Japan in the new patch

[Two-Tailed Cat]

I've had to turn down my AI aggressiveness in order to avoid losing treaty ports. No matter how many times I restart, Great Britain will demand a treaty port or investment rights within five years, and previously I was always able to get Russia as an ally but now they won't help out unless I give them one of my core provinces. It also felt like the naval invasion was very difficult for Great Britain in previous patches even with the starting irregulars, but they have no issues invading and conquering territory now.

This all could be bad luck admittedly but I'm getting tired of restarting. Does anyone have some tips on how to better play the early game with the update?

[WesselW]

Best tip i can give is open up your market they won't be as likely to attack you then. So if the decalare a war on you just give in. The treaty port is a secondary demand and shouldn't be a problem.

[Two-Tailed Cat]

The primary demand for me has always been a treaty port or investment rights, both of those automatically change your law from isolationism to free trade but obviously I don't want to give up the investment rights or treaty port.

[WesselW]

Originally posted by PlumeriaKnight:

The primary demand for me has always been a treaty port or investment rights, both of those automatically change your law from isolationism to free trade but obviously I don't want to give up the investment rights or treaty port.

Giving away investment rights is okay at the start just nationlize the buildings when you want them to be yours. Makes the ai build for you. But yeah don't accept the treaty port it kinda sucks losing that. Otherwise try to get corn laws so you can change to open markt yourself before they declare war.

[Two-Tailed Cat]

I'll give that a try, thanks!

[Tasteless]

Attack GB first and they will have a peace treaty with you and can't attack you.

[Tasteless]

Japan 1.8
https://youtu.be/-AUT7tb1Yxw?si=GvIJrIxCFlmqzZO4

[Hangaround0122]

France sometime can help

[Oracle]

rush line infantry? anyway I would just capitulate, what they ask is nothing, and treaty port is less ships spent on trade, plus if u will start aggressively conquering the world (and japan kinda too easy start), they usually never attack. tbh it is more profitable to capitulate then try to fight that, investment rights is good =) just nationalize it later, japan is rich enough to do that later

[Alex]

A treaty port is a terrible liability, and it's very hard to get rid of it, since the AI values them highly. Try to prevent this outcome at all costs, investment rights are peanuts against that.

Now, to Japan. In previous patches, you had something of a grace period of up to 20 years before the great powers became interested in your country. Even then, they usually went for an "opening market" CB, which was actually beneficial, allowing you to kickstart the Meiji Restoration questline.

Perhaps they changed the AI logic with the 1.8 patch? Or, do you have any mods?

[Two-Tailed Cat]

No mods, just seems like the AI is very interested in Japan earlier than they were previously. Now that I know foreign investment isn't very scary it makes it much better to get that early on.

[Alex]

From what I understood, they've upped the difficulty level, and Japan was hit especially hard.

[Jack_Barby01]

In previous patch i got the opening of Japan around 1842-1850, usually Britain or France demanded it. I was able to pospone the restoration until 1865, with Komei Yamato (armed forces) as the emperor and had to abdicate 3-4 years laterr to get Meji.
If ai demands only investment rights, just accept it.
If you get the opening around that time frame (and only investments), it means the AI aggressiveness has not chage that much.

[Null]

With your starting army you can easily defend Japan from the British/America.
If you rush Line infantry it's even easier.
Just white peace once they are low enough.