Hi again,
Today’s Dev Corner takes a different tack — instead of introducing new mechanics, we’re tying together the East Asia narrative we’ve been crafting and showing how the features we’ve discussed fit into that story.
If you’ve followed our updates, you’ll know the nations we’ve showcased so far are Japan, the Philippines, the People’s Republic of China, and Nationalist China. The core pillars we’ve revealed address naval operations, faction dynamics, and coal-and-energy economics.
As always, everything remains a work in progress: numbers, UI, and specific implementations can change. Your feedback influences what endures and what gets refined. With that in mind, here’s the arc:
Regional Narrative: Japan advances into China; the Pacific responds
We begin with a clear premise. A Japanese push into China strains mainland industry and supply lines, drags Pacific powers into a contest over island chains and sea lanes, and forces factions to declare their limits and objectives. From that premise, several design goals emerge:
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Industrial tempo should be a strategic lever, not a default outcome.
Coal generates Energy that determines civilian, military, and dockyard throughput across a spectrum from base to full power. Economic laws now influence consumption, so mobilizing aggressively carries trade-offs while demobilizing at the right moment can be advantageous. The aim is to give you tangible levers that link mainland offensives, maritime build-up, and domestic politics into a single readable economy without extra bookkeeping. -
Sea control must matter in the right places and at the right times.
That’s why we’re overhauling Naval Dominance. Dominance now accumulates instead of flickering, thresholds vary with sea type, and control yields practical benefits like reduced convoy costs along secure routes. Home Base staging ties fleet range and supply to where forces are based, and island categories place sensible caps so not every outcrop becomes a superbase. Together, these changes give the Pacific a clearer, more believable momentum. -
Factions should behave according to doctrine, not just ideology tags.
Faction Manifestos define long-term purpose; Goals push specific actions; Rules govern membership and conduct; and Initiatives — earned from Goals — let leaders evolve the faction. This turns politics into strategic commitments you can feel on the map. -
Martial virtues shape society and the character of war.
In Japan and China, martial values were central to societal formation and to wartime behavior. That cultural layer informs country-specific content and cross-cutting systems we’re building.
Why this matters for East Asia
Mainland tempo and energy decisions
On the mainland, campaign tempo is driven by Energy. Nations that secure coal and manage law-driven consumption achieve production milestones faster, but they may expose themselves elsewhere. Delaying builds flexibility at the cost of slower force generation. Since output scales with the Energy ratio between base and full power, consequences are visible quickly enough to adapt mid-campaign.
Japan, for example, will need to pursue resources and coal to sustain its war machine — through trade or conquest. Other states can interdict via blockades or confront Japan militarily to prevent resource grabs.
Sea lanes and islands
The Pacific is first and foremost a logistics problem, and Naval Dominance is how we make those logistics visible. Patrols accumulate control, escorts safeguard it, raiders disrupt it, and strike groups multiply its effect. Holding a shipping route reduces convoy needs, so a carefully developed island-hopping chain becomes an economic as well as a tactical asset.
Home Base range and supply mechanics encourage developing a limited set of harbors and pushing them forward as fronts advance. Carriers will contribute more consistently: carrier air groups can both defend task forces and conduct air missions while underway, maintaining pressure without idle downtime. Strategic Locations grant a small number of islands additional capacity where geography and history justify it — reinforcing that not every reef is equally valuable.
Factions that prompt decisive action
Our faction systems turn politics from mere flavor into actionable direction. Manifestos and Goals nudge coalition behavior appropriate to a theater. For example, Axis conquest objectives contrast with a Japan-led sphere that prioritizes resource security, coastal control, and puppet management — explaining why East Asia calls for different strategies than Europe. Goals award Initiatives that leaders can spend to change Rules or enable upgrades like research sharing or cooperative doctrines. Influence grows through contribution and participation, giving more powerful members greater sway over a faction’s evolution. In East Asia, coalition composition and obligations frequently decide whether a risky operation is feasible.
Better tools for military planning
Faction leaders gain clearer means to direct allies toward shared priorities. Individual countries receive more ways to customize and streamline their armed forces — which, when paired with faction-level coordination, makes ambitious goals more achievable.
How the parts come together
In short, the regional arc boils down to:
- Secure energy and choose your tempo. Energy choices shape how quickly you can arm and expand. Overreach risks stalling at critical moments. Naval dominance secures supply, trade, and the possibility of maritime offensives.
- Use your faction to align action. Manifestos and Goals steer coalitions toward consistent aims, while Initiatives, Rules, and Influence dictate how adaptable they can be. Faction upgrades determine the character of cooperation — whether research sharing, tighter military coordination, or a stronger intelligence network.
That’s the strategy in a single line: Japan’s initial moves pull the Pacific into a logistics contest. China’s response hinges on energy, cohesion, and timing. Factions then determine who will endure the cost to keep sea lanes open.
What’s next?
With this installment we’re wrapping up this series of Dev Corners. Your feedback has been invaluable and we’ve already integrated many suggestions across factions, naval dominance, and coal-and-energy systems. We hope these previews have shed light on our thinking and iterative process ahead of the next full Dev Diaries.
We’ve still got a few surprises in store — so stay tuned, and please keep the feedback coming.
Thanks for reading.