I have been looking at the tech trees and if I just had 1 or maybe 2 tech slots I could see never getting past basic Infantry and level 2 mountain units. Small countries would take forever to research special materials to get above basic infantry. Is this the way the designers setup to limit small countries to always be so far behind the majors? If so I am not sure I like this...Small countries before could concentrate atleast on say infantry and maybe one plane type in other HOI2 games and be maybe be 1 or 2 models behind the majors, but with ofcoarse worse doctrines still. Even with blueprints... I don't see how a minor could get enough tech to be much of a help besides providing some partisan control...and even there it takes about 4-5 techs to get MP brigades. Now, I never played one yet in IC, but I really don't feel inspired to do so either since getting anything beyond the basics is almost impossible. I don't see where a minor can carve out a nich for its country easily. It looks like most small countries will have basically the same forces and getting above the basics so that they can dominate another small country is almost impossible. So it will be just Manpower and ICs that determines which country is better if you are a small country. And like a post earlier showed if you get too much MP as a small country you in trouble because this will cause you to not to be able to aford tthe upkeep.