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Thanks everybody for your help -- firing up the game now!
 
((I must resign. As much as I enjoy watching and plotting as Gevorg; there simply isn't much to do as a candidate member and I'm too busy with Empire of Harmony to really keep up.))
 
((I must resign. As much as I enjoy watching and plotting as Gevorg; there simply isn't much to do as a candidate member and I'm too busy with Empire of Harmony to really keep up.))

((That's a shame; on behalf of the other players, I do hope we see you again soon!))
 
Chapter 4 is up!

Comrades,

With the Japanese and Chinese now at war, as you all know, it is time to consider our own position. Even the Tsars, imperialist fools that they were, recognized what Manchuria could bring to the Russian Empire. There may never be a better time to claim it for our own, perhaps even take Korea while extracting the Chinese Communists from a tough predicament. The peace-loving workers and peasants of the Soviet Union do not war, naturally, but we cannot let this unprovoked imperialist aggression stand unanswered. How do we respond? Comrades Petrova and Yagoda, you are tasked with assessing our most viable options. Comrade Vatutin, please have a plan for a response prepared in case that is what the Politburo decides. ((Feel free to use the battle plan editor. :))) The other members of the Politburo may prepare their reports as normal, but until this question is discussed and decided upon, please refrain from presenting these reports to the Politburo.

Stalin

((In other words, Sakura_F, give us diplomatic options. son of liberty, covert options. Davout, the military option. After some discussion, I'll formally call for a vote.))
 
Comrades, while I have no doubt in our military superiority, I believe we must act in restraint when it comes to destroying the Japanese imperialists. Perhaps we should make an effort to sign a non-aggression pact while we covertly move soldiers to the Far Eastern front, and then we can act once our NAP expires, provided we are not actively combating another imperialist power.

Another option is a timetable to declare war on Japan once Nanking falls, which will give us a legitimate reason to go to war in the eyes of the Western imperialists, who will be less inclined to back Japan over us.

Option 3 is no NAP, but we can begin transferring soldiers for an unspecified future declaration of war.
 
Another option is a timetable to declare war on Japan once Nanking falls, which will give us a legitimate reason to go to war in the eyes of the Western imperialists, who will be less inclined to back Japan over us.
((
Since we're pretty much up to date, and Germany is still in the build-up this is technically the best decision.
However attacking Japan now, means that this AAR is either pretty short lived (somewhere '41 at last if we're really lazy at collecting all the minors) or we've the get new Victory Conditions. The only major land power standing against us is Germany (France is crap by design, Japan has no armored capacities and will never have) - now we've the advantage of beating the Japs first (Poland is preventing any major German assault) and then overrun europe (on whom the allies declare is basically luck - either us or the axis, mostly since neither Munich nor Vienna will happen in this scenario).
))
 
(( The most viable scenario **if we want to attack Japan** is to grab Manch. or / Korea or die trying and the then "engineer" peace ))

Comrades the idea of attacking Japan specially after it has over-extended in China may be appealing to some if not to most of you. And it is also to me in some extent. My biggest concern is after we achieve whatever we expect to achieve how do we disengage from the conflict. The Japanese as a society are a relic of the old times, a society of feudal, if not tribal structure with their industrialisation being a facade.

However the question remains, ones Manchuria and Korea peninsula are liberated, even after the Chinese tribes are their farmers are freed by centuries of oppression, will our war with Japan end?

In addition to this, are we willing to invade the Japanese islands? And if yes how are we are expect to do this? With rafts? Japan was not included in our strategic planning hence there was no research in the navy. Even discussing the conquest of Japan is a serious diversion from our initial planning, and such diversions are extremely time-consuming and will harm our ultimate goal.

For the upcoming discuss regarding the wars in the East, my opinion is that unless we can snatch Manchuria and Korea within weeks, and engineer by force peace with Japan, we should not bother at this stage, at all.

Another issue which is rather important is that our army is under-staffed in officers, of course a war will change this, but it is something that you should consider.

Regards,

A.Y.
 
((IIRC, Japan is in the Axis already. Are we willing to go completely Ahistorical?))
 
(( Ooooups ! I wasn't aware of this ))
 
((Yeah, so do we want to disrupt the event chains or not?))
 
((IIRC, Japan is in the Axis already. Are we willing to go completely Ahistorical?))
((Exactly that was what I asked for. Our own Victory Conditions mean this war is to be over before the end of '41 at latest. Neither Japan (well, why peace out with them, necessarily?) nor Germany possess the power to withstand the RKKA, nor does France (since Franco won, we've to invade the French, to fulfill the goal of a commie Spain).))
 
((That's a solid no for me. If we were to declare war on Japan, I propose to at least edit them and Manchuria out of the Axis (they'll autojoin a week later anyway), so we'll be able to make a separate peace.))
((With the result of calling Germany in? Seriously, editing is no real way in that case (unless we're talking about a AAR specific mod, than it's possible).))
 
((With the result of calling Germany in? Seriously, editing is no real way in that case (unless we're talking about a AAR specific mod, than it's possible).))

((Are you sure that will happen? A similar test by me with a British-Italian war (with Italy in the Axis) saw Germany just sitting the war out. I thought that was because of the Axis ability to wage limited war.))
 
((Damn, does going ahistorical break so much in HoI3? I was ready to advocate going to war to spread socialism to our Asian friends but not if it'll mess with the integrity of the game. Regarding the game ending early, I'm sure we could either move the goalposts, find ways amongst ourselves to hobble our progress, or just accept that the USSR is that good.))
 
((Who dowed? If it's Britain that's weird, if it's Italy normal.))

((I was Britain, edited Italy out of the Axis (and Libya with British cores), DOWd Italy, Italy joined Axis again, I fought Italy (and not Germany), made a separate peace over Libyan cores, and it was peace again. A similar construction should be doable with Japan.))
 
((Damn, does going ahistorical break so much in HoI3? I was ready to advocate going to war to spread socialism to our Asian friends but not if it'll mess with the integrity of the game. Regarding the game ending early, I'm sure we could either move the goalposts, find ways amongst ourselves to hobble our progress, or just accept that the USSR is that good.))
((I wouldn't call it breaking - more of altering really much (a early Soviet/Axis war literally means Soviet Eurasia excluding UK and Japan home isles against UK/Americas/Oceania).))
 
Stirred up a lot of debate, I see. Good. :)

I'm open to changing victory conditions, certainly, if that's the consensus. I don't know much about the TFH espionage system; can we do something with that, if war is unpalatable/too easy?