I really enjoyed grand strategy game Hearts of Iron IV at release, but one thing that sucked was the way navies worked, which was boring and not fun and made using some of the game’s biggest powers a massive pain in the ass.
Here comes the first development diary of July for Hearts of Iron IV! Today, Content Designer Drikus Kuiper (a.k.a. Bratyn) delves into the reworks brought to the British Focus Tree!
Hearts Of Iron IV: The Kotaku Review
Highlights of Hearts of Iron 4 include new graphics, a streamlined interface, and a brand new National Focus system. This system was designed to help players understand the political and cultural. Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, France, US, Russia and Poland have their own focus trees. If you have Together for Victory DLC: Canada, South Africa, British Raj, Australia and New Zeeland will also have their own focus trees. If you have Death of Dishonor DLC: Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Romania will also have their own focus trees.
You’ve probably won the Second World War in a video game before. Maybe as a commando, maybe as a…
Read more ReadHOIIV’s latest expansion, Man The Guns, is an attempt to fix that. It fleshes out the naval side of the game with a whole range of extra command options, operational possibilities, repair considerations and even a ship creation tool that lets you customise the weapons and loadout of every ship in your fleet.
All of which sounds cool! But none of it actually fixes the main problem with the naval side of HOOIV. When you’re commanding armies in the game, they’re right there on the map, and when you set front lines and draw offensive arrows, you see them march off and carry out your orders.
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It’s toy soldiers in the most adult, gratifying sense, and it’s easily the best part of HOOIV, yet even after all this work Man The Guns’ navies still suck. They’re just these stacks of ships that lurk in ports or slink around huge areas of the map represented by their missions icons, and putting them into harm’s way is still incredibly basic compared to the elegant and involved land operations.
Indeed adding a whole range of extra features and buttons to click has actually made me want to use navies less, since they’re still as dry as ever, only now they’re also more complex, and the last thing I want to do in Hearts of Iron IV is have to pore over more menus. Maybe you are someone who is just very into ships, or appreciate the added depth for a playthrough as someone like Japan or the US, but as someone who only dabbles with navies, I just didn’t get much out of it.
Of course this being a Paradox expansion means that there’s other stuff here too, along with new features that have also been added to the base game for free, so even if navies aren’t your thing there’s still improvements or additions worth checking out.
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The transformation of fuel into a trackable commodity (one of the free updates), something that needs to be stored and whose use by fleets and air forces is tracked, is a massive game-changer, especially for anyone who wants to both use a lot of ships or aircraft and won’t have access to large amounts of oil (hi, Japan!). It’s a small change, but such a realistic one, that I really appreciated it.
Four nations also get expansions to their focus trees, two of which are OK (the US and Britain) and two of which are pretty cool (Mexico and the Netherlands). America’s has a lot of neo-Confederacy stuff that I frankly thought was a bit much even for this game, and in general their tree is maybe too big, while Britain’s bizarre Monarchist turn, which sees Churchill teaming up with Oswald Mosley, wasn’t much better (though Britain’s other new path, which lets you accelerate the decolonization process, was a very neat idea).
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One last thing, and I think it’s one of the paid content’s nicest achievements, is the way governments in exile have been implemented. There’s now a full and proper system for countries whose homelands have been overrun (most likely by the Nazis), and the new Dutch focus tree plays specifically into this, letting you rebuild and rearm your forces in SE Asia before returning to Europe as liberators.
Hearts Of Iron 4 Focus Tree Maker
This can also make a huge difference if you’re on the losing side of the war. I was playing a game as Britain and found my war going much the same way as the actual one, with most of Europe falling as my under-sized army retreated back to England. As each ally fell, I’d be picking up bonuses in the way of divisions, equipment and leaders as the remains of defeated forces turned up in London having escaped their homeland. I had direct control over all this stuff, which I love; I’ve been able to build little French and Polish forces and have them complement my main British armies, which is super helpful at a time where my back is against the wall.
