Developer Diary | Alt-Historical Japan

Hisashiburi, and welcome back to another Japan dev diary, where this time I, D3vil, intend to showcase the alt-historical paths that Japan can take in the upcoming DLC, No Compromise, No Surrender. If you missed the historical and common branches, or just want to read up on them again before going into this diary, you can do so here.

The Imperial Way

We will start today off by discussing the path most similar to what you have already seen, namely the Kodoha branch. Previously, this branch allowed only for the execution of a strike north doctrine, and a non-aligned Japan with the emperor at the top. This isn’t entirely accurate to the ideology of the Kodoha however, which you will get into power by selecting the following option in the event that fires at the end of the Coup Attempt mission showcased in the last dev diary and in the dev corner.

This path allows for access to the same foreign policy branch as the historical branch has, and as such allows for both a strike north and strike south playthrough, or even both. Here however the army takes much more of a front seat compared to the navy, so you will have to work harder if you want to make a Strike South approach as successful and tempting as it was historically.

The branch plays much less with puppets, and is more about directly occupying territories and eventually attempting to bring them more closely into the Japanese realm, which is highlighted through the annexation of Manchuria and the faction options, which allow for less puppet-bonuses and a more centralized approach.

The Kodoha can also after some effort put an end to the Kwantung army’s autonomy, allowing for a more flexible approach to the timing of the invasion of China.

This path has the ability to be either fascist or non-aligned in ideology, depending on the leader of the nation and the choices made in shaping its political landscape.

This path takes a more pro-rural economical approach compared to the historical one, as well as much more of a “supremacy of will” approach when it comes to warfare, as many of the young officers in the faction came from smaller villages, and as theorists within the Kodoha believed that no matter the technology, what would ultimately win wars were fierce and dedicated soldiers that would lay down their life for the Emperor.

The path ultimately culminates in the propagandization of the Japanese mythological founding tales, and the rapid indoctrination for a final war that will engulf the globe. Japan will march out on a conquest to unify the eight corners of the world, and attempt to seize its place at the top of the world.

A Turn Towards Democracy

And with that, let’s turn to a bit less militaristic path, one where Keisuke Okada speaks out against the military’s growing power over the government after the failed coup attempt by the Kodoha faction.

Here, Japan will immediately flip democratic, however all will not be as peaceful as Okada may have wanted. By defying the military, he once again repeats the path of several prime ministers and politicians before him, and before long, tragedy strikes.

This will rapidly deteriorate relations between the various factions in the nation, and Hirohito will give his blessing to have Machida Chuuji, the leading candidate of the Rikken Minseito which won the last general election step in as an