Too easy bringing Japan to the Entente as Russia?

[Drakken]

Most of the times I send Russian diplomats to Japan and ask an audience, they almost always declare war on the CP on the first turn... but under control as Russia.

Isn't it a bit odd? After all, Russia was one of the main threats to Japan's security, and vice-versa. They should be the least likely to bring Japan into the fold against Germany. After all, they did scrap two-thirds of the Russian fleet and humiliate them in face of the whole world...

I have no problem with them joining the Entente if France and Britain woos them out of neutrality, but there should be a huge malus against Russian diplomats in Japan.

[calvinus]

Japan starts the game at diplomatic level 15.
Then it enters the war on the side of Entente at diplomatic level 12.
So only 3 levels to intervene!

Diplomatic modifier for Russian diplomats in Japan (DiplomaticModifiers.xls DB):

JAP PM_DiplomatsPresent 1 1 RUS

That's to say a +1 die roll modifier, as per boardgame rules:

JAPAN

Modifiers to the D12 :
-1 if England is at war
-1 if Japan claims German colonies in Asia
+1 if a Russian AMB is present
+1 if China is in he war on the side of Entente
+1 if Paris or Minsk is occupied by the Centrals or if Submarine Warfare is a success (English losses  100 EP during the last Inter-phase)

A +1 is a penalty for Entente and a bonus for Central Powers.

So it's already like you suggest to do.

It's simply that Japan is already very close to the intervention (on the side of Allies)!

In addition, there's also a random mandatory event that forces the Japanese intervention.

[AndrewKurtz]

Does the CP AI ever use diplomats to try to make this more difficult?

[calvinus]

Does the CP AI ever use diplomats to try to make this more difficult?

Well, it depends if the AI "feels" there are more important issues to "fill".

Activate the "AI Logs" option (WW1 Configuration tool) and look inside the HTML file Logs\Nations.html created/updated after the Diplomacy phase... you will read everything AI "think", so included also diplomatic brainstormings!

Beware that these html logs can be detected by the Antivirus as a threat, so that the AV makes the game crash! You're adviced...

[Tamas]

IIRC, there is also an event to drag Japan into the war immediately.

And this is good. Japan faced two decisions: go against Germany and grab some small german colonies with no meaningful resistance, or go against the alliance of 3 great powers with huge interest and fleets in the region.