Zombie Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 I'd love to see your outlined plan come through, Zombie. Though it should prove difficult to pull off (especially the getting on 'smooching' terms with Germany bit) it's the perfect antithesis of FA's approach: subversion and economic garroting vs boot in neck, gun in your face. And, yet, interestingly, on both ends it's the world vs Japan.The "problem" with Japan in this game is it's belligerence and the inability to coup the country. Japan comes out of the gates looking to gain more land for it's empire by invading China so there is no way anyone could make them change their minds. This unfortunately means that Japan will be seen as the aggressor in a peacetime economy thus leading to war for some. Don't get me wrong, I would love to play peacemaker and prevent WWII from even starting, but it seems to be in the books no matter which way you slice it. Germany is also a tough nut to crack. Trying to start a coup always fails, miserably. But there is a secondary recourse: Influence Nation. It costs 1/10 that of a coup and provides a near-automatic +10 increase to relations. The big issue here is money though. This slow route costs $1690 (my current relations are +70 and I need to get it to +200) rather than $1300 for a coup. So it's possible, but expensive and time consuming. Seems as though I have plenty of money to burn and a lot of patience so that's a perfect recipe for sideline arbitration. Reason with the enemy? I'm going to try my hardest! Unfortunately, I don't think a perfect score in relations is the same as a successful coup since the underlying government is still present. Bugger. Your thoughts, FA? It'll certainly be interesting to see what happens in Zombie's game. Even if Germany stays friendly with the US, it can still go to war with the Allies, and Germany's military expansion may provoke one of the allies to declare war on Germany without ze Huns invading anyone. There's also the consideration that if you are part of one alliance, you can't join another, but the US starts out without any military alliances....True, but the US guarantees the independence of quite a few countries. Should Germany invade even one of them I'll be somewhat forced to take action, right? That's my biggest concern right now. Well, besides Japan's incessant snooping in the Pacific. - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted June 12, 2009 Author Share Posted June 12, 2009 Unfortunately, I don't think a perfect score in relations is the same as a successful coup since the underlying government is still present. Bugger. Your thoughts, FA? Exactly. When you coup a nation, you actually change the government, ministers from the left replace ministers from the right or vice versa. When you influence a nation, you just spend money convincing them you're friendly. Countries with +200 relationship can still declare war on you or otherwise be mean. Couping them makes it less likely, but it can still happen. If Italy joins the Axis, for instance, Germany is the leader of that alliance, so Italy has to go along with what Germany declares, including declarations of war (DoW). True, but the US guarantees the independence of quite a few countries. Should Germany invade even one of them I'll be somewhat forced to take action, right? That's my biggest concern right now. You don't have to. It doesn't automatically result in war, but it gives you a valid reason to DoW. You can ignore it if you like, though that sort of betrays the guarantee. Economic warfare can be waged against Germany as well. Strats, operating out of the UK, can reach Germany easily. You can interfere in their U-boat campaign by producing lots of small ASW fleets and deploying them into the Atlantic. Losses will be disproportionate, given that subs just really aren't that good at actual fighting, unless it's versus unscreened capital ships. Germany will sink more IC into replacing their losses, leaving less IC to be used on ze Wehrmacht und ze Luftwaffe. ------------------------ It seems my fighters are holding up well, even against Germany's rocket interceptors:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/ftrvsrk.jpgAbout 25% damage to my flight versus 40% to his? I can live with that, and I have more doctrines and another fighter upgrade to come. Feelin' supersonic, keep off the gin and tonic... My interceptors (values from l-r are Air, Naval, Soft, Hard and Strategic Attack, Air Defence, Surface Defence):https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/intso.jpgCompared to my fighters:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/fitrsc.jpgMy poor old ints are obsolete and need upgrading, plus they've never seen a battle. They're only used to defend the Home Islands anyway, no-one's ever going to get the chance to attack there, right? Besides, biplanes have that retro cool factor to them. Not in 1949, you say? I better upgrade them. P.S. If anyone has any music recommendations, I'm receptive. The game music is okay, but not my cup of tea. Been listening to long classical pieces lately, seems to go well with strategy, but then again so does a bit of the Prodigy or Justice. Open to suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 It doesn't matter how rickety your wings, really, so long as you still manage to give 'em "the bird"... :: p.s.: music recommendation for you? Well, let's see, I've got two campaign flavours: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted June 12, 2009 Author Share Posted June 12, 2009 Ahh, Dire Straits, where the US will be should it start a war. Good choices on the soundtracks, I never think of those. Also reminded me to check out the Last of the Mohicans OST, cheers. Just researching my first para tech:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/para1.jpg"Jesus, it's a long way down, Sarge.""We landed 15 minutes ago, Jones. Get off this plane or so help me God I will shoot you with my Army-issued forty-five calibre pistol." Das Bloop:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/nukesubswep.jpgThe Hunt for Yellow November will soon commence. "One'a these days, Hitler, bang, zoom, straight ta the moon. Until then..."https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/berlinz.jpg Italy takes four for the team:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/bombsoi.jpg Weclome, Kyrgyzest of all the 'Stans:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/kygryz.jpg A Soviet province revolted. Now, I wasn't going to intervene. Purely an internal matter. But the Germans stuck their nose in and started bombing the poor rebels. So I started giving them air cover:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/walbogaap.jpgThink it used to be part of Poland before it got divvied up between Germany and the SU. Can anything keep a good Pole down? Well, hello Mr Turkmenistan.