledged faction? What if Romania and Yugoslavia defended Czechoslovakia when Hitler went for Sudetenland? What if Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey defended Romania when USSR demanded Bessarabia? What if Polish-Czechoslovak relations were improved and Poland would finally join the Little Entente as well? What if relations with Hungary & Bulgaria were improved and they were invited in the faction as well? What if the Little Entente & Balkan Pact would unite forming a single super-faction of Balkan minors? all using the decisions tab.

I imagine this will be gold in multiplayer roleplay games.

I know this will not make it in a War Effort since it's too big, but thank you for the War Effort initiative and please keep it up.

1. Historical context & current mechanics:

During the interwar era:

- Little Entente (1921 - 1938) was a defensive alliance between: Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia.
- Balkan Pact (1934 - 1941) was a defensive alliance between: Romania, Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey.
Notice that Romania and Yugoslavia are in both of these alliances.

The defensive pacts were aimed mainly against the losers of World War I: Hungary and Bulgaria who the winning nations feared have desires of retaliation (and they weren't wrong).

The way Little Entente & Balkan Pact are represented in the game is minimal.

A series of guarantees and improve relationships, who are not even completly covered:

Czechoslovakia guarantees: Romania and Yugoslavia.
Romania guarantees: Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.
Yugoslavia guarantees: nobody. (why?)

While the Balkan Pact represented by a series of +25 improve relationships, except for Romania:
Romania guarantees: Greece and Turkey. (why only Romania?)

However, I believe there is a way to make the Little Entente and Balkan Pact even more fun and immersive.

2. Starting Situation

What if, instead of events to support them or tweaks to the focus tree we use decisions?
Decisions are more flexible and can do just about everything the events and focus trees can do and more. It will add a new diplomatic layer to the game, at least for those nations involved, making Hearts of Iron 4 a more diplomatic game in this area.

I suggest a few starting changes:
1. Everyone guarantees everyone.
2. Decision sets for the Little Entente and Balkan Pact are added, with multiple options.

1. The 1936 Guarantees:
- If you have Death or Dishonor DLC/Little Entente:
* Czechoslovakia guarantees: Romania, Yugoslavia.
* Romania guarantees: Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia.
* Yugoslavia guarantees: Czechoslovakia, Romania.

- If you have Battle for Bosphorus DLC/Balkan Pact:
* Romania guarantees: Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey.
* Yugoslavia guarantees: Romania, Greece, Turkey.
* Greece guarantees: Romania, Yugoslavia, Turkey.
* Turkey guarantees: Romania, Yugoslavia, Greece.

In 1939: The Little Entente is fully gone. The Balkan Pact still has all 4 members. Will explain soon why.

3. The Decisions Each Nation Has

The premise is, you can form a very powerful alliance in Eastern Europe, but it's going to cost you a lot of political power, so it's a huge trade-off to invest if you want it.
The influence of each faction member is shown like in the English & German influence over Netherlands decisions.
Little Entente starts with: Czechoslovakia, Romania, Yugoslavia but Poland and Hungary are also possible members.
Balkan Pact starts with: Romania, Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey but Albania and Bulgaria are also possible members.

2. The Decision Sets:

A. Little Enente:

Description:
The Little Entente is a mutual defense agreement between Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Romania, supported by France, directed against the German and Hungarian domination in the Danube basin. It is intended to protect the member states' territorial integrity and political independence. A Permanent Secretariat and a Permanent Council have been established to discuss foreign policy matters and agree upon a common policy.

1. Gain Influence (cost: 100 political power; must wait 30 days before taking the decision again) -> Gains 100 points of influence in the Little Entente.
2. Suggest reforming into a Full Alliance (costs: 1000 influence; if failed get your influence back but must wait 90 days before taking the decision again) -> All member states gain an event to turn the Little Entente into a faction with you as the leader.
* Little Entente was not already formed.
* You must not be in any faction.
* All of the member states must be at peace.
* Poland or Hungary must also accept if they were invited in the Little Entente.

* Whoever clicked this decision becomes the Faction Leader, the other memebers get an event they can accept or refuse.
* All others members must accept in order for the Faction to form. (otherwise it fails, but you get your influence back and can try again after 90 days)
* In order for the AI to accept, they must have a positive opinion of you.

