Nationalist China is still pretty much unplayable in Multiplayer and rather unrealistic in single player.
Firstly the latest additions of Infantry units in 1.03b to bolster the Chinese Forces is rather unrealistic. The Chinese troops were mainly conscripted peasants. Unless Paradox does something to bolster Militia units, which both Nat China and to a large extent the Soviet Union had lots of (which is a separate point of contention) Nationalist China is wholly unplayable unless the Japanese player is incredibly incompetent.
Single player Japanese AI forces the Japanese to be less aggressive, which i feel is a stop-gap measure. Even in Single player, presently, it takes me less than about 1 to 3 months to fully conquer Nat China. This range is due to either tibet or Sinkiang being Annexed.
Though i am not an expert on the Chinese Order of Battle in 1937. What i do know was that the Chinese though outgunned and out 'teched' fought the Japanese to a bloody stalemate that lasted till the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Japanese forces found themselves overstretched and in a battle of attrition much like the Germans in the Eastern Front. Japanese Supply lines were in constant harrasement by Chinese guerrillas to the point that the Japanese troops were forced to fortify and hole-up in the cities as the countryside was too dangerous for the Japanese units to operate unless in large formations.
Chinese troops were mainly armed with World War One weaponry and in many instances, whole battalions consisted mainly of troops equipped with Swords, Halberds and VERY LARGE CHINESE SWORDS.
As the Nationalist Chinese Army and the Communist Army lacked heavy caliber Artillery and anti-tank weapons, not to mention a complete lack of armor assets. Troop Anti-tank strategy consisted of strapping a platoon of volunteers (and I mean real volunteers) with all the grenades they could spare and jumping on the Japanese tanks. In many instances, it took about ten to thirty men to disable a Japanese tank.
The Chinese (both commie and nat) took to large scale mass human wave assaults to literally halt Japanese advances. In many instances, Japanese positions were overwhelmed because they simply ran out of ammunition.
Currently, milita in HOI are useful only in Fortified locations with Mountain Terrain.
IMHO, i would suggest that Militia be granted higher Defense values which i believe are more realistic. Furthermore, the time to train and create a militia unit is too long. I believe it currently takes 3 months to create a militia unit if memory serves me. Militia Units actually takes a much shorter time to build, a month at most.
During the Korean War, Chinese conscripted divisions were simply 'plucked' from villages. All able-bodied men were asked to stand on one side of the village while the women and children stood on the otherside. A Commisar would then come, draw a line through the mass of men. those on the left side will join the PLA and the rest get to go back and farm. Conscripts would then be given 2 weeks basic training and sent to the front-line logistics depot to be issued uniforms and weaponry and to meet the rest of the divisions. It usually took no less than a month for a conscripted Division to be considered Battle Ready and sent to the front.
Nationalist and Communist Chinese units in '37 were no different. In fact by the '37 war with the Japanese, many Chinese took up arms in the form of homemade guns, grandfather's swords, muskets to fight the Japanese. Desertions and routed units were mainly due to poor leadership, training and superior Japanese armaments.
Nationalist Chinese Air Assets is also wholly under represented in HOI. The Nat Chinese Airforce was much larger than the 1 bomber, fighter, air-transport, dive bomber and naval bomber (all pre-war). The Nat Chinese Airforce consisted of over 3,000 aircraft, most of which were of the pre-war variety. Most of the air-craft were given by the western powers as gifts from the US, Britain and even Germany. Furthermore, wealthy Chinese business communities set up war funds to purchase weapons and planes from the west way before '37. Purchasing a total of about 1,400 planes of type, i am rather unsure.
Of the Nationalist Chinese troops, 1 Division of which were actually trained and equipped by Nazi Germany. They wore German Uniforms and were equipped with the latest german weaponary of that time. pre-Spanish civil war. This division was also trained in German Infantry Doctrines and were the best unit in the Nationalist Army.
The combines Nat and Commie CHinese armies eventually tied up over a million Japanese troops in mainland china by 1945. For all its industrial might and technological supremacy, Japan was never able to conquer nor pacify both Commie and Nat China.
In summation, Nat China needs to be relooked more thoroughly, both total available IC at start of the '36 scenario and militia units bolstered or revamped.
