Quickstart guide:
 
So you want to play >bloc and start off optimally? Welcome! Here you will learn how to do well early on.
The guide is for the best start and the best play, political opinions play no part.
 
You don't have to master everything, but knowing a bit of how the game works before you jump in and blindly follow commands is helpful.
 
It'll also be greatly beneficial if you join us on the skype group chat (which is text-only, not voice or video chat). Communication is hugely important in this game, and being part of the core group is always more fun. If you want to
 
join the skype, send a comm to Edrmousepad or Rararaland ingame.
 
Next, pick the following for your nation :
 
Government Type : Multi-party Democracy.
 
Liberal democracies (multi-party in the creation screen) benefit from a bonus to US relations and with the raw materials mechanics, scales exceptionally well with growth via elections. Liberal Democracies also have the ability to almost nothing on QOL if you do this right. You only need to avoid hitting the lowest tier (humanitarian crisis).
 
Economic System : Free Market.
 
Being a Free Market will give you more relations with America, and gives you the smallest spread on the market.
 
Region Placement : China/Pacific Rim (Asia)
 
Opening moves:
 
- Make sure you start off as a Liberal Democracy, Free Market, in China/Pacific Rim.
 
- The starting event is crucial, but DO NOT USE THE EVENT YET.
 
- Change your starting flag, leader portrait, and description. This is to avoid an attack from people who think you don't know how to play or are inactive.
 
- Message Edrmousepad or Rararaland for an invite to EUN.
 
http://www.blocgame.com/stats.php?id=49375
http://blocgame.com/stats.php?id=49272
 
- First, Conscript 6k soldiers (that's three conscriptions). Afterwards conscript in a pattern of 2/3/2/3 every other turn. Your stability later on should be able to cover the growth loss of recruiting.
 
- Now use the starting event to gain 5k troops and technology. You should be able to scroll over the bottom left corner.
 
- Then, Praise the Americans in the Domestics tab so that your official alignment is set with the Americans.
 
- Train your soldiers until you reach 100/100 Elite or because you don't have enough money.
 
- Go to the map, click on the areas bordering your homeland. Find the page with nations at 400 gdp (300 gdp is also good, but 400 is preferred). Find a nation that is NOT in an alliance and attack them for easy territory, growth, and GDP. Aim for people above 72 hours offline and with the weakest militaries you can find, preferably one with no airforce. **If you can find an eastern aligned nation, pick that one, as it will give USA points**. 20k is the default number of troops.
 
- If you war dec'd an eastern nation, you should have enough America points now to buy some airforce. Do so. IF YOUR TARGET HAS NO AIRFORCE, use your airforce to bomb their ground troops (kills 2k of their army minimum). Now launch offensive.
 
- Remaining money should be spent on expanding Raw Material production (early on oil is irrelevant, don't worry about it for now. Any extra you obtain from eliminated inactive nations, you can sell to older alliance members who do need it.)
 
- After your first turn, regardless of who you war dec'd, you should have delicious American relationship points, use it to buy an airforce.
 
- Raise Minimum Wage once the war is won. This will reinforce your stability next turn, don't worry about the loss of growth, your stability later will auto-recover it in one turn (to a maximum of 5 growth from stability). Perform this action once, check your popularity, and repeat. Stop as soon as you cannot perform it anymore or be "Worshipped as a god".
 
- From here on its a matter of playing smart. There are a lot of nuances, so don't be afraid to ask older members for advice. Again, getting on Skype is hugely advantageous in this regard.
 
 
Use of Alignment Points:
 
You should use your alignment points to get aircraft from the USA. Doing so will give you a great edge in early wars. Do this until you are at the most powerful airforce level possible. If you are doing everything else correctly, you should be getting several alignment points each turn.
 
 
Turn by Turn priorities:
 
- Recruit soldiers, 4k or 6k troops. EVERY. SINGLE. TURN. Read the forum thread linked at the beginning of this to see exactly how manpower works. If you have an excess of troops, communicate with skype to see if any other member needs it.
 
- Upkeep training. (do NOT stop at Elite, Elite is like a "letter score". Train until it says "Your men are the Elite of the Elite, you cannot train them further".)
 
- Expand raw material (RM) production.
 
- Expand oil production. Check the market to see what oil and RM are selling for to decide how to split your investment into these two. Keep in mind that you have to prospect for oil reserves.
 
- Don't spend cash on economic growth options, let your growth go up from stability and factories. Invest instead in mines.
 
- Build industry. Any foreign investment you build up with EFI (encourage foreign investment) should be saved, as it can trigger an event that results in a factory. This means you shouldn't nationalize it.
 
You are also able to produce one manufactured good per factory using manufactured goods, but this should be used once 2 factories and more are obtained. You can then hold elections to get your approval back up to "worshipped as a god" IF your approval is decent or higher. Refresh your main nation page everytime you use this action to be careful you don't stray into below decent approval. Ask people in Skype exactly how this works.
 
- Look for people to attack. They must be in a bordering region, NOT in an alliance, and easy to take over. Even better if you can find one in the opposite alignment (Eastern Bloc). Remember, 5k and lower is an instant kill, and 7k and lower is an instant kill if you bomb their ground forces once BEFORE launching an offensive. Make sure they don't have an airforce before you try bombing them.
 
 
 
Long term guide:
 
- Prioritize technology and recruiting troops every turn, as shown above.
 
- Use Burger relationship points to reach max level airforce (this will take a while).
 
- Use Manufactured Goods to gain a large navy.
 
- Research chems only if / when you are already at Gandhi-Like reputation (NEVER research before).
 
- Try to get two factories ASAP. DO NOT bother buying weapons.
 
- You will need 2 factories to build weapons for technology levels.
 
- Once your army starts to get big, you'll want to seriously consider switching to Military Junta. You should ask about details on this.
 
- Get involved in the forum meta, it makes the game a lot more fun.