Developer Diary | Historical Denmark

[PDX_Danne]

If I can make a request, would you consider adding a diplomatic action (or some other kind of mechanic/effect) to request passage through naval straits? IIRC at the moment they are tied with military access, but that is basically only granted to allies. It's virtually impossible to gain access if you have different ideologies (even not opposed ideologies like neutral and democratic). Of course, you would still need to improve your relationship quite a lot to gain straits access, but I'd like it if it wasn't as hard as military access. Denmark and Turkey are a pain to deal with if your access to the ocean has to pass through their straits. And to be clear, that's the strategic advantage of controlling a strait, but I'm just asking for a viable alternative to gain access different than either conquering them or allying them.

I think that's a good suggestion and will bring it up - but I don't think it's gonna happen with this release

 

[PDX_Danne]

Seeing that Denmark has unique focus icons for different regions (Greenland, Faroe Islands), I'm wondering if it's possible to add some new icons for older focuses. For example, adding a map of Algeria to the icon of the French focus "invest in Algerian France"

There's plenty of places that could stand with a make-over, sadly it's outside of this scope

 

[PDX_Danne]

Probably my favourite feature is the decisions to buy ships from other countries, since I am most interested in the naval side. It has always been common for smaller countries to buy major warships from Great Powers. I understand why this isn't possible on the International Market so I thought it wouldn't be possible in this patch cycle. I realize that these decisions will probably create new ships (rather than actually transferring ships between tags) for technical reasons, but I hope that these events can be scripted to create a mutually beneficial deal, e.g. the selling power gets an offmap Dockyard for 30 days.

I like the NFs (Modernize the Navy) that give both ship templates and grant MIO bonuses. But I don't understand why the screenshots show two versions of the Peter Raben Class (a CA and a CL) and the Delfinen class (a 720 IC version and a 1823 IC version with more guns). And I am concerned that Denmark won't actually benefit from the MIO bonuses, since the production lines are created immediately (without MIO bonuses applied). Will 500 Funds be enough for Orlogsværftet to immediately apply a bonus to these designs and if so, will you be adding script to make sure that the AI applies it?

I am a bit worried though about the decision to create a new Balance of Power for occupied Denmark, instead of using the existing Autonomy system. I suspect that you are going to end up with lots of bugs and corner cases in the interaction between subject Autonomy and this new BoP. I know Fascist Autonomy is locked behind DOD, but I wonder whether you will find that that adding a couple of lines of code/script to unlock it for only Denmark (if players own AAT but not DOD) will save you a lot of trouble in the long run.

And I find some of the Occupation branch focuses somewhat unbelievable. Is Germany (or another occupier?) really going to sit back and watch Denmark buy weapons from its enemies and do nothing? I like this suggestion, which would make the Occupation path much more interesting:

Countries that sell ships to Denmark will get something in return

Denmark will receive a more updated version if they have the tech researched

The Occupation BoP kinda exists in parallel with the Autonomy system and doesn't interact that much

Manchukuo has a similar build up to regain its independence. Sadly, it's hard to keep a subjects intention hidden from their Overlord. But Germany has ways to annex Denmark completely if they become too unruly.

 

[PDX_Danne]

Will Greenland and Iceland receive any content?

You'll have to wait and see I suppose

 

[PDX_Danne]

Seems like a good job. I appreciate having Scavenius af the foreign minister rather than the facist demagoue.

A bit of spelling.
"Det Danske Stålvalseværket" Is a bit wronly worded.

It should either be

Det Danske Stålvalseværk

Or if you want to keep "Stålvalseværket"
it should be named something like

"Stålvalseværket i Danmark"

Also your naming of Denmark is a bit inconsistant, while you have Nørrejylland and Sønderjylland both with "ø" you have chosen to name Sjaelland without the Æ, while i might be a miss of any historical source stating that Sjælland is spelled without Æ at the time of WW2, i don't think this is the case.
Further on "Nørrejylland" while the term indeed mostly refer to the region you've designated, it would more aligned with how it's used to just call it "Jylland" while keeping the "Sønderjylland"


With regard to your focus "Sign the Kanslergadeforlig"
It would be more appropiate to call it "Sign Kanslergadeforliget" Also Kanslergadeforliget was signed in 1933, so pehaps renaming the focus to Continue Kanslergadeforliget, might be more appropiate.

Bondepartiet as representing the non-aligned i a bid odd in my opinion, the party was insignificant, but pehaps your choice might be the best moddeling of it after all.

The straights should argueably be split into two parts.

Historically prior to WW2 the danish straigts was where you blocked fleets off, however, Germany constructed massive guns on both the danish coast of Northern Jutland and on the South Coast of Norway to effectially create a new straight that was blocked off.

