Serenity - A V2 v1.3 Isolationist Japan AAR

[J. Passepartout]

Funny how reform works. The voters you get aren't the ones you want unless you can get away with gerrymandering.

 

[sprites]

That's a lot of socialists! you don't expect that with about 10% of the people supporting it ...

 

[Surt]

At the end of November, Russia’s Gen. Tukachevsky defeated a much smaller Japanese force at Yakutsk, but the Russians had suffered more than 13,000 casualties – more than 3 times as many as the Japanese. More “victories” like these might sap Russia of the ability to continue the war.

You mean more victories like this and Japan bleeds to death.

 

[RogueLeprechaun]

Ah... good to see it back

I think the Russian "problem" is going to be a constant thorn in your side.
Yes, you seem to have military superiority over them, yet you cannot currently deal them the sort of heavy blow needed over the vast distances of Siberia especially with their masses of troops available.
Remind me again of the diplomatic situation. Can you work on an alliance with the NGF or Austro-Hungary to allow a two-front war in the future?
You really need to knock the wind out of their sails with a two front war or I can seen you getting continually bogged down in Russia, rather than having the freedom of action needed to take on the other Great Powers and build an Empire in South East Asia.

Or maybe you can forget about the usual SE Asian Empire and instead build a continental one... Can't wait to see though

 

[LordTempest]

Ah, yes. The rabidly socialist Vicky II aristocrats and capitalists claim another victim. Hopefully the party isn't planned economy.

 

[aldriq]

The red menace is on the wrong side of the sea of Japan

 

[misterbean]

The red menace is on the wrong side of the sea of Japan

great post! Anyway, how did it happen? Sounds like either an oversight or a bug to me.

 

[Athalcor]

Wages! Medical care! Give the peasants what they do not want!

 

[Rensslaer]

What where those blue units in the battle of Jirim Chuulgan?

Yes, as Juan_de_Marco said, those are Swedish divisions -- the Russians' faithful ally. I'm used to dealing with them at sea, or on my islands. Major Swedish units in land combat is a new phenomenon for me. They're there in force, though, at places.

Swedish.

I like their blue, though it's a bit startling when you see it there the first time. "What the heck are those??!"

So the Emperor gambled on reforms and lost. Must be one of those face-palm moments . I was surprised to see a Swedish contingent with the Bear. Far from home, aren't they?

Yeah... I swear I had checked the upper class folks specifically, and it didn't look like they would be THAT socialist. But in any case...

Wow quite a socialist boom - if the Emperor is concerned going the Tory root and getting the poor in to the electorate with flags and empire is the simplest solution, but the question is where will that lead?

It's going to be an interesting ride. I haven't managed politics like that since I Am Siam, where I managed to keep the Socialists in check. I'm out of practice!

Funny how reform works. The voters you get aren't the ones you want unless you can get away with gerrymandering.

Is there any kind of an option for gerrymandering? Seems like I played a game once where you could do that, but I don't remember which.

That's a lot of socialists! you don't expect that with about 10% of the people supporting it ...

I know... It's like half the country's socialists are rich folks.

You mean more victories like this and Japan bleeds to death.

Well, that may be true to a point also. Russia hardly has that ability, though -- China does.

Ah... good to see it back

I think the Russian "problem" is going to be a constant thorn in your side.
Yes, you seem to have military superiority over them, yet you cannot currently deal them the sort of heavy blow needed over the vast distances of Siberia especially with their masses of troops available.
Remind me again of the diplomatic situation. Can you work on an alliance with the NGF or Austro-Hungary to allow a two-front war in the future?
You really need to knock the wind out of their sails with a two front war or I can seen you getting continually bogged down in Russia, rather than having the freedom of action needed to take on the other Great Powers and build an Empire in South East Asia.

Or maybe you can forget about the usual SE Asian Empire and instead build a continental one... Can't wait to see though

I completely agree -- I need allies. And yet I can't afford allies. Everyone in Europe has enemies, too, and I'm not in any shape to be at war with those enemies, so I've been reluctant to pursue alliances with them. If I'd been allied with Austria, I would recently have been at war with the UK.

