No, the other game called The New Order where the Nazis won

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Moon Slayer: Jun 19, 2007

The New Order: Last Days of Europe (hereafter abbreviated as TNO) is a mod for Paradox�s Hearts of Iron IV, also known as the endpoint of the many excellent Paradox Mega-Let�s Plays on this forum. As you might have gathered from the thread title and the logo above, it takes place in an alternate history where Germany won World War II.

Unlike vanilla HoI4 and other conversion mods like Kaeiserreich, TNO is far less focused on combat and way more focused on managing the internal dynamics of a country while reacting to world events. I don�t know if it�s a �total conversion� mod but if not it�s got to be pretty close as I�d say TNO is much closer to a Choose Your Own Adventure story than a military simulator. As such, this is going to be a very text heavy LP. Look forward to a lot of reading.

This is also going to be a participatory LP. I will be soliciting feedback on what paths to take from the thread; sometimes what we do next will be put up for a vote, sometimes it�ll be whoever provides the best argument.

For this (first?) run, I will be playing the State of Guangdong.

quote:

A People Unmoored
The native Chinese population toils endlessly in the factories of the Three Pearls of Guangdong - Kōshu (Guangzhou), Honkon (Hong Kong), and Makao (Macau) - while receiving none of the benefits afforded to the Japanese industrialists and expatriates that oversee their corporate exclave. Between them, the Zhujin - educated professionals and businessmen, fluent in Japanese but local to Guangdong - both serve and benefit from Guangdong's economic order, a middle class decried as collaborators by the Chinese and seen as useful proxies by the Japanese. Crime and corruption are widespread, with the Triads and Yakuza vying for control over the web of vice that sprawls across Guangdong's underground, in defiance of an undermanned Guangdong Police Force and an uncaring Kenpeitai garrison. In Guangdong, crime is less an aberration than simply another means of doing business, a reciprocal relationship of favors done and debts owed.

The focus of the most recent major update �Silicon Dreams,� Guangdong has a lot of content and multiple paths to take. We can leave this place a lot better than we find it; but sometimes it�s fun to play the bad guy.

Thread Rules:

NO SPOILERS. This includes future events, events that have happened but were not commented on, or alternative paths that could have been taken. This also applies to which paths are "good" or "bad."
This is a depressing setting, and it�s okay if that�s not for you. But please don�t take posters advocating for one path or the other to mean that they endorse anything like that in real life. This is just a game.
TNO is a mod and still actively under development. Bugs abound, although nothing game breaking that can�t be resolved with console commands. Also, large updates come semi-regularly and tend to break saves. I�ll be sticking with the most recent version as of late May 2023 but there�s a chance that things go wrong and we have to find ourselves in an alternate timeline where things are similar but not exactly the same.
Have I mentioned that there�s a lot of text? Anything in quote boxes is taken directly from the mod itself (perhaps lightly edited by me as spelling and grammar errors have crept through as they always will in a project this size); anything written that�s not in a quote box is me.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prologue: The State of the World
Dramatis Personae

Chapter 1: January 1962
Chapter 2: February - March 1962
Chapter 3: March - June 1962
Chapter 4: June - September 1962
Chapter 5: September - November 1962

Chapter 6: November 1962 - March 1963
Chapter 7: March - June 1963
Chapter 8: June - August 1963
Chapter 9: August - October 1963
Chapter 10: October - December 1963

Chapter 11: December 1963 - February 1964
Chapter 12: February - May 1964
Chapter 13: May - December 1964
Chapter 14: January - May 1965
Chapter 15: June - December 1965

Chapter 16: January - May 1966
Chapter 17: May - October 1966
Chapter 18: November - March 1967
Chapter 19: March - May 1967
Chapter 20: May - October 1967

Chapter 21: October - December 1967
Chapter 22: January - April 1968
Chapter 23: May - November 1968
Chapter 24: November 1968 - April 1969
Chapter 25: April - September 1969

Chapter 26: October - December 1969
Chapter 27: January - November 1970
Chapter 28: November - December 1970
Chapter 29: January - February 1971
Chapter 30: March - May 1971

Chapter 31: May - June 1971
Chapter 32: June - October 1971
Chapter 33: Four Days in October
Chapter 34: October - November 1971
Chapter 35: December 1971

Chapter 36: January - February 1972
Epilogue, Part 1: March - April 1972
Epilogue, Part 2: May 1972

Moon Slayer fucked around with this message at 02:33 on Oct 9, 2023

# ? May 25, 2023 05:38

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# ? Apr 28, 2024 06:02

Moon Slayer: Jun 19, 2007

The State of the World as of January 1, 1962

Asia

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The Dai Toa Kyoeiken, commonly referred to as �The Sphere,� is an international organization of independent Asian nations, liberated in the War Against Western Colonialism and Imperialism. At least, that�s the official version. In reality, beyond its few voluntary members, the Sphere is filled with colonial governments in all but name, geared towards serving their Japanese overlords. The Co-Prosperity Sphere combines aspects of an economic union, a political superstructure, a military alliance, and an integration project. Most importantly, however, it serves as a further extension of the Imperial stranglehold.

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The sun never sets on the Japanese Empire, or at least it hasn't yet. Reigning over the single largest population of any nation on Earth, the Japanese maintain the largest military, industrial base, and navy in the world. With treaty ports in America and ownership of the Pacific, Japan has gone from a shut-in nation behind the Europeans to the masters of the sea and land. All is not well, however, as the increasingly byzantine Imperial Court constantly undermines the monarchy, and the more Japan uses China's resources, the more their grip on the colonies slip.

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Ino Hiroya is not a popular man. Originally a mere representative in the Imperial Diet, Ino skillfully maneuvered his way through the byzantine affairs of Japanese politics to help overthrow Tōjō Hideki himself, and then later his political rival Kido Kōichi. But things are never so simple. To bring down such political beasts, Ino had to cut a few backroom deals. More than a few, really. And while those connections initially seemed useful, the obligations on Ino's end have piled up, and he has been forced to work for various special interests, rather than the people of Japan.

Ino is a firm believer in the Imperial system, and desires to keep the Emperor above most political discussion. Ino's party, the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, is the sole legal party in Japan and encompasses a broad coalition of representatives with various ideologies, but can be corralled into keeping the Chrysanthemum Throne safe and secure from the rough-and-tumble politics of the Diet.

However, Ino is rapidly losing control over his own party, and his departure from the office of Prime Minister seems all but inevitable. Many within the Diet who would like to see Ino ousted much in the same way he once bested Tōjō and Kido, including Kido himself, who has found ways to still remain relevant in Japanese politics. If Ino wishes for his ideals to be upheld and for his faction to survive, he must once again find his way safely through Japan's murky politics, as he has done so many times before.

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The hopefuls who lit the fuse against the Qing in Wuhan would die with the Republic just 30 years later as it was snuffed out by the Japanese in Chongqing. The new republican government over China claims to be the legitimate successor to the KMT's Republic but all up and down society know that this is not true. In reality, the ROC of 1962 is a virtual colony of the Japanese, serving to put food on Japanese tables and resources for exploitation. But there are some still who see light where others don't, who see the potential in this situation. China has known only peace and stability since the War of Resistance and Japanese investments have kickstarted the Chinese economy. Perhaps this, paired with Gao Zongwu's planned Five Modernizations program, could propel China beyond being a mere servant.

quote:

If there is one man that embodies the centuries of Chinese humiliation, it is Gao Zongwu. Born in the dimming light of the Qing, Gao began life awkwardly. Being shrewd, frail, and often plagued from chronic bouts of tuberculosis, his future was made brighter by the privilege of studying in Japan. Upon his return to Nanjing, Gao found work at the city university, where he taught political science. Using his background in both countries, the sickly but savvy young man quickly garnered a reputation for breaking the mold when it came to Sino-Japanese relations.

His dissertation on the future of China eventually caught the attention of Chiang Kai-Shek's inner circle, specifically the foreign ministry headed by Wang Jingwei. By his 20s, Gao led the Asian department of the foreign service. When the Japanese attacked at the Marco Polo Bridge, Gao made many attempts to negotiate a status-quo antebellum between China and Japan, all of which fell on the deaf ears of Emperor Hirohito. The Japanese war machine continued to slaughter and pillage down to Nanjing, where Gao, demoralized and stricken with another round of tuberculosis, resigned from his post in government and fled to his old mentor.