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Man the Guns is in a strange place, then, where the main point of the whole thing isn’t that great, but the lesser updates sneak in and steal the show. Indeed I think the fuel system is so good that even if you skip the expansion entirely and just update your game, you’ll be having a greatly improved experience.
| Hearts of Iron IV | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Paradox Development Studio |
| Publisher(s) | Paradox Interactive |
| Director(s) | Johan Andersson |
| Engine | Clausewitz Engine |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Grand strategy, war |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Hearts of Iron IV is a grand strategyvideo game developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive. It was released worldwide on June 6, 2016.[1] It is the sequel to 2009's Hearts of Iron III and the fourth main installment in the Hearts of Iron series. Like previous games in the series, Hearts of Iron IV is a grand strategy wargame that focuses on World War II. The player may take control of any nation in the world in either 1936 or 1939 and lead them to victory or defeat against other countries.
- 2Expansions and mods
Hoi4 Generic Focus Tree Mod
Gameplay[edit]
Hearts of Iron IV is a grand strategy wargame that primarily revolves around World War II. The player may play as any nation in the world in the 1936 or 1939 start dates in singleplayer or multiplayer, although the game is not designed to go beyond 1948. A nation's military is divided between naval forces, aerial forces, and ground forces. For the ground forces, the player may train, customize, and command divisions consisting of various types of infantry, tanks, and other units. These divisions require equipment and manpower to properly fight. The navy and air force also require men and equipment, including the actual warships and warplanes that are used in combat. Equipment is produced by military factories, while ships are built by dockyards. These military factories and dockyards are, in turn, constructed by civilian factories, which also construct a variety of other buildings, produce consumer goods for the civilian population, and oversee commerce with other nations. Most nations are initially forced to devote a significant number of their civilian factories to producing consumer goods, but as the nation becomes increasingly mobilized, more factories will be freed up for other purposes. Mobilization is represented as a 'policy' that the player may adjust with the proper amount of political power, an abstract 'resource' that is also used to appoint new ministers and change other facets of the nation's government. In addition to mobilization, there are other policies, including the nation's stance on conscription and commerce.[2]
Land in Hearts of Iron IV is divided into tiny regions known as provinces, which are grouped together to form states. Each state has a certain amount of building slots, factory slots, and 10 infrastructure slots. The major seas and oceans (for warships) and the sky (for warplanes) are similarly divided into different regions. These provinces each have a type of terrain assigned to them that determines how well different types of units will perform in combat there. Divisions are placed in provinces and can attack enemy units in adjacent provinces. How well divisions perform in combat depends on various factors, such as the quality of their equipment, the weather, the type of terrain, the skill and traits of the general commanding the divisions, and the morale of both sides. Technologies can be researched to improve equipment and learn new military doctrines, among other things, which often means that a more technologically advanced nation will have an edge in combat. If a division (or a group of divisions) successfully overwhelms an enemy province, they may occupy it. Some provinces may have victory points, and if you secure enough enemy victory points, the enemy nation will capitulate. Occupying key provinces within a state allows the occupying power to access the enemy's factories and natural resources in that state. Resistance to occupation within a state can hamper the occupying power's control over it. Late in the game, nations may develop nuclear bombs if they have the proper technology, which can be used to devastate enemy provinces and states.[3]
Hearts of Iron IV also attempts to recreate the complex diplomatic relationships of the day. Nations may undertake a variety of diplomatic actions; they may sign non-aggression pacts, guarantee the independence of other nations, and offer or request military access, amongst other things. Another key feature of diplomacy is the ability to create a faction or invite other nations to an existing one. Factions represent the main alliances of the era, like the Axis and Allies (for gameplay purposes, real-world factions like the Axis and Allies are split into numerous smaller factions, like the Comintern, the Chinese United Front, and the Co-Prosperity Sphere). Faction members may assist each other in wars, making faction members very valuable assets. A number of more clandestine diplomatic actions are also available. For example, the player may justify war against other nations, spread their ideology abroad, or stage a coup. Countries in the game may be democratic, fascist, communist, or non-aligned. Each of the four ideologies have advantages and disadvantages; for example, fascist nations can go to war with other countries easily, but other nations are not as willing to trade with them as they are with democratic countries. If a different ideology becomes too popular in a country, a referendum may be held that will peacefully convert the nation to the more popular ideology. Otherwise, ideologies may come to power violently through coups, civil wars, or forced subjugation by a foreign power.[4]