3. Invest in Little Entente Members (cost: 200 influence; must wait 90 days before taking the decision again) -> All other members gain 1 civilian factory.
4. Make Czechoslovakia Settle the Dispute with Poland (costs 500 influence/ if failed get your influence back but must wait 90 days before taking the decision again) -> Unlocks the decision "Invite Poland to the Little Entente".
* If Czecholsovakia previously left the Little Entente, you can take decision 5 without having to take decision 4 previously.
5. Invite Poland to the Little Entente (costs 100 influence/ if failed must wait 90 days before taking the decision again) -> Poland gains the Little Entente decisions tab. If faction doesn't exist: Poland is guaranteed by everyone and guarantees every. If faction exists: Poland is invited to the Little Entente.
* Czecholsovakia must have already settled the dispute with Poland
* Poland AI must have positive opinion of you to accept.
* Poland must be democratic or non-aligned for this decision to be unlocked.

6. Reconcile with Hungary (cost: 500 political power; if failed get your influence back but must wait 90 days before taking the decision again) -> Hungary gains the Little Entente decisions tab. If faction doesn't exist: Hungary is guaranteed by everyone and guarantees every. If faction exists: Hungary is invited to the Little Entente.
* Hungary must be either Demoractic or Non-Aligned
7. Unify the Alliances (for Romania and Yugoslavia only) -> (cost: 500 political power; if failed get your influence back but must wait 90 days before taking the decision again) ->
All members of the Little Entente and Balkan Pact join a single defensive alliance - Eastern Entente.
* All members of both defensive alliances must accept for this to take place
* The Little Entente faction isn't already formed.
* The Balkan Pact faction isn't already formed.

8. Leave the Little Entente -> Stop guaranteeing all the other members and lose your guarantees from all the other members. Lose the Little Entente decisions tab.

- If you rush it, you are able to form the Little Entente as a faction by 1937 with 1000 political power.
- If you also want Poland, it's going to take longer and cost 1600 political power. If you want Poland & Hungary it's going to cost 2100 political power.
- Of course, you won't invest political power in your country because of this, that's the big trade-off.

- When one of the member states declares war, nothing happens. (it's just a defensive alliance at this point)
- When war is declared upon one of the member states (that you guarantee), if you do not answer the guarantee within 30 days, you automatically leave the Little Entente.
- If you manually remove one of the guarantees, you automatically leave the Little Entente.
- If you change ideology to fascist or communist, you automatically leave the Little Entente.
- If you take certain focuses in your focus tree, you automatically leave the Little Entente.
- If you change ideology to fascist or communist after the Little Entente becomes a fully fledged faction, nothing happens. (it's already a faction at this point)

B. Balkan Pact:

Description:
The Balkan Pact is a treaty signed by Greece, Turkey, Romania and Yugoslavia in Athens, in 1934. It is aimed at maintaining the status quo in the region following World War I. The states in the region that seek territorial expansion such as Italy, Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary and the Soviet Union refused to sign the document. All the signatories agreed to suspend all disputed territorial claims and guarantee their collective protection against the states that consider their territorial disputes unsettled.

1. Gain Influence (cost: 100 political power; must wait 30 days before taking the decision again) -> Gains 100 points of influence in the Balkan Pact.
2. Suggest reforming into a Full Alliance (costs: 1000 influence; if failed get your influence back but must wait 90 days before taking the decision again) -> All member states gain an event to turn the Balkan Pact into a faction with you as the leader.
* Balkan Pact was not already formed.
* You must not be in any faction.
* All of the member states must be at peace.
* Albania or Bulgaria must also accept if they were invited in the Balkan Pact.

* Whoever clicked this decision becomes the Faction Leader, the other memebers get an event they can accept or refuse.
* All others members must accept in order for the Faction to form. (otherwise it fails, but you get your influence back and can try again after 90 days)
* In order for the AI to accept, they must have a positive opinion of you.