China's ungraceful fall opened a power vacuum for the title of the heir to a new China. Diplomats, legislators, and officers squabbled over the position. With no leading figure, eventually, the aging diplomat was brought back into the spotlight as a compromise candidate.

Those who had put him into power had hoped to capitalize on Gao's weakness. Gao, once again, defied expectations, ushering in a greater emphasis on democracy. Gao refused to live in the shadows anymore, the shadow of the Qing, of Chiang's China, and of his mentor. With big goals and even bigger shoes to fill, one question remains, will Gao thrust his home into the modern age or will only the smoldering ashes of the past remain?

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Since the establishment of its status as a state, the Manchurian government has always relied on Japanese means to accomplish its ends. The Japanese bureaucracy, as vital an organ to the state as the heart to the human body, oversees the economy. Corporations across the sea establish themselves in Asia's third-largest industrial nation. Yet, this cooperation is rarely done in good faith. The Kwantung Army and the Manshu Somucho (General Affairs Agency) hold a predominant role in Manchuria's political society, and the State Council is nigh powerless without Somucho's "benevolence." The corporations, dominated by Mangyō, are rarely benign: twisting Manchuria's laws against itself, all in the name of profit. Currently, the state is in equilibrium. In order for anything to change, something must give.

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Once the son of heaven, Puyi's life has been a long descent into hell. Chosen by the Empress Dowager Cixi herself a day before her death, he would serve as little more than an ineffective child emperor in the dying days of the Qing dynasty. Forced to abdicate by the Empress Dowager Longyu under pressure from the leaders of the Xinhai Revolution, Puyi grew up in the Forbidden City, temporarily left to him by the newly established Republic of China. There, he married Wanrong of the Gobulo clan, and became close friends with her younger brother, Runqi. In 1924, the court was expelled from the Forbidden City, and forced to eventually take refuge at the Japanese Concession of Tianjin, taking his life in a decidedly pro-Japanese direction.

After six years in Tianjin, in 1931, Puyi was visited by Kenji Doihara, head of the espionage office of the Kwantung Army, who offered to make him the head of a new Manchurian state. After some initial hesitation, Puyi accepted, traveling with his court to Changchun. He was made �Chief Executive� of Manchukuo in 1932, and finally became an Emperor once more in 1934. Despite this, Puyi soon found that he was nothing more than a glorified prisoner of the Japanese, kept in a gilded cage.

This was keenly felt by those around him as well: Wanrong, who had never liked Japan, grew ever more distant and deeply addicted to opium, his brothers were no longer as close to him as they once were, and even Runqi became concerned by the control of the Japanese over Puyi. However, Puyi gave up on any hope of challenging the Kwantung Army, especially after the victory of Japan in the war. Now, nearly 30 years after his coronation, he has accomplished little and is despised by many, even those he cares about. This knowledge increasingly eats away at Puyi as his own health begins to deteriorate. His only legacy is a lonely life and an empire in chains.

The Philippines is locked in a 3-way war between the West-supported Free Philippine Republic in the south, the Japanese-supported Second Philippine Republic in Manila, and a Communist insurgency in the north.

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The 25th Army, the proud upholders of Shonan! On paper, at least. In practice, the 25th is nothing but a shell of its former self, the 10 years of constant fighting back and forth with rebels have whittled the once proud army into an undermanned, underfed, and underequipped force. What keeps it going is the supplies from Japan itself, and the weariness of their enemies. For good or bad, the 25th needs to win, as another loss will be the final nail in its coffin.

For Major General Yamamoto Moichiro, Malaya was supposed to be one last hurrah in a storied, politically fruitful yet bloodied career throughout Japan's conquests of China and the former Dutch East Indies. When the Malayan revolt broke out following the collapse of the talks between the Marai Hokokai and the ever-increasingly centralizing Republic of Indonesia, Yamamoto was reassigned from Java, being an important contributor to the negotiation of Indonesian "independence," to step in and lead the Japanese intervention.

The initial phases of the intervention were successful, as the United Malayan Anti-Japanese Front was driven out of major population centers in most of Malaya, barring the resource-rich and strategically vital regions of northern Perak and Pahang. Ever since then however, Yamamoto's last hurrah has turned into a rapidly deteriorating quagmire, with a disappearing enemy incredibly proficient in jungle warfare. However, the situation does not end there - in fact, it's even worse. With the Republic of India, and some say the OFN aiding the broad front of anti-Japanese insurgents, Yamamoto has resorted to escalation: a rational measure in his eyes, as the Malayan population has been incredibly resistant to Japanese efforts at collaboration. To this end, he has brought in some of the original architects of Malayan victory, such as the infamous counter-insurgency strategist Nishiura Susumu. Time is against Yamamoto however, as his own retirement looms large - and so does the momentum of UMAJF.

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The father of the Indonesian nation, and the leader in its struggle for Independence: all this, and more, can be used to characterize Soekarno, the President of the Indonesian Republic. While the reality, as often, is slightly more complicated, such a description is however not that far from the truth.

While dealings with the Japanese were needed to safeguard the young nation's independence, a quick glance at it today will show that the benefits have far outweighed the costs: Soekarno stands as the President of a proud and rapidly-rising nation, who could in a few years rival the world's largest powers in terms of economic might, a task as daring as it seems daunting.

Years have passed, however, and the Equatorial Emerald's President faces rumblings of discontent. Centralization from Java, its most prosperous island, is not unanimously popular, and the Indonesian army becomes more and more of a breeding ground for polarization and radicalism. Soekarno is not afraid in the least, for he knows the masses' respect and adoration towards him.

With the mandate of its people, and the strength of its President, Indonesia shall soar to new heights, and never again shall it be enslaved.

North America

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The Organization of Free Nations is, first and foremost, a mutual defense alliance between countries with liberal and democratic inclinations. It comprises signatories of the San Francisco Charter, who (barring some exceptions) are expected to �maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack� in accordance with Article 3 of the aforementioned document. A council of representatives from every member state, each entitled to one vote, manages the alliance�s daily and long-term affairs. �Member states� refer to countries which maintain political, economic, and military autonomy from the United States. The alliance�s first members were Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Iceland.

quote:

When America joined the Second World War, her support came too late to save her allies. The United States performed admirably, humbling the Kriegsmarine in the Atlantic and beginning to turn the tide in the Pacific, but the invention of the atom bomb ended any hopes of American victory for those few remaining Allies. Now, twenty years later, America stands divided. While the great American Depression is slowly ending, the American political scene sits in chaos. The government remains locked between the uneasy Republican-Democratic Coalition and the National Progressive Pact, a failing union of America's progressives, socialists, and authoritarians. With the Civil Rights movement greatly shifting the political sphere, many predict that the 60's will herald the greatest threats America has ever faced.

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Richard Milhous Nixon is a complicated figure. Originally a Representative, and then Senator from California, he rapidly rose through the ranks of Congress through skilled political maneuvering. During his time as a Senator, Nixon worked closely with Joe McCarthy in carrying out the Grey Scare, working to root out suspected fascists in government. And while he didn't share the spotlight to the same extent as McCarthy did, nobody doubts that Nixon is still an anti-fascist crusader through and through.

A lifelong member of the Republican Party, Nixon has never been totally comfortable working alongside the Democrats. The broad popularity of the National Progressive Pact dictates that they must, however, and the coalition ticket that won him the 1960 election has made his presidency a living hell. John F. Kennedy's position as the Vice President has driven a wedge in the Executive Branch, as his own magnetic charisma and stunning competence have taken the spotlight away from Nixon more than once.

As much as Nixon wants to focus on foreign policy, so he can act to undermine the unstable German and Japanese empires, domestic affairs have gotten in the way. Civil rights issues can no longer be ignored, as racial tensions flare and people demand action, one way or another. While Nixon has been reluctant to endorse either segregation or integration, staying on the fence is becoming increasingly costly.