Also i really hope you touch on the fact that Germany expected an Allied landing in Denmark, and thus Denmark had a massive share of the atlantic wall build along the coast of Jutland.

Lastly, you should add a port in Esbjerg

This is great! Thank you very much!
I'm aware that Kanslergadeforliget was signed in 1933, but there's so few things going on in Denmark to base a Focus Tree around so I added it. Renaming it isn't a bad idea though

Bondepartiet did get 3% of the votes in 1935 and is a better fit than the previous non-aligned party Venstre

 

[PDX_Danne]

Someone else mentioned German cores on Sønderjylland: I would like to flip that question around and ask what about Danish cores on Schleswig?

A sufficiently skilled (or console-commands using) Danish player might be able to not only resist German invasion but conquer Schleswig-Holstein from Germany and succeed where Denmark failed in 1864: Integrate Slesvig-Holsten into Denmark.
Unlikely, perhaps, but there are more unlikely alternate history outcomes in the game already.

hush now, don't spoil up coming dev diaries

 

[PDX_Danne]

Some comments on particular focuses, events, and spirits:

• Danish Industrial Capabilities NF: The text would read more easily as "...but its industries" as industries have not been previously mentioned.
• Danish Produce spirit/The Butter Front spirit: These National Spirits represent the economic boost provided by trade with Denmark. Since this boosted the economy as a whole, rather than the armed forces specifically, I think it would be better represented by grant offmap CIVs (representing the economic gains from trade) or reducing the number of Consumer Goods Factories by a flat number like 2 CIVs (representing domestic consumption being provided by Denmark rather domestic agriculture) rather than bonuses to military Supply, construction speed, etc.
• Devalue the Krone NF: Devaluation makes economies more competitive, but in the short term it causes unpopular domestic price rises. I think this NF should have an immediate Stability -5%, while retaining the long-term increase in Weekly Stability, to represent this. I also think the PP+50 should be removed, as devaluations (however wise and necessary) are usually embarrassing for governments and cost them political capital.
• The Economic Crisis NF has a grammar error. Macroeconomic demand is non-countable, so it should read "falling demand for agricultural produce has meant...."
• The Election Campaign Planning event has a grammar error. "Parties" is plural so the text should end "their respective causes".
• Expand the Industries NF: Industry in this sense is non-countable, so it should be "Expand Industry"; "Expand Our Industries" would be an alternative.
• The Neglected Military NF has a grammar error and a collocation mistake. The first sentence is a statement, not a question, so it should be "the then-Prussian army, we have pursued a policy...." The third sentence should be "have received funding cuts".
• Stockpile Oil NF: It makes no sense to me that stockpiling oil allows Denmark to change the laws of chemistry and increase Fuel gain per Oil. And I doubt that a maritime country with a very limited number of CIVs will or should built Fuel Silos. This NF should instead do what players will expect and actually stockpile oil: give Denmark some (20,000?) units of fuel in its stockpile or even fill its fuel silos to the maximum.

Since I have made some language corrections, I should state clearly that Danne's English is very, very good (writing humour in a foreign language is hard and you do it so well!) and these are minor mistakes that anyone could make. In fact, it's hardly surprising if someone gets muddled when writing English text, full of Danish words, in a Swedish-speaking city....

Thanks! Feedback and correcting my spelling mistakes are always welcome! I'm gonna blame the Danish language for all of my mistakes - whether they be spelling mistakes or not

And thanks for the compliments ::blushes::

 

[PDX_Danne]

Could you show off some Danish commander portraits? (assuming they're done?)

Just because I'm in such a good mood Now remember, these are VERY MUCH WIP - but any feedback regarding skills and abilities are welcome!!! Honestly, I'm just gotta take this opportunity and gush a bit over all the portraits! They're sooo goooood

 

[PDX_Danne]

Can you explain more about Occupation Branch, please?

We're going to prepare our army for the liberation of Denmark and sabotage against Germany, right? Or we can do something to damage the Germans even more?

And in ww2 there's no Danish War of Independence, does that mean Historical AI will never get a freedom war?

I see we have choice to close up with Overlord that mean we will get something good from do this?

And can Germany replace the former Danish government with fascists like it has in history?

(Sorry for my bad english skill and many many question DX )

Denmark will mostly just sabotage Germany's ability to extract things from Denmark, and not harm them per say.
Unless you stop Denmark, they're probably gonna rebel! But you can install this guy, Werner Best:

I thought your English was very good - and questions are appreciated!

 

[PDX_Danne]

I think that You're purposefully hiding Iceland, which leads me to believe that it's an integrated puppet or a PU of Denmark at the start of the game.
Also You get decisions to develop Greenland (so it's not independent), so I think Greenland will be a releasable.

::googley eyes::

 

[PDX_Danne]

Being a Swede, I just loved the danishbashing in the dev diary.

