Quick overview of some of the new v0.60 mod features via a short Japanese campaign (Part 3)
OK, here I am again, this time I'll show you guys (and girls if there are any) what I decided to research, what to build and how my first months of actual game-play went.
Researching the tech tree
I already showcased CORE tech trees last time but let's see what I decided to research from the start of the game. In order to make things that I talk about more easily understandable I invite you to take a peek at
Part 2 of this AAR where tech trees can bee seen in their full glory.
*Note: I won't list all of the tech team's effects I researched here, just some which I wanted to outline or it would get too dull for you to read and too time consuming for me to write everything down.
- First on the list is
1936 Light Industry because I need better industrial efficiency which is always great to have especially with IC tight economy Japan starts with. It will also give me infrastructure production bonus which I will need since I'll infra-structurally improve few provinces. It will also allow we to invest into armament industry research later one (which lowers production time of units).
- Second is
Basic Landing Craft which makes amphibious assaults and shore attacks more efficient. If researched in time it might even help my marines and soldiers in the Sino-Japanese war.
- Third is
1936 Defensive (Static) which boosts land units organisation, morale and improves other defensive stats. This will be very useful when my units will have to hold the line against Chinese "hords".
- Next up is
1936 Firepower (Traditional) which makes for better odds when assaulting, helps with the TC load, improves supply efficiency, attrition, unit repair and adds a bit to org. and morale of units. Will be one of the essential techs needed for rampaging across China.
- Then we have
At Sea Replenishment which enables our naval forces to have better ASW, convoy raiding and naval combat patrol efficiency together with higher org. and morale. This is one of the basic naval techs that Japan doesn't start with and is really important for successful naval operations.
- For the Naval tech tree I decided to go with the
20.000 Fleet Carrier which I tend to start producing as soon as research is finished in order to be ready for the Pacific War. Note that I already have 2 carriers and 2 light carriers being built in the background and will be ready in some time. Those and other naval vessels can't be seen in the production screen which might feel a bit confusing for the newcomers but it works great when you get used to it.
- I assigned Minoru genda in charge of the
Combat Air Patrol research. This is one of the important techs that your carriers need. Carrier strikes on airbases and their org. along with morale are strengthened.
- Yamamoto is in charge of
Purpose-designed Carrier Air Group Policy which is THE tech one needs if he toys around with carriers. Need I say more?
- I then went with
Army-directed Air Arm Organisation instead of with Independent Air arm Formation. There are two reasons why I decided for it. First and most prevailing one was that Japan starts with a blueprint in it and the second one being that I'll need full air support in China sooner then later. Going the Independent Air way would be very tasking for our tech teams - I know that would be better decision in the long run but with Japan you have to make compromises. It's a tough call but I had to made it.
- For the last tech I've chosen
1935 Medium Bomber Development without hesitation. I'll need good and versatile air support in China soon. Since Japan starts with only one medium bomber unit I'll have to build a couple more but I'm not really sure yet if I'll be able to afford them - their production is very expensive IC vice.
Starting Japanese tech overview
I decided to include this pic for all the nerds out there who like to play with numbers and percentages. If you don't belong to such group then there is nothing for you to see here - move along folks!
*Note: Since I have only early beta in my hands stats you see here might not be the same when you get the real thing in your hands.
Starting production
As stated by the devs 0.60 version will have new brigades which you will be able to mix and match in order to get just the type of combination you want - either for air, naval or land units. Let me show you an example of how these new brigades look like below.
When you open up your production screen what awaits you are 3 lines of convoy transports, 4 lines of destroyers and one line of super heavy submarine. Dev team decided to transfer smaller vessels from the Japanese Naval Construction Program to actual production screen and that's why those vessels are there. The rest of the ships are being built in the background.
I decided to hang on to them and not cancel a single one. 3 lines of convoy transports are needed any way and the rest will help me achieving the edge in the Pacific. The bad news is that all those vessels will cut heavily in my ability to produce units which I will need heavily in wast Chinese lands. This also means my upgrades and supplies will suffer a lot before I enter the war.
Since Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka have the biggest amount of IC and a rather big amount of resources I decided to improve infrastructure in all of them. Improvements will be done the fastest in Tokyo since it's easier to build rail roads, roads and other stuff on plain ground then on hilly terrain which the other two have. This is a long-run investment which will net me more available IC and resources for my industry to spend in the future. In CORE you can only update your infrastructure in increments of 5% and building it lasts a looong time which is way more historically correct then quick 10% upgrades in vanilla. Once again one of those little things I love with CORE when it gets to bigger plausibility and immersion.
When all that was decided for I started to tinker what land army to start producing and which brigades to attach to them.
- I went with one line of infantry with Construction Engineers to gain on speed, improve my river crossing operations, strengthen dig bonus, lower my soft stats, etc.
- The second choice was infantry division again but this time with Artillery brigade in order to increase my soft attack, enable artillery bombardment option and to increase overall defensiveness of my units.
- For the third line I went with a historical choice Japan made at the time and by that I mean mountaineer division with infantry brigade - such combo is used to represent large Japanese infantry divisions with little artillery. This will give me better org. and morale together with excellent suppression of all those hilly and mountainous provinces we will occupy in the process.
... this is how my final starting production line looks like...
And now get ready for what you have all eagerly awaited for - the actual campaign report! FINALLY some might say
Early Japanese campaign - getting ready for Sino-Japanese war
Being already in contact with emergent Mongol Military Government we are notified what happened last year.
Due to our past and current meddling in the Chinese affairs and our de facto rule over Manchuria we've greatly shaken the natural geopolitical balance in the area. Great gains usually come with big problems and our came in the shape of never-ending tensions between our army and Chinese troops. We just got notified about another outbreak of hostilities in the area and decide to send more men there.
Some time passes when we are notified about Winter Olympic games - our athletes are there and we shall see how they perform.
Manchukuo is our only puppet for now but it is a very valuable one. First shipment from their land has arrived to our capital...
In the same day we get news about Italian African conquest.
We are utterly disappointed in how our athletes performed! Let us hope we'll prove worthy in Summer Olympic Games. Good news is that we've established diplomatic ties with the German Reich. People of both countries share similar views on the world. Our nations need not be oppressed any more, we shall strive for great deeds on our behalf in the near future!
Today Kodoha members have stung and they've stung us hard! We'll show no mercy to these traitors - we shall crush them ASAP!
We weakened Kodoha movement with crushing their coup and our minds were somewhat rested for the time being but very disturbing news reached our capital today - Nationalistic China has managed to crush communist revolters in their mountainous strongholds! Looks like Chiang Kai-shek is not such an incompetent fool we had him for.
We've sent Tanaka Ryukichi to deliver news of our strong support for the Mongolian cause. Our meagre supply stock can barely handle such expenses but we have a strong hunch our gambling will pay off nicely for us.
Our army is getting bigger and stronger - our first regular infantry divisions are ready to be sent to Taiwan for our planned invasion of Guangxi Clique. A lot of army that was previously stationed in Mengukuo was also sent to Taiwan.
Today we show no mercy to the leaders of the Kodoha uprising...
With the first mountain unit ready for deployment we can intensify our preparation for the ever nearing invasion...
*Stay tuned for Part 4 of this AAR when our raising Japanese nation will prove what it is really made of in the southern Chinese lands!