Of course, Nixon is also doing what he can to keep the NPP down, including some... extralegal means. With challengers coming at him from all sides, including within the White House, Nixon will have a hell of a time trying to keep the ship of state steady.

Europe

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The Einheitspakt, referred to in international circles as the Unity Pakt, is the Pan-European alliance of the Nazi order. Gone is the old order of decadent states and degenerate corruption - in its place stands now European Brotherhood and Unity, guided by the German hegemon. The Pakt consists of many charters, detailing the economic, military, and political relations of its many member states, each ultimately designed in German interest. With its unparalleled control over European affairs, the Pakt is truly the linchpin of European destiny - and the Reich, the Master of Europe.

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Once humbled by their failures in the Weltkrieg, Germany once more rose to prominence with the leadership of Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. Thanks to the failures of the Allies, WW2 has ended in complete German victory.

Germany now presides over the most powerful Empire on Earth, but despite her victory, Germany's control remains tenuous at best. Wracked by an economic crash that has frozen the nation for a decade, and with a massive slave caste providing for the German people, the population has begun to protest. The nation is now trapped in a series of student protests and the machinations of the Deutsche Bank.

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How does one begin to define Adolf Hitler, F�hrer and Reichskanzler of the Greater German Reich, the undisputed tyrant of 19 countries, the architect of Welthauptstadt Germania, Supreme Commander of the Wehrmacht, F�hrer of the National Socialist German Workers' Party, and Time Magazine's Man of the Year in 1938, 1946, and 1961?

A man of humble beginnings, the son of Austrian Innkeepers, he was educated in Munich and Vienna, and served with distinction with the German Army during the First World War. His rise to power was meteoric, none can deny, and even failed attempts like the Beer Hall Putsch served only to further his ambitions. His combination of violence and showmanship drove the communists and democrats out of the Reichstag and placed him into its highest office. Under his leadership, Germany broke the chains of the Versailles Treaty, developed a terrifying new military, and forced the other nations of Europe to their knees until the Swastika flew over all of Europe, from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea. Under his guidance, the Reich built wonders such as Germania, and under his watchful eye, the Undesirables of Europe were viciously exterminated and fed to the flames.

But the lord and master of all Germany, of all Europe between the Urals and the Pyrenees, has grown old. Where his voice could once command a crowd's rapt attention there is now only quiet rasping, and a cold calculating mind of steel has gone to rust. The hands that penned Mein Kampf constantly tremble now, as he adds the final touches to a watercolor of those long-dead faces slipping from his memory. The greatest conqueror the world has ever known since Alexander and Napoleon is an old and frail man. In 1962, he is 73 years of age, and some dare to whisper that he is not long for this world. The fear of all the world is that once the F�hrer's funeral pyre is lit, it will spread the great conflagration of war all across Europe once more.

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France seems engulfed in a great torpor, as the once-superpower stands forever chained to a mountain, with the German Eagle coming to eat its bloated liver every day. While the adoption of the Mar�chal P�tain's constitution established the groundwork for a democracy, Pierre Laval's consolidation of the political landscape into the Parti National and subsequent ascent to the Presidency salted the earth in which the seeds of freedom had been sown. The 1950s were a sad decade for France, and, as the new decade slowly sets in, most of France seems to be resigned to a dire fate. Or is it?

Slowly, change has been rearing its head. Whether towards reaction, reform, or revolution, more and more of the country's citizens have decided that a better situation is possible, and while political turmoil has increased, so has hope; it is merely blooming for now, of course, but what else is there left? After all, one must imagine Sisyphus happy.

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In his ascension to Presidency, Jean-Louis Tixier-Vignancour is the quintessential representation of the current catastrophic deadlock the French State finds itself in. Elected to the long-defunct National Assembly of the Third Republic in 1936 and the subsequent French State, he is as loved as he is hated in the spheres of French Politics.

After the catastrophic West Russian War and the establishment of the Ordensstat, Piere Laval - the then-President of France - unexpectedly died, leaving the French State once again with a ruinous political system. The nearly-collapsing State found Tixier-Vignancour as the most capable man of uniting a shattered nation, and thus, he was appointed to the seat of power. Despite the hurdles, he nonetheless succeeded in ensuring the continued existence of the French State, through successfully uniting the fractured Parti Nationale, rebuilding the faint sense of stability that had been destroyed in the wake of the economic crisis.

While ostensibly not a Germanophile, his messages of further collaboration with the Germans continues to draw large numbers to the various opposition movements in the Assembl�e, hungering for a change from the status quo. As the Reich continues to deteriorate, and the chaos that had gripped France before rears its head once more, Jean-Louis Tixier-Vignancour and his government are stuck fighting over meaningless issues - while the new era of French politics begins to advance without them.

With the R�sistance growing in strength in every passing day, and the looming threat of Burgundy breathing down its neck, the French State is perhaps in the worst position it can be in. Vignancour himself knows that the peace in Europe is tenuous, and once broken - France may well burn once more.

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The SS-Ordensstaat Burgund is the youngest state in the Einheitspakt, cobbled together with lands from the French and Belgian territories of the Reich in order to placate Reichsf�hrer-SS Heinrich Himmler. During the West Russian War, Himmler attempted to launch a coup against the ailing F�hrer Adolf Hitler, whom Himmler saw as a decrepit fool who was driving the Reich into chaos. However, Hans Speidel and the Wehrmacht were able to crush the coup, forcing Hitler to find a punishment for his once-loyal follower. It came in the form of the Ordensstaat, a white elephant that would hopefully keep the SS too busy managing in order to plot. How wrong he was. Himmler has spent the past several years consolidating his power and ousting anyone in the administration who was not utterly loyal to him, and now he is ready to strike and succeed where he once failed.

The Ordensstaat is dominated by the SS, who are predominantly loyal to Himmler above all. However, no man rules alone. The native German SS are joined by various collaborators: the SS-Legion Wallonien, led by the Walloon L�on Degrelle, the SS-Legion Langemarck, led by the Flemish Bert Eriksson, and the SS-Division Charlemagne, led by the French Christian de la Mazi�re. All of these factions despise one another and vie for power, sometimes jockeying with one another and sometimes threatening to undermine the rule of the Reichsf�hrer-SS.

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Heinrich Himmler has been a loyal member of the Nazi Party for decades, having even joined in the abortive Munich Beer Hall Putsch of 1923. And much like the months following the Putsch, the Reich's failures have left Himmler embittered, disillusioned, and more devoted to his ideology than ever before.

When the postwar euphoria wore off and the grand projects began to strain German industry, Himmler's faith wavered. When the economy collapsed and the government in Germania was powerless to save it, his faith faltered. And when the Russians nearly took back Moskowien, his faith shattered. This could not be a Jewish plot or Allied sabotage. Nobody stabbed the Reich in the back ... except the Nazis themselves.

Himmler became convinced that the Nazi Party had been corrupted and was rotting Germany from the inside out. It was Himmler's duty - no, his mandate - to save the Reich from itself. From Paris, to Germania, to the rapidly-disintegrating A-A Line in the east, Waffen-SS units prepared to topple Hitler and right Germany's course. However, Speidel got wind of the plot and snuffed it in the cradle with Operation Backfire.

With word of Himmler's plan leaked, and dozens of divisions captured, it seemed as if the SS was doomed. Hitler, in a rare moment of lucidity, knew that killing Himmler would trigger a civil war, so he offered Himmler a fiefdom far away from Germania, one where he could stay out of Reich politics: SS-Ordensstaat Burgundy. Himmler reluctantly accepted, leaving control of the Deutsche-SS to his loyal lieutenant Reinhard Heydrich, and left for Nanzig. But Himmler has only grown more steadfast in his views, and he has not forgotten the injustice against him.

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Although American aid came to the English in the World War, it was too late, and for the first time, England was invaded by a foreign power. Her empire stripped away, and with an occupation force ensuring �good order and civility� of the English people, England now faces its darkest hour, with no Arthur to save it. If anything can be said of the British however, it is that they are hard headed, and even now, twenty years later, whispers of rebellion spread.

