Good country to start with as a new player?

[petethecanuck]

Hi folks. I'm new to the HOI series and am excited to dive into it next week. I'm caught up reading the dev diaries and been watching the Wednesday twitch streams the past few months.

I'm wondering though, as a newbie (I'm a pretty average player in EU IV and Stellaris), what would be a good country to start off with as to not get too overwhelmed.

Thanks for any tips/advice!

cheers

 

[vipic]

Hi folks. I'm new to the HOI series and am excited to dive into it next week. I'm caught up reading the dev diaries and been watching the Wednesday twitch streams the past few months.

I'm wondering though, as a newbie (I'm a pretty average player in EU IV and Stellaris), what would be a good country to start off with as to not get too overwhelmed.

Thanks for any tips/advice!

cheers

Most people will say Italy or the likes, and that is the first game the tutorial starts you off in.

In HOI 2 and 3 I always started with my first country being Brazil. The sheer number of divisions and research of the other countries can be overwhelming. Brazil still has a reasonable industrial capacity and the potential to produce alot of divisions but start off nice and slowly. You dont have to really worry about the world war 2 conflict because you are far removed from it and you are the strongest power in South America so you can practice conquering your neighbors with relative ease. It allows you to kind of take the game at your own pace however slow or fast that might be.

It should be alot easier now too because the USA isn't going to randomly intervene when you attack someone like in HOI 2 and 3 so you can learn without the USA eventually stomping you.

 

[Mannstien]

The tutorial nation Italy is normally my suggestion since you'll get a lot of info on game mechanics out of it and after the tutorial ends you can either continue or if that's a bit to heavy as you play more you can switch to a country like Brazil or Bulgaria with the former being completely out of the war until your ready and the latter in historical mode at least would stay out of the war for quite sometime but most likely will eventually get involved one way or another.

 

[Earmuffs]

I think the UK is gonna be a good new player friendly country to play.
They're a major power so they have great potential. They have lots of resources with their colonies. They have a great navy. And of course they have the big island.
Hell, you can even decide to leave Poland to their fate and not go to war. UK to me seems like it has all the elements you need to learn to play the game the best you can and is the safest country to do so.

My opinion of course.

 

[atredies]

I hear Luxembourg needs a green leader to initiate world domination, Luxembourg WILL RISE!

 

[Joebobpants]

I personally favor Canada as in HOI 3 at least, had enough industrial power to contribute to the war and with out the worry of being invaded. Canada also has the ability to participate in both the European theater as well as the Pacific.

 

[Dr. Frog]

Poland '39 start date.
Wait, that's a bad idea; however, Poland with '36 start date and allying with Soviets or Axis could be a good first game for a newbie.

 

[Dichologos]

Poland '39 start date.
Wait, that's a bad idea; however, Poland with '36 start date and allying with Soviets or Axis could be a good first game for a newbie.

Poland seems by far to be the most difficult nation to start as.

I mean, they are seriously on a collision course for a war that is hard to avoid with powers far greater than them on either side from the beginning. There are more minor nations that are weaker than they are, sure, but I can't think of any of them which are sure to get crushed without a lot of skill and perhaps some luck.

Well, unless you can pick Ethiopia or something and try to fight Italy, in which case that might be harder.

 

[Novatheorem]

I think the tutorial countries are still the same in HoI4 as they were in 3. If that's still true, then they would be as follows:

Overall: Italy (has an early small war, a decent land force to work from, sizeable navy and borders a large ally)
Economic: Brazil (no economy to speak of, but strong resource base and has no enemies to deflect)
Land: Hungary (very aggressive starting force and can overwhelm its neighbors pretty easy; small frontage)
Naval: Canada (powerful industrial base, no real land war threat, support from a very strong naval partner in UK and/or US)

I've not seen any particular reference for air combat, but I'd venture that Germany is going to be the best tutorial nation for something like that.

 

[BBBD316]

I think play the tutorial just to work out the basics and then see how confident you feel.

Generally once you have the basics down try one of the majors and see how you go. Also check out the AAR's once the game goes live and they start going up as they often show the best strategies that players use.

