A few questions

[77Hawk77]

• Would it be possible to make smaller units than divisions? Some countries like the soviet union had independant brigades, especially for heavy armour. It was kinda possible in Hoi3.
• Will the minor nations in the game be more viable? Romania was a large Axis contributer with more than 300,000 losses, but in hoi3 romania and most other countries like it are pushovers that barely contributes and are nearly incapable of building just a tiny fraction of what they had in real life.
  
• Will the Sino-Japanese war be more prominent? In hoi3 Japan basically wins every time, and neither Japan nor China has big land armies, in reality the japanese army was maybe 4 million or so fighting 15 million chinese, and the Japanese had the help of 900,000 chinese or so from manchuria, who btw was also useless in hoi3.
• Will colonial empires matter? In hoi3 it seemed like africa and south america didn't offer much, neither many resources or IC. hopefully there will be a reason to protect your colonies more in hoi4.

Hoi4 looks really, good and i don't know if anyone else have info about this but i'd like to hear about these things.

 

[KiwiNoob]

1. Yes. Just make a division template with less troops in it
2. I hope so - minor/micro powers are way more fun in HOI3 than the majors (Romania in HOI3 is able to put together a sizable force - enough to tip the scales of Barbarossa)
3. Cant say for certain but there seems to be a lot more focus on Jap vs China in HOI4 with China being a viable alternative for Germany. More focus hopefully means more balance and more options so fingers crossed.
4. Would be nice but in reality many of the colonies (especially the smaller ones) weren't very well defended. I think it'll come down to the UI. As long as it's simple to organize colonial defence forces AND simple to organise sea based invasions of those colonies it'll be a much more interesting game.

 

[77Hawk77]

You are probably right, i was really hoping for the provinces themselves to be buffed, i mean if the african and asian colonial provinces were so worthless, why would anyone ever have wanted them?

 

[Will Steel]

Well in that recent video stream, Johan built infrastructure and industries all over Africa. It won't be that useless as long as the player can build it up.

I hope the game portrays the reality how a whole lot of resources used in Europe came from Africa and Asia. Britain would've fallen easily if India hadn't bailed their backsides out by supplying overwhelming amount of raw material and supplies (as well as many ships), for example.

 

[Denkt]

Will the minor nations in the game be more viable? Romania was a large Axis contributer with more than 300,000 losses, but in hoi3 romania and most other countries like it are pushovers that barely contributes and are nearly incapable of building just a tiny fraction of what they had in real life.

The game will be much more friendly to minor countries then HOI3 was. Technology system will allow minors to keep up with the majors in some but not all areas (in reality minors did produce better stuff then the majors did in many areas during ww2). The production system will also be alot better for minors because their is no global practicals anymore.

Will colonial empires matter? In hoi3 it seemed like africa and south america didn't offer much, neither many resources or IC. hopefully there will be a reason to protect your colonies more in hoi4.

Colonial empires may give you strategic resources you otherwise can't produce so they will be important.

 

[FOARP]

in reality minors did produce better stuff then the majors did in many areas during ww2

Really trying hard to think of even a single weapons system produced by a minor that was first-in-class in 1939-45. Give us a hint?

Will the minor nations in the game be more viable? Romania was a large Axis contributer with more than 300,000 losses, but in hoi3 romania and most other countries like it are pushovers that barely contributes and are nearly incapable of building just a tiny fraction of what they had in real life.

Romania fielded circa 30 divisions in WW2, armed in large part with French and other imported weapons. It is possible to reach this strength in HOI3.

 

[Denkt]

Compare for example hungarian Nimrod to the German anti air tanks Möbelwagen, Wirbelwind and Ostwind.

Germany was unable to build an aa tank with that firepower, even tought their tanks had twice the weight.

 

[GsusNSV]

Really trying hard to think of even a single weapons system produced by a minor that was first-in-class in 1939-45. Give us a hint?

Bofors 40mm AA gun

 

[FOARP]

Bofors 40mm AA gun

Manufactured under license all over the place. Its availability basically made it unnecessary for majors to develop the same weapon.

Compare for example hungarian Nimrod to the German anti air tanks Möbelwagen, Wirbelwind and Ostwind.

Germany was unable to build an aa tank with that firepower, even tought their tanks had twice the weight.

A failed anti-tank weapon re-purposed as an anti-air weapon? Not seeing it.

 

[Denkt]

Manufactured under license all over the place. Its availability basically made it unnecessary for majors to develop the same weapon.

Yes but it was a minor country design, what Im talking, it was not developed in the major countries. Non of the major countries was able to designs such a gun. Germany could not in 1945 and Japan could only by having captured examples to work on.

A failed anti-tank weapon re-purposed as an anti-air weapon? Not seeing it.

It is similar to the Stug III (who did best as an anti tank gun), however it was intended to be both an anti tank and an anti air tank, it was a wastly better anti air tank then any of Germany's designs.

 

[FOARP]

Yes but it was a minor country design, what Im talking, it was not developed in the major countries.

One that every country had access to and produced anyway: not a sign of minor strength.

I'm sorry, but as far as I can see, there wasn't a single tank, warship, or aircraft developed in a minor country in 1939-45 that was first-in-class. In fact, most minors didn't even develop (couldn't even develop) even one such weapon system.

 

[Denkt]

And what is a first class thing?