In Cornwall, the brave sons of Germany watch eternal. Their charge? All of England for the security of the Fatherland. Only the finest soldiers can find posting in the Cornwall Governorate, the center of operations for the entirety of the garrison of occupied England. Having been proven right in Halder's insistence that the English would never peacefully aid in Germany's unification of Europe after their unsuccessful rebellion in the 50s, the garrison now stands on the alert at all times, prepared to do battle for the prosperity of the Pakt.

England now sits on a tipping point; collaborate with the wicked Hun, or risk everything to stop them?

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Alexander Douglas-Home was not a man born into any true power. He served in the Territorial Army to no great success, married his wife Elizabeth in a ceremony of little note, and served as a Member of Parliament with little influence before leaving in 1937 to be an aide to Neville Chamberlain. Though initially serving as Chamberlain's eyes in the House, after he left the Government Home was caught up in bigger problems. He spent most of 1940-1943 in a full cast for the spinal tuberculosis he had removed. Thus Home missed much of the bungling of the war effort by the Unity Government - along with much of the blame, something which proved useful when the Germans invaded.

Home was present at the signing of the peace treaty that dissolved the United Kingdom by virtue of inheriting his father's lordship in 1942, but held little influence in English affairs for the remainder of the decade. The 1950's however proved more favorable, with Home emerging as perhaps the archetypical representative of the Royal Establishment, desiring above all else to prevent a second invasion. The Royal Party is de facto an alliance of several groups, and as one PM after another fell to infighting, riots, or German disagreement, Home simply kept rising: first to leader of the House of Lords, and then to Foreign Minister under Mountbatten. Finally, following the brief leaderless year of 1958, Home was convinced to take the post of Prime Minister.

Home's government has been a relatively stable one compared to his predecessors. He has managed to solidify the Royal Party, and is tolerated if not exactly liked by the Garrison in Cornwall. Now however, with the rising influence of Her Majesty�s Most Loyal Resistance, Home faces far more perilous straits, and whether he shall lead his nation into survival or damnation remains to be seen.

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Italy's recent history is one strung with an impressive sequence of victories and defeats. The minor partner in the European Axis, Italy entered the war playing second fiddle to Germany and performing disastrously in the Balkans - only to win an incredible victory in Egypt. Italy soon found itself ruling over an overstretched empire and a divided nation, the country only managing to counterbalance those strains with its newly acquired oil reserves.

Of all of the conquests and victories Italy enjoyed during the 20th century, many consider the formation of the Triumvirate to be the greatest among them. The diplomatic pride and joy of the Empire, the Triumvirate is - on paper - merely a defensive pact around the Mediterranean for mutual protection against the German Reich to the north. In practice, however, it was a masterstroke for Italian foreign policy. Italy�s central place in the Mediterranean, and the bounty from her overseas empire has granted her the unofficial position of first among equals amidst the Triumvirate�s founders.

Under the guidance of Ciano, fascism seems to be fading away, but even that could be an illusion. Furthermore, many in the country fear that Italy may fall from the ranks of the world powers just as quickly as it rose.

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Gian Galeazzo Ciano, 2nd Count of Cortellazzo and Buccari, son-in-law of Benito Mussolini, and Duce of Italy, began his career as a bomber squadron commander during the invasion of Ethiopia, winning two silver medals of valor and returning home a hero. In Ethiopia, he learned valuable lessons about people and leading, lessons which have given him the ability to bring Italy to greatness. After the war ended, Mussolini chose Ciano to be his Foreign Minister, preparing him to be his successor by giving him valuable political experience. As Foreign Minister, Ciano presided over Italian affairs on the world stage, helping her expand during and before the Second World War through both peaceful and violent means. Throughout the entire war, he managed to keep the Germans from dominating Italy, fighting tooth and nail to keep his country as an equal partner with the Reich. And when the time came for peace, Ciano fought even further for the concessions that Italy required to build an empire that spanned multiple continents.

After 1948, Ciano retained his position as Foreign Minister and became much closer with his father-in-law. Knowing his time was near, Mussolini taught him everything he knew about leading, and when the Duce passed away, Ciano took up the reins. As the leader of Italy, Ciano has chosen to take a softer approach to ruling, dreaming of liberalizing the fascist state and returning rights to the people, while working with his neighbors rather than fighting them. The path before him is treacherous, and only through guile and skill will Ciano manage to keep Italy afloat in this turbulent world.

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The Republic of Turkey has undergone many triumphs and tribulations over the course of the 20th century, from the dream of secular Republicanism to the early days of the Kemalist revolution and the following years of strife. Turkey had become an empire through war. An empire with a stagnating economy - and an empire tearing itself apart at the seams by 1962.

Unlike her western counterparts in Italy and Iberia, Turkey found herself aligning with the Triumvirate not necessarily out of fear of the Germans but out of a need to secure their borders and foreign policy so they could focus on internal struggles. Turkey has needed breathing room and if nothing else the Triumvirate has provided exactly that. But times change, and to survive nations need to adapt to those changes. The Triumvirate is, to put it bluntly, dying. It no longer offers the security or support to Turkey that it once did, having evolved into a vanity project of Italian duces over the years. Turkey once again strains within her borders, and looks to break out of the constraints that the nature of their alliance places upon them.

Under President Ismet Inonu, the Republic has survived many defeats and disasters, but that came at a cost. The people of Turkey are weary - and eager for change. Change that is just as likely to come through promises of reform and multiparty democracy as it is through the sounding of the drums of war, and with ongoing tensions eating away at the Triumvirate, there is no shortage of sparks to set the piles of tinder ablaze.

quote:

If Mustafa Kemal was the father of the Turks, then Ismet In�n� is their Godfather. What could suffice, to describe the life of the man whose very whims have defined the policies of nations, armies, and empires?

Born to a Kurdish father in Smyrna in 1884, and faced with the weight of an empire collapsing all around him, In�n� served the Ottoman army with distinction in Yemen, in Rumelia, and under Mustafa Kemal himself in the war of liberation against the old empires of Europe. Ismet was a man truly committed to seeing the Turkish nation rise restored from the ashes of the caliphate, and quickly rose through the ranks of the new revolutionary guard until he was no less than Ataturk's own right hand.

Tensions had always existed between Kemal's strident pragmatism and Ismet's uncompromising will, and burst into conflict on numerous occasions in the past. Today, with the days of the Ghazi confined merely to memory, many claim that the old Vizier has overstepped his limits. That he had sold the nation to her enemies, that he had turned it against the very principles it was founded on. But those claims are nothing. Nothing save for insults to the very legacy of Ataturk.

In his long tenure as President of the Turkish Republic, Ismet In�n� has pursued a single aim with a single mind: the survival of the Turkish state that he had helped found from nothing. When the State's interests called for d�tente with the fascists, he followed them. When they demanded the jackboot and the butt of the rifle, he heeded them. Through the great trials of the past three decades, he marched on � battered and bloodied and slandered, but never beaten.

The state that stands today is a testament to the man's political ability and above all to his uncompromising will. A great Turkish state: one that will remain great, no matter the cost.

quote:

Not since 1640 has Madrid and Lisbon been united underneath one flag. Yet, fate is a fickle mistress, and not one that takes kindly to those who disobey it. During the Second World War, despite Franco's sympathies towards Berlin, Portugal and Spain remained neutral, albeit not without Spain seizing Gibraltar from the clutches of the dying British Empire. However, as Hitler tamed Europe, so he would try his hand in Africa. With what scattered units they had accrued in the Dark Continent, Germany struck the Portuguese colonies of Angola and Mozambique.

Fearing that the unquestioned master of Europe would turn against them once more, meetings were established for a mutual guarantee of sovereignty for the two nations. Eventually, despite Portugal's historical reluctance, a new state was birthed by necessity: The Iberian Union.

Even by the 1950's, the coalition of Prime Minister Salazar and Caudillo Franco began to chafe underneath its own weight. The Reformist Thaw that gripped the Union had made it into an economic powerhouse. Portugal's nautical infrastructure and OFN investment shifted Iberia's policy of autarky into industrialisation. It appeared that the Union would become the Free World's most important player inside Festung Europa.

