@Whitshadw:
Do any of you by chance play with the Manchuko expansion? and what time frame are you looking to start war? also do your groups play with the optional terrain rules? I also tend to use tech for Japan but I don’t invest more then 4 ipp perturn. While ignoring China do you still go with infantry build? or do you invest in more ships? or planes?
I play with it (Manchuko Expansion), I like it. It’s very advantageous to Japan, but less so for the Soviet because often players forget the partisan side of things. All in all it’s a flavor adding expansion that puts Japanese factories on the mainland and enables Partisan uprisings.
In regards to starting war; every game isn’t different, and it really depends on a lot of factors.
If Japan attacks China, that war usually starts on the second or third turn. Everything else is too vague to say.
Optional Terrain rules? Like mountains, rivers, and cities? Yep! Wouldn’t be same without it! It’s part of what makes it hard to attack China or Soviet as Japan.
What do you usually do for Tech? 4IPP is roughly what I do too.
Yeah, again, every game is different and it seems to hinge with what the USA does. The last game I played as Japan. Because Germany did not even attack France and rapidly began crushing Soviet Russia, there was a greater USA buildup in Atlantic theater trying to pull German pressure from Russia. About 60-70% USA built in Atlantic.
So Japan had a little wiggle room to build.