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/turkst.jpgGoing to be starting my own League of Nations soon, except mine will be useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 A sticky situation for the Poles no doubt... so much so they can't even bail out if they go 'yella' :: And congratulations on the new 'tubs', FA! Sweet unlimited propellant... "(...) cos if you wanna run cool,Yes if you wanna run cool, you got to run,On heavy, heavy fuel" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted June 12, 2009 Author Share Posted June 12, 2009 Got to be a sub/heavy water joke in there somewhere. I'm all for a free Poland, will quite happily support them. It appears the Germans do not want to do the 'Poljska', though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matri Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 The Hunt for Yellow November will soon commence. No no no! It's Pink November and Yellow September. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted June 12, 2009 Author Share Posted June 12, 2009 Yellow Submarine is going to be a hit in Japan when it comes out, I suppose. "Ladies and gentlemen...the great state...of Jawjah...has seceded from that vile Union weah cawl...the Nipp-oh-nese Empayaah."https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/gsog.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Ok, here is my current state of affairs (specifically focusing on industrial research): https://img8.imageshack.us/img8/5059/77398572.th.jpg Oppenheimer is taking a really long time on the Isotope Separation topic (not even 50% finished) but I guess I have to tolerate it since he is way ahead of schedule. Robert Traux finally finished the Flying Bomb topic so I gave him a break and let Boeing research the Strategic Rocket because this company has a rocketry skill of 8 as compared to Traux who has 6. Hopefully the switch will yield faster results. Once Boeing is done with the rocket, then that area of industrial research will be exhausted. I'm guessing it should also open up a topic or two in the Secret Weapons tab when finished. These are the two biggest research areas in my game due to my strategy of "Speak softly and carry a big [boom] stick". (Aka: keep your head low but if someone starts causing trouble, beat them up). Raytheon finally completed research into Improved Decimetric radar and that gives my sites a little better efficiency. The Advanced Decimetric topic didn't really begin till 1942 so I'm putting that on the back-burners for a short time. Christie is currently working on the Improved Computing topic and is nearly done. When they do finish, I'm guessing that the Advanced Computing topic will become available which I'll probably get someone to work on ASAP. Ford is just amazing in the manufacturing area: I put them on the Production Control topic not too long ago and it's over 75% complete. At this rate, I'm very tempted to put them on the Production Planning topic to crank that out too. Crikey, all the other assembly line research topics are in Ford's alley too so depending on time I'll keep them in that area to give me a boost in mass producing (mass produced rockets sound delicious right now). Rounding out my 5 researchers is Douglas who is taking forever and a half to make any headroom on the Improved Naval Bomber. But, it's a necessary component in my strategy. As you can see, I have a ton of energy, metals, rares and oil. Chalk that up to constant trading. I'm producing a fair amount of Supplies now so that means I'm self-sufficient in that area. So much so, that I adopted another radical strategy: trade supplies for money. Now Germany will be funding their own demise when I decide to throw another coup their way. Suckers. (Speaking of coups, I checked Italy's new government and Mouse-o-lini is now conspicuously missing from the lineup. I always hated that guy and thankfully he's gone now). *In Nelson's voice from the Simpsons*: Ha-ha! I must've made a mistake in the sliders in the production tab because dissent suddenly shot up to 3%. Not to worry, I readjusted the settings and dissent is now on the fall again. Glad I caught this before it became too bad. A couple more rocket test sites have been built in Reno and Las Vegas so now I have a total of 4. Was going to make two more but decided I'd only make one and hope the final one wouldn't add too much time. Let's see, Midway Island has 3 antiaircraft batteries, a couple of coastal forts and a radar site. Wake has 4 antiaircraft, 2 coastal forts and a radar site as well. Guam has basically the same stats as Midway, but I'm beefing up the coastal fortifications to 4... and maybe a couple more later on. Unfortunately I forgot to stop production on the land forts in these islands so now I have one on each. I figure it can't hurt too much, especially with the Japanese breathing down my throat at every opportunity. All these islands have infrastructure improvements to the max of 100% scheduled so that should round them out pretty good for now. Next up is the Philippines and Hawaii and then the mainland. Speaking of radars, do I need more than one on an island? I'm guessing the more the merrier, but how many before I don't see much improvement? - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted June 13, 2009 Author Share Posted June 13, 2009 The more