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Hearts of Iron IV

Started by Ian C, May 13, 2016, 01:07:15 PM

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Rayfer

When building aircraft when there is no 'need' to fill a deficiency a symbol comes up on the build screen saying they are being put into reserves. Where do I access these reserves to get them assigned to air bases?

SirAndrewD

Quote from: Rayfer on July 09, 2016, 08:56:41 PM
When building aircraft when there is no 'need' to fill a deficiency a symbol comes up on the build screen saying they are being put into reserves. Where do I access these reserves to get them assigned to air bases?

Select any airbase, preferably an empty one.  There should be a create new squadron button blinking at the top of the airbase screen.  Simply deploy a brand new squadron from your reserves, make it however large you like.
"These men do not want a happy ship. They are deeply sick and try to compensate by making me feel miserable. Last week was my birthday. Nobody even said "happy birthday" to me. Someday this tape will be played and then they'll feel sorry."  - Sgt. Pinback

glen55

Playing as the Americans, the Germans attacked France early, but I threw 20 divisions and about 1000 planes over there and blunted their attack. They were stopped in the low countries, and never crossed the Maginot line. I was all intertangled with the French and the Brits.

Suddenly, France capitulated. I wasn't really paying attention to the rear areas around Paris, but I'm pretty sure there were no Germans there. Anyway, it was a pretty big surprise but at least  nobody hit me from behind through France after the capitulation, and I was able to throw up a hook line so that I had a defensive line facing France and still had the low countries.  The Brits, Dutch and Belgians were still there fighting alongside me. It was a little touch and go and the Germans got halfway through Netherlands and the Dutch capitulated. I had to march a few divisions over there to help out after that happened, but the situation stabilized and we had a really solid U-shaped line, with me holding the Southern front and the northwest front and the Belgians the short eastern line and a little of the northern line. I did one limited offensive into Northern France, and successfully pushed the Germans back a bit to grab a port and the big airfield at Calais, which I quickly filled up with planes. The Maginot line and the line in the Netherlands were both really stout, Belgium and the West part of the Netherlands including the port at Rotterdam were safe as houses and I had massive air superiority and a second offensive planned to take Paris with both my corps planning lights lit up green. This was early '42.

And then Belgium capitulated, under no threat at all. Not only that, but the Belgian divisions that had been holding part of the Netherlands and Maginot Line fronts all were suddenly enemy! My 8 divisions I had sent to shore up the Netherlands were completely cut off and no longer connected to a port, and the two corps that were ready to jump off to Paris suddenly had 10 enemy divisions on a broad front in their rear and nothing at all to stop the whole German army from pouring into the gap before I could attack those divisions and seal the hole again.

Is this WAD? Man, that was RAW.
Things are more like they are now than they have ever been before.
  - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Rayfer

Quote from: SirAndrewD on July 09, 2016, 09:41:44 PM
Quote from: Rayfer on July 09, 2016, 08:56:41 PM
When building aircraft when there is no 'need' to fill a deficiency a symbol comes up on the build screen saying they are being put into reserves. Where do I access these reserves to get them assigned to air bases?

Select any airbase, preferably an empty one.  There should be a create new squadron button blinking at the top of the airbase screen.  Simply deploy a brand new squadron from your reserves, make it however large you like.

Thanks...!  I'm getting old. I think I may have asked this before but had forgotten the answer. This game has quite a lot of depth to it, I struggle trying to remember all the little details.  :-\

mikeck

Quote from: glen55 on July 10, 2016, 02:00:47 AM
Playing as the Americans, the Germans attacked France early, but I threw 20 divisions and about 1000 planes over there and blunted their attack. They were stopped in the low countries, and never crossed the Maginot line. I was all intertangled with the French and the Brits.

Suddenly, France capitulated. I wasn't really paying attention to the rear areas around Paris, but I'm pretty sure there were no Germans there. Anyway, it was a pretty big surprise but at least  nobody hit me from behind through France after the capitulation, and I was able to throw up a hook line so that I had a defensive line facing France and still had the low countries.  The Brits, Dutch and Belgians were still there fighting alongside me. It was a little touch and go and the Germans got halfway through Netherlands and the Dutch capitulated. I had to march a few divisions over there to help out after that happened, but the situation stabilized and we had a really solid U-shaped line, with me holding the Southern front and the northwest front and the Belgians the short eastern line and a little of the northern line. I did one limited offensive into Northern France, and successfully pushed the Germans back a bit to grab a port and the big airfield at Calais, which I quickly filled up with planes. The Maginot line and the line in the Netherlands were both really stout, Belgium and the West part of the Netherlands including the port at Rotterdam were safe as houses and I had massive air superiority and a second offensive planned to take Paris with both my corps planning lights lit up green. This was early '42.

