Hearts of Iron IV

[FarAway Sooner]

I'm holding off.  Just say no.

[Richie61]

Well shit, isn't anybody gonna hold out. I need a role model here. The stream lining is what's drawing me in, the other games just had to much micromanagement. Not to mention I can't think of one grand strategy game I've stuck with, yea that's it grand strategy isn't my thing, not gonna fold.

I agree with all you said Budd! Plus I am flat broke for the next 2 weeks!  ;D

[Huw the Poo]

Well shit, isn't anybody gonna hold out.

I won't be buying it.

...until pay day. :D

[Hofstadter]

Just some thoughts on the game. Debating doing a lets play, but everybody and their mother is doing videos. Opening it up to the public if they want to see me doing a campaign xD

[Grim.Reaper]

Although they released the small beta patch, they also said they would be discussing their initial plans for future patching in today's development diary.  Will be interesting to see what they feel needs updating and if any fan feedback gets considered.

Hoping to get more time with this over weekend, but looks like work might get in the way.

[W8taminute]

The way production and recruiting is handled in this game is elegant. 

Conducting field drills in order for your boots on the ground to gain experience prior to the war breaking out is strangely appealing. 

[chemkid]

Well shit, isn't anybody gonna hold out.

I won't be buying it.

...until pay day. :D

same here, +1! (...those damn nato-counter mod pictures got me!!!)  ::)

[Rayfer]

Hof....well done initial review video. I agree with your points about the difference between streamlining and dumbing down.

[jamus34]

There's a lot of haterade on the Matrix site about HoI4 too (and Paradox in general).

I'm torn. From the videos I've seen and the designer diary's posted it seems like Pdox is consciously moving away from HoI being a true "WWII simulator / strategy game" and I'm strangely OK with that. Combat has never been their strong point at least recently (I didn't start getting into Pdox games until EU3 or so) and there's a metric ton of games out that A) are WWII based and B) simulate the combat of all fronts better.

Lately it seems Pdox's strength is the ability to allow games to explore historical plausibility, with various success. I agree conquering the world with RyuKyu in EU4 is beyond a stretch.

But restoring the Roman Empire? Uniting Scotland and marching on England during their darkest times? Spain staying a world power?

I think 2 things here...1) they realize that if they release a true WWII strategic simulation it will get lost in the the sea of others and 2) I wish they would drop the HoI moniker and call it something else to better show that it's more free form.

[chemkid]

...SNIP!>>>
I wish they would drop the HoI moniker and call it something else to better show that it's more free form.

they did! here in germany, it's called 'Heart of Iron IV' and comes w/o hitler's face... just gorgeous!     ...runs and hides inside AE Editor.

[Zulu1966]

I won't be buying.
I would love something of detail that simulates world war II
Not something like world war II or something where Japan invades Sweden at some point. There just isn't a game that simulates the whole thing in detail in a totally non abstract way.

[Pete Dero]

Good in depth guide  (This is not a "quick start" guide, it's more like a manual)

[Ian C]

Another tip. Those little info icons on research projects aren't icons. Click them and you get another project which unlocks a new battalion type for your divisions or carrier-based aircraft on the Air Research tab.

Example: Stug III

[Rayfer]

IanC....holy crap, I missed that one entirely. Thanks for pointing it out.

[Ian C]

The way production and recruiting is handled in this game is elegant. 

Conducting field drills in order for your boots on the ground to gain experience prior to the war breaking out is strangely appealing.

It is. There's something so immersive about the whole game.

Another tip: you can click the 'deploy now' button to instantly deploy under-trained divisions. They can be deployed immediately as raw green recruits, once they reach 20%. I'm saying this because there's a requirement on some National Focuses for you to field a certain amount of troops before triggering the historical event, for example, Anschluss of Austria requires the Reich to field over 550,000 men first. I nearly botched this but hit the deploy button and viola, I got all of Austria as my in-training divisions were instantly deployed. You can of course continue training them by clicking the 'Exercise' button. I also like how the Rhinelands are locked off to the German Reich prior to the reoccupation event.

IanC....holy crap, I missed that one entirely. Thanks for pointing it out.

You're welcome  O0