Questions regarding government and cabinet

[BloodAsp]

Hi,

I would like to ask your opinion about ministers and polices:
1. We all know that war economy is the best, but what about free trade vs export focus? Large countries like GER can use free trade easily, but smaller ones have to import ungodly amount of iron - is it worth it?
2. Best ministers. Obviously silent workhorse is the best, but what about captain of the industry for 1-2 early years (when building civs)? Illusive gentlemen looks good on paper, but due to lack of autopause it is hard to follow spy actions. What about prince of terror and War industralist?
3. Bonus: is there a way to increase stability? During my last play through as France I got so many strikes that I decided to join republican party IRL

 

[blue_yonder]

This being a strategy game, 'best' is usually a variable rather than a cookie-cutter - but I concede that Monsieur Workhorse is probably an exception. For instance you mention strikes in France, but these are avoidable and maybe you spent PP on a captain of industry when a far higher priority is improving worker conditions while your factories are still few in number and rubbish at their job.

You're right that spies spend much of their time doing nothing because you haven't noticed they're free, but they are still absolutely invaluable as France. Building up the agency early, with inefficient factories rather than well-oiled ones, pays off handsomely in the end with all the industrial tech stolen from Germany. In short, everything is a trade-off, and your choice of ministers is decided not by an abstract 'best', but by concentrated or dispersed, free trade or export focus, and every other way in which you plan to win the game.

 

[Mousetick]

3. Bonus: is there a way to increase stability? During my last play through as France I got so many strikes that I decided to join republican party IRL

I'll give the bonus a shot.

General cases:

1. National Focus:
There may be focuses that directly either remove a stability malus or add a stability bonus. Some focuses may indirectly provide similar effects, via leaders, ministers or decisions. See screenshot further below to find them.
2. Decisions:
- Improved Worker Conditions: increases stability over a period of 180 days, for a total of +14%. Can be taken repeatedly but only once every X months (where X is "I don't know off the top of my head").
- Institute Press Censorship: increases popularity of the ruling party, which in turns increases stability.
- Anti-XYZ Raids: increases stability and decrease XYZ party popularity over a period of 120 days, for a gross total of +2% stability. Be careful with this, as the decision initially drops the stability by -10%, before it starts to creep up.
3. Events:
- Some events, the Elections for example, may present choices that increase or decrease stability.

Read fully the description of NFs, Decisions and Events before making a choice, as they often have negative effects along the positive ones.

The Wiki provides other details, such as how being at war decreases stability, and the effects of low vs. high stability.

France special cases:
- You will get massive strikes as democratic France if you revoke the Matignon Agreements before 1 Jan 1938, regardless of stability.
- You start with a severe -10% malus to stability with the "Disjointed Goverment" National Spirit. Try to get rid of it (via National Focus) as soon as possible.
- At some point in time you will be the target of USSR influence to raise popularity of the Communist Party, lowering your ruling party popularity if your goverment is not Communist, in turn negatively affecting stability.

As France you should make it a priority to resolve the political issues plaguing it, perhaps even more importantly than its economic development. Always keep an eye on its stability and do everything possible to increase it.

Use the Search feature to find relevant NFs:

Don't use the Stability filter, it's not as comprehensive as the text Search, because it highlights only those NFs that directly impact stability:

 

[BloodAsp]

Regarding strikes and France in particular:
AT that point (1940) I already god rid of Disjointed Government, and even switched to unaligned.....
SUPPOSEDLY you get strikes if your stability is lower than 50% - so the advice to improve workers condition at the start looks very good.

 

[bitmode]

Can be taken repeatedly but only once every X months (where X is "I don't know off the top of my head").

12 months after the last instance timed out, or every 18 months overall

 

[blue_yonder]

12 months after the last instance timed out, or every 18 months overall

That is so useful, thank you.

For the OP, now I know for sure you're talking about France (the only country I have a clue about) another tip is to start improving relations with China on July 2nd '37. They will then accept your attaché when Japan attacks on Bastille Day, the 14th. This tangibly increases China's chances of keeping Japan out of your resource-rich Indochina - 2% more org is not to be sniffed at - and also gives you buckets of XP for years to come. Again, a far better use of early pp than any minister..

edit: forgot to say that for this to work, you need to return to China the piece of territory France owns.

 

[BloodAsp]

I just found out that there is a type of admiral which gives you 10% of PP gain.
You literally learn something every day