 

[Gamer_1745]

Many Czech weapons!

 

[Gamer_1745]

Or is Czechoslovakia not a minor?

 

[Denkt]

Or is Czechoslovakia not a minor?

Maybe it is a regional power

One that every country had access to and produced anyway: not a sign of minor strength.

Japan and Germany don't seems to have had that good access to that weapon.

 

[Gamer_1745]

You also have FN of Belgium was/is a major weapons producer.

 

[FOARP]

Many Czech weapons!

So maybe you can name a Czech weapon system that was developed during WW2? You're going to have a hard time doing so for obvious reasons.

The meaning of "first-in-class" (or best-in-class) is that it is the best weapon of its type.

Or is Czechoslovakia not a minor?

Again, during WW2?

You also have FN of Belgium was/is a major weapons producer.

So, again, maybe you can name the best-in-class weapons system that they developed during WW2?

Japan and Germany don't seems to have had that good access to that weapon.

Germany could have also obtained a license, but they still wouldn't have had access to the British/US-developed sights, gun carriage, directing apparatus etc. etc. that made them so successful.

Yes but it was a minor country design, what Im talking, it was not developed in the major countries. Non of the major countries was able to designs such a gun. Germany could not in 1945 and Japan could only by having captured examples to work on.

Yeah, except for the sights, gun carriage, director control, manufacturing, flash-supressing muzzle etc. the version that that the US/UK used was entirely developed in Sweden, right?

It is similar to the Stug III (who did best as an anti tank gun), however it was intended to be both an anti tank and an anti air tank

So it only half-worked? And this is not mentioning the fact that neither the tank nor the guns mounted on it were original Hungarian developments.

 

[Secret Master]

You are probably right, i was really hoping for the provinces themselves to be buffed, i mean if the african and asian colonial provinces were so worthless, why would anyone ever have wanted them?

Well, let's see what Africa and Asia have in HOI3:

Rubber in Asia.
Uranium in Africa.
Gold in both. (Philippines and South Africa)
Oil in Asia.
Aluminum in China (seriously, Japan should grab it ASAP)
Black Soil in Asia (you do not want to let Japan combine a 100% conquered China with good agriculture techs and Black Soil in Vietnam)
Strategic effects for owning key portions of China and Asia that result in huge research bonuses that let Japan leap frog over US technological advantages
A resource whose name I cannot remember that grants a reduction in tropical attrition can be found in Asia.
Manpower in China. (even with no cores, it's decent for Japan)
Oil refineries in Asia
The Suez Canal in Africa
Various strategic places for naval bases.
Rares in Asia and India
Steel in Manchukuo



Now, the parts that were worthless in HOI3 were places like Italian North Africa (not economically important), Syria (not economically important), and a few other places.

And to be honest, some of these worthless places were, from the point of view of HOI3, worthless. Italy's colonies were famously less than awesome from an economic perspective. But when has economic viability ever stopped some countries from practicing imperialism?

Part of the problem of HOI3 is that stockpiling key resources is easy enough that the value of these areas is far less in the game than it was historically. I don't even need to invade DEI for oil as Japan even after the US embargoes me. I still have enough to drive my ships around for years. But that is not the same as saying these places were worthless in HOI3.

 

[Denkt]

The meaning of "first-in-class" (or best-in-class) is that it is the best weapon of its type.

Bofors gun is the best medium anti air gun design of the war. Japan and Germany could not design a good medium aa gun which is shown by their over reliance on light anti air guns. The best anti air gun UK was able to design was the pom pom which was considered to be half or even worse as good as the bofors gun. The best medium and light anti air guns US had on their ships was both foreign designs, US was unable to design a an anti air gun that was even as good as the pom pom as they did chose between bofors and pom pom.

So Germany, UK, Japan and US could not design a bofors gun on their own. Soviet medium anti air gun was greatly inspired by a bofors gun which they purchased.

Yeah, except for the sights, gun carriage, director control, manufacturing, flash-supressing muzzle etc. the version that that the US/UK used was entirely developed in Sweden, right?

Im pretty sure that the bofors gun did have the iconic flash supressor from the start. Sure they did make some great improvements but the gun was great even before that as it did have great success in other countries hands as well. And it was still bofors that later did improve the gun to the M/48 l70.

So it only half-worked? And this is not mentioning the fact that neither the tank nor the guns mounted on it were original Hungarian developments.

Both the gun and chassis was minor country designs. It was the best anti air tank otherwise example of better anti air tanks should be given. Remember also that this was a design that existed early in the war while Germany could not design anything like it even in 1945.

Sometimes minor countries did create superior designs to what major countries did in the same time. This was never showcased in previous HOI the way previous HOI tech system was designed you would never think that was the case but it did happen in real life.

 

[safe-keeper]

I've suggested earlier that Italy be given an event of sorts that would fire if they lost too many foreign possessions. In Europe Engulfed (WWII ETO board game), there is a rule called "Collapse of Italian morale" that gives the Italians severe permanent maluses should they lose North Africa. It gives the Italians a good reason to fight over Africa, the Germans a reason to support them, and the Allies a good reason to kick them out.

Giving the regions ahistorical "treasures" to fight over to encourage people to fight for it should be a kind of "last resort" solution.

Then again, it is still a sandbox game, so perhaps it should be a perfectly viable tactic for Italy to not really fight that hard for North Africa, for example?