And then Belgium capitulated, under no threat at all. Not only that, but the Belgian divisions that had been holding part of the Netherlands and Maginot Line fronts all were suddenly enemy! My 8 divisions I had sent to shore up the Netherlands were completely cut off and no longer connected to a port, and the two corps that were ready to jump off to Paris suddenly had 10 enemy divisions on a broad front in their rear and nothing at all to stop the whole German army from pouring into the gap before I could attack those divisions and seal the hole again.

Is this WAD? Man, that was RAW.

I mean in reality the country could certainly capitulate if the leader felt the nation was being destroyed and it wasn't worth it... Or that it was a losing cause ....but man, I'm really surprised at the French capitulation. If your final line was going through Belgium and there was a lot of fighting there, I could see why Belgium would capitulate but for France to capitulate when there's no threat to Paris I don't see that.

It's easy to justify that decision by saying that no European country except for Germany and Britain really had the stomach for war in 1940. They were all still reeling from World War I. But I think that's leading the game off the hook. I don't know what factors go into a nation capitulating don't really have a problem with the Belgium one but France capitulating makes me scratch my head
"A government large enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take everything you have."--Thomas Jefferson

ArizonaTank

I like the game pretty well.  I find myself savoring the action more than I did with HoI III. 

The grand strategic AI seems better than III as well (but still far from perfect...I have seen the IV AI do some really "dumb" things). 

I do wish they would return to HoI II's function that let you control your allies however.  The AI still does not seem to be a competent ally. 

Of course, plenty of room for improvement.  It would be easy for me to list out a bunch of stuff that I don't like.  But the list of what I do like is much longer. :)
Johannes "Honus" Wagner
"The Flying Dutchman"
Shortstop: Pittsburgh Pirates 1900-1917
Rated as the 2nd most valuable player of all time by Bill James.

mikeck

In too many other games, total war in particular, your allies will join the war but they won't send substantial forces to help you out or send them where you need them. from what  i'm reading on this thread, at least they send forces to help out in the fighting. It's the same with Stellaris; they will send  substantial forces  to help you.

Along those lines are you alone able to coordinate targets with the AI? You can and some games so you both go after the same city or enemy army etc.
"A government large enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take everything you have."--Thomas Jefferson

glen55

Quote from: mikeck on July 10, 2016, 11:39:57 AM
Quote from: glen55 on July 10, 2016, 02:00:47 AM
Playing as the Americans, the Germans attacked France early, but I threw 20 divisions and about 1000 planes over there and blunted their attack. They were stopped in the low countries, and never crossed the Maginot line. I was all intertangled with the French and the Brits.

Suddenly, France capitulated. I wasn't really paying attention to the rear areas around Paris, but I'm pretty sure there were no Germans there. Anyway, it was a pretty big surprise but at least  nobody hit me from behind through France after the capitulation, and I was able to throw up a hook line so that I had a defensive line facing France and still had the low countries.  The Brits, Dutch and Belgians were still there fighting alongside me. It was a little touch and go and the Germans got halfway through Netherlands and the Dutch capitulated. I had to march a few divisions over there to help out after that happened, but the situation stabilized and we had a really solid U-shaped line, with me holding the Southern front and the northwest front and the Belgians the short eastern line and a little of the northern line. I did one limited offensive into Northern France, and successfully pushed the Germans back a bit to grab a port and the big airfield at Calais, which I quickly filled up with planes. The Maginot line and the line in the Netherlands were both really stout, Belgium and the West part of the Netherlands including the port at Rotterdam were safe as houses and I had massive air superiority and a second offensive planned to take Paris with both my corps planning lights lit up green. This was early '42.

And then Belgium capitulated, under no threat at all. Not only that, but the Belgian divisions that had been holding part of the Netherlands and Maginot Line fronts all were suddenly enemy! My 8 divisions I had sent to shore up the Netherlands were completely cut off and no longer connected to a port, and the two corps that were ready to jump off to Paris suddenly had 10 enemy divisions on a broad front in their rear and nothing at all to stop the whole German army from pouring into the gap before I could attack those divisions and seal the hole again.

Is this WAD? Man, that was RAW.

I mean in reality the country could certainly capitulate if the leader felt the nation was being destroyed and it wasn't worth it... Or that it was a losing cause ....but man, I'm really surprised at the French capitulation. If your final line was going through Belgium and there was a lot of fighting there, I could see why Belgium would capitulate but for France to capitulate when there's no threat to Paris I don't see that.