Ah, yes. The rabidly socialist Vicky II aristocrats and capitalists claim another victim. Hopefully the party isn't planned economy.

I know! lol They still don't have control over who the Emperor chooses as leading party, so I'm protected from Planned Economy. But still...

The red menace is on the wrong side of the sea of Japan

Yeah!

great post! Anyway, how did it happen? Sounds like either an oversight or a bug to me.

Here's my theory... The V2 system has difficulty with "atypical" countries. It's made to model European countries, and in Europe socialism is rooted in the poorer classes. In Japan, and many other non-European countries, though, the population itself -- the poor people -- are so steadfastly conservative that they may never become socialist -- that's what helped me in I Am Siam, I think. Who's left? I wonder if there's a mechanic that simulates the spread of socialist ideas within the intelligentsia. If so, that would explain why my aristos and capitalists are more socialist, but that's just a guess. It may well be a bug.

Wages! Medical care! Give the peasants what they do not want!

lol Indeed. Oh well, we'll see how I might be able to get out of this fix.

Thanks for your comments, folks! I really appreciate it. Thanks also for reading.

I wanted to mention something that's come up for me lately. I told you I've been trying to become self-employed in the wake of my layoff, and part of that is becoming an author of more than just strategy guides (though I'd love to do more strategy guides too). So to promote my presence as a fiction author (fantasy, sci-fi, historical), I've started a Facebook fan page -- Edwin Hanks, Author. If you feel so inclined, I'd love it if you'd pop over there and give me a "like".

I still haven't gotten back to gameplay, but it's not such a big deal. I have 7 years, at least, before I reach where I am in gameplay, so I may have some room to negotiate before gameplay slows down my updates. I'll see if I can get another update in the next couple of days.

Rensslaer

 

[misterbean]

facebook, here I come

 

[TheArchMede]

Gerrymandering provides a bonus to the ruling party at election time. Its one of the party reforms.

In AHD there is a "party" (it actually works on ideology not party) loyalty mechanism which will also entrench voters into always returning the same party. You can use NFs on party loyalty but they move it too slowly to be effective at swinging elections.

 

[J. Passepartout]

Beyond what The Arch Mede says, and which I assume is the answer you were wondering about, there is also a website called redistrictinggame.org, which may interest you, since I know you are interested in politics.

 

[Rensslaer]

facebook, here I come

Thanks! I really appreciate the support!

Gerrymandering provides a bonus to the ruling party at election time. Its one of the party reforms.

In AHD there is a "party" (it actually works on ideology not party) loyalty mechanism which will also entrench voters into always returning the same party. You can use NFs on party loyalty but they move it too slowly to be effective at swinging elections.

Interesting. I'll have to look for that, if it's in AHD. I'd seen the party loyalty NF but I have been prioritizing other things -- I'm not really all that concerned about the socialists. There's little harm they can do for right now.

Beyond what The Arch Mede says, and which I assume is the answer you were wondering about, there is also a website called redistrictinggame.org, which may interest you, since I know you are interested in politics.

Interesting! I actually did redistricting for real in 2001 -- was part of the process here in Colorado -- and it was fascinating. A very corrupt process, I think, too, which is sad. The law sets out certain guidelines that are supposed to make the political process fair, but there were several places where the system could be gamed, and they were gamed for all they were worth.

I'm beginning the process of the next update, so hopefully it will be up before the weekend.

Thanks, everybody!

Rensslaer

 

[J. Passepartout]

Interesting! I actually did redistricting for real in 2001 -- was part of the process here in Colorado -- and it was fascinating. A very corrupt process, I think, too, which is sad. The law sets out certain guidelines that are supposed to make the political process fair, but there were several places where the system could be gamed, and they were gamed for all they were worth.

I'm not surprised. My state of New York had a court-imposed map for our current seats, on account of how diabolical the process was, and while the districts are a lot less loopy than they used to be, some of them are a little gerrymander-looking, mainly in New York City. And based on my experiences of local politics, I find that sometimes people don't believe how crazy the behind-the-scenes stuff can be, even with all the cynicism about politics.

