Question on the Netherlands

[CrackingShow]

Hello

When the Netherlands capitulates in Europe, do you form a new government in the East Indies or does your colonial puppet retain those states and you you only keep the states you directly control in the Americas?

I ask because I want to know if I should be building in the East Indies and NOT in Europe as I'm going for the achievement.

 

[eastcoastceojam]

Assuming you are asking for advice on the Bevrijding achievement, yes, you want to build mostly in the East Indies. The "Continue the War in Batavia" will move your capital to the East Indies, and give you high compliance in your former puppet.

I made a long post about this a while back, which I've linked below. It was made on 1.9.1, so a few thing may have changed, but it should still work for you overall. Good luck!

The Netherlands Strikes Back! A guide to the Bevrijding achievement

I finally completed the Bevrijding achievement today. Playing as the Netherlands is usually a great (and greatly frustrating) run. Now that the Axis can lose to the Allies with historical AI majors, it's safer than ever for a democratic minor...

forum.paradoxplaza.com

 

[CrackingShow]

Assuming you are asking for advice on the Bevrijding achievement, yes, you want to build mostly in the East Indies. The "Continue the War in Batavia" will move your capital to the East Indies, and give you high compliance in your former puppet.

I made a long post about this a while back, which I've linked below. It was made on 1.9.1, so a few thing may have changed, but it should still work for you overall. Good luck!

The Netherlands Strikes Back! A guide to the Bevrijding achievement

I finally completed the Bevrijding achievement today. Playing as the Netherlands is usually a great (and greatly frustrating) run. Now that the Axis can lose to the Allies with historical AI majors, it's safer than ever for a democratic minor...

forum.paradoxplaza.com

Why not TAC bombers instead of NAV bombers for the longer range for the big Airzones in the Pacific?

 

[eastcoastceojam]

Why not TAC bombers instead of NAV bombers for the longer range for the big Airzones in the Pacific?

Actually, I did this achievement with a TAC-heavy air force, and I was very underwhelmed with their performance. If I had to do it all over again, I would have used NAV2 or NAV3 instead, which is why I wrote that in the guide. The reason is in the stats of the planes:

1936 TACs have less Naval Targeting, 50% less Naval Attack, and cost 40% more IC than 1936 NAVs. TACS have greater range, but I was finding that most of the time my subs were entering into battle, sinking ships, then moving on, before my TACs ever engaged the enemy. I also discovered later than Naval Attack is reduced if attacking from a land-based air wing, which hurts TACs more NAVs, since they have less Naval Attack to begin with.

I made a thread about this as well, which you can find below. Short version is that Subs are the best at sinking ships cheaply, then use NAV2 or NAV3 as a supplement.

How can I improve results from the Naval Strike air mission?

During a recent game with Pacific island-based NAV and TAC Bombers on the Naval Strike air mission, I was surprised by the number of battles where my planes were idle, while my subs in the same zone engaged in combat. And it was also very...

forum.paradoxplaza.com

 

[CrackingShow]

Actually, I did this achievement with a TAC-heavy air force, and I was very underwhelmed with their performance. If I had to do it all over again, I would have used NAV2 or NAV3 instead, which is why I wrote that in the guide. The reason is in the stats of the planes:

1936 TACs have less Naval Targeting, 50% less Naval Attack, and cost 40% more IC than 1936 NAVs. TACS have greater range, but I was finding that most of the time my subs were entering into battle, sinking ships, then moving on, before my TACs ever engaged the enemy. I also discovered later than Naval Attack is reduced if attacking from a land-based air wing, which hurts TACs more NAVs, since they have less Naval Attack to begin with.

I made a thread about this as well, which you can find below. Short version is that Subs are the best at sinking ships cheaply, then use NAV2 or NAV3 as a supplement.

How can I improve results from the Naval Strike air mission?

During a recent game with Pacific island-based NAV and TAC Bombers on the Naval Strike air mission, I was surprised by the number of battles where my planes were idle, while my subs in the same zone engaged in combat. And it was also very...

forum.paradoxplaza.com

By "sinking ships cheaply" do you mean DD/CL and Capitals as well?

Excuse me if I'm asking the obvious, I don't know much about Naval Warfare other than CLs are very good and subs murder convoys like no-ones business.

 

[eastcoastceojam]

By "sinking ships cheaply" do you mean DD/CL and Capitals as well?

Excuse me if I'm asking the obvious, I don't know much about Naval Warfare other than CLs are very good and subs murder convoys like no-ones business.

