USA:
Wow. This is what an economy looks like. Sure its crippled, and I can't build any units, but *wow*. Look around and calculate... "Why build IC?".
Strategy: Build a perimeter of Radar, Aircraft and Naval bases around the Pacific as jump off points. Build a CL heavy fleet (approximately, plenty of CA and BB). Build 10 Naval bombers, and escorts. Japan first.
Outcome: Japan kicks China to the curb. I have difficulty keeping up in the tech race, and choose Naval to 41, Air throughout, Motorised + Tank army supported by SP Art and Light Armour brigades. Force to declare war on Japan in 1940 to come to Nationalist China's aid.
How many ships do I have? Too many it seems. Yet not enough to restrict Japanese incursions into the Mid Pacific. They don't take islands but it is ominous. Up until the point when I realise that their CVs are unescorted and going about in ones.
However, about three-four months into the War Japan picks up the Phillipines. This is where I left off. All in all I felt restricted, like I should be building a Navy, and somewhat worried about future games with a Leninist Mexico on my border. National Guard militia perhaps.
Notes: I could build Motor, HQ, Brigades while I still couldn't build INF. Worrysome? Naval bombers were quite interesting, more search and locate at the rate (1s and 2s) I was using them. Didn't try using stacks of 4. (400 Seaplanes in a search zone? Bit silly.)
* * *
Japan.
This is what an economy doesn't look like. So, try to build up a series of trades, but everyone hates us! Sigh. Farm out the Naval forces to the North Chinese puppet state, let them pay the supplies. Still don't have enough resources / production to make my chosen builds (CL + CV). Research is a bit of a joke, gotta pick and pick early: INF, ART, Naval, Tac, Air Supremacy. Then three months in my economy goes Yo-Yo. I figure its due to my bad diplomatic and trading strategy. Can't be bothered restarting. Come back to the challenge (the *BIG* challenge) later.
* * *
Nationalist China
Popular front, its where its at. Who cares about dissent, your pre-war economy is so small and the German trades so useful you can burn dissent and not worry. Japan fails to conduct naval landings against my 3 INF + 3 Reserves strategy on landing zones. In the North fighting bogs down on the first Nationalist China river line and I push them back to the Mountains around Beiping after eight months of War. No airpower in sight (I wasn't monthly reloading though).
Observations: Upgrade your INF to 36. Use double eschelons of 9 divisions on attack. Build a HQ. Build long runs of INF. Build some Mountain strike forces. The economy, while small, is very generous to your missions and roles. Don't be afraid to throw your Navy around stupidly. You'll never have the research to Doctrine up. Great War era hulls in the DD-CA range are cheap, but ineffective.
* * *
The "flavour" of US economic and strategic decision-making works. The flavour of Japanese decision-making works (but its a self-denying flavour of masochism). Nationalist China feels very limited, given that I halted the Japanese offensive on a river line in winter, pushed them back during the summer campaign season, and never saw an effective use of the Japanese naval supremacy.
Wow. This is what an economy looks like. Sure its crippled, and I can't build any units, but *wow*. Look around and calculate... "Why build IC?".
Strategy: Build a perimeter of Radar, Aircraft and Naval bases around the Pacific as jump off points. Build a CL heavy fleet (approximately, plenty of CA and BB). Build 10 Naval bombers, and escorts. Japan first.
Outcome: Japan kicks China to the curb. I have difficulty keeping up in the tech race, and choose Naval to 41, Air throughout, Motorised + Tank army supported by SP Art and Light Armour brigades. Force to declare war on Japan in 1940 to come to Nationalist China's aid.
How many ships do I have? Too many it seems. Yet not enough to restrict Japanese incursions into the Mid Pacific. They don't take islands but it is ominous. Up until the point when I realise that their CVs are unescorted and going about in ones.
However, about three-four months into the War Japan picks up the Phillipines. This is where I left off. All in all I felt restricted, like I should be building a Navy, and somewhat worried about future games with a Leninist Mexico on my border. National Guard militia perhaps.
Notes: I could build Motor, HQ, Brigades while I still couldn't build INF. Worrysome? Naval bombers were quite interesting, more search and locate at the rate (1s and 2s) I was using them. Didn't try using stacks of 4. (400 Seaplanes in a search zone? Bit silly.)
* * *
Japan.
This is what an economy doesn't look like. So, try to build up a series of trades, but everyone hates us! Sigh. Farm out the Naval forces to the North Chinese puppet state, let them pay the supplies. Still don't have enough resources / production to make my chosen builds (CL + CV). Research is a bit of a joke, gotta pick and pick early: INF, ART, Naval, Tac, Air Supremacy. Then three months in my economy goes Yo-Yo. I figure its due to my bad diplomatic and trading strategy. Can't be bothered restarting. Come back to the challenge (the *BIG* challenge) later.
* * *
Nationalist China
Popular front, its where its at. Who cares about dissent, your pre-war economy is so small and the German trades so useful you can burn dissent and not worry. Japan fails to conduct naval landings against my 3 INF + 3 Reserves strategy on landing zones. In the North fighting bogs down on the first Nationalist China river line and I push them back to the Mountains around Beiping after eight months of War. No airpower in sight (I wasn't monthly reloading though).
Observations: Upgrade your INF to 36. Use double eschelons of 9 divisions on attack. Build a HQ. Build long runs of INF. Build some Mountain strike forces. The economy, while small, is very generous to your missions and roles. Don't be afraid to throw your Navy around stupidly. You'll never have the research to Doctrine up. Great War era hulls in the DD-CA range are cheap, but ineffective.
* * *
The "flavour" of US economic and strategic decision-making works. The flavour of Japanese decision-making works (but its a self-denying flavour of masochism). Nationalist China feels very limited, given that I halted the Japanese offensive on a river line in winter, pushed them back during the summer campaign season, and never saw an effective use of the Japanese naval supremacy.
