I thought I'd try writing a HWW playthrough, as I write myself private ones anyway during most games. Recently I decided I wanted to challenge myself a bit more, having joined games as Nationalist China, Japan and UK, so here we have it: the weakest playable country in Asia. I had three reasons for picking it:
1. It allowed me to return to my favourite doctrine;
2. No matter how full a HWW is, one can be 99% certain that nobody's bagged it yet, so I didn't need to camp out the games page for hours; and
3. I did everyone a favour by taking one of the least popular countries and allowing that game to be replaced by a new HWW with the powerful countries untaken slightly faster than it would have been otherwise.
A disclaimer: I only play occasionally, so I'll probably do a terrible job of running the country and this will end in ignominious defeat.
DAY ONE
Fig. 1 And here we have it: one of the wimpiest armies to grace playable east Asia.
Surrounded as they are by two of the three most seriously powerful countries by far in this theatre (and, in my opinion, the scariest in the entire game), and having a weak army, the new government's first priority was to establish friendly relations on as many borders as possible. Japan being the most desirous ally, a particularly grovelling request was sent.
The Soviet Union instantly accepted, but as her ladyship had not thought to send a trade offer as part of the request, she was obliged to accept an unequal alliance (Right of Way vs Shared Map) rather than risk the wrath of a much more powerful state. Japan was much more reasonable, with the states agreeing to share maps with each other.
International peace and security being secured, Emperor Aragosta's thoughts turned to war. Manchukuo launched its first research project: light tanks and artillery, both level 2. Across the country production of artillery and militia began. Rule no. 1 in the east Asian theatre is always 'invade Manchukuo first', so I'm going to get in there pre-emptively; I've ruled out Japan and the Soviets, which leaves just one easily accessible country: Mongolia.*
An artillery division is staying right there in Hsinking (leaving one's capital undefended is asking for an ally with shared map to backstab you - I should know because I've done it) and Nanching (a port city) is remaining under militia guard, but everything else is going up to the Mongolian border. Having Japan as an ally - meaning there is no pressing urge to leave garrison forces in every city - is a huge relief, but the emperor barely trusts the Soviet Union and it's high on her list of future backstab victims.
I notice that neither of them are particularly strong players. Japan's player in particular fails its country's particular litmus test (i.e. if they don't invade Manchukuo on Day One, they're doing something wrong). Good - makes them all the easier to backstab. The Soviets are locked into a coalition with Britain and France, neither of whom bother me in the slightest as they're a fair way away from me.
As usual for me Manchukuo is already running short on goods - a combination of my habit of having every city on near-constant production (which I feel fully justified in doing here, what with Manchukuo's army being wimpy) and the fact that I focus heavily on ordnance in Comintern and Pan-Asian (ordnance foundries and artillery both chew through goods quite alarmingly). Furtunately the state has powerful - and, more to the point, rich - allies to provide aid, although begging for goods so close to first sealing the alliance is pushing it. Somehow the country is making money, so there's going to be a bit of a buffer before the emperor's chronic financial short-sightedness catches up to her.
Her financial advisors would like to know why she is not developing their industries? That won't take up goods. Most of the cities are already occupied by unit production projects that involve upgrading ordnance foundries, but the rural provinces have no such restrictions... and Yingkow, one of the only two major cities without expensive projects taking place at present, is the country's top goods producer. The other, Harbin, produces food; Manchukuo's agricultural wealth leads to the emperor dismissing industry development there as a waste of money. Metal is her next priority.
The die being cast for Manchukuo's first real war, the emperor loses interest until the first front reports start arriving.
*With the benefit of hindsight, I know what I should have done: declared war on Nationalist China and sent all my forces through Japan. With a neutral country in the way they'd be in no position to retaliate, or at least not without triggering a war with the most OP country in Asia. I did the reverse version of this, and won in a walk, the first time I played HWW, so I really should have thought of this earlier.
Feedback would be appreciated! However I should add that I'm posting on a three-day delay, so it may be too late to take very specific advice into account.
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ok Lady, do me a favor, go to my service record and look at my artillery K/D.Lady Aragosta wrote:
I had a suspicion you'd post that.
second, come get me when you do a minor nation playthrough.
third, ARTILLERY IS SUPPOSED TO GO IN THE BAC- [size=12][size=10]ok we're fine[/size][/size]
Do you have the same in game?
Big gun
Big gun that shoot big boomCarking the 6th wrote:
Big gun
Big gun that shoot big boom with big fireThat polish guy wrote:
Big gun that shoot big boomCarking the 6th wrote:
Big gun
DAY TWENTY-THREE
Nothing to do with big guns this time; a combination of politics, logistics, and complaining about unit thumbnails
I'm in something of a deadlock with Xinjiang, where neither of us have succeeded in making a net gain or making a meaningful breakthrough with the other person's massive border force.
Fig. 72 Mine outnumber theirs but about two-thirds are militia, whereas most of theirs are tanks.