What Iberia did not appear to be was a den of intrigue and candlelight plots. That was, until the Golpe d'Albufeira. Led by Humberto Delgado, the conspirators aimed to break apart the Iberian Union and restore Portugal's independence. However, before the plot could be put into action, it was discovered - along with its ties to Salazar. Instead of triggering a War of Independence, it secured the rule of the Conservatives inside the government and a new round of repression.

quote:

While internationally a divisive figure, it cannot be denied that Caudillo Francisco Franco clawed his way to his position through merit. With the German victory in World War 2, Ant�nio de Oliveira Salazar of Portugal approached Franco to create a protective union against the Germans. Spain found itself uniting with Portugal in a comprehensive defense-pact-turned nation.

But of course, that is the past. In the last decade, Franco has been witness to insurmountable calamities. His erstwhile allies in the Triumvirate are at each other's throats, ready to drop all pretense of unity over the slightest dispute. The colonization of Algeria in the 1950s, considered a proud accomplishment, has revealed itself as a double-edged sword that has dragged his nation into constant conflict with Italy. Salazar's unfounded notions of a non-existent "Law of Succession" that would see Portugal absorbed into Spain under the reinstated Spanish monarchy after both Caudillos have died has raised questions about the future of Iberia under Franco. An attempted coup by old shirt Falangists was only just stopped through their removal from power by Franco.

Iberia, once proud, has fallen on hard times, and even the Caudillo himself has begun to doubt their ability to stay unified, though he'd never admit this to anybody. He can see the writing on the wall, and deep down he feels that it's only a matter of time before all that he's worked for comes crashing down around him.

Africa

quote:

Since there has been a "Free France," Charles de Gaulle has stood at its helm. For more than 20 years, de Gaulle has led the last remaining Free French in a desperate and drawn out battle for survival against the greatest odds. He was once a division commander in the army of the Fourth French Republic, keen to bring reform to their forces. His attempts were made too late however and France quickly fell to the Wehrmacht.

Keen to continue the fight, de Gaulle rallied what support he had and headed to Africa. Although the fighting continued, de Gaulle fared little better here. Over the years, the forces of Free France were relentlessly pursued across Africa until only the tiniest strip of what had once been the colonial possessions of the French Republic remained. Through it all, de Gaulle has been both a great boon and a great curse for those that still follow the dream of a Free France. The man is utterly convinced of "La Lib�ration" to the point where it is hard not to share in the aging leader's sheer enthusiasm. Sadly, his conviction is paired with an extreme stubbornness. De Gaulle is unwilling to end the unpopular military government, despite the fact that his generals are usually too busy working as mercenaries for other West African nations and even the Germans in Zentralafrika.

De Gaulle soldiers on, making his radio addresses and inspecting the troops each day, seemingly convinced that it will be part of the start of their journey home. He has even promised elections, although with the deadline drawing ever nearer, some are uncertain if de Gaulle is willing to even surrender that much to the people. Nor has he properly acknowledged the generals that wish to see him gone, and the fact they would be quite capable of having their wish fulfilled. De Gaulle must perhaps realize his situation and be willing to make compromises, should he wish to see his homeland ever again.

quote:

Some say that each Reichskommissariat is but a mirror of its ruler. Indeed, Ostafrika is very similar to Reichskommissar Hans H�ttig: both are dry, pitiless and utterly devoid of humanity.

Under the watchful eye of their Aryan masters, the natives toil; their blood, their tears, and their deaths nothing but the perfect fuel for the Reich. Even the watchers, however, are under scrutiny: H�ttig despises incompetence and pity, and will crush anyone displaying said defects. What awaits his enemies is a lifetime of suffering, where even death is a luxury.

In a world of degenerates and traitors, Hans H�ttig will uphold the Aryan standard, no matter the odds, no matter the means, no matter the price.

quote:

The pilots of Reichskommissariat S�dwestafrika rule the skies even while Africa remains locked in chaos. From the airstrips of Angola, hundreds of German bombers filter in and out en-route to bomb West Africa into dust. From his squadron headquarters, Reichskommissar Wolfgang Schenck rules, treating the natives with a light hand and his duties even lighter. Many have criticized his hands-off attitude and apparent disregard in actually ruling the nation. To Schenck, however, only the skies can provide him solace from the hell that he had a hand in creating, and some whisper that the Reichskommissar is not entirely loyal to the Reich. But from all reports, Schenck remains as loyal as he has ever been: a model hero of German aviation.

quote:

Covered by a lush jungle and filled with wildlife that would make all hunters weep in joy, the former Belgian Congo is the richest of all the German colonies. Under the perfect fa�ade, however, lies a dangerous world, far more dangerous than any safari may be.

Reichskommissar Siegfried M�ller spends his days hunting, neglecting the administration, and the entire colony has been turned into a private business for the many corporations � both German and foreign � lusting after Zentralafrika's resources. Despite being a seasoned hunter, M�ller might find himself prey to far larger predators: there are dangers lurking in the jungles, and sometimes, ink and paper can cause more slaughter and suffering than any set of fangs.

The story behind that big lake is simple: the Germans built a bunch of dams on the Congo River and through poor hydrological engineering ended up creating a huge lake that they didn�t care about.

quote:

A monarchy without a monarch and a nation without direction, the Union of South Africa has found itself increasingly struggling to hold back the forces of unrest waiting to tear the nation asunder.

While the Boers have never managed to take power in the nation, their presence is felt as more and more they clamor for either representation or outright independence. Elsewhere, the Africans shout from the streets against a nation of segregation, if not in law than in practice. As if its domestic issues were not enough, South Africa finds itself torn between two spheres, constantly being pressured by the Americans to join the OFN and the Germans to bow to the Reich.

quote:

Succeeding his father's position as Baronet of Cape Town, De Villiers Graaff soon entered the ring of South African politics. He had worked his way from the lower echelons, starting his career as a member of the House of Assembly and eventually, his hard work and commitments paid off as he was elected to lead the United Party in '56. It seemed to Graaff that his ascension to power as Prime Minister was dutifully needed and to succeed he had to balance the delicate house of cards and maneuver his way through the system to prevent his nation from tearing itself apart.

Since his appointment, Graaff worked tirelessly to maintain his balancing act to preserve the fragile equilibrium in South Africa. The bulk of the problems mostly lay from the rumblings of the National Party and Boers, who stalked him with malice waiting for a chance to backstab him and break free. Another problem was the African National Congress, an organization established by a conglomeration of Blacks who take to the streets and protest daily, all waiting for their long promised rights and fairer treatment. Naturally, Graaff's solution was clear: suppress both sides, play them against each other, and maybe, just maybe, negotiate some terms to successfully quell their resistance.

The year is 1962, and South Africa teeters on the brink. Both the NP and the ANC are getting restless, becoming more radical and dangerous to the government each passing day. The Germans await at the border, sharpening their claws for when they can dig into the fresh meat of the Cape Colony, threatening to destroy the liberty of its people. Prime Minister De Villiers Graff must steer his nation in the right course and prepare accordingly, lest all his hard-worked effort be destroyed in one fell swoop.

The Former USSR

Russia and the former territories of Nikolai Bukharin�s Soviet Union lie shattered into innumerable warlord fiefs, petty statelets, and orphaned military formations. Information is sparse and the surviving population is sparser.

Moon Slayer fucked around with this message at 05:44 on May 25, 2023

# ? May 25, 2023 05:41

Moon Slayer: Jun 19, 2007

Dramatis Personae in the State of Guangdong

quote:

A decorated IJA officer and former head of the Cabinet Planning Board, Suzuki Teiichi was intimately involved in the construction of Japan's wartime economy and the subsequent economic planning for the Japanese New Order in Asia. An esteemed member of the House of Peers since 1943, Prime Minister Ino has named Suzuki the next Chief Executive of the State of Guangdong in order to use his Chinese experience, military connections, and economic expertise to bend Guangdong's corporations to the will of Tokyo.

His hands-on and statist approach to running Guangdong's freewheeling economy rankles the Four Companies of Guangdong, which have become accustomed to running Guangdong with minimal interference. However, the culture of corruption fostered by years of weak oversight from Tokyo - and the backing of Yasuda Bank, per Prime Minister Ino's instructions - is enough for Suzuki to keep the Four Companies in line for now.

