Does anyone have any personal experience or advice for playing as Japan? I seemed to have some success taking over the Netherlands, but in all my other games it didn't go so well. I found that the hardest thing was to keep my arms supply up with my expanding army.
There doesn't seem to be many options other than to take someone over for more resources. China seems too big, if I try to create sizeable armies to launch an invasion, it will cause a dramatic arms shortage. If I take over smaller nations, like say Siam, the gains are hardly worth the cost. If I ally with the Axis, I might risk being invaded by the Soviet Union.
I figured the best way to play as Japan, is to stay out of alliances, and launch small scale wars, that hopefully go unnoticed or ignored by the other major powers. I can raise maybe a couple big armies, maintain my fleets, and have some air forces, before my arms supply gets too low.
In my last game, I might have tried too much too soon. Attempted to upgrade all my owned cities at once, upgrade all food production at home islands. The costs were enormous, and it drove me into debt. I expected that, but I thought I could drive it down by selling off the surplus food supply. What if I gradaully upgraded a few cities at a time, keep my resource supplies stable, and build small, but numerous armies?
If I do this, I might be able to take over many of the smaller nations and island chains. But at this point, I don't see how I can be expected to go against China, USSR, USA or other powers. It's a perplexing situation to be in, I'd appreciate any insight.
you should be neutral , you can upgrade your cities-->ports to produce fleet aircraft it is the best way to invade china in 5 turns ,march ur tanks , declare war before germany invade poland
who make peaceful revolution impossible , will make violent revolution inevitable // martin luther king
- firestone
- location: Egypt
- joined: Aug 10, 2009
- posts: 266
- Banned
First, make alot of cities at 100, or, at least 90. Below that, it'll take a while to do fast research and fast industry lol
build your cities. Keep your navy intact. Expand your army. Expand your air force.
Then finally, expand your empire :3.
-boss
I assume you're playing TLOP. Try to crush China or make peace as soon as possible. Whenever possible, lure Chinese troops to the central coast and support your troops with light bombers from Formosa and carrier aircraft. As soon as war ends, stop all arms production and port your ships, except for key pickets ( I use subs). This should give you enough IPU's to build your industry and keep your people supplied with goods. Buy all the oil, metals, and coal you can and stockpile it. There is a lot available early on, but once war breaks out in Europe, it dries up quick. If you've conquered China, you can sell food for bucks.
Industry priorities:
upgrade all preindustrial cities to industrial. Any in the 40's, upgrade to Advanced. Then do the rest. Keep them at 50-60, maybe one 100 port city for ship-building. Upgrade non-Japanese culture cities last.
Spend at least 2 years doing this. Start researching. Don't build any troops until you've researched at least Improved Infantry. Unless you lost a lot with the war against China, you shouldn't have to build any until you've completed your build-up. Once you're in pretty good shape, start producing arms again and after a while your combat strength will be back to 100%.
From here, you have several options. If you've stockpiled enough oil, you don't need to attack the US. I've actually had success conquering Venezuela to get their oil and have a foothold for later when you have conquered Europe and are looking towards the US, he, he. It's risky, though. Sometimes the US will declare war if you take a South American country.
Chris--
Product Manager
One time, i invaded Switzerland as Italy, and the game almost crashed because of the massive numbers of nations that declared war on me:
Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, USSR, Usa, Brazil, Venezela, Argentina, and Spain were the only ones i as able to read lol.
bang! that happen to me to. But I was playing as Hungary ( it was when I were going to do the aar Austria-Hungary ) but I invaded Austria just in the beginning and every one declared war on me!
USA, USSR, Great Brittan, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Canada, Australia and like 20 more but I never had the chance to read em! So I started over and waited a while with attacking Austria and I gave away oil, food and steel to France, Great Brittan and I think it was Germany to. Then I invaded and just a few country's embargoed me, I think it was Luxembourg lol they hate me!
"Idea becomes real" - Nordic Battle Groups motto
"A mans success isn't based on how high he can reach at the top ... only how high he bounces up when he have hit the bottom" - General G.S Patton
- thegeniusmartin
- location: Sweden
- joined: Aug 13, 2009
- posts: 987
ok, good luck! long live JAPAN!!!!!