More promisingly, in two hours I'll be able to start work on a nuclear bomber, which will be ready tomorrow. However, to be absolutely sure I'll be able to afford the astronomical prices, I'm not letting myself build anything - no troop replenishments, no industry upgrades, nothing - until I have one safely underway. And first on my to-do list is not replenishing my Zerg Rush Fuel, but upgrading my metal industry.
The one exception I'm allowing myself to make: airstrips. If my tactical bombers are going to be any help (and yes I know attacks would have been more sensible but I didn't have the research for those and I do for tacs) I'm going to need a few more of those, and they won't take up that many resources. Right?
I'm also sending a large number of last night's fresh wave of troops (the first wave in some time where I could afford to have all 40+ cities producing something) down to Indochina, in preparation for the Australian backstab that's not unlikely to happen sooner or later. I'm not going to start a fight with them, unless I manage to conquer Russia and Tibet and get bored, but I've decided I'm being uncharacteristically naive in trusting them and this was exacerbated by discussions in the forum.
Fig. 73 I'll sort out exactly what goes where later, but my current plan is to line our land border with militia and station artillery on the coast, particularly but not exclusively in the cities.
Germany asked me to invade the Soviet Union to lighten the load off them. I swear people and AIs are reading my mind in this game, or alternatively that some of the players are reading this playthrough and sneakily said nothing. (If you're reading, Germany, any comments I made about backstabbing you were jokes, I wouldn't dream of doing that to a coalition member.) Anyway, that's not happening anytime soon, not with the Xinjiang situation being what it is.
I'd also like to make a mention of this here novelty:
Fig. 74 Now this is something new.
I have two battleships at full hitpoints.
Incidentally, I really don't like Comintern armoured cars. My first thought was that they reminded me of something, I couldn't remember what, before it hit me: a cross between a jeep and a go-kart.
Fig. 75 Armoured dune buggy
Also for some reason my three-stack of militia is beating this monstrosity easily:
Fig. 76 That's a stack of one each anti-air and anti-tank (which may account for this unexpected curb-stomp battle), three infantry, and two light tanks. Why are tanks in Comintern so slab-like? I'm put in mind of slaters.
I get the defense buff and terrain buff, but surely even between those two I surely shouldn't be winning against seven units that were at full hitpoints when I ran into them.
It's two or so hours later.
My first nuke of the game is under construction; its name will be revealed when it eventually hits a target, i.e. either tomorrow's post or the one after that. Probably tomorrow's, so I can send it at whatever huge block of troops Xinjiang has in wait for me. I know they have shite anti-air, so they're a safe target.
Fig. 77 I can't wait to reveal the name. And then of course it will turn out that nobody but I will get it.
Now my major project is out of the way it's time to divert attention to, in order:
1) Ramping up anti-air of our own on the off chance that someone decides to send a few nukes my way
2) Spamming militia, anti-tank, anti-air and light tanks
3) Upgrading metal industry, in a case of 'the key is behind the lock' as I'll run out halfway
4) Any other upgrading jobs that need doing
5) Levelling up tactical bombers, if I have the resources to spare
Kweiyang has nothing but a broken Level 2 secret lab, so I've been using it for nothing what with the secret weapons lying dormant until the nuclear project could be completed. I'll start work on levelling that up until it, too, can build nukes without taking all week about it. Not that I can afford to run labs on nuclear production in tandem just now.
From now on all my troops get divided into three categories (not counting the Japanese colony, which is self-sufficient and unrelated to what's happening on the mainland
northwest troops, which go towards the Xinjiang invasion; southern troops, which go towards coastal and Sino-Indochinese border fortifications; and northeast, which go towards Sino-Russian border fortification. I've promised Germany a Russian invasion tomorrow, mostly because the way things are going, when I check in next I'm going to be engaged in one anyway.
You struggle to make one bomb, but See in fat Albert land I am currently pumping out 30 high level units and 4/5 nukes at a time! Very nice things.
As a CarKing who made good use of them, I must disagree and state that commie armored cars are great ascetically and are very nice overall.
I think that soviet tank is based on a t-26 or some bt tank? I donโt like its look either, but once you get to level 4 you get a good improvement. Not that commie light tanks are the best.
Hell no, why would you bother with light tanks in Comintern? Mediums are superior.
I reserve judgement on the capabilities of Commie armoured cars, as last time I played Comintern I didn't spend much time or money on the tank branch at all, but I take back nothing about their appearance.
I am indeed struggling to make one bomb. My opening move upon logging in is spamming militia, artillery or light tanks in every factory I own. Does anything about this suggest 'financial aptitude' to you?
I mean itโs Manchuko, what did we expect, greatest industrial capacity of all nations?
I have to tell you that the amount of provinces captured, steal units revealed, and defense from planes and nukes has basically carried my war effort. Amazing.
Well if it gets the job done!
At first I expected nothing of the sort, but good grief, I have 326 provinces, forty-two of which are industrialised cities. I have a shitload of resources, and it's not even that I'm squandering them, it's that I have no clear priorities when I'm dishing them out to various projects.
Nuclear weapons are very good projects indeed.
YepLady Aragosta wrote:
Do you have the same in game?