3. Invest in Balkan Pact Members (cost: 200 influence; must wait 90 days before taking the decision again) -> All other members gain 1 civilian factory.
4. Make Greece settle the dispute with Albania (costs 500 influence/ if failed get your influence back but must wait 90 days before taking the decision again) -> Unlocks the decision "Invite Albania to the Balkan Pact".
* If Greece previously left the Balkan Pact, you can take decision 5 without having to take decision 4 previously.
5. Invite Albania to the Balkan Pact (costs 100 influence/ if failed must wait 90 days before taking the decision again) -> Albania gains the Balkan Pact decisions tab. If faction doesn't exist: Albania is guaranteed by everyone and guarantees every (would likely refuse Italy). If faction exists: Albania is invited to the Balkan Pact.
* Greece must have already settled the dispute with Albania
* Albania AI must have positive opinion of you to accept.
* Albania must be democratic or non-aligned for this decision to be unlocked.

6. Reconcile with Bulgaria (cost: 500 political power; if failed get your influence back but must wait 90 days before taking the decision again) -> Bulgaria gains the Balkan Pact decisions tab. If faction doesn't exist: Bulgaria is guaranteed by everyone and guarantees every. If faction exists: Bulgaria is invited to the Little Entente.
* Hungary must be either Demoractic or Non-Aligned
7. Unify the Alliances (for Romania and Yugoslavia only) -> (cost: 500 political power; if failed get your influence back but must wait 90 days before taking the decision again) ->
All members of the Little Entente and Balkan Pact join a single defensive alliance - Eastern Entente.
* All members of both alliances must accept for this to take place.
* The Little Entente faction isn't already formed.
* The Balkan Pact faction isn't already formed.

8. Leave the Balkan Pact -> Stop guaranteeing all the other members and lose your guarantees from all the other members. Lose the Little Entente decisions tab.

C. Eastern Entente:

Description:
The Little Entente and Balkan Pact recently unified into a single major alliance.

1. Suggest reforming into a Full Alliance (costs: 1000 political power - no longer influence here is redundant; if failed get your influence back but must wait 90 days before taking the decision again) -> All member states gain an event to turn the Balkan Pact into a faction with you as the leader.
* Eastern Entente was not already formed.
* You must not be in any faction.
* All of the member states must be at peace.
* All members must accept if they were invited in the Eastern Entente.

* Whoever clicked this decision becomes the Faction Leader, the other memebers get an event they can accept or refuse.
* All others members must accept in order for the Faction to form. (otherwise it fails, but you get your influence back and can try again after 90 days)
* In order for the AI to accept, they must have a positive opinion of you.

2. Invest in Balkan Pact Members (cost: 500 political power - you have a lot of countries now; must wait 90 days before taking the decision again) -> All other members gain 1 civilian factory.
3. Leave the Balkan Pact -> Stop guaranteeing all the other members and lose your guarantees from all the other members. Lose the Little Entente decisions tab.

3. Summary

- The Little Entente/Balkan Pact start as a set of guarantees.
- If you go fascist/communist or click the "leave" button, you leave the defensive alliances.
- You can spend political power to invite certain nations to the alliance
- You can spend political power to turn the defensive alliance into a fully fledged faction after some time.
- You can spend even more political power to unify the Little Entente & Balkan Pact and then turn the new Eastern Entente into a fully fledged faction.
- You can still invest in each other at the cost of 200 political power (or 500 for Eastern Entente) even after you formed a fully fledged faction.

4. No no focuses & the historical run

Certain alt-history/history focuses will cause member countries to automatically leave both alliances:

* Czechoslovakia: "Go Left" or "Go Right" on the "Political Direction" path. And "German Puppet" on the "Strategic Decisions" path.
* Romania: "Join Comintern" or "Join Axis" on the "Preserve Greater Romania" path. And "Balkan Domination". And "Appoint Pro-Axis Government" or "Appoint Pro-Soviet Government" on the "Institute Royal Dictatorship" path.
* Yugoslavia: "Sign the Tripartite Pact" or "Recognize the Soviet Union". And "Fortify Banat" on the "Attract Allied Capital" path.
* Greece: "Ressurecting the Mengali idea" or "Request Communist Support" on the "Bring Home the Exiled Republicans" path. And "Recruit the Fascists" on the "The King's Government" path.
* Turkey: "Pivot to the Past" or "Reconfigure Turkish Foreign Policy" when you have 3 choices in the middle of the focus tree.
- When this happen, the country in question will remove all their guarnatees on: CZE, ROM, YUG, GRE, TUR and have all their guarantees from CZE, ROM, YUG, GRE, TUR removed.
- This will not happen if they are already in a fully fledged alliance like the: Czech Entente or Balkan Entente.