Suzuki sees a territory blinded by greed, forgetful of its obligations and unaware of the consequences of its actions. While he has no special affection for the Chinese in Guangdong, he is keenly aware that without the resources from Tokyo to maintain a strong security apparatus (as in Manchukuo), naked repression is not a sustainable solution to Chinese dissident activity. For the good of Japan, Suzuki will lay the foundations of a new, stronger Guangdong - and bring the corporate behemoths and their executives to heel.

The Kempeitai�s Warden: Miyazaki Kiyotaka
Head of the Kempeitai in Guangdong.

The Leashed Butcher: Lt. General Nagano Shigeto
Deputy commander of the IJA garrison.

The Untouchable Crusader: Kamino Satoshi
Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

The Modern Princess: Yasukawa Yoshiko
The only child of a minor Japanese noble, Yoshiko is well educated but sheltered.

The Good Cop: Kōsen Hayashi
Born Lam Haau-cyun, Officer Kōsen is the model zhujin; fluent in Cantonese and Japanese and despised by both.

The Displaced Family: Lee Leong and Mai, and their three children Chun, Hei, and Wai
A Chinese family forced to move into Koshu after the land their village was on was appropriated.

The Struggling Founder: Yamauchi Hiroshi
President of a little-known playing card company called Nintendo.

Moon Slayer fucked around with this message at 19:22 on Jul 8, 2023

# ? May 25, 2023 05:41

Moon Slayer: Jun 19, 2007

Chapter 1: January 1962

(Future updates will cover more than just one month but I�ll be taking this slower at first because there�s already been a lot of reading I�ve subjected you to and also the mod front loads you with a lot of lore.)

New Year�s Day in Guangdong, 1962. Business as usual.

The business of the state is business, and business is good.

Our first focus, HoI4�s main way of driving events. There will be choices to be made here, but for now we stay on course.

Guangdong neither needs nor has a military, as defense is the responsibility of the IJA garrison. The police do maintain a few �rapid response� forces that must be locally supplied. (Don�t ask why they need artillery or anti-tank weapons; it�s a gameplay thing that won�t factor in.)

quote:

BANG. At the sound of the gavel stood Kanda Tatsuya. Fifty-three years old. Chief Marketing Officer of Yamashiro Chemicals, Ltd., Honkon. With his usual booming yet soothing voice, he delivered the contents of the stack of paper in hand unto the rest of the Complex. He talked of skyrocketing numbers, of the shining furnaces of today lining the Kowloon riverside, and the surely indispensable patronage of Morita Akio that "brought them back teeming with life!" Teeming with life, indeed; he smiled, his mind back to yesterday's crate of "shipments" landing at his doorsteps.

BANG. Up stood Inaba Yukio. Forty-six years old. Vice President of Collective Tomorrow Enterprises. He smirked, and applauded the marvelous "stunt" by the infamous Sony yes-man speaking before him; he then preached of derelict storefronts littering Honkon's outskirts, of the hazards of Guangdong's overreliance on "industries of little concern". His voice was calm, monotone, yet with every passing minute another dagger pierced the veil. He was fighting the good fight. Of course he was. Secure one more plot of land in Kowloon for Fujitsu, and there's yet a way left towards promotion.

BANG. Kawasaki Keiichi - sixty-one years old, Representative Director of Akagi Finance - sat unmoving, his corpulent, stony complexion barely betraying the grin blossoming underneath. It was he who brought up the slip of land in the Legislative Council in the first place; his contacts in Matsushita had instructed him so. Let the two little rivals shout each other into a gridlock, then he and his friends would move in and take the spoils. Nobody would know. Not today.

BANG, BANG, BANG. The one hundred suits, black and white and blue, rose to their feet in perfect unison. "With this we fulfill our service to the Chief Executive, to the State of Guangdong, and may our prosperity reign for a thousand years more." They chanted - then came the scattering tango of heels on the marble floor, and another day of good cooperation was thus called. And then, the great Chief Executive shall do well to serve them.

The Legislative Council of Guangdong is made up entirely of senior Japanese corporate executives with no representation for the actual residents. Nominally nonpartisan, they all nonetheless align behind either one of the largest companies in Guangdong or are loyal to the chief executive himself. We�ll learn much more about the major players in Guangdong later.

quote:

World News: January 10, 1962
THE END OF THE MISSILE CRISIS

The event that has kept the world sitting on the edge of its seat for several months has thankfully finally come to an end today as the United States and Japan have reached agreement over the Hawaiian Missile Crisis.

While the USN 1st Fleet and the IJN have been in a standoff around Hawaii for months now, Vice President Kennedy and Prime Minister Ino have agreed that Japan will withdraw its ballistic missiles (discovered by a CIA U-2C spy plane) from the disputed islands, while the United States would remove its own MRBMs from Australia.

This has been a massive diplomatic coup for Vice President Kennedy, who negotiated the deal, while world press has largely criticized Nixon for his lack of action in the negotiations.

Already the new year starts on a positive note!

quote:

World News: January 19,1962
THE REICH�S LAST CONQUEST

On the 19th of January, 1962, Eberhard K�llner became the first man to ever land on the Moon. While the space race has been a struggle between the Reich, Japan and the USA, and while the Americans had managed to put the first man in space, the F�hrer was proud to announce that the German landing firmly plants the Reich as the victor in the competition.

A grand ceremony is planned in Germania to present K�llner and his fellow astronauts with the Iron Cross, and a week of celebration has been declared across the Reich.

While terse congratulations have been sent from America and Japan, President Nixon has vowed that the United States would be the first to create a permanent mission on the Moon, and Japan shortly thereafter announced it would be the first to land on Mars.

Everyday life in Guangdong continues, contrasting sharply with the extraordinary news of a man on the moon.

quote:

World News: January 26,1962
ASSASSIN STRIKES AT HITLER!

News from Germany is sporadic at best. Information smuggled out of Germania reports that shortly after celebrations over the Moon landing settled, military units and several platoons worth of bodyguard units filled the streets and immediately put the city under martial law. Apparently, an assassin, which the Germans claim belonged to the Japanese Tokumusoukan intelligence agency, attempted to kill the F�hrer, but was stopped in his attempt by one of Hitler's personal bodyguards.

Already, reports of various other assassinations have surfaced. In the streets, the various military units nearly came to blows, as several units ordered each other to stand down and the chain of command fell apart. Suddenly, the Reich seems much weaker. Can the Germans maintain their New World Order when they can hardly handle themselves?

Ah, well. This could be an issue.

quote:

A faint ray of sunlight broke through the gray smog wafting over the factories on the Pearl River, casting a shaft of natural light into Suzuki Teiichi's office. The Chief Executive, welcoming the distraction, followed the beam to the office's floor-to-ceiling windows, surveying the city of Kōshu - formerly Guangzhou - as he lit his third cigarette that morning.

The teeming Chinese masses rushed through cityscape canyons while ignoring the signals of the Guangdong Police, their clamor kept distant by Kenpeitai checkpoints. A Kenpeitai sergeant bowed as a gleaming black Toyota Crown exited the government complex, ferrying one of Kōshu's Japanese notables back to the Japanese settlement.

Beneath his feet, Suzuki felt a faint rumble through the floor, the energy of an army of Cantonese-Japanese civil servants toiling away - under Japanese supervision.

"Yet nobody here," Suzuki mused, "serves Japan."

It was no surprise. Years of disinterest from Tokyo had let the tycoons - the Four Companies of Sony, Matsushita, Fujitsu, and Yasuda, as well the outsider, Cheung Kong - drink deep and greedily. Through them, the Chinese were tied to their meager wages, the Cantonese-Japanese chased futile dreams, and the Japanese were wedded to handsome dividends.

Suzuki stubbed out his cigarette, turning back to the mountain of charts littering his desk. The challenge of bringing Guangdong back into the Japanese fold loomed even higher, but to Suzuki - an architect of Japan's wartime economy - it was just one more puzzle to solve.