It's easy to justify that decision by saying that no European country except for Germany and Britain really had the stomach for war in 1940. They were all still reeling from World War I. But I think that's leading the game off the hook. I don't know what factors go into a nation capitulating don't really have a problem with the Belgium one but France capitulating makes me scratch my head

Oh no, when Belgium capitulated there was either NO fighting in Belgium or, if any, the Germans had pushed a few miles west on a narrow front on the northern part of their border with Belgium.  Generally, though, the northern line ran through Holland, the southern line ran through France, and most of the eastern line was still on the border.  Other than that one little area down there, where the Germans weren't really pushing and didn't have much to push with, Belgium didn't even have enemy troops on the border ANYWHERE. 

But the worst part was that their divisions suddenly went enemy and were right in my rear.  It really sucked.  My entire expeditionary force, which was in a very solid position and pushing back more than it got pushed, got surrounded and eaten.   :'(
Things are more like they are now than they have ever been before.
  - Dwight D. Eisenhower

SirAndrewD

#803
Quote from: glen55 on July 10, 2016, 02:00:47 AM
Playing as the Americans, the Germans attacked France early, but I threw 20 divisions and about 1000 planes over there and blunted their attack. They were stopped in the low countries, and never crossed the Maginot line. I was all intertangled with the French and the Brits.

Suddenly, France capitulated. I wasn't really paying attention to the rear areas around Paris, but I'm pretty sure there were no Germans there. Anyway, it was a pretty big surprise but at least  nobody hit me from behind through France after the capitulation, and I was able to throw up a hook line so that I had a defensive line facing France and still had the low countries.  The Brits, Dutch and Belgians were still there fighting alongside me. It was a little touch and go and the Germans got halfway through Netherlands and the Dutch capitulated. I had to march a few divisions over there to help out after that happened, but the situation stabilized and we had a really solid U-shaped line, with me holding the Southern front and the northwest front and the Belgians the short eastern line and a little of the northern line. I did one limited offensive into Northern France, and successfully pushed the Germans back a bit to grab a port and the big airfield at Calais, which I quickly filled up with planes. The Maginot line and the line in the Netherlands were both really stout, Belgium and the West part of the Netherlands including the port at Rotterdam were safe as houses and I had massive air superiority and a second offensive planned to take Paris with both my corps planning lights lit up green. This was early '42.

And then Belgium capitulated, under no threat at all. Not only that, but the Belgian divisions that had been holding part of the Netherlands and Maginot Line fronts all were suddenly enemy! My 8 divisions I had sent to shore up the Netherlands were completely cut off and no longer connected to a port, and the two corps that were ready to jump off to Paris suddenly had 10 enemy divisions on a broad front in their rear and nothing at all to stop the whole German army from pouring into the gap before I could attack those divisions and seal the hole again.

Is this WAD? Man, that was RAW.

That's really odd.  The only thing I can think of that might cause this would be some kind of peace conference oddity.  Did the Belgians completely capitulate, or did they get puppeted?  What kind of government do they have, if any? 

If the war started early, are you sure Germany started it?  If France took the early confrontation route they would take a huge hit to national unity, and that could be the reason for their easy capitulation.

Thus far the only way I've seen anyone switch sides with their forces intact is if they get puppetted or liberated via a peace conference.  This would be weird if Belgium was in the Allies.  Did France join the Allies or go Little Entente?  If they went the Entente route they would've been their own faction, that Belgium could've been a part of, and then switched sides to Axis via the peace treaty.

Countries switching sides is of course valid historically, see Italy as just one case, so it wouldn't surprise me if this was somehow WAD.
"These men do not want a happy ship. They are deeply sick and try to compensate by making me feel miserable. Last week was my birthday. Nobody even said "happy birthday" to me. Someday this tape will be played and then they'll feel sorry."  - Sgt. Pinback

glen55

Quote from: SirAndrewD on July 10, 2016, 01:31:00 PM
Quote from: glen55 on July 10, 2016, 02:00:47 AM
Playing as the Americans, the Germans attacked France early, but I threw 20 divisions and about 1000 planes over there and blunted their attack. They were stopped in the low countries, and never crossed the Maginot line. I was all intertangled with the French and the Brits.