 

[Juan_de_Marco]

They're just Fordists - they need the hoi polloi to buy their automobiles.

(edit: regarding upper class socialists, I meant. Although a lot of paternalistic socialists were upper class in the early days - the plight of the ruling classes is to alleviate the poor, some such noblesse oblige.. )

 

[LordTempest]

They're just Fordists - they need the hoi polloi to buy their automobiles.

(edit: regarding upper class socialists, I meant. Although a lot of paternalistic socialists were upper class in the early days - the plight of the ruling classes is to alleviate the poor, some such noblesse oblige.. )

Leftie aristocrats and enlightened industrialists like Robert Owen were the exception, not the rule.

 

[Rensslaer]

Leftie aristocrats and enlightened industrialists like Robert Owen were the exception, not the rule.

I'm not sure that's true. Look at, for instance, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, George Soros, and the political donations of more than 50% of "rich people who are household names". Not to even start with Hollywood.

Rensslaer

 

[undeadmonkey]

ARR events

Hi long time fan of your ARRs from fires warm the land to your current one.:blush:

That's a lot of socialists! you don't expect that with about 10% of the people supporting it.

With landed voting only+ No political parties its quite possible for 10% to vote that many socialists into power during elections for that 10% is the voting pop. :unsure:

Yeah... I swear I had checked the upper class folks specifically, and it didn't look like they would be THAT socialist. But in any case...

Hmmm by any chance did you check the difference between the aristocrats / capitalist pop numbers? If I took a guess and remembered pop Ideology for Aristocrats/ Capitalist correctly, then Aristocrats lean more socialists and Capitalists lean more liberal, and you have more Aristocrats resulting in these election results. :wacko:

going to be an interesting ride. I haven't managed politics like that since I Am Siam, where I managed to keep the Socialists in check. I'm out of practice

? by any chance is this a Role Playing decision? for I've run games were I gave in to the socialist reforms when ever I could and cut funding when I couldn't pay for it, and most of my people are quite happy with their absolute monarch even during the 1936 and I have a lot of accepted/Primary pops and an population that matches U.k and some games China Pop size.

I wonder, do you think you will ever convert this save to hoi3 after its done?

Well... My life has been pretty resistant to planning, lately. So I couldn't commit to anything. I wouldn't be opposed to it, though. Is there a good, solid AHD to HOI 3 converter? How does the converted game handle "fronts" and triggers and other things that tell the AI to respond to the world in a realistic way (such things are set up by rote in HOI 3, where Germany, Italy and Japan are assumed to be hostile to other particular countries, but for instance in a converted game, the USSR might not exist, and what would the Tsar do?)? Anyone know?

Hmmm I've heard some Victoria 2+ Heart of Iron 3 converters before but I've seen you do some Game editing before.
In practice if you had the time for ARR conversion then It should be possible to create events leading to a world war or some other story line by changing the events, So it should be possible to establish an story line that feels realistic to you about events from the current game. If you want help, I could help you write up a possible story line for your AAR if you sent me an map and some key events that happened to the AI. But I haven't altered the files in my game, so I don't know how hard it would be to create and alter events that would fire at certain points.

 

[Ricardo Rolo]

Hum, are you sure that the Monty Python are not directing your game?

Socialist Aristocrat: We need to give more rights to the workers! Hear their voice claiming out for reforms ...

Conservative workers/Peasants : Long live the emperor!! May the empire last 10000 years! Smash the chinese !

Socialist Aristocrat #2 : Really , we have such a retrograde country that the low classes don't even know they should be the ones rebeling aganst the system ...

 

[aldriq]

I'm not sure that's true. Look at, for instance, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, George Soros, and the political donations of more than 50% of "rich people who are household names". Not to even start with Hollywood.

But those are all modern examples, and all self-made... even if we go back to the Victorian crop of paternalistic industrialists, the radicals were mostly self-made (like Andrew Carnegie, for example).