Lovely post. I suggest naming your nukes something like 'CRACKSHOT'.Lady Aragosta wrote:
DAY TWENTY-THREENothing to do with big guns this time; a combination of politics, logistics, and complaining about unit thumbnails
I'm in something of a deadlock with Xinjiang, where neither of us have succeeded in making a net gain or making a meaningful breakthrough with the other person's massive border force.
Fig. 72 Mine outnumber theirs but about two-thirds are militia, whereas most of theirs are tanks.
More promisingly, in two hours I'll be able to start work on a nuclear bomber, which will be ready tomorrow. However, to be absolutely sure I'll be able to afford the astronomical prices, I'm not letting myself build anything - no troop replenishments, no industry upgrades, nothing - until I have one safely underway. And first on my to-do list is not replenishing my Zerg Rush Fuel, but upgrading my metal industry.
The one exception I'm allowing myself to make: airstrips. If my tactical bombers are going to be any help (and yes I know attacks would have been more sensible but I didn't have the research for those and I do for tacs) I'm going to need a few more of those, and they won't take up that many resources. Right?
I'm also sending a large number of last night's fresh wave of troops (the first wave in some time where I could afford to have all 40+ cities producing something) down to Indochina, in preparation for the Australian backstab that's not unlikely to happen sooner or later. I'm not going to start a fight with them, unless I manage to conquer Russia and Tibet and get bored, but I've decided I'm being uncharacteristically naive in trusting them and this was exacerbated by discussions in the forum.
Fig. 73 I'll sort out exactly what goes where later, but my current plan is to line our land border with militia and station artillery on the coast, particularly but not exclusively in the cities.
Germany asked me to invade the Soviet Union to lighten the load off them. I swear people and AIs are reading my mind in this game, or alternatively that some of the players are reading this playthrough and sneakily said nothing. (If you're reading, Germany, any comments I made about backstabbing you were jokes, I wouldn't dream of doing that to a coalition member.) Anyway, that's not happening anytime soon, not with the Xinjiang situation being what it is.
I'd also like to make a mention of this here novelty:
Fig. 74 Now this is something new.
I have two battleships at full hitpoints.
Incidentally, I really don't like Comintern armoured cars. My first thought was that they reminded me of something, I couldn't remember what, before it hit me: a cross between a jeep and a go-kart.
Fig. 75 Armoured dune buggy
Also for some reason my three-stack of militia is beating this monstrosity easily:
Fig. 76 That's a stack of one each anti-air and anti-tank (which may account for this unexpected curb-stomp battle), three infantry, and two light tanks. Why are tanks in Comintern so slab-like? I'm put in mind of slaters.
I get the defense buff and terrain buff, but surely even between those two I surely shouldn't be winning against seven units that were at full hitpoints when I ran into them.
It's two or so hours later.
My first nuke of the game is under construction; its name will be revealed when it eventually hits a target, i.e. either tomorrow's post or the one after that. Probably tomorrow's, so I can send it at whatever huge block of troops Xinjiang has in wait for me. I know they have shite anti-air, so they're a safe target.
Fig. 77 I can't wait to reveal the name. And then of course it will turn out that nobody but I will get it.
Now my major project is out of the way it's time to divert attention to, in order:
1) Ramping up anti-air of our own on the off chance that someone decides to send a few nukes my way
2) Spamming militia, anti-tank, anti-air and light tanks
3) Upgrading metal industry, in a case of 'the key is behind the lock' as I'll run out halfway
4) Any other upgrading jobs that need doing
5) Levelling up tactical bombers, if I have the resources to spare
Kweiyang has nothing but a broken Level 2 secret lab, so I've been using it for nothing what with the secret weapons lying dormant until the nuclear project could be completed. I'll start work on levelling that up until it, too, can build nukes without taking all week about it. Not that I can afford to run labs on nuclear production in tandem just now.
From now on all my troops get divided into three categories (not counting the Japanese colony, which is self-sufficient and unrelated to what's happening on the mainland
You should see some of the weird names Iโve given my nukes this gameโฆ
I have a whole archive of weird battleship, carrier and nuke names from various games.
I am going to assume you mean you have a desk filled with files marked by the game numbers and filled with images and names of each unit.
I have the digital equivalent. My actual, real life desk is so chaotic that I can no longer use it as a desk.
I have so many things from so many years in my deskโฆ from squish balls to coins. Itโs very crazy.
Let's see... miscellaneous stationery, two-year-old printed assignments, a variety of books both from my own shelves and borrowed from various people, a dead laptop, loose change probably amounting to more than I have in notes, pins, every pencil sharpener our house possesses and everyone wonders why they keep going missing, Lego, birthday cards from the last three years that I don't have the heart to throw out, lots of pens, two-thirds of which are dry...
...the Uno deck we haven't used in ages anyway, a very dusty light, used batteries, hand warmer packets, crushed Origami models, home-made pom-poms, soy sauce fish..
...yeah.
I have a dead tablet on top my desk as well! Birthday cards tooโฆ also I might have a silver award buried in thereโฆ
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