Special Events:
- Little Entente: When Germany demands Sudetenland (event), all other members of the Little Entente get an event to either stand by Czechoslovakia or leave them to their fate. If they choose the latter they automatically leave the Little Entente.
- Balkan Pact: When Germany demands Transylvania (event), all other members of the Little Entente get an event to either stand by Romania or leave them to their fate. If they choose the latter they automatically leave the Little Entente.
- Balkan Pact: When USSR justifies on Romania (demand Bessarabia), all other members of the Little Entente get an event to either stand by Romania or leave them to their fate. If they choose the latter they automatically leave the Little Entente.
- Balkan Pact: When Germany justifies on Yugoslavia, all other members of the Little Entente get an event to either stand by Czechoslovakia or leave them to their fate. If they choose the latter they automatically leave the Little Entente.
- Balkan Pact: When Italy justifies on Yugoslavia, all other members of the Little Entente get an event to either stand by Czechoslovakia or leave them to their fate. If they choose the latter they automatically leave the Little Entente.
The purpose of these is to make the Little Entente and Balkan Pact fall like this did in real life. These 5 events will only happen under those specific circumstances. If a member states choose to stand by their allies, they remain in the defensive alliances. If a member state choose to leave them to their fate, they automatically leave the defensive faction, like they did in real life. The only variation is whether USSR or Germany goes first for Romania and whether Germany or Italy goes first for Yugoslavia, the historical AI ressult is the same regardless.

In a historical game for Little Entente, it will happen as following:
- German goes "Demand Sudetenland".
- England and France refuse support.
- Romania and Yugoslavia refuse support.
* Since they refused support, Romania won't be guaranteed by Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia anymore, and they stop guaranteeing Romania.
* Since they refused support, Yugoslavia won't be guaranteed by Czechoslovakia and Romania anymore, and stop guaranteeing Yugoslavia.
- This effectively destroys the Little Entente alliance.
This is how it happened in real life.

In a historical game for Balkan Pact, it will happen as following:
- Germany goes "Demand North Transylvania" or USSR justifies wargoal on Romania, whichever is faster as this thing changes depending on the game.
- Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey refuse support.
- This effectively destroys the Balkan Pact alliance.
This is not completly how it happened in real life. Romania was left out but the Balkan Pact remained with 3 members. Then Yugoslavia was threatened by Germany and Greece with Turkey refused support, this effectively destroied the Balkan Pact alliance. But it's just a small thing that makes no real difference to a historical game.

Notes:
- Because of redundancy (If all members are in the same faction, the defensive alliance (effectively the decisions and guarantees) is disbanded. This is the caase for when: Either member forms a fully fledged alliance. Turkey makes the Balkan Entente via focus. Czechoslovakia makes the Czech Entente via focus and successfully invites Yugoslavia and Romania. France makes the Entente focus and successfully invites Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Romania.
- A player can respect a guarantee, but AI will be reluctant to respect it. Much like in the previous suggestion.

Gameplay worth? You can make a lot of Eastern European factions with this and play them under a lot of different nations. Being only democratic and non-aligned, this path encourages you to fight both Germany and/or USSR depending who is in the faction. In the coolest case scenario, you can play as Yugoslavia and Romania and spend a lot of political power to make a behemoth Alliance with 7 nations: Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Yugoslaiva, Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey. Imagine that fighting both Germany and USSR.

A lot more decisions could be added for the defensive alliances, such as to spend influence to buy military equipment or make a common military exercise and so on.

If you liked this, check out my other suggestions: (the devs applied suggestion no.1 from Romania in one of their war efforts :D)
 
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With all due respect, I'm not a big fan of this suggestion. I say that as someone who has liked some of your suggestions in the past, and as someone who prefers when the HOI4 devs try to respect the historicity of WWII within the game - I care a lot about immersion.

My concerns are exclusively relating to SP gameplay, as I don't play MP at all. Some big issues I see with this system include the following:

1. Overall, if these changes were implemented, it would unbalance the game for a lot of countries. On one hand, tt will be incredibly easy/OP for a competent Germany/Italy/USSR player to cheese all of these guarantees to annex half of Europe by mid-1937. On the other hand, it will make Hungary/Bulgaria/any alt-history Balkan minor campaign very unfun, as it will be nearly impossible to do anything at all. Just looking at this concept makes me glad I accomplished the infamous "Miklos Horthy and the Habsburg Prince" achievement already.