Sorry, all I meant was that as the Netherlands, you have limited Industrial Capacity (IC) to compete with the larger Japanese fleet. The best "bang for your IC buck" is with 1936 Subs (and then 1940 Subs, as soon as you can). When paired with your godly submarine admiral, those subs will sink far more Japanese ships/convoys than your NAVs, TACs, or Surface ships combined.

My recommendation is to prioritize Subs, then supplement with Heavy Fighters and NAVs to give you air cover over the large East Indies air zones. I did build a few extra (less than 10, I think) CLs during the campaign for convoy escort around the East Indies islands, but eventually you won't need them since the Japanese will run out of fuel and rubber if you hold your own lands, plus help the UK keep Malaya.

Hope this helps!

 

[CrackingShow]

Sorry, all I meant was that as the Netherlands, you have limited Industrial Capacity (IC) to compete with the larger Japanese fleet. The best "bang for your IC buck" is with 1936 Subs (and then 1940 Subs, as soon as you can). When paired with your godly submarine admiral, those subs will sink far more Japanese ships/convoys than your NAVs, TACs, or Surface ships combined.

My recommendation is to prioritize Subs, then supplement with Heavy Fighters and NAVs to give you air cover over the large East Indies air zones. I did build a few extra (less than 10, I think) CLs during the campaign for convoy escort around the East Indies islands, but eventually you won't need them since the Japanese will run out of fuel and rubber if you hold your own lands, plus help the UK keep Malaya.

Hope this helps!

Why does your guide build Mils before dockyards? Is there not a case for getting to 10 dockyards to pour out subs?

 

[eastcoastceojam]

Why does your guide build Mils before dockyards? Is there not a case for getting to 10 dockyards to pour out subs?

Great catch- thanks for pointing out this inconsistency.

When I wrote this back in March, I was prioritizing Mils so I could build more planes. But now that I'm less excited for Dutch TACs/NAVs in the East Indies, I should have built more dockyards instead. I guess I was just being lazy and not wanting to re-write my entire guide. TACs/NAVs are good in general, but since the Dutch have such a great Sub Admiral, and limited IC, they get more value from Subs.

You can 100% get the achievement either way you go. I just think now that it would be more efficient (and easier) for a player to have more Subs than planes.

 

[CrackingShow]

Great catch- thanks for pointing out this inconsistency.

When I wrote this back in March, I was prioritizing Mils so I could build more planes. But now that I'm less excited for Dutch TACs/NAVs in the East Indies, I should have built more dockyards instead. I guess I was just being lazy and not wanting to re-write my entire guide. It's not to say that planes are bad for every nation, it's just that the Dutch have such a great Sub Admiral, and limited IC, so you can have to be thoughtful about how you spend it.

You can 100% get the achievement either way you go. I just think now that it would be more efficient (and easier) for a player to have more Subs than planes.

I followed most of your advice but Germany are losing WWII because they left 100 divisions opposite the Maginot line and now the Allies are pouring into Germany!

 

[eastcoastceojam]

I followed most of your advice but Germany are losing WWII because they left 100 divisions opposite the Maginot line and now the Allies are pouring into Germany!

As long as you were capitulated long enough to complete "Continue the War in Batavia" focus, you should still be eligible for the achievement.

Although the way you describe your game it would be a little anti-climatic to complete the "Liberation" focus years after you actually were liberated.

 

[CrackingShow]

As long as you were capitulated long enough to complete "Continue the War in Batavia" focus, you should still be eligible for the achievement.

Although the way you describe your game it would be a little anti-climatic to complete the "Liberation" focus years after you actually were liberated.

Its fine, the Italians smashed the French and I was capitulated again, lost half my convoys though which was annoying.

 

[CrackingShow]

As long as you were capitulated long enough to complete "Continue the War in Batavia" focus, you should still be eligible for the achievement.

Although the way you describe your game it would be a little anti-climatic to complete the "Liberation" focus years after you actually were liberated.

I completed the achievement, it was easy. The submarines killed 2 million Axis soldiers, several thousand convoys and were even sinking capitals and screens in naval battles once I had level 3 submarines. Submarines are heinously powerful especially in single player.

If I were to do a similar game again, I would build fewer Naval bombers (who did a fraction the damage the subs did) and get some proper infantry divisions out so I could launch my own small scale offences rather than having to essentially watch the AI push slowly forward.

The only damage the Naval bombers were doing was to enemy submarines but cheap destroyers can do that job.

I was able to cripple the Japanese and weaken the Italians and Germans by preventing them from leaving Europe and trading with Venezuela for Oil.

 

[eastcoastceojam]

I completed the achievement, it was easy. The submarines killed 2 million Axis soldiers, several thousand convoys and were even sinking capitals and screens in naval battles once I had level 3 submarines. Submarines are heinously powerful especially in single player.

Congrats!