Firstly the latest additions of Infantry units in 1.03b to bolster the Chinese Forces is rather unrealistic. The Chinese troops were mainly conscripted peasants. Unless Paradox does something to bolster Militia units, which both Nat China and to a large extent the Soviet Union had lots of (which is a separate point of contention) Nationalist China is wholly unplayable unless the Japanese player is incredibly incompetent.
Single player Japanese AI forces the Japanese to be less aggressive, which i feel is a stop-gap measure. Even in Single player, presently, it takes me less than about 1 to 3 months to fully conquer Nat China. This range is due to either tibet or Sinkiang being Annexed.
Though i am not an expert on the Chinese Order of Battle in 1937. What i do know was that the Chinese though outgunned and out 'teched' fought the Japanese to a bloody stalemate that lasted till the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Japanese forces found themselves overstretched and in a battle of attrition much like the Germans in the Eastern Front. Japanese Supply lines were in constant harrasement by Chinese guerrillas to the point that the Japanese troops were forced to fortify and hole-up in the cities as the countryside was too dangerous for the Japanese units to operate unless in large formations.
Chinese troops were mainly armed with World War One weaponry and in many instances, whole battalions consisted mainly of troops equipped with Swords, Halberds and VERY LARGE CHINESE SWORDS.
As the Nationalist Chinese Army and the Communist Army lacked heavy caliber Artillery and anti-tank weapons, not to mention a complete lack of armor assets. Troop Anti-tank strategy consisted of strapping a platoon of volunteers (and I mean real volunteers) with all the grenades they could spare and jumping on the Japanese tanks. In many instances, it took about ten to thirty men to disable a Japanese tank.
The Chinese (both commie and nat) took to large scale mass human wave assaults to literally halt Japanese advances. In many instances, Japanese positions were overwhelmed because they simply ran out of ammunition.
Currently, milita in HOI are useful only in Fortified locations with Mountain Terrain.
IMHO, i would suggest that Militia be granted higher Defense values which i believe are more realistic. Furthermore, the time to train and create a militia unit is too long. I believe it currently takes 3 months to create a militia unit if memory serves me. Militia Units actually takes a much shorter time to build, a month at most.
During the Korean War, Chinese conscripted divisions were simply 'plucked' from villages. All able-bodied men were asked to stand on one side of the village while the women and children stood on the otherside. A Commisar would then come, draw a line through the mass of men. those on the left side will join the PLA and the rest get to go back and farm. Conscripts would then be given 2 weeks basic training and sent to the front-line logistics depot to be issued uniforms and weaponry and to meet the rest of the divisions. It usually took no less than a month for a conscripted Division to be considered Battle Ready and sent to the front.
Nationalist and Communist Chinese units in '37 were no different. In fact by the '37 war with the Japanese, many Chinese took up arms in the form of homemade guns, grandfather's swords, muskets to fight the Japanese. Desertions and routed units were mainly due to poor leadership, training and superior Japanese armaments.
Nationalist Chinese Air Assets is also wholly under represented in HOI. The Nat Chinese Airforce was much larger than the 1 bomber, fighter, air-transport, dive bomber and naval bomber (all pre-war). The Nat Chinese Airforce consisted of over 3,000 aircraft, most of which were of the pre-war variety. Most of the air-craft were given by the western powers as gifts from the US, Britain and even Germany. Furthermore, wealthy Chinese business communities set up war funds to purchase weapons and planes from the west way before '37. Purchasing a total of about 1,400 planes of type, i am rather unsure.
Of the Nationalist Chinese troops, 1 Division of which were actually trained and equipped by Nazi Germany. They wore German Uniforms and were equipped with the latest german weaponary of that time. pre-Spanish civil war. This division was also trained in German Infantry Doctrines and were the best unit in the Nationalist Army.
The combines Nat and Commie CHinese armies eventually tied up over a million Japanese troops in mainland china by 1945. For all its industrial might and technological supremacy, Japan was never able to conquer nor pacify both Commie and Nat China.
In summation, Nat China needs to be relooked more thoroughly, both total available IC at start of the '36 scenario and militia units bolstered or revamped.