the merrier, I think. You can build it up to level 10 just like AA. Each level reduces enemy effectiveness by 2% IIRC. Been ages since I used it. If it's on an island, it'll provide a combat boost to any of your aircraft in the sea zone your island is in, though. Particularly good if your island is situated at a juncture of several sea zones. Likewise, if a coastal province has one, air combat in the adjacent sea zone will be assisted. Over land, it's just for that province the radar is in, so unless you're going to build a 'wall' of them, it might not be worth it. I usually just build one level for the detection effect, going up to 4-5 if the enemy aircraft are much better than mine. 426k rares. My God. Good stuff on the Prod. Control/Planning, they're not very useful but assembly lines are great. So much so, that I adopted another radical strategy: trade supplies for money. Now Germany will be funding their own demise when I decide to throw another coup their way. Suckers. Good little earner, that. And technically good for their economy, the money leaves the country only to go right back in... As the Philies are a puppet (technically a separate country), you won't be able to improve the installations there. Still, you could always invade and take it over completely... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Oh crap, even though I overthrew Italy's government, it seems to be worse now than before. https://img200.imageshack.us/img200/7186/14225614.th.jpg I didn't realize that Italy was at war with Albania, otherwise I would have helped Albania out with aid of some sort. Well, I'm going to reload from a bit earlier to see if economic aid will help. Edit: nope, it didn't help. I literally gave Albania all my money, plus a good chunk of metals, oil, supplies and rares but it didn't do squat. Albania fell just as fast as before. Suppose this means I should keep a closer eye on worldwide relations and intervene at the first sign of trouble. This last-minute aid is the wrong approach. That'll teach me. - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted June 13, 2009 Author Share Posted June 13, 2009 I wouldn't bother. Albania is two provinces in size. Unless you're going to intervene directly, I doubt there's anything you can do. The coup has changed the government, so perhaps they won't go on any more sprees. Edit: Yep, they fall pretty fast. Must have been at war already when you couped them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Italy's belligerence rose from 11 to 12 due to the annexation of Albania. Perhaps Italy is riding high and thinking that nothing can stop them. If this is the case, they are just going to get cockier as time goes on. I wouldn't call this a good thing, even though the government is different now. - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted June 13, 2009 Author Share Posted June 13, 2009 They might not do anything else, I can't remember any particularly vulnerable countries near them, now. None of the Med are heavyweights, but some of them punch above their weight (as Italy found out about Greece). Even if the new democratic Italy are still warlike, there's not that many to pick on. ------- INVASION The Yanks have hit the beach at Dunkirk:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/dunk.jpgThink I'll wait for this to expand and draw the Axis forces to the coast. Then I'll launch myself into eastern Germany. First one to Berlin's a doughnut, Allies. Two days later, Calais.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/calay.jpg Two hours later, Dieppe.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/dipdd.jpg D-Day+7https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/2w.jpg D-Day+21https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/4w.jpg Europe! Europe! Europe is on fire! We don't need no water, let Adolf Hitler burn! Popcorn + ringside seat = swooping in and capturing the spoils with my paratroopers. Om nom nom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 "Yo, listen up, here's a story,About a little guy,That lives in a blue world,And all day and all night,Everything he sees is just blue,Like him, inside and outside (...)" -from Blue, Eiffel 65 Your plan might well work, but here's what I'm thinking, FA: indeed, let the US project its power across the Atlantic and into Reich-controlled Europe, but don't weaken Germany - just keep Adenoid Hinkel at bay on your front. In other words, leave German logistics healthy if you can. If they manage to stem US's viral land-grab and bring it to a halt there will be more attrition, more back and forth, so the US will be forced to really commit and bring assets there. You know where I'm getting at: let your enemies fight each other. Meanwhile you consolidate your situation in Russia, position yourself to gain a chokehold on the Pacific, and prepare to move on the US as soon as they become sufficiently exposed (a sizable part of their war machine focused on Europe). :: "Banzai!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted June 13, 2009 Author Share Posted June 13, 2009 ...Aye, okay. Can see this ending with half of Europe behind the Bamboo Curtain... Who's bekistan?https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/uzbeki.jpg Biggest Waste Of Time And IC So Far My CAS squadrons. They're expensive, vulnerable because they can't have escort fighters so they end up damaged more often, and short ranged. They've been fairly useless in the Soviet Union, where the territory is massive and air bases few. I knocked out 16 squadrons only to discover that, although more powerful than tac bombers, often they just couldn't reach the enemy. I thought they'd be more use in Germany, but a few test strikes have shown they take more damage than they deal out, and you can forget using them in any provinces with decent AA coverage. This is because, as they've been nigh-useless for the past eight years, I didn't bother researching new models. So now they are very obsolete. By the time I've got them up to a decent standard, the war will be over. Arse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 