Balancing Fascism and Communism

[rogerburks]

Yet another placeholder issue for me:

There are a number of entrenched mechanics with Fascism that are overpowered, and some events which otherwise make little sense. While the events may gain more than their deserved attention, given their prominence in the user interface, I suggest that these are all one issue due to the problem of balancing 19th and 20th century systems of government. This interacts with Communism, which is certainly underpowered in the current system.

• I am not aware of a history of fascist puppets breaking free, yet this happens routinely in-game. Since Fascism itself is overpowered, it requires a whole body of fixes to balance the overall condition instead of making fascism more powerful.

• Part of the issue is that Fascism is allowed to make whatever reform it wants, which is clearly ahistorical. There are certain reforms that fascism would never have done. For this reason, I suggest that it is more or less a reactionary system in political reforms, while allowing progress in social reforms. To avoid misunderstanding: they were willing to allow certain social reforms but only for approved cultures--and in general Fascists that came to power were anti-socialist while paying lip service to the idea of even social reforms. Given the sensitivity of the topic, I must admit that I am not sure that the game engine is capable of properly modeling fascism. The historical example is to provide at least a semblance of reforms for truly accepted pops, while persecuting or exterminating non-accepted pops.

• Following the above arguments, authoritarian systems are probably best modeled by common mechanic: Accepted pops are helped and favored, while not allowing anything resembling political reforms in any way. It is not clear at all why the game allows political reforms for fascists but not communists, but this pattern appears to be ahistorical since it conflicts with authoritarian government. Carrying this to a potential logical endpoint: both fascist and communist governments should likely manage militancy by exterminating pops that are above a certain militancy. This is definitely distasteful, and therefore I can entertain certain arguments on why it should not be done. However, managing militancy with political reforms at all would be ahistorical in authoritarian systems.

• I would like to accentuate the potential distaste of playing Fascism accurately by managing militancy through extermination of non-approved pops and political opponents. However, Fascism should feel dirty. Currently it feels powerful in-game, with the potential to perform distasteful acts and a relief-valve for militancy in the ahistorical potential to carry out any reforms.

• Finally, given the major changes to balance suggested here, it could be preferable for me to make these changes in a fork of the mod, so that they are optional and do not impose such major changes to ccHFM, which otherwise remains close to its parent mods.