Extended Timeline in later DLCs?

[Lumpy]

I really hope HOI IV will provide the platform for many expansions extending the timeline and overall content to the Cold War. I would love to see the post war setup being shaped by the actual outcome of WWII in each playthrough.

Do you think this would work out? Do you think this is utter nonsense and this game should focus on WWII only? What would you like to see as the game is developed further after release?

 

[f1nalstand17]

I would really like for the timeline to just be extended anyways. World War II did not have to start in 1939 at all. What I would like is for the timeline to be extended until 1950-55 or so, so the GER player can begin the war in 1945(like Hitler intended).

 

[Marshall18]

I think it could be extended a bit in the beginning and a bit in the end, if necessary (something like 1930-1950), but not more. This is a WW2 game with WW2 mechanics. DLCs should rather focus on new features for the war itself, balancing and flavor. The cold war should deserves its own game with its own mechanics

 

[dalailama2006]

... so the GER player can begin the war in 1945(like Hitler intended).

Sorry to derail slightly but I have not heard this before, how do you know this?

OT: I would really like an extended timeline but I think it would be too much work for a DLC, it would probably require an entirely new game.

 

[Adonnus]

Sorry to derail slightly but I have not heard this before, how do you know this?

I've personally read multiple times that Hitler intended to attack the West in 1942/43 only after Germany had finished its rearmament.

An extended timeline to 1964 or whenever would be great, even if there are no events past 1948. This could work via a "Victory!" or "Defeat!" event, where you're shown your score and have the option to continue playing.

 

[FOARP]

WW1 DLC. Not as a timeline extension necessarily, but just as an additional start-date wit appropriate techs etc. for the 1914-1918 period.

 

[Mercenary46]

I would enjoy a timeline extension in any form. The twelve year timeline feels way too cramped no thanks to being used to hundreds of years in comparison with the other three games.

 

[ObssesedNuker]

I'd be okay with extending it to 1953, like with the HoI2: Doomsday X-Pac. Anything beyond that isn't suited for HOI's style.

 

[overthewall]

34-54 would be good to have

 

[Poh]

no thank you. Or maybe if theres a really really good reason for it. Generally i think the timeline is great and would rather see DLCs add more flavour, choices, gameplay elements and systems for the timeline which is already in place. Look at EUIV, they havnt extended the timeline and its 1,5 years after launch. They still focus on adding content at provide a better and deeper game experience for the original timeline and that would be my prefered way. Okay i know the timeline is way larger for EUIV, this is the reason which is why "maybe if theres a really good reason".

 

[f1nalstand17]

no thank you. Or maybe if theres a really really good reason for it. Generally i think the timeline is great and would rather see DLCs add more flavour, choices, gameplay elements and systems for the timeline which is already in place. Look at EUIV, they havnt extended the timeline and its 1,5 years after launch. They still focus on adding content at provide a better and deeper game experience for the original timeline and that would be my prefered way. Okay i know the timeline is way larger for EUIV, this is the reason which is why "maybe if theres a really good reason".

There already is a really good reason: that OTL WWII isn't railroaded to start at 1939, rather allow the nations to build up. This would also dramatically increase not only the replayability value of the game, but also increase the gameplay experience of minors(the devs have already said that HOI4 is supposed to be a "sandbox" style game anyways.

 

[Ruthlesssamuria]

I'd like to see Start of game begin with Hitler being appointed Chancellor in 1933.

 

[Chromos]

Depends how far into CW timeline you want to go.
As for a "true/interesting" CW game, HoI will allways to much fokused on WW2 stuff.
And to change gameplay into getting interesting CW features, too much needs to be added/changed maybe.
You need nukes and stuff around much more detailed(strat subs, ICBM.. SDI), ship combat with missles exceed numerous current HoI prov sizes, planes moving at supersonic speed need ajustments for combat in the provs too(CAGs..). Thats already quite some big changes "under the hood" only for combat.
And then, spacerace, spionage war, economic... I doubt it, it will be easier to design a complete new game around it. And afaik there is a CW game under development. So that niche is getting filled already.


