Actually the IC map makes things even EASIER! Since more province = More spread out units. Then that would make equal number of units facing each others in adjacent provs, except that jap units are more advanced than chinese units and so they are beaten with no trouble. I managed to conquer china by end 1937 once, february 1938 exactly (but i screwed up in part of an attack so it could have been even faster).
I fully understand the resulted problem and i didn't say that the IC map reflects the Sino-Japanese War perfectly, the problem is that in any HoI game the logistical part of the war is flawed, it needs to be much much harder to supply an army through such a big country as China and the consequences of a guerilla war in the Japanese occupied territory should have much more consequences for Japanese amry efficiency so that any offensive such as invading the mountainous hinterland is made impossible
( IRL Japan had no chance to lead a long-term war / occupation of the mainland )
Making supply/logistics more realistic forces Japanese troops to halt their offensive at a defined line; having more provinces lets a China-player/China-AI build more militias to maintain a highly manned front (which will rapidly be crushed in the beginning but gains more and a more of a foothold espescially if Japan reached the "critical line"), thus also making any unrealistical Chinese offensive to Manchuria/Korea/bitter-peace a rare sight due to the MUCH better quality of the Japanese counterparts (even if plagued with GIANT logistical problems japanese units won't be defeated even when massively outnumbered by chinese militias, but only when the japanese commander won't start an offensive which at that time would be disastrous)
Result of the changes : a realistical STALEMATE
I think the HoI-series would be the most appropriate games to simulate this scenario but as I said many flaws have to be tackled
