Any hints as to roughly when the game will be released?

[State Machine]

Start from when Paradox asks for beta testers for the product - they will have a solid target date in mind. Add 1-4 weeks for evaluating the candidates. Add 2-3 months for internal beta testing. That is the minimum. Conflicts with the HoI release, other commercial aspects, or technical issues might delay (or accelerate!) the target date. Not to mention that Paradox is likely on vacation in December and June. My best guess would be 2Q 2016 (optimistic), 3Q 2016 is reasonable, and 4Q 2016 is likewise reasonable...

NB - my prior experience with Paradox is that alpha is fairly meaningless and that beta is arguably alpha-like. That is, their development cycle is to beta test the game while still being developed, rather than to beta test a "finished" product (meaning that all features are complete when the official beta test starts). Of course their development approach may have changed since I've been involved in the alpha/beta/release process...

 

[Safehold]

Somewhere in q3-q4 in 2016
How HOI fares will affect stellaris, if HoI has a smooth release without major patching issues or weird thing i assume people will be diverted to stellaris thus expediting its release, however if significant resources cant be diverted from hoi to stellaris and/or some major issues in it dont crop up requiring major rework it could be delayed to 2017.

It would certainly make creating content easier, since a lot of the Clausewitz CK2 engine events are scripted stories written in the text files. Absent the graphics.

A list of the current staff positions currently invested in HOI 4 would give a clearer idea of what resources may be redistributed in the future, however, for Stellaris. Obsidian was also at a size sufficient to work on two games at once, although not with the same release time.

NB - my prior experience with Paradox is that alpha is fairly meaningless and that beta is arguably alpha-like. That is, their development cycle is to beta test the game while still being developed, rather than to beta test a "finished" product (meaning that all features are complete when the official beta test starts).

That sounds like ParaDox has their production pipelines streamlined and the basic modability of the engine allows the removal or addition of certain features. The sooner they can test the functions, like First stage exploration in Stellaris, the sooner they can make content for it to be tested later.

 

[State Machine]

...
That sounds like ParaDox has their production pipelines streamlined and the basic modability of the engine allows the removal or addition of certain features. The sooner they can test the functions, like First stage exploration in Stellaris, the sooner they can make content for it to be tested later.

Perhaps...

Or, better, no. Paradox intends to release Stellaris at some date with a particular feature-set. Regardless of the internal process I alluded to, any software project has the "holy trinity" of planning - features, resources, and schedule. My prior experience with Paradox is that resources (staff) and schedule (planned release date) are immutable. So, features are reduced or dropped if not completed within schedule (with the intention of releasing them later ).

I suppose my post is to put a negative spin on things, compared to your positive spin...

Cheers,

State

 

[aruon]

Perhaps...

Or, better, no. Paradox intends to release Stellaris at some date with a particular feature-set. Regardless of the internal process I alluded to, any software project has the "holy trinity" of planning - features, resources, and schedule. My prior experience with Paradox is that resources (staff) and schedule (planned release date) are immutable. So, features are reduced or dropped if not completed within schedule (with the intention of releasing them later ).

I suppose my post is to put a negative spin on things, compared to your positive spin...

Cheers,

State

actually state, PDS acknowledged that themselves a while ago. nowadays they are quite willing to delay a game if it doesn't feel fun to play and/or not worth the time. which is a really good thing because many things in HOI 4 as of their original release date would've made it something like HOI 3 2.0. instead they're willing to hold games in development off for quite some time so they can do it right. so really your bleak post has a silver lining since we're past that era of unmovable deadlines.

 

[AndreasPhokas]

they can release it whenever they please so long as its ready.

id guess summer or so. So long as they don't rush it. I want this game to succed so badly and unlike any other gaming company I actually trust paradox to pull it off.

 

[Sian]

My money would be somewhere August-November '16 ... somewhere between them getting back from sommer vacations and before the market get satuated with christmas sales. If it get delayed beyond this, i'd except it no sooner than late January '17

 

[Old Man Jenkins]

My guess is late Q2 2016, but as a few people said before, it could hang on how well HOI IV goes at release.

 

[Felrisen]

I agree with Sian and Old Man Jenkins. HoI IV is due in the first half of '16 and I just can't see Paradox releasing another game until after the summer...unfortunately!

 

[ponasozis]

2016 Q3 is latest it will be released (unless something horribly goes wrong inside game)
2016 Q2 is most likely option

 

[aruon]

i hope the HOI 4-stellaris interbellum is only a few months at most.

 

[Krajzen]

i hope the HOI 4-stellaris interbellum is only a few months at most.

Well I think 6 months for it would be far-fetched extreme, more like 3-4

If I was going to bet, I'd say HoI4 will be in February and Stellaris in June, both games would have 40+ DDs then (EU4 had 40+ DDs before release)

 

[aitaituo]

Well I think 6 months for it would be far-fetched extreme, more like 3-4

If I was going to bet, I'd say HoI4 will be in February and Stellaris in June, both games would have 40+ DDs then (EU4 had 40+ DDs before release)

This would be fine by me.

 

[BooDoo]

Stellaris start date is 2200, so I guess it'll be released before that.

By that logic, CKs, EUs, VICs, and HOIs should all release before personal computer was a thing
I'll see myself out now...

 

[Krajzen]

I'll see myself out now...

see you in 200 years

 

[State Machine]

actually state, PDS acknowledged that themselves a while ago. nowadays they are quite willing to delay a game if it doesn't feel fun to play and/or not worth the time. which is a really good thing because many things in HOI 4 as of their original release date would've made it something like HOI 3 2.0. instead they're willing to hold games in development off for quite some time so they can do it right. so really your bleak post has a silver lining since we're past that era of unmovable deadlines.

Nice...

 

[jazzroen]

I'm gonna put my money on September/October 2016... based on nothing but my gut feeling but I sure as hell hope it's going to be earlier.

 

[King Ari]

Not 2015

 

[Rubidium]

Well I think 6 months for it would be far-fetched extreme, more like 3-4

If I was going to bet, I'd say HoI4 will be in February and Stellaris in June, both games would have 40+ DDs then (EU4 had 40+ DDs before release)

I'm not sure using previous numbers of DDs is the best metric; remember games are announced later.

I assume they don't want to roll out a new product right before they all go on vacation (since there will be bugs that need to be addressed, and especially with a new IP, they want to generate a positive impression), so the summer and Christmas vacation periods (and the times right before them) are out.

 

[Teije]

September/October 2016 seem very likely based on all this. Which seems far away, but there's no shortage of other great stuff to play.