Suddenly, France capitulated. I wasn't really paying attention to the rear areas around Paris, but I'm pretty sure there were no Germans there. Anyway, it was a pretty big surprise but at least  nobody hit me from behind through France after the capitulation, and I was able to throw up a hook line so that I had a defensive line facing France and still had the low countries.  The Brits, Dutch and Belgians were still there fighting alongside me. It was a little touch and go and the Germans got halfway through Netherlands and the Dutch capitulated. I had to march a few divisions over there to help out after that happened, but the situation stabilized and we had a really solid U-shaped line, with me holding the Southern front and the northwest front and the Belgians the short eastern line and a little of the northern line. I did one limited offensive into Northern France, and successfully pushed the Germans back a bit to grab a port and the big airfield at Calais, which I quickly filled up with planes. The Maginot line and the line in the Netherlands were both really stout, Belgium and the West part of the Netherlands including the port at Rotterdam were safe as houses and I had massive air superiority and a second offensive planned to take Paris with both my corps planning lights lit up green. This was early '42.

And then Belgium capitulated, under no threat at all. Not only that, but the Belgian divisions that had been holding part of the Netherlands and Maginot Line fronts all were suddenly enemy! My 8 divisions I had sent to shore up the Netherlands were completely cut off and no longer connected to a port, and the two corps that were ready to jump off to Paris suddenly had 10 enemy divisions on a broad front in their rear and nothing at all to stop the whole German army from pouring into the gap before I could attack those divisions and seal the hole again.

Is this WAD? Man, that was RAW.

That's really odd.  The only thing I can think of that might cause this would be some kind of peace conference oddity.  Did the Belgians completely capitulate, or did they get puppeted?  What kind of government do they have, if any? 

If the war started early, are you sure Germany started it?  If France took the early confrontation route they would take a huge hit to national unity, and that could be the reason for their easy capitulation.

Thus far the only way I've seen anyone switch sides with their forces intact is if they get puppetted or liberated via a peace conference.  This would be weird if Belgium was in the Allies.  Did France join the Allies or go Little Entente?  If they went the Entente route they would've been their own faction, that Belgium could've been a part of, and then switched sides to Axis via the peace treaty.

Countries switching sides is of course valid historically, see Italy as just one case, so it wouldn't surprise me if this was somehow WAD.

Good questions.  I'll answer the ones I can.  I quit the game after my crap got swallowed and, sadly, chose that moment to do a rare saved-game purge.  :idiot2:

The announcement was Belgium capitulated.  I'm pretty sure the new enemies that showed up in my rear where they had been were German units, as if the Belgians somehow became Germans.  They were inside our prior line.

I'm pretty sure the war started the regular way, through Poland.  I know I have standard historical choices turned on in the preferences, and I don't recall anything weird happening.  I just joined the Allies early and came over - war had already started, and I wasn't eyeballing the area that closely before I got there.  But I think I would have noticed if somebody had declared on a peaceful Germany.

I would assume historical choices meant France didn't create its own alliances.  I know the Brits were there fighting in the Low Countries (as were the Swiss!) and the normal brit allies were in the coalition.

I was wondering if those countries are just pre-set to surrender to Germany at a certain point.  Even if they're winning.  I was really looking forward to see what an unconquered France would look like as an ally.
Things are more like they are now than they have ever been before.
  - Dwight D. Eisenhower

SirAndrewD

Quote from: glen55 on July 10, 2016, 02:53:36 PM

Good questions.  I'll answer the ones I can.  I quit the game after my crap got swallowed and, sadly, chose that moment to do a rare saved-game purge.  :idiot2:

The announcement was Belgium capitulated.  I'm pretty sure the new enemies that showed up in my rear where they had been were German units, as if the Belgians somehow became Germans.  They were inside our prior line.

I'm pretty sure the war started the regular way, through Poland.  I know I have standard historical choices turned on in the preferences, and I don't recall anything weird happening.  I just joined the Allies early and came over - war had already started, and I wasn't eyeballing the area that closely before I got there.  But I think I would have noticed if somebody had declared on a peaceful Germany.

I would assume historical choices meant France didn't create its own alliances.  I know the Brits were there fighting in the Low Countries (as were the Swiss!) and the normal brit allies were in the coalition.

I was wondering if those countries are just pre-set to surrender to Germany at a certain point.  Even if they're winning.  I was really looking forward to see what an unconquered France would look like as an ally.

That makes it even more odd.  I misunderstood that you just had an early entry as the US rather than the war had a pre-39 start.  One of the scenarios that can, but often does not, occur is France forming its own faction and going to war over the Sudetenland.  That scenario would be far more likely to result in what you described than the historical Danzig or War path.