"Idea becomes real" - Nordic Battle Groups motto
"A mans success isn't based on how high he can reach at the top ... only how high he bounces up when he have hit the bottom" - General G.S Patton
- thegeniusmartin
- location: Sweden
- joined: Aug 13, 2009
- posts: 987
The funny thing is, whenever I invade good old, swiss land, no one, I mean, no one, even embargoes me.
"Mors ultima linea rerum est mortalis."
- MajorLufbery
- MHII, MH GOLD
- location: France
- joined: Aug 12, 2009
- posts: 1173
huh, I have never started invading Switzerland! When I do invading them im at war with every one!
"Idea becomes real" - Nordic Battle Groups motto
"A mans success isn't based on how high he can reach at the top ... only how high he bounces up when he have hit the bottom" - General G.S Patton
- thegeniusmartin
- location: Sweden
- joined: Aug 13, 2009
- posts: 987
GothikOrk said Does anyone have any personal experience or advice for playing as Japan? I seemed to have some success taking over the Netherlands, but in all my other games it didn't go so well. I found that the hardest thing was to keep my arms supply up with my expanding army.
If you select the 36 scenario the beginning of the game is all about building up your economy and striking China. I normally hit china about 38, so I unsupply all my military on GT1 and use the resources to build consumer good to sell. I then use the money to ramp up food production and infrastructure. I also start ramping up all sub 10 cities to 10, all sub-50 cities to 50, etc. I only ramp up conquered cities slowly and carefully, as they are not as efficient. 9 months before war I start building supplies, ramp up my military and as soon as its reasonably supplied strike. You should be able to take out china easily. The question now is where do you go. USSR or the west - a lot depends on what other alliances have occured. I like attacking Russia, but the economic return is not so good. The real best option is taking out the west, but the US quickly gets involved and it can be very hard to hold out. Also, after taking china you experience severe economic disruption, which you need to resolve first, so its normally 40 before you can take the next military plunge. Japan is not an easy country to run, easier than Italy - but not much.
Noli spurius permittere te terere.
- peter.f.model
- location: United Kingdom
- joined: Sep 10, 2009
- posts: 6
my specialty is Italy, Hungary and Great Brittan! When I plays as Japan I always tries to expand to the east and not to the west and south!
"Idea becomes real" - Nordic Battle Groups motto
"A mans success isn't based on how high he can reach at the top ... only how high he bounces up when he have hit the bottom" - General G.S Patton
- thegeniusmartin
- location: Sweden
- joined: Aug 13, 2009
- posts: 987
yeah, I know but I never choose to fight beyond China I just attack UK and USA and thank them for a nice fight!
"Idea becomes real" - Nordic Battle Groups motto
"A mans success isn't based on how high he can reach at the top ... only how high he bounces up when he have hit the bottom" - General G.S Patton
- thegeniusmartin
- location: Sweden
- joined: Aug 13, 2009
- posts: 987
yeah but my time i got huge i was maby 30 points behind USA.I stretched fro europe and africa to asia and asia minor and middle east
I don't get mad...I get STABBY...- Fat Tony
- Makarov
- location: United States
- joined: Aug 10, 2009
- posts: 247
- Banned
nice
"Idea becomes real" - Nordic Battle Groups motto
"A mans success isn't based on how high he can reach at the top ... only how high he bounces up when he have hit the bottom" - General G.S Patton
- thegeniusmartin
- location: Sweden
- joined: Aug 13, 2009
- posts: 987
it was hard it was 300 turns long
I don't get mad...I get STABBY...- Fat Tony
- Makarov
- location: United States
- joined: Aug 10, 2009
- posts: 247
- Banned
does anyone think taking Persia to solve your oil shortage as Japan at the first of the game is a good idea or a bad one? Haven't tried it yet......thought it may weigh very heavily on food demand.
- genome111
- location: Unknown
- joined: Dec 17, 2009
- posts: 1
Persia is far away from Japan, and you have a potential enemy (India) between you and Persia. It is also adjacent to Persia
Really the best solution is to just import oil at huge quantities to create a giant stockpile that will last you until you can conquer enough oil sources
Not a realistic solution, but it works
- Carl
- location: United States
- joined: Aug 10, 2009
- posts: 241