 

[77Hawk77]

Hi folks. I'm new to the HOI series and am excited to dive into it next week. I'm caught up reading the dev diaries and been watching the Wednesday twitch streams the past few months.

I'm wondering though, as a newbie (I'm a pretty average player in EU IV and Stellaris), what would be a good country to start off with as to not get too overwhelmed.

Thanks for any tips/advice!

cheers

If you really wanna learn the game, you play germany, you'll explore all the mechanics and you get huge buffs and free territory almost without trying, until 1941 it's a cakewalk, and then the soviet union eats you. But then you can learn about desperate fighting aswell.

 

[Mac Lazer]

I don't think there is really one single all around BEST nation for someone to learn to play the game. Different countries can help you with different aspects.
Learn the political/diplomatic game as Germany, while you master mobile warfare.
Learn the Navy as Italy.
The Soviet Union can be great for one to learn their basic ground forces. The Winter War would be a perfect way to test your abilities with battleplans.
France would be a nice country to really get the hang on politics, but it's risky, because one mistake could cost you the game.
And of course, USA for airforce.

 

[TimLewis903]

In most Paradox titles Sweden is a great choice for a first play through to learn the game mechanics. They have decent industry, they have decent raw materials, they have lots of options, and can get into pretty much any faction they want to. The only weakness is low manpower compared to their industry.

 

[Fobok]

After my first run-through with Italy, with the tutorial, I'm considering a campaign as Canada. Not just because I am Canadian, but it seems a relatively safe country to explore some features with.

 

[hammercat]

Most people will say Italy or the likes, and that is the first game the tutorial starts you off in.

In HOI 2 and 3 I always started with my first country being Brazil. The sheer number of divisions and research of the other countries can be overwhelming. Brazil still has a reasonable industrial capacity and the potential to produce alot of divisions but start off nice and slowly. You dont have to really worry about the world war 2 conflict because you are far removed from it and you are the strongest power in South America so you can practice conquering your neighbors with relative ease. It allows you to kind of take the game at your own pace however slow or fast that might be.

It should be alot easier now too because the USA isn't going to randomly intervene when you attack someone like in HOI 2 and 3 so you can learn without the USA eventually stomping you.

This works for Argentina in HOI3 also so I suspect it will work in HOI4. Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Peru are all there for the taking!

 

[fredgiblet]

Italy or Brazil are the ones I see most often suggested. Brazil can conquer South America and gives a good bit of practice with controlling things. Italy is more powerful and important, but still small enough with little enough responsibility that they aren't totally overwhelming.

 

[fredgiblet]

I think the UK is gonna be a good new player friendly country to play.
They're a major power so they have great potential. They have lots of resources with their colonies. They have a great navy. And of course they have the big island.
Hell, you can even decide to leave Poland to their fate and not go to war. UK to me seems like it has all the elements you need to learn to play the game the best you can and is the safest country to do so.

They also have a world-spanning empire to manage, have to fight on two fronts on opposite sides of the world and require significant naval management.

 

[Consumerist]

Germany has an actual difficulty curve in that the nations you fight become increasingly stronger with the USSR being the final boss.

 

[Harada.Taro]

easiest is the USA. A cakewalk, you have all the requiered ressources, industry and manpower. You are at peace until late in the game and able to develop/research a top grade equipment. When war will fall on you you risk nothing from the Third Reich and Italy and for Japan attack normally unless you are playing stupid you should just be ready to steamroll from Hawai to Tokyo in less than 6 months...

 

[TiberiusfromSWG]

I started hoi3 as Germany. I lost horrible my first two games but I learned a lot. My first game I sent one starting division on each province against the French mag line. While the rest of my starting forces marched on Poland. (I went navy and tank crazy in the build que). One month in I beat Poland the uk controlled my skies. And the French painted my nap blue and took Berlin I shattered all of my divisions on the western front.

For me the best way to learn hoi was to learn what not to do by my third game I did a successful sea lion and learned the soviet attack you when you take London. But I pushed them back and won. It was by far the most fun 5 hour session of hoi I ever played.