2. I imagine the values you've got here for the decisions would be subject to change, but as they are right now, the decisions are incredibly cost-prohibitive. If you want to achieve the peak alliance laid out here, you'll have to be spending every last shred of political power you get from like 1936-1939. And for what? An alliance of minor nations where you have to rely on a notoriously bad AI to cover your flanks, while you will be massively set back by nature of having no political advisors, research bonuses, military advisors, or any country-specific decisions completed for three years. It's perfectly possible to hold off the Axis/ComIntern as most Balkan countries if you know what you're doing, without spending all of your political powers on a faction that will probably hold you back more than anything else.

3. Speaking of the AI, I don't think it will be smart enough to handle these mechanics. I can imagine many scenarios where the AI weakens itself investing into this alliance, only to be quickly crushed by a Germany/USSR player, or even worse, only investing halfway into this system, essentially wasting a large amount of political power it could have spent focusing on itself. I could also see if investing into this system, only to go fascist/communist, thus wasting its time/political power that way as well. If you play ahistorically, you'll have to rely on the AI not taking stupid focuses that will invalidate all of your hard work.

4. Why does every single country need to be on board for the faction to form? If you're going through all of this work to get the faction, it shouldn't all be for nothing if one country pulls out at the last second.

5. If the goal of this concept is to improve the historicity/immersion of the game, I'm not sold on the idea of Hungary/Bulgaria arbitrarily being "reconciled" for the cost of "political power," which is a fairly vague concept to begin with. Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory and population after WWI. We're supposed to believe that they'll be perfectly fine with joining an alliance of the nations that ruined Hungary for the last two decades just because one of its neighbors spent 500 "political power?" Hungary/Bulgaria throwing their respective lots with the Axis makes far more sense in this scenario. At the very least, some substantial territorial/economic concessions should be in order to placate these former Central Powers nations.

I'm sorry if this comes off as overly-critical. As I've said before, I've liked some of your ideas in the past. In some respects this concept isn't bad, and I do appreciate that you're trying to represent an alliance system that existed historically but has been absent from the game. Although when you break it apart, it begins to make sense to me why this alliance system is not represented in the game - mostly due to point 1. on my list of objections.
 
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With all due respect, I'm not a big fan of this suggestion. I say that as someone who has liked some of your suggestions in the past, and as someone who prefers when the HOI4 devs try to respect the historicity of WWII within the game - I care a lot about immersion.

My concerns are exclusively relating to SP gameplay, as I don't play MP at all. Some big issues I see with this system include the following:

1. Overall, if these changes were implemented, it would unbalance the game for a lot of countries. On one hand, tt will be incredibly easy/OP for a competent Germany/Italy/USSR player to cheese all of these guarantees to annex half of Europe by mid-1937. On the other hand, it will make Hungary/Bulgaria/any alt-history Balkan minor campaign very unfun, as it will be nearly impossible to do anything at all. Just looking at this concept makes me glad I accomplished the infamous "Miklos Horthy and the Habsburg Prince" achievement already.

2. I imagine the values you've got here for the decisions would be subject to change, but as they are right now, the decisions are incredibly cost-prohibitive. If you want to achieve the peak alliance laid out here, you'll have to be spending every last shred of political power you get from like 1936-1939. And for what? An alliance of minor nations where you have to rely on a notoriously bad AI to cover your flanks, while you will be massively set back by nature of having no political advisors, research bonuses, military advisors, or any country-specific decisions completed for three years. It's perfectly possible to hold off the Axis/ComIntern as most Balkan countries if you know what you're doing, without spending all of your political powers on a faction that will probably hold you back more than anything else.

3. Speaking of the AI, I don't think it will be smart enough to handle these mechanics. I can imagine many scenarios where the AI weakens itself investing into this alliance, only to be quickly crushed by a Germany/USSR player, or even worse, only investing halfway into this system, essentially wasting a large amount of political power it could have spent focusing on itself. I could also see if investing into this system, only to go fascist/communist, thus wasting its time/political power that way as well. If you play ahistorically, you'll have to rely on the AI not taking stupid focuses that will invalidate all of your hard work.