The low countries won't capitulate, as far as I have seen, in any sort of automatic way.  I've seen the Belgians take Berlin, and more than a few times the Netherlands and Belgium survive the entire war as well as France.   In fact, in my experience, unless playing an Axis power, France and the low countries have only fallen in one game, and that was in the '39 scenario.  So they can and many times will survive.

Perhaps they were being influenced by Germany and had a pro-fascist coup?  I've never seen the Germans do that, and am not sure it's even possible in the engine, but it seems to be the only real way that it would work.  With France and Belgium both in the Allies, there shouldn't have been a peace conference to flip loyalties until the UK capitulated, as they're the Allies leader. 

I'm not sure the Axis AI would care if a country was Fascist anyway.  I've seen Germany outrace its national focuses with war justifications and declare war on friendly Fascist Hungary, Romania and Nationalist Spain several times.  It typically isn't in a rush to invite anyone into the faction except Italy and Japan.

"These men do not want a happy ship. They are deeply sick and try to compensate by making me feel miserable. Last week was my birthday. Nobody even said "happy birthday" to me. Someday this tape will be played and then they'll feel sorry."  - Sgt. Pinback

glen55

Quote from: SirAndrewD on July 10, 2016, 03:31:49 PM
Quote from: glen55 on July 10, 2016, 02:53:36 PM

Good questions.  I'll answer the ones I can.  I quit the game after my crap got swallowed and, sadly, chose that moment to do a rare saved-game purge.  :idiot2:

The announcement was Belgium capitulated.  I'm pretty sure the new enemies that showed up in my rear where they had been were German units, as if the Belgians somehow became Germans.  They were inside our prior line.

I'm pretty sure the war started the regular way, through Poland.  I know I have standard historical choices turned on in the preferences, and I don't recall anything weird happening.  I just joined the Allies early and came over - war had already started, and I wasn't eyeballing the area that closely before I got there.  But I think I would have noticed if somebody had declared on a peaceful Germany.

I would assume historical choices meant France didn't create its own alliances.  I know the Brits were there fighting in the Low Countries (as were the Swiss!) and the normal brit allies were in the coalition.

I was wondering if those countries are just pre-set to surrender to Germany at a certain point.  Even if they're winning.  I was really looking forward to see what an unconquered France would look like as an ally.

That makes it even more odd.  I misunderstood that you just had an early entry as the US rather than the war had a pre-39 start.  One of the scenarios that can, but often does not, occur is France forming its own faction and going to war over the Sudetenland.  That scenario would be far more likely to result in what you described than the historical Danzig or War path.

The low countries won't capitulate, as far as I have seen, in any sort of automatic way.  I've seen the Belgians take Berlin, and more than a few times the Netherlands and Belgium survive the entire war as well as France.   In fact, in my experience, unless playing an Axis power, France and the low countries have only fallen in one game, and that was in the '39 scenario.  So they can and many times will survive.

Perhaps they were being influenced by Germany and had a pro-fascist coup?  I've never seen the Germans do that, and am not sure it's even possible in the engine, but it seems to be the only real way that it would work.  With France and Belgium both in the Allies, there shouldn't have been a peace conference to flip loyalties until the UK capitulated, as they're the Allies leader. 

I'm not sure the Axis AI would care if a country was Fascist anyway.  I've seen Germany outrace its national focuses with war justifications and declare war on friendly Fascist Hungary, Romania and Nationalist Spain several times.  It typically isn't in a rush to invite anyone into the faction except Italy and Japan.

I'm kind of thinking it's a bug, but I'm playing as the US again, and I passed up the chance to intervene early in this game.  I'm curious, but not a glutton for punishment.  That was brutal.
Things are more like they are now than they have ever been before.
  - Dwight D. Eisenhower

RyanE

I'm kind of thinking before its declared a bug,you need to observe what the AI was doing.  Too bad you don't have the save files...

Ian C

#808
Quote from: mikeck on July 10, 2016, 12:20:15 PM
Along those lines are you alone able to coordinate targets with the AI? You can and some games so you both go after the same city or enemy army etc.

Yes, check the 'see Allied War Plans' box, bottom right of the screen. You can use it to plan ahead so when they launch you are with them.

Rayfer

Quote from: Ian C on July 11, 2016, 04:59:24 AM
Quote from: mikeck on July 10, 2016, 12:20:15 PM
Along those lines are you alone able to coordinate targets with the AI? You can and some games so you both go after the same city or enemy army etc.

Yes, check the 'see AI War Plans' box, bottom right of the screen. You can use it to plan ahead so when they launch you are with them.

It amazes me that even after many, many hours of play this game still has layers of depth I haven't realized were there.  Thanks to Ian, Pete and others for pointing them out.