Are the focus trees becoming too unnecessarily big and complex?

[Ketchup & friends]

Not really. The main problem with focus trees is poor (sometimes even abesnt) balance between DLC.

 

[Harin]

And that's one of the problems with navigation: without foreknowledge, you might have no idea what "historical" path is, nor "historical" order of focuses. Ideally, there should be an option to let the game pick them in "historical" order for you.

Good point about not knowing what focuses are meant to be historical. Personally, I would like for focuses to have an identifying mark to let me know that focus was designed with the intent to represent something that really happened or existed. Something simple, like a small capital H in the top left or right of the focus box. If possible, maybe even a number to show the sequence the developers think best represents history in the game. Such as H-1, H-2, etc...

 

[Happy Trigger]

Good point about not knowing what focuses are meant to be historical. Personally, I would like for focuses to have an identifying mark to let me know that focus was designed with the intent to represent something that really happened or existed. Something simple, like a small capital H in the top left or right of the focus box. If possible, maybe even a number to show the sequence the developers think best represents history in the game. Such as H-1, H-2, etc...

I would go farest and say that i would like to have some focuses having a date requirement.

 

[Harin]

I would go farest and say that i would like to have some focuses having a date requirement.

Hmm, I never thought of that. Date requirements could be bad and good, but if done well and sparingly, they might be able to help developers balance focus tree interactions between nations. For example, Country A's focus tree would not have to forever make allowances for a powerful effect that may or may not come from Country B. There would be a deadline, allowing Country A's focus tree to move on without that burden.

 

[davor999]

I wrote a 7 hour written review about this game awhile back. I am unsure if you read it or not but I talked about this.

The review lasted 7 hours?

 

[Mr_Dimento]

The review lasted 7 hours?

No.. it takes as long as the person reads it for. It took me 7 hours to write it.

 

[him_15]

Nope, I love big tree.

 

[DicRoNero]

Hmm, I never thought of that. Date requirements could be bad and good, but if done well and sparingly, they might be able to help developers balance focus tree interactions between nations. For example, Country A's focus tree would not have to forever make allowances for a powerful effect that may or may not come from Country B. There would be a deadline, allowing Country A's focus tree to move on without that burden.

Given that these things are all done manually and require a lot of mental effort to foresee and implement checks within the code for each and every focus/event/interaction, I'd be very careful with inserting those dates, lest we get more of 'cool stuff' much like when Axis Italy betrays Germany and switches sides right at the middle of war. As 'historical' as it might seem, it actually should be caused by other reasons than UK simply finishing its focus 'Secure the Italian Alliance' and telling their enemies to STFU.

The bugs would be different for dates, but there still would be some, and I'd far prefer them fixing the existing ones first, as I'm almost sure this is done by the same labor force.

That said, it is definitely possible and i.e. in my mod I had a particular focus available only untill the 3rd of Sep 1939 or untill GER declared on POL, whichever came first. If you missed that chance, the focus would simply bypass. So potentially it indeed adds another layer to decision making.

 

[Harin]

Given that these things are all done manually and require a lot of mental effort to foresee and implement checks within the code for each and every focus/event/interaction, I'd be very careful with inserting those dates, lest we get more of 'cool stuff' much like when Axis Italy betrays Germany and switches sides right at the middle of war. As 'historical' as it might seem, it actually should be caused by other reasons than UK simply finishing its focus 'Secure the Italian Alliance' and telling their enemies to STFU.

The bugs would be different for dates, but there still would be some, and I'd far prefer them fixing the existing ones first, as I'm almost sure this is done by the same labor force.

That said, it is definitely possible and i.e. in my mod I had a particular focus available only untill the 3rd of Sep 1939 or untill GER declared on POL, whichever came first. If you missed that chance, the focus would simply bypass. So potentially it indeed adds another layer to decision making.

Thanks for your post. It explains some of the pitfalls. Since you used an expiration date on only one focus in your mod, I could imagine they would be used sparingly and only if they are helpful.

Your other point, that the developers need to fix existing problems in the focuses first, is hard to argue with. Since many of the focus bugs are documented, I have to agree that they should fix those bugs first and preferably soon.