While Hearts of Iron 4 does feature some scripted events, the game features a 'national focus' system that makes fixed events less necessary than in previous installments in the series. Each country in the game has a 'focus tree' with various 'national focuses' that grant certain effects or trigger events. For example, in order for the Anschluss to occur, Germany must first complete the focus that is related to it. Other focuses can grant special bonuses, like faster research times for certain technologies or extra factories. While some bonuses (like extra factories) are very tangible, others (like improvements to morale) are more abstract. These abstract bonuses are represented by 'national spirits' that can be temporary or permanent. Not all national spirits are granted by focuses, and not all spirits are entirely beneficial in nature. Focuses are completed over time; only one focus may be worked on at once, and working on one consumes some political power. Initially, only a handful of key nations, like Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States, had unique focus trees; all other nations shared a generic one. Subsequent updates and DLCs have added focus trees to other nations as well.[5]
Hearts of Iron IV also introduces the concept of 'world tension,' an abstract representation of how close the world is to war on a scale from 0 to 100. Aggressive actions by any nation can increase world tension, while peaceful actions can decrease it. Depending on the circumstances of a nation, like their ideology, a certain level of world tension may be necessary to perform certain actions, like justifying war against another country.[6]
Expansions and mods[edit]
Expansions[edit]
| Name | Release date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Together for Victory[7] | 15 December 2016 | Together for Victory is the first expansion pack for Hearts of Iron IV. It adds focus trees to multiple nations within the British Empire: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the British Raj. It also expands the relationships between puppet states and their masters, with a special autonomy system that determines a subject nation's degree of independence. Features like an expanded Lend-Lease system and the sharing of technology are also added.[8] |
| Death or Dishonor[9] | 14 June 2017 | Death or Dishonor is the second expansion pack for Hearts of Iron IV. It adds focus trees to several minor powers in Central and Eastern Europe: Yugoslavia, Romania, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. It also adds the ability to license military equipment.[10] |
| Waking the Tiger[11] | 8 March 2018 | Waking the Tiger is the third expansion pack for Hearts of Iron IV. It mostly focuses on the Second Sino-Japanese War, with new focus trees for Manchukuo and Nationalist and Communist China and a shared focus tree for the Chinese warlords of Guangxi, Yunnan, Ma, Shanxi, and Sinkiang. The expansion also adds more opportunities for alternate history, with the focus trees of Germany and Japan being reworked and a number of formable nations being added. Special projects and policies can be enacted with decisions, and several changes to the managing of generals are present in the expansion.[12] |
| Man the Guns[13] | 28 February 2019 | Man the Guns is the fourth expansion pack for Hearts of Iron IV. It mostly focuses on improving the naval combat of the game, although numerous other changes and new features are also present in the expansion. For example, the expansion adds focus trees for the Netherlands and Mexico, more alternate history paths for the United States and the United Kingdom, fuel as a resource, and governments-in-exile.[14] |
Mods[edit]
Hearts of Iron IV was developed to be more open-ended than previous games in the series. Partially as a result of this, the game can be more readily modded than its predecessors.[15] A variety of mods for the game, most of which can be found on the Steam Workshop, have been developed, including a number of total conversion mods that dramatically change the game. Some mods have been successful enough to attract attention from the media, such as Kaiserreich, a mod set in a world where the Central Powers won World War One, Red World, a mod set in a world where the Soviet Union won the Cold War, Millennium Dawn, a mod set in the modern day, and The Great War, a mod set in the First World War.[16][17] Some mods have also attracted controversy for alleged racism and bigotry, such as Deus Vult, a mod that adds the Knights Templar to the game and allows them to commit various atrocities.[18]
Development[edit]
Hearts of Iron IV was announced in 2014 and was originally slated for a late 2015 release.[19] At E3 2015, creative director Johan Andersson confirmed that the game would be pushed back from its original release window, with the new release date being scheduled for the first quarter of 2016. This was an attempt to resolve several issues encountered with the game.[20] In March 2016, it was announced that the game would be released on June 6, 2016, which is the 72nd anniversary of the Normandy landings.[1]
Reception[edit]
| Reception | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
Currently, the base game has a score of 83 from review aggregator Metacritic, translating to 'generally favorable reviews'.[21]