4. Why does every single country need to be on board for the faction to form? If you're going through all of this work to get the faction, it shouldn't all be for nothing if one country pulls out at the last second.

5. If the goal of this concept is to improve the historicity/immersion of the game, I'm not sold on the idea of Hungary/Bulgaria arbitrarily being "reconciled" for the cost of "political power," which is a fairly vague concept to begin with. Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory and population after WWI. We're supposed to believe that they'll be perfectly fine with joining an alliance of the nations that ruined Hungary for the last two decades just because one of its neighbors spent 500 "political power?" Hungary/Bulgaria throwing their respective lots with the Axis makes far more sense in this scenario. At the very least, some substantial territorial/economic concessions should be in order to placate these former Central Powers nations.

I'm sorry if this comes off as overly-critical. As I've said before, I've liked some of your ideas in the past. In some respects this concept isn't bad, and I do appreciate that you're trying to represent an alliance system that existed historically but has been absent from the game. Although when you break it apart, it begins to make sense to me why this alliance system is not represented in the game - mostly due to point 1. on my list of objections.
Very valid argument that I didn't consider, thank you for the feedback!

1. True, it will make it flawless for Italy & Germany to conquer 3/4 states at the same time. And Hungary & Bulgaria will be not fun. To be honest, this was the Little Entente / Balkan Pact's intended purpose, but I suppose in this case we must cast aside historical accuracy for the sake of a fun gameplay.

2. True, it's mostly for roleplay, this didn't happen in real life so I reasoned it needs a huge cost to happen in Hearts of Iron 4.

3. I don't think the AI should even try to use these mechanics, these are made with the player in mind. In fact, there's no reason to invest even 100 political power in either the Little Entente or Balkan Pact decision chains unless you decide to invest all the way to a fully fleged alliance.

4. Fair. But I acutally saw this as more forgiving. If you fail, you get all your political power back, and are able to do it again after 2 months. And the requirement for them to accept is only that you have positive relations with them, so it's actually very hard for them to refuse.

5. Yes, that makes sense.

Don't worry, doesn't come off as overly-critical, in fact they are good arguments.
 
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That is nice idea but I would also like that Yugoslavia get rework because some things in focus tree are not logical at all like the focus tree path where you can give autonomy to Yugoslav territories so that you unite them again into centralized state after that.
 
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That is nice idea but I would also like that Yugoslavia get rework because some things in focus tree are not logical at all like the focus tree path where you can give autonomy to Yugoslav territories so that you unite them again into centralized state after that.
100% the biggest BS that part of Yugoslavia focus tree is.

I have no idea how that makes any sense whatsoever. Bringing Lenin back to life makes more sense than that.
 
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True man, hopefully we will see some improvement.
Your comment inspired me to make this, because I also feel like Yugoslavia got the short end of the stick in many ways:

 
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I once wrote on PDX forum about this with my old account but nobody heard me. Hopefully we can start spamming and we will be successful. I like your idea for new tree. I will also make comment below your new post there.
 
Probably War Effort wasn't a thing back then, I'm surprised and happy that they accepted my Romania propsal. It also got what, 30 agree/like? So they must have a clear sign from the community that they like it.
 
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Probably War Effort wasn't a thing back then, I'm surprised and happy that they accepted my Romania propsal. It also got what, 30 agree/like? So they must have a clear sign from the community that they like it.
I didn't know that they accepted you proposal about Romania, congrats my man.
 
One thing I'd add to this, is that guarantees are a very much a double edged sword, and like pointed out earlier, it causes the very real fact of even with slightest cheese, you can conquer most of Europe. And also it makes alt-history and European minors very unfun to play if you can't mess around, even if unrealistic.

Also Guarantees can make the AI wonky, and act like it can win when it comes to events such as "Demand Sudetenland" having had a rather major flaw in..... was it Le Resistance? that caused Czech to aggressively deny Sudetenland for a while before it was fixed. And with the web of alliances OP Suggest possibly leading to this kind of wonky mechanisms to pop up again due to AI thinking it can win, causing Balkans/Central Europe to derail into very very odd mess very fast.
- and I am aware that OP suggests there to be a mechanism for the alliance to break apart, but I am just afraid of Paradox AI being Paradox AI