# ? May 25, 2023 05:41

samcarsten: Sep 13, 2022; by vyelkin

Can Glenn still become president and send men to mars?

# ? May 25, 2023 08:58

Jobbo_Fett: Mar 7, 2014; Slava Ukrayini; Clapping Larry

Let's see how this plays out?

# ? May 25, 2023 12:11

NewMars: Mar 10, 2013

samcarsten posted:

Can Glenn still become president and send men to mars?

Nah, he was removed for a guy who can do something far less possible: bring working national public transportation to america.

# ? May 25, 2023 13:55

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Looked over this thread a bit. Game seems interesting, but not for me. I like alternate history on occasion, different perspectives are always interesting, imagination can be good or bad� I don�t want to spend time to read the thread right now, so I�m just going to post a bit of praise for it, vote, then move on. This thread looks good thus far, so I have faith it will attain further glory if maintained well.

Good luck playing the game or watching the LP, as you prefer.

Sorry I can�t stay here. I�m more into other media involving Nazis. Media that takes them down, not sponsors them. Media like�

Nazis� I hate these guys. [adjusts fedora, walks off humming the Indy Jones theme]

# ? May 25, 2023 14:12

samcarsten: Sep 13, 2022; by vyelkin

NewMars posted:

Nah, he was removed for a guy who can do something far less possible: bring working national public transportation to america.

Aw, at least we still have Sablin.

# ? May 25, 2023 14:51

Morrow: Oct 31, 2010

I go back and forth on how I feel about this mod. It sometimes seems like the most interesting parts of it, the tense three way cold war, is incidental to the super dystopian fiction aspect. And HoI4 isn't a great narrative medium for that (but also it's not great at cold war stuff since basically all those systems are custom coded by the modders).

I've actually never played as Guangdong so I'm down for the LP.

# ? May 25, 2023 18:46

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

I think the mod has some interesting ideas. On the other hand, I don't think the writing is anywhere close to being good enough to maturely deal with the topics of Nazism and fascism. This word gets thrown around and has been made almost meaningless, but TNO is honestly pretentious, and I don't even mean that in a pejorative sense. I guess that's the result of a bunch of early 20-something and teen HOI4 players left to their own devices writing about a world historical tragedy and unspeakable, shattering evil lmao

tatankatonk fucked around with this message at 01:19 on May 26, 2023

# ? May 25, 2023 20:18

ChaosDragon: Jul 13, 2014

So what the plan for Guangdong?

# ? May 25, 2023 22:49

Moon Slayer: Jun 19, 2007

That'll be for the thread to decide. Update and first vote coming in a few hours.

# ? May 25, 2023 22:51

Moon Slayer: Jun 19, 2007

Chapter 2: February - March 1962

The month starts with the Chief Executive preparing to travel to Tokyo for a meeting with Prime Minister Ino.

quote:

World News: February 2, 1962
HITLER NAMES BORMANN HIS SUCCESSOR

Following the recent attempt on the German F�hrer's life by a suspected Tokumusoukan agent, the pressure upon the F�hrer to name an official successor, and for the Reichstag to formally recognize the choice, has been steadily building. After almost a week of debate and speculation, Adolf Hitler today appeared on live television from the Reichstag and announced to the Reich that his successor would be Martin Bormann.

Considered the most likely choice, the decision has been welcomed by the moderate and conservative elements of Germany, although the liberals and some elements of the military have expressed concern. With Bormann's commitment to staying the course of Nazism with only minor reform, Albert Speer, Hermann G�ring and Reinhard Heydrich have criticized the choice as being certain to drive the Reich into an early grave.

The situation in Europe remains unsettled to say the least.

Not that the situation at home is any more stable, at least beneath the surface. Guangdong is sharply divided along all societal lines, and Chief Executive Suzuki walks a tightrope between the various groups.

In addition, the Guangdong Police, Kenpeitai, Triads, and Yakuza vie for dominance not just in the three cities but in the countryside as well.

Wealth always flows upward, but in the Sphere, Guangdong isn�t even at the top.

One final balancing act. Keeping our relations good with Japan and China is paramount, but given their situation most decisions we make will be mutually exclusive as to who approves. And corruption � ever present � will need to be kept low. But not too low; there are some things that will need to be done for the greater good that can�t be accomplished without getting our hands dirty.

Not one week after their meeting in Tokyo, the Japanese Prime Minister pays a sudden visit to Koshu to let us know that we are now in the arms business.

Profiles of the four tycoons have been added to the �Dramatis Personae� post, #3 in this thread.

quote:

World News: March 7, 1962
FIDEL CASTRO CONSOLIDATES POWER

As if by historical fate, Fidel Castro has followed the path of many revolutionary leaders and has become the Caudillo of Cuba. Like Robespierre before him, Castro, through lifting the state of emergency, has continued his suspension of the 1940 constitution, failing to call the scheduled elections following the paralyzing infighting amongst the ORI.

Cuba is now ruled by a Mexican-style vanguard party, pushing progressive and economic reforms like a decentralized planned model via decree, and promising to support the �anti-fascist struggle in Latin America.� Already the opposition faces either being absorbed into the Party or fleeing to exile, and dissidents have been quickly arrested. While some OFN figures have expressed their dismay at the new regime, Mexico has congratulated Fidel Castro and promised political and economic aid. Despite this, local elections have been restored, indicating that some hope of a Cuban democracy lingers on.

The OFN, focused entirely on fighting facism, collectively shrugs at a communist takeover in the Caribbean.

quote:

World News: March 11, 1962
NGUYEN PHUC MINH DUC SEIZES POWER IN VIETNAM

Following the failure of Operation Yon-Go against the Viet Minh, Tran Van Chuong's government has collapsed. The subsequent government headed by Vu Ngoc Anh was short-lived, and the Prime Minister's resignation was pending before the new government had even been confirmed.

Military units earlier today have taken control of Thuan Hoa to supposedly "keep order" on the order of Prince Minh Duc. The reasons for this coup are still unclear, but the Emperor is expected to officially appoint him later today. The Royalists, previously a fringe force, have surprised observers with their sudden resurgence. Vietnam has suffered protests and denunciations by the Viet Minh, calling the government reactionary, and accusing the half-French prince of being a French agent.

Much more concerning and much closer to home is the situation in the Empire of VIetnam.

But enough about that; business waits for no man, and we have a choice to make. The tycoons of Guangdong will frequently come to us to decide which product to subsidize. It won�t always be weapons; hopefully not, in fact, given the quality of these first offerings. But a successful product will bring more than just money to a company � it will also bring influence. A highly successful product launch can even sway the loyalty of members of the Legislative Council.

So, for the thread�s first vote: which rifle will we produce and send for testing in Malaysia: Fujitsu, Mastushita, or Sony?

Moon Slayer fucked around with this message at 04:26 on Jun 4, 2023

# ? May 26, 2023 01:26

NewMars: Mar 10, 2013

That Sony rifle seems pretty practical.

# ? May 26, 2023 01:39

SettingSun: Aug 10, 2013

The Fujitsu rifle is too experimental. It also looks too expensive. The Matsushita rifle's ammo is too specialized and in the field will be unreliable if supply lines are strained. Thus, the practical and adaptable Sony rifle appears to be the clear choice.

# ? May 26, 2023 02:14

Szarrukin: Sep 29, 2021

Is this one of these HOI mods for wehraboos to fulfill their fantasies about Third Reich ruling the world? At least it seems to have other interesting factions beside muh nazis.

# ? May 26, 2023 08:10

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

No, in fact it's the opposite. The mod was intended to show that even if Nazism won, the resulting order would be miserable, dystopian, and unstable, because fascism is a nihilistic death cult. The current dev team working on it is trying to make it more 'realistic' and the old dev team was much more wackier in tone, but it's never had the goal of portraying the axis powers in a positive light

# ? May 26, 2023 08:34

Arbite: Nov 4, 2009

Chinese reaching the 25th? Unlikely!

Soldier's lugging around a functional battery in the Jungle? Laughable! That mad scientist Ibuka's next attempt will strap a portable nuclear accelerator to infantry.

No no, only the finest products from the greatest city (Osaka!), will do. Matsushita can only bring profit. And possibly victory but that's someone else's concern.