GameSpot gave the game a positive review, writing that 'Hearts of Iron IV embodies the hard truths about all-consuming war and the international politics that guide it.' It argued that the tutorial was the only weak point, and that 'for the dedicated, Hearts of Iron IV could end up being the best grand strategy game in some time.'[25]
It was also reviewed in Kotaku, with the reviewer writing it was 'overwhelming in both its depth and, more importantly, its complexity,' and arguing that some players unfamiliar with the franchise might find the game interface too complex to easily navigate.[26]
IGN wrote a positive review, describing it as 'an incredibly complex World War II simulation that will require potentially hundreds of hours to master, both in-game and pouring over wiki articles that read like an economics textbook,' but writing that 'the payoff is brilliant for those willing to put in the time to learn.' The review praised the layout, writing 'thanks to an unusually striking look and clean, easily navigable interface, the biggest challenges Hearts of Iron 4 presents us with are the good kind: strategic planning, division composition, and fine-tuning economic and political policies.' IGN went on to conclude that Hearts of Iron IV 'is a strong contender for the title of ultimate armchair-general game. The biggest problems I can point to are almost all performance-related, putting a slow, frustrating finale on what is otherwise an ingeniously detailed strategic stimulation of just about every aspect of 20th-century global warfare.'[22]
A review in PC Gamer described it as a 'unique, beautiful, thrilling wargame... while I found a number of flaws when I stood close to the tapestry, it's important to remember that Hearts of Iron 4 exists to encompass the whole sweep of the war.'[24]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ abDingman, Hayden (Mar 15, 2016). 'Paradox Interactive reveals release dates for Hearts of Iron IV and Stellaris'. PC World. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^Apolon (June 29, 2016). ''Hearts Of Iron 4' Beginner's Guide: Tips, Tricks and Strategies For Mastering The Basics'. Player.One. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
- ^JAFalcon (March 18, 2016). 'Hearts of Iron IV developer diary talks about nuclear weapons'. GameWatcher. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- ^Hannley, Sean (June 7, 2016). 'Review: Hearts of Iron IV'. Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- ^Dumitrescu, Andrei (October 4, 2015). 'Hearts of Iron IV Details Italy, National Focuses and Initial Setup'. Softpedia. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- ^Priest, Simon (May 8, 2015). 'World Tension and neutrality in new Hearts of Iron IV dev diary'. GameWatcher. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- ^'Hearts of Iron IV: Together for Victory Paradox Interactive'. www.paradoxplaza.com. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
- ^Brown, Fraser (December 16, 2016). 'Hearts of Iron IV: Together for Victory review'. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^'Hearts of Iron IV: Death or Dishonor Paradox Interactive'. www.paradoxplaza.com. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
- ^Cobb, James (June 14, 2017). 'Review: Hearts of Iron IV: Death or Dishonor'. Wargamer. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^'Hearts of Iron IV: Waking the Tiger Paradox Interactive'. www.paradoxplaza.com. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
- ^Robinson, Joe (March 19, 2018). 'Review: Hearts of Iron 4: Waking the Tiger'. Wargamer. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^'Hearts of Iron IV: Man the Guns Paradox Interactive'. www.paradoxplaza.com. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
- ^Donnelly, Joe (May 19, 2018). 'Hearts of Iron 4: Man the Guns expansion grows its naval game'. PC Gamer. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^Haas, Pete (23 January 2014). 'Hearts Of Iron 4 Coming In Early 2015'. Cinema Blend. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
- ^Moore, Zach (August 9, 2018). 'Best Hearts of Iron 4 Mods 2018: Recommended and Must-Have Mods'. GameRevolution. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^Booker, Logan (November 13, 2016). 'The Great War Mod For Hearts Of Iron 4 Enters Open Beta'. Kotaku. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^Winkie, Luke (June 6, 2018). 'The Struggle Over Gamers Who Use Mods To Create Racist Alternate Histories'. Kotaku. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^Frank, Allegra (March 15, 2016). 'Hearts of Iron 4 launches this 'D-Day''. Polygon. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^Hafer, Todd (13 June 2015). 'Kicking Hitler Repeatedly in the Kidneys in Hearts of Iron 4'. IGN. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ^ ab'Hearts of Iron IV PC'. Metacritic. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^ abHafer, TJ (June 6, 2016). 'Hearts of Iron IV review'. IGN. Imagine Games Network. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^Starkey, Daniel (2016-06-08). 'Hearts of Iron 4 Review'. GameSpot. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
- ^ abZacny, Rob (June 9, 2016). 'Hearts of Iron 4 Review'. PC Gamer. Future plc. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^Starkey, Daniel (June 8, 2016). 'Hearts of Iron 4 Review'. GameSpot. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^Plunkett, Luke (June 6, 2016). 'Hearts Of Iron IV'. Kotaku. Retrieved September 9, 2016.