I hadn't imagined ensuring air superiority against the 'Russkis' an overly troublesome chore, especially given the modest amount of air bases you'd need to neutralise once you moved in before the skies were yours. Have you tried flying carpets? :: Those grand new 'states' are cracking you up no doubt. Like ice floes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knan Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Mwahaha. The annexation of Mexico went quite according to plan. A three-month autumn/winter campaign in 1937 was just the thing for my fresh troops, out to gain a few new states for the Union. Even the grand cavalry charges went off quite well. Now it's just a question of getting dissent down to anything resembling manageable again. Preferably single digits. It seems the public didn't buy my carefully rehearsed excuses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 I hadn't imagined ensuring air superiority against the 'Russkis' an overly troublesome chore, especially given the modest amount of air bases you'd need to neutralise once you moved in before the skies were yours. It's quite sad, because it wasn't even Russkie fighters or ints, it was just ground fire from the forces the CAS were bombing. Flying carpets would probably be more resilient. Those grand new 'states' are cracking you up no doubt. Like ice floes... Despite the wording of the announcements, it's me liberating them. Doing so doesn't cost me much in the way of IC/manpower/resources, lowers my belligerence, lowers the amount of my used TC because I'm not occupying so many provinces, and their troops can then help police the provinces I am occupying. Now it's just a question of getting dissent down to anything resembling manageable again. Preferably single digits. It seems the public didn't buy my carefully rehearsed excuses. "Countrymen, think of the Mexican food!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 "(...) it was just ground fire from the forces the CAS were bombing (...)"Hmm, that _is_ disturbing. And not what your pilots told me, either: after much encouragement (a tour of the distillery near the air field), they said they were actually flying inverted so the fire couldn't possibly have come from the ground. Poor performance indeed! It's disgraceful how you continuously hurl such slanderous remarks at your most loyal of servants. :: You were liberating the 'Stans'?! Viva la revolucion, Comandante!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 Lies! Lies and slander! If it had been fighters or ints, none of them would have got back alive, Ivan and co. did enough damage with humble small arms. Well, the invasion has been halted for a bit:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/usinvg.jpg So I kicked off my probe:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/intogerm.jpg And got myself some provinces:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/invg.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Next thing we know you'll say they were brought down by mere airguns... :: And I spy, with my little eye, a belligerence increase by Mitsubishi & Co. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 I've been flying air superiority missions over German air bases, keep catching their bombers returning from hitting the Yanks. Cruel, really cruel. But hilarious. Mostly hilarious. CAS are a joke, Ints are obsolete, Tacs are okay, but their escorts are too old to prevent them taking serious damage, fighters are doing well at least. Navs are good (been a while since they actually hit anything though, and they've never actually went up against a good fleet) and getting better. Got my first few divisions of paras done, but the air transports to drop them take longer to produce. Should have expected that. Islands are all manned, navs and ICBMs just waiting for the balloon to go up. Subs are all deployed to a different island, if anything happens they'll each deploy to a different sea zone, and ambush convoys/scout. Got two modern if slightly mongrel fleets, and four older fleets, which, while still packing a hefty punch, are obsolecent and will take a thrashing from a modern force. Now I have ICBMs, I can reach anywhere in the world, using only 2-3 different launch sites. Got two ICBMs with nuke warheads, one in Tokyo, one in Moscow. One nuke in reserve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knan Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 So does the weather forecast say mushroom clouds in Berlin or New York yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted July 10, 2009 Author Share Posted July 10, 2009 Apologies for the delay, but as my mate Machiavelli once said to me, "when states are acquired in a country differing in language, customs, or laws, there are difficulties, and good fortune and great energy are needed to hold them." I don't even know why I go drinking with him, he's such a bloody killjoy. Anyway, the creation of Lithuania (all six provinces of it)https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/lith.jpg stung me with a 5% increase in dissent, sending my TC through the roof:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CRIPPLD.jpg Because of my fascist imperial ways, my people don't like me giving away stuff I've conquered, so I get a bigger dissent hit, hence a bigger punch to my TCsticles, hence things slowing to a crawl. Although I want to nuke Berlin and/or other German provinces to speed things up, I only have five nukes, so I'm in no rush to start using them. Plus, that means then taking over a nuked province (big drain for years) or leaving it for the US to have, giving them a salient. The US has expanded a little, cutting a few pieces off Germany.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/usof.jpg I am currently waiting, reinforcing, and taking limited action while the dissent is dispelled by lots and lots of consumer goodies. Zombie? Don't tell us you've conquered half the world and not said a word? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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