But
as HoI2 had already an Add-on that extended the timeline for a possible third WW(timeline up to 1960), that might be possible for HoI4 again imo.
Small changes to the engine could be done easier and would still fit into the HoI game philosophy.

Same for WW1(timeline 1905-1920). Afaik that mod for HoI3 has among the most downloads of the bigger Mods. Not much talks, but many download it. So it could also be a good selling dlc.
Next to that, imho it would be easier to adopt the engine to that kind of timeline. Intermediate time would not needed to be filled. Mods could do that if wanted. But new mechanic/features would be needed to have a more "WW1 feeling".

I'm all for it, expand it later to WW1 and "WW3".

 

[Axe99]

Thoughts of a random HoI fan :

- Would personally prefer at least initial DLC to focus on deepening mechanics.
- Timeline extensions are good, but with a focus. Chromos' points on this very good - using HoI for the Cold War makes little sense, the mechanics aren't built for it. Using HoI for an alternative-history WW3 that blows up in the late 1940s/early 1950s, on the other hand, would work fine. WW1 would also be good as well (although I'd personally like to see this as DLC for Vicky 3 ).
- Important that timeline extensions and associated mechanics don't take away from the core WW2. I know the DLC are optional, but DLC releases often bring with them core game updates that are as good as compulsory (unless you roll back and whatnot, so goodbye any bug fixes that come with the patches). Any DLC mechanics that are focussed on pre-1936 or WW3/Cold War and don't work as well with the 1936-1948 core of the game should be optional.

 

[Mafiabrett]

I kinda wish the East vs West game never got cancelled, I think the Cold War is a very interesting era.. now only if there is a expansion pack including a new scenario start date at WW2's end and gives us 40 years to play xP

 

[FOARP]

I kinda wish the East vs West game never got cancelled, I think the Cold War is a very interesting era.. now only if there is a expansion pack including a new scenario start date at WW2's end and gives us 40 years to play xP

40 years of playing a war game with no major wars? I'd love to see a Doomsday expansion similar to the one for HOI2, but expanding all the way to '91's just way too much.

Never understood the demands to expand back to 1933, since I can't see what the additional three years would add by itself - conversely Japan's invasion of China began in earnest in 1931, so there is that.

 

[Cybvep]

Sorry, guys, but that's very unlikely. HOI4 will be war-focused and the CW timeline needs advanced peacetime gameplay. It would be very hard to make a game that you can play from 1939 to 1991, considering all the ways the war can end and all the complexities of the CW.
On the other hand, WWI DLC could be great.

 

[Poh]

There already is a really good reason: that OTL WWII isn't railroaded to start at 1939, rather allow the nations to build up. This would also dramatically increase not only the replayability value of the game, but also increase the gameplay experience of minors(the devs have already said that HOI4 is supposed to be a "sandbox" style game anyways.

you can argue that an extended timeline to include some years at the end so germany can wait untill '41 or '42 or similar to starting the war would make sense. However i think you would need to include a lot more stuff (than i think is included in the base game) to do in the pre-war years before it would make for a fun gameplay to extend the wardeclaration from 3 years to 6 years after gamestart

 

[FOARP]

Sorry, guys, but that's very unlikely. HOI4 will be war-focused and the CW timeline needs advanced peacetime gameplay. It would be very hard to make a game that you can play from 1939 to 1991, considering all the ways the war can end and all the complexities of the CW.
On the other hand, WWI DLC could be great.

Seconded, as usual.

I guess a corollary to the question being asked here is: how many start dates? The somewhat perverse answer to this (given how we all want to see more content) is: as few as possible. Why? Because the more start-dates there are, the less attention each one gets. Ultimately there are only about 4 dates I'd really ever play even with DLCs -

- 1936, for obvious reasons
- 1939, for equally obvious reasons
- 1914, via a DLC
- 1945 'Doomsday', via a DLC

 

[Klausewitz]

Nay.
As it was in HoI3 you had won or lost the war by 1943 at the latest.
All else was mopping up.
So if the principles stay the same their is no point in extending the time line:
Nothing new comes of it.