Support the Kodoha and omg, wth?

[Synicus]

Right so, non-aligned sounds good... (Oops, forgot I can't send volunteers or increase man power laws).

Prepare for war with Soviets... ((my reason for taking the branch (check)).
Join London naval treaty... ((Awesome, now I can really focus on the Army (check)).
Peace with China... ((hmmm... ok, more for the Soviet future demise (check)).
Tech Exchange... ((Seems like UK is preparing for war against us and we've generated 0 tension, meanwhile Germany is doing great vs. Allies, probably just paranoid and who doesn't love Tech? (check)).

Turns out Japan was more advanced than Germany, so much for TE
Oops!
Got soaked up into the Axis, I thought the tool tip for 'Tech Exchange' wasn't quite literal, like 'has full control of Kirin' (BTW, Commune France and every ally instantly went to war against Hitler over 'Demand Sudetenland')

Hmm, seems inevitable America will join the allies...
Hmm, seems inevitable All of China will become communist... (from my game, not in general)

Proceeding with my war plans and 3 year build up plan will have me at war with everyone, all for being non-aligned?

One saving grace is that the Soviet focus tree reset after the second civil war...Now getting x2 national spirit buffs though... but how to cross Siberia quickly is a big problem?!

If I ignore Axis requests to join the war, I could get booted from the faction if the AI is up to doing that, I would have to hold off on the Soviet war in hopes that would happen, or face the Axis sending half their troops to Asia only to be sunk in route and or eat up all my supply caps. I've waited too long as is, Germany already has a war goal against the Soviets and that means Japan gets squat in peace conference for conquering over half the land area.

If I skip the 3 final foci of the Kodoha, the emperor will not be pleased and I have a feeling China will form United front and cancel our pact before I can re-organize against the allies.

I really love having a white Japan over pink but this branch isn't working out for non-aligned Japan single player.
If I prepared for all out war, I'd be better off pink, Pink, PINK!!!

P.S. I think Manchuria stole some Support equipment not in the 'build up Manchurian army' focus tool tip. (200-300)

 

[GothicEmperor]

Yeah, the fact that you're drawn into the Axis defeats the whole purpose of the wider 'disregard Western colonies, focus on the Soviets'-goal of the branch. If anything, it makes Japan even more likely to be drawn into war with the West and the USA.

 

[SchwarzKatze]

Kodoha

Join London naval treaty

Does not compute

(Not against you but the designer)

 

[seattle]

I dislike the new Japanese NF-tree in general. It is designed to railroad Japan into either ahistorical or a 100% historical route.
Why can't you go Marco Polo (no pun intended) without signing a non-aggression pact with the Soviets? For the a.i. it makes perfect sense, but not for the player. I used to blitz China, then join Germany during Barbarossa. Now that's not possible anymore (at least with the NF-tree logic without workarounds).

 

[Broletariat90]

I dislike the new Japanese NF-tree in general. It is designed to railroad Japan into either ahistorical or a 100% historical route.
Why can't you go Marco Polo (no pun intended) without signing a non-aggression pact with the Soviets? For the a.i. it makes perfect sense, but not for the player. I used to blitz China, then join Germany during Barbarossa. Now that's not possible anymore (at least with the NF-tree logic without workarounds).

It's pretty realistic. Either you go after China or the Soviets. The whole reason the Japanese didn't go after the Soviets was because of China, and well a cleansing of the IJA officer corps and some of its higher institutions like the War College. The only thing I don't like about this tree is the fantasy communist path. I also don't get why they were made un-aligned. They were more fascist then Tojo ever was. But I assume that was done because of game restrictions. Having two fascist political parties might be too much trouble to implement. But then again, the political system needs a serious revamp. Maybe it will change in the future.

 

[seattle]

It's pretty realistic. Either you go after China or the Soviets. The whole reason the Japanese didn't go after the Soviets was because of China, and well a cleansing of the IJA officer corps and some of its higher institutions like the War College. The only thing I don't like about this tree is the fantasy communist path. I also don't get why they were made un-aligned. They were more fascist then Tojo ever was. But I assume that was done because of game restrictions. Having two fascist political parties might be too much trouble to implement. But then again, the political system needs a serious revamp. Maybe it will change in the future.

It's more historical than realistic that the "guiding spirit" of Japan must enter a NAP with Soviets to invade China.
I know that the IJN was the most influential institution and didn't want war with the Soviets. However, why not allow the player to grab China AND join Barbarossa to get parts of Russia? It could come at a steep cost, like lowered stability and war support and the resignation of some key naval generals. Doesn't have to be free, but please not this railroading crap again!

 

[Grallak]

It's more historical than realistic that the "guiding spirit" of Japan must enter a NAP with Soviets to invade China.
I know that the IJN was the most influential institution and didn't want war with the Soviets. However, why not allow the player to grab China AND join Barbarossa to get parts of Russia? It could come at a steep cost, like lowered stability and war support and the resignation of some key naval generals. Doesn't have to be free, but please not this railroading crap again!

They had a non aggression pact just before barbarossa, but that was around 1940-1941. Again, stupid NF. :/ ALL HAIL THE SHOGUN.

 

[VKW]

It's more historical than realistic that the "guiding spirit" of Japan must enter a NAP with Soviets to invade China.
I know that the IJN was the most influential institution and didn't want war with the Soviets. However, why not allow the player to grab China AND join Barbarossa to get parts of Russia? It could come at a steep cost, like lowered stability and war support and the resignation of some key naval generals. Doesn't have to be free, but please not this railroading crap again!

I just played Japan, and even though there isn't a national focus, I had some events where Chinese terrorists destroyed infrastructure and gave me war goals against both Nationalist and Communist China in 1938. I didn't even have the negative "commitment to war" modifier when I declared war this way, so I mopped the floor with them relatively quickly and was still in a good position to invade the USSR by 1941.

 

[Broletariat90]

I just played Japan, and even though there isn't a national focus, I had some events where Chinese terrorists destroyed infrastructure and gave me war goals against both Nationalist and Communist China in 1938. I didn't even have the negative "commitment to war" modifier when I declared war this way, so I mopped the floor with them relatively quickly and was still in a good position to invade the USSR by 1941.

That's happened to me. I don't want to declare war, so I take a stability hit every damn time. If I went the other way you just get the option to declare war, you don't have to, do you?

 

[Synicus]

I see the points raised about historical and ahistorical but the AI BREAKS non-aggression pacts as soon as they are able, I'm sure a player would too. This leads to war with both Soviets and a well built up China around the same time and Japans army isn't what it could be, having suffered non-aligned man power laws. One could make some progress vs the Soviets with a single army but such a slow advance means certain doom for Germany or Germany owning all the Soviet resources after the war (eying their non-aligned faction member as a threat).

I strongly feel this branch needs fixing, like replacing 'prepare for war' with 'pre-emptive war', then the adjustments to 'Militarism' might make some sense as well, but leaves 'Manchurian build up', too late.

 

[VKW]

That's happened to me. I don't want to declare war, so I take a stability hit every damn time. If I went the other way you just get the option to declare war, you don't have to, do you?

Nope, you don't have to I believe. I declared on National China but not Communist and didn't suffer any ill effects from that.