The whole family can see the truth of this. Let's glide on the cool, air conditioned breeze to the right choice.

Arbite fucked around with this message at 12:14 on May 26, 2023

# ? May 26, 2023 12:10

Moon Slayer: Jun 19, 2007

Szarrukin posted:

Is this one of these HOI mods for wehraboos to fulfill their fantasies about Third Reich ruling the world? At least it seems to have other interesting factions beside muh nazis.

I wouldn't play it, or show it off via an LP, if it was.

# ? May 26, 2023 15:53

Kurgarra Queen: Jun 11, 2008; GIVE ME MORE
SUPER BOWL
WINS

What our boys in the jungle really need are some quality wunderwafte that resulted from a whole loving lot of amphetamines!

Oh, right...we're playing a Japan-adjacent faction, I suppose they were more practical when it came to weapons. The Sony rifle seems very practical and adaptable to different ammo. Sometimes it's hard to supply soldiers in the jungle, after all.

# ? May 26, 2023 20:29

NeverHelm: Aug 9, 2017; Never attribute to malice that post which is adequately explained by a poor sense of humor.

Oh boy. This is quite the undertaking. Let's all agree to make this corporate dystopia at least slightly less lovely?

Szarrukin posted:

Is this one of these HOI mods for wehraboos to fulfill their fantasies about Third Reich ruling the world? At least it seems to have other interesting factions beside muh nazis.

Nazis (along with most other types of extremists) in this mod are pretty much universally portrayed as evil, incompetent, inefficient, hateful assholes who ruin everything around them with their self-destructive ideology. They got to their starting point in this mod through narrative fiat, for the sake of telling the horror story that is a victorious Nazi Germany.

As for the weapon, go with Sony for being the only choice that's even remotely practical under the current circumstances.

# ? May 26, 2023 20:58

HerpicleOmnicron5: May 31, 2013; How did this smug dummkopf ever make general?

Szarrukin posted:

Is this one of these HOI mods for wehraboos to fulfill their fantasies about Third Reich ruling the world? At least it seems to have other interesting factions beside muh nazis.

The history of Nazi Germany in this game is ridiculous mega projects that go horribly wrong, the Nazis constantly sniping at eachother and eventually likely plunging the world into nuclear Armageddon. One of them literally just goes hunting instead of dealing with politics. It is not at all fond of the Nazis.

# ? May 27, 2023 00:11

Gideon020: Apr 23, 2011

My vote is for Sony for something practical. We don't have the money or research space to waste on experimental thermal and starlight scopes, or a loving needle gun.

# ? May 27, 2023 05:54

GunnerJ: Aug 1, 2005; Do you think this is funny?

The Sony gun is loving boring, voting weird battery powered night vision ninja gun come on, yall, this is a "Nazis won" alt history let's get some dumbass wunderwaffen going.

# ? May 27, 2023 14:30

ChaseSP: Mar 25, 2013

GunnerJ posted:

The Sony gun is loving boring, voting weird battery powered night vision ninja gun come on, yall, this is a "Nazis won" alt history let's get some dumbass wunderwaffen going.

This poster gets it

# ? May 27, 2023 16:20

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

Fujitsu

The first rule of arms marketing isn't "make something useful," its "make something marketable"

# ? May 27, 2023 16:51

Lynneth: Sep 13, 2011

Sony!

# ? May 27, 2023 18:19

Morrow: Oct 31, 2010

Hello yes I'm voting for the Fujitsu ninja gun.

# ? May 28, 2023 02:06

Mamkute: Sep 2, 2018

Matsushita

Bullets should be left in the 1940s, where they belong.

# ? May 28, 2023 02:18

GunnerJ: Aug 1, 2005; Do you think this is funny?

Splitting the "cool gun" vote... :negative:

# ? May 28, 2023 02:45

Szarrukin: Sep 29, 2021

I really like the lore/fluff parts like the short stories about workers, do all playable factions have so much of them?

Also you didn't mention South and Central America in your The State of the World summary, are there no playable factions there?

# ? May 28, 2023 08:58

NeverHelm: Aug 9, 2017; Never attribute to malice that post which is adequately explained by a poor sense of humor.

Szarrukin posted:

I really like the lore/fluff parts like the short stories about workers, do all playable factions have so much of them?

Also you didn't mention South and Central America in your The State of the World summary, are there no playable factions there?

Most countries have some fluff events, though the exact nature and amount of them depends on that country's narrative.

South America has loads of content in this mod (unlike vanilla HOI4, which is fairly limited in that regard), though not much of it is likely to be directly relevant to Guangdong.

# ? May 28, 2023 09:27

Iceblocks: Jan 5, 2013; Taco Defender

Sony

# ? May 28, 2023 16:18

Moon Slayer: Jun 19, 2007

Szarrukin posted:

I really like the lore/fluff parts like the short stories about workers, do all playable factions have so much of them?

Also you didn't mention South and Central America in your The State of the World summary, are there no playable factions there?

Yeah the one thing that sets TNO apart from a lot of other alt-history mods is that there are a LOT of these first-person narratives that show you what life is like in the country you are playing. Some countries have more than others and they tend to skew heavily towards the leaders, but pretty soon we'll be introduced to a few recurring "man on the street" characters whose lives will be directly affected by the choices we make.

Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean, have a lot of content! The only reasons I didn't include them were that 1: they are mainly doing stuff that is regional, but mainly 2: I hit the character limit with that post and actually had to take a few countries out.

Sony's offering appears to be the clear favorite. Update later today.

e: if anybody wants a quick overview of how a particular country is doing, just ask and I'll try and accommodate! Only thing I'd prefer to avoid is any of the Russian statelets; there are way too many and they all have unique content and I might want to show one of them off if/when I finish Guangdong.

Moon Slayer fucked around with this message at 18:08 on May 28, 2023

# ? May 28, 2023 17:21

ChaseSP: Mar 25, 2013

Establishing how poo poo the common person is actually going through this is extremely important for any bad history timeline that doesn't just end up wanking over how strong and scary the governments are personally and is the usual flaw of most of them.

# ? May 28, 2023 18:09

NeverHelm: Aug 9, 2017; Never attribute to malice that post which is adequately explained by a poor sense of humor.

I like them a lot because they give you a more hands-on idea of the real consequences of your decisions. If it's just a throwaway line in a focus description and abstract modifiers like "+5% stability" or whatever, you don't really have the context to fully understand what it means. But you can relate to John Everyman cheering with his mates at the pub when a corrupt official gets removed.

# ? May 28, 2023 18:36

paragon1: Nov 22, 2010; FULL COMMUNISM NOW

Sony! Sure we're building them to sell to the army now, but think of the wider market people! This way there will still be profit to be made after the army gets its orders filled.

# ? May 28, 2023 19:14

Szarrukin: Sep 29, 2021

Moon Slayer posted:

e: if anybody wants a quick overview of how a particular country is doing, just ask and I'll try and accommodate!

I wonder about this mod's version of General Government - is it a playable faction or just a part of Reich?

# ? May 28, 2023 19:40

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# ? Apr 28, 2024 06:02

Moon Slayer: Jun 19, 2007

Szarrukin posted:

I wonder about this mod's version of General Government - is it a playable faction or just a part of Reich?

There's some content and events, as well as unique ideas:

quote:

The Underground State

Decades ago, the Wehrmacht overran Europe in a storm never seen before. Poland fought them bravely, odds stacked sky-high against them, until the bitter end - and with that end, the light of the Polish nation extinguished forever.

Or that is what most of the world believes.

Over the decades, it has become increasingly clear to Hans Frank's government in Krakau and a few watchful eyes beyond it that the Polish nation survives, nay, thrives in the shadows. Aided by the sheer incompetence of the General Government and their own shrewdness, the Polish Underground State is an ever-growing thorn in the side of the Reich and its hegemony over the Polish lands. And they have a clear goal.

It's one of the many countries with skeleton content; I don't know if I'd go so far as to say they were "playable" as they don't have any focus trees, but they can and will affect the world.

# ? May 28, 2023 20:20

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > No, the other game called The New Order where the Nazis won

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