I think it was a sound decision to have more then one region in Denmark - we all want the swedish puppet to have more options for construction.

Man tar ju varenda chans man får för like dansk-bashing

 

[PDX_Danne]

Thanks for the Reply.

Ye i think i misphrased my point regarding bondepartiet.
Mostly the fact that, there's limited support for them to reinstate the king. Also i hope you touch on the massive popularity the king gained during the German occupation.
Konservative might be a better representation of the non aligned, however that is doubled edged because they are also avid supporters of democracy

Also, Greenland should not be core territory of Denmark, while it can however be argued that the Faroes and Iceland could be considered core terrioty. The Greenlandic people are in essence a native population colonised by Denmark, while Iceland and the Faroes are of the same scandinavian descent as Denmark. Pehaps they should start as core territory, but lose it once the UK occopy them

Konservative is a democratic party you can elect to power, so they're represented. We'll, there's at least one event that will have dire consequences for Denmark tied to the king

 

[PDX_Danne]

I have to admit that I thought that Denmark will be boring, however now I'm so hyped about their new focus tree. I think it is the coolest one so far!

::blushes::
Oh golly, oh gee, I don't know what to say ^^

 

[PDX_Danne]

Awesome Dev Diary, cool to finally see my own country in the spotlight! (Even if I have to endure all those swedish jokes... At least there were no "Kamelåså" jokes)

I'd like to quickly note that Christmas Møller is missing his first name, John. Well, his full name was Guido Leo John Christmas Møller, but he normally just went with John Christmas Møller.

Yeah sorry about that - that's on my! I had gully intended to end the DD with the actual Kamelåså video XD

Thanks for the correction!! Much appreciated

 

[PDX_Danne]

I didn't expect the historical path of being a democratic puppet of Germany, well done there.

Will Germany have decisions to influence the Occupation Balance of Power?

Yes they will, as well as events that will trigger under the "right" circumstances

 

[PDX_Danne]

@Paradox_Danne when will you start with showcases of focus trees on twitch?

I'm not entirely sure actually. We're all off on vacation soon, so some time after August I would assume

 

[PDX_Danne]

I like this so far! But I will once again say: please listen to the community feedback on this and include all 3 Scandinavian monarchs as spirits. It doesn't matter how prominent, liked or popular they were. They all are part of the country and an important one at that.

Not to mention it really creates this disconnect with just about every other constitutional monarchy in the game which has their monarchs as spirits.

King Christiaan doesn't need to need to give any stability even. Not to mention that he WILL be very important to the occupation later and serve as a major rallying point for the people against the Germans. He'd ride in town on his horse and be a symbol against the invaders. He was also against the deportation of Jews.

Like it or not - all 3 monarchs were very important to their countries. They should be reflected. Not least of all because these countries are STILL monarchies to this day even.

Edit: Just read more on Christian - he is considered one of the most popular modern monarchs due to his status as a resistance icon! That alone should make him a spirit. Come on now! Why are we doing the monarchs dirty like this?

I was actually going to use him as the symbol for the Resistance if you get occupied, but found out that the Danes wore his 40th-anniversery badge as a silent protest, and I just couldn't resist using that badge as the Spirit Icon. You can see the icon in the DD

 

[PDX_Danne]

Pretty interesting focus tree and new content.

This question can be a little bit off topic but I'm curious about the historical german focuses "Around Magnot" and "Operation Weserübung", the latter having a lot of prerequisites so the germans can't pick Weserübung first. Historically, Germany invaded the nordic nations before the Benelux/France, but even with historical focus on, the germans always do the opposite, will this be fixed?

We're looking into it

 

[PDX_Danne]

Just ond question as a Dane i have never heard of Nørrejylland? Was that just a Swedish bashing.

and remember according to Old “Law” we Danes are allowed to hit a Swede with a stick if the cross a freezing Øresund

No, that's me not grasping all the different ways you Danes name your places I think Nørrejylland is an old term or something? I'll most likely rename it either Nordjylland or just plain old "Jylland". I've gotten plenty of good feedback after the DD!

If you ever see me coming wandering over a frozen Belt, you're more than welcome to hit me with a stick! XD

 

[PDX_Danne]

Maybe this is revisionist folk history, but wasn't one of the key political purposes at this time to limit harm to Denmark and to Danes? This is how I always understood Danish politics behind the surrender and the lead up to it, coming from a Danish background. Therefore it seems strange to me that all the content is about hurting Germany, and much less about benefiting Denmark

All of this is definitely true! The Danish government was very sensible and gave in to the lesser evil to spare the people from war, death and ruin.
The thing with having focuses that benefits Denmark is that it makes for a boring playthrough. And to be clear, they didn't benefit much from the occupation - except being spared war and death. It's not like it was a mutually beneficial relationship