Start as Japan in hegemony scenario

[Cirno]

How?
At start there is so much troubles, especially with tax potential. I start to build government buildings, but it required so many of them so I just end up paying so much wages so it brings me to default. I somehow managed to solve paper deficit, but wages just killing me.

Also, there is an objective in diary to control 5 countries. I have vassalized 2 of them, but counter kept in zero. Same with allies.

[RandyNewman]

There's a steam guide for how to start as Japan. I'd give that a read before anything.
Don't bother trying to fix the tax efficiency that early, just make sure you have enough bureaucracy for whatever institutions you pass, and build your initial industries in states that are more efficient.

Hegemon with Japan is difficult because you get a late start with competing with the world powers, and you have to manage infamy gain until you have the military/navy to stave everyone off. You can't complete the puppet objective until you're a recognized power, as you can only have "vassals" and not puppet or dominion countries

[Cirno]

Originally posted by RandyNewman:

There's a steam guide for how to start as Japan. I'd give that a read before anything.
Don't bother trying to fix the tax efficiency that early, just make sure you have enough bureaucracy for whatever institutions you pass, and build your initial industries in states that are more efficient.

Hegemon with Japan is difficult because you get a late start with competing with the world powers, and you have to manage infamy gain until you have the military/navy to stave everyone off. You can't complete the puppet objective until you're a recognized power, as you can only have "vassals" and not puppet or dominion countries

Thank you!
If that's so I think I'll try to play as Japan later, when I will be more confident in game. What country do you think is easiest to start in hegemony?

[shiggies713]

don't worry about the tax as Japan, its so far gone, its hopeless to worry about.

I don't know about hegemony but Belgium is a pretty easy start overall. Probably Spain is the easiest one listed as Hegemony but you could do it as USA or anyone really.

[kgkong]

Don't waste your time and money trying to fix taxation capacity.
Spend your time building up 1 or 2 manufacturing states, and some resource and farm states. Let your pops migrate and move to figure things out.

Build in your states with the lowest taxation capacity overreach as well. This will cause pop groups to move around your country and find employment in a state with plenty of taxation capacity.

[teron]

Tax capacity is something you fix over time, since laws, PMs and techs (like central archives) effect taxation capacity. Main thing is to not be globally under the admin.

So as an example, going from Hereditary Bureaucrats --> Appointed Bureaucrats increases your taxation capacity by 25%, downside is to removes a -25% population admin cost modifier. Plus the trading landowner political strength for Intelligentsia while replacing aristocrats in admin buildings with bureaucrats (who also are paid less)

You could also try to get colonization law passed, and finish colonizing your northern islands which have a high migration attraction due to not having a lot of people. Which since you are isolationist and closed boarders means that it should draw people away from your higher population provinces. Which I would assume would be net revenue positive, since it would mostly be peasants moving.

Finally, you could also like I always suggest conquer Hawaii. Since it at game start tends to have no army, be sparsely populated and little interest from other powers which means they back down a lot. Had them back down to the Hudson bay company, when I did not have a navy to even navel invade.

It would be around 7 infamy and gives you more potential to logging camps (with a hardwood bonus), iron mines, and agriculture with a throughput bonus. With it giving you access to land that can give you coffee which is a good you do not start with. Plus it would likely attract some pops away from the higher populated mainland.

[kgkong]

Finally, you could also like I always suggest conquer Hawaii. Since it at game start tends to have no army, be sparsely populated and little interest from other powers which means they back down a lot. Had them back down to the Hudson bay company, when I did not have a navy to even navel invade.

Super flex there!
So you were the HBC and with the traditional Canadian Navy (the lack there of one) you won a bluff or Hawaii? Damn you're my hero!

[Kimlin]

Originally posted by KingGorillaKong:

Finally, you could also like I always suggest conquer Hawaii. Since it at game start tends to have no army, be sparsely populated and little interest from other powers which means they back down a lot. Had them back down to the Hudson bay company, when I did not have a navy to even navel invade.

Super flex there!
So you were the HBC and with the traditional Canadian Navy (the lack there of one) you won a bluff or Hawaii? Damn you're my hero!

That’s broken mechanics and a real issue. The AI should be able asses risk before making decisions. On the flip side of the issue, late game you have every nation big and small trying to cut you down to size which is essentially them just handing you reparations and some of their states after you destroy them in the war.

[teron]

Originally posted by KingGorillaKong:

Finally, you could also like I always suggest conquer Hawaii. Since it at game start tends to have no army, be sparsely populated and little interest from other powers which means they back down a lot. Had them back down to the Hudson bay company, when I did not have a navy to even navel invade.

Super flex there!
So you were the HBC and with the traditional Canadian Navy (the lack there of one) you won a bluff or Hawaii? Damn you're my hero!

Not hard seeing as how they start with no army, no navy and at most 1 conscriptable battalion. So it means they tend to fold almost all the time. If they don't it is not like they put up much of a fight either since well no arms industry at game start.

Which makes them easy early game land, since they have a decent amount of wood, iron, and whales (for oil later. With 10 slots it is worth a couple oil rigs on the max PM).
Plus they have the potential for tobacco, tea and coffee. So it can be used to cover which ever one you are short in.

[RandyNewman]

You aint see this?

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2882870636

[lubed_assassin]

Originally posted by Kimlin:

Originally posted by KingGorillaKong:

Super flex there!
So you were the HBC and with the traditional Canadian Navy (the lack there of one) you won a bluff or Hawaii? Damn you're my hero!

That’s broken mechanics and a real issue. The AI should be able asses risk before making decisions. On the flip side of the issue, late game you have every nation big and small trying to cut you down to size which is essentially them just handing you reparations and some of their states after you destroy them in the war.

Yeah its pretty bad. I just a quick run with Japan to see if it was tough or not, was smooth sailing. Hard for someone starting tho, especially if you dont know what to build or do. Prob the worse thing that happend was beating Russia in 1938-1942 over the islands. The AI is so bad.


Here's what I did:

First steps
1. raise taxes to max
2. consumption taxes services
3. Research colonial stuff,
4. try to pass police force
5. build 10-15 construction sites
6. declare interest in madagascar
7. vassal madagascar (france joined me for an obligation free state)
8. Spam paper factories, logging sites, clothes and spam universities till you hit the cap in that order
9. when colonial is researched cancel police force legislation to colonial exploitation (colonial exploitation is the best for pronvinces with a large populace, like china.)
10. colonizine sinklaim
11. Russia attacked me (I guess you could attack Russia tho)
12. add wargoals force recognition, reperations and the return of sinkhaim from russia.
13. Overrun Russia off the island cuz the ai is so bad.
14. pass state religion
15. abolish serfdom

I think i did this by 1943-6 by 1950 serfdom was abolished and I just got line infantry was about to build a navy and flex on china with line infantry as a newfound major power. I also vassaled 3 small countries in Ethopia, but without a navy you can't win a war so thats really the next step.

[shiggies713]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2901916960
Super duper flex, attack zanzibar in your quest to take african colonies while France is already in a war... Get GB on your side for some rubbish open market blah, ask for French reparations, and recognition, let GB do most the hard work, naval invade the Caribbean with 3 ships, force French capitulation, we don't even have an arms factory yet, its 1849 lol, capitulate myself with no war goals against me so Merina Kingdom and GB are still in some never ending war, and I'm not. Profit.