HoI4 Dev Teasers (previously Podcat's Twitter Teasers)

[mjb2k]

Soooooo lets recount paradoxs possible thinking here. We have this game and its community is still alive for over 1.5 years now, yet the game is bug ridden in every aspect, sometimes even game breaking. IK lets make something for caesar Mussolini! That will really make them excited! Seriously? Your game runs like a potato, there are tons of exploits that can ruin games, glitches that sometimes crash the game or make it unplayable, OP aspects of the game that while may not break the game, they also make it impossible to play fairly in general, single player is a joke because the AI probably has a couple extra codosomes in it. But ay man, caesar mussolini why not? Oh our dlc is taking over 6 months to build because we had to fix this broken game over a year after release? Ik lets spice things up with caesar mussolini! Desyncs in your MP games? No worries Caesar Mussolini is here! Uhhhh Paradox, you high or something? Like what is this crap. I get you like alt-history a lot but you should probably focus on fixing the game and getting this long awaited dlc out for its primary objectives rather than dedicate dev time to.... this....

 

[LiberiusX]

Just as an aside, the Anglo-French Union had nothing to do with the Angevin Empire or the Norman Conquest and everything to do with the perceived immediate needs of the situation at the time.

See, I disagree, Churchill was always preoccupied with English history. He was very conscious of the 900 years of cultural exchanges between France and England. If anything it at least lent some inspiration of the idea, and probably even added a modicum of credibility in his mind.

I understand why the French found it unattractive.

 

[JerkyJerry]

Citation incredibly needed.

Alternative theory - HoI4 sold better than HoI3 because of more accessible gameplay mechanics and a more user friendly interface making it more appealing to people with no familiarity with the franchise, plus Paradox's comparatively greater resources allowing for greater marketing.

I'm sure that was part of it. However people will either play a war game or not. PDX's efforts did not make someone into a WWII lover. If it did, we would have women who play the game and to my knowledge I can still count on one hand the number of women that ever posted on this forum. Considering women are more than half the population you have to take that into consideration. Sure PDX's efforts were successful in some markets but not all.
It is the games replayability that keeps players/attracts players. That is in major part to removing the OOB. Then again every series tries to improve gameplay by making more friendly user interfaces. I think that is done with all products not just gaming.

 

[Pyro157]

Mussolini was explicit about his desire to recreate the Roman empire so this is actually a plausible path if you assume an Italy that is reasonably successful rather than imploding.

I'm part of the "stick to plausible history" faction and I have no issues with it. Hell, my first game this patch will probably be a Roman Italian run just for the giggles.

So do I.

 

[Broletariat90]

No takes on my Neo Neo Assyrian Empire? What if it was led by Neo Neo Nebuchadnezzar of the Neo Neo Party?

 

[Robosoldier1]

The real Head chef is here babbyyy

 

[Järnblomma]

See, I disagree, Churchill was always preoccupied with English history. He was very conscious of the 900 years of cultural exchanges between France and England. If anything it at least lent some inspiration of the idea, and probably even added a modicum of credibility in his mind.

I understand why the French found it unattractive.

What I can see from everything I've read the Angevin union was not really considered. The explicit point of the Union was to later make a federal European Union, a cause that Churchill had great interest in. The point there and then seems very much to have been conspired on the spot in a situation of great duress to get the french to reject armistice with the Germans. Everyhting I can find about the union with some form of historical education seem to agree that it was only "a last and desperate effort to keep France in the war", as quoted here. https://www.jstor.org/stable/260024?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

 

[Secret Master]

Mussolini was explicit about his desire to recreate the Roman empire so this is actually a plausible path if you assume an Italy that is reasonably successful rather than imploding.

The joke here is that as ridiculous as this screenshot is, I think it's how Mussolini really saw himself.

No takes on my Neo Neo Assyrian Empire? What if it was led by Neo Neo Nebuchadnezzar of the Neo Neo Party?

Given the number of bullets fired in a typical HOI4 game, he makes sense as a leader.

 

[grandad1982]

Man, these forums sometimes.

 

[Broletariat90]

The joke here is that as ridiculous as this screenshot is, I think it's how Mussolini really saw himself.

I'm not a big fan of the new crown though. It doesn't really fit with the uniform.

 

[Silver-fox]

I don't think anyone will really care if this is just an Easter Egg. Something that doesn't bother me in my playthrough? No worries. I don't agree with it, I'll ignore it, fine.

Seems a bit odd though, doesnt it? Showcasing an Easter Egg before the DLC has even released? I mean, they actively tried (and failed) to keep the HRE decision secret. They kept Rod Hull secret. The Komet Sighted was a secret. Because Easter Eggs are... well... secret. They're there to be discovered.
But this is proudly shown as a teaser - and as far as i can see, half the players hate it, half the players like it, and both sides are conjecturing wildly, saying its a fantasy disgrace, others saying its only an Easter egg, and 'probably' hard to achieve at that.

Bottom line is, we don't know. At best, Paradox are idiots that don't know how Easter eggs work. At worst - well... lets not go there just yet.

 

[Broletariat90]

It will be interesting to see how they explain it I can guarantee that.

 

[Alex_brunius]

I'm not a big fan of the new crown though. It doesn't really fit with the uniform.

We clearly need something bigger, and with more gold.

 

[Broletariat90]

We clearly need something bigger, and with more gold.

I prefer his usual hat.

 

[pvt.conners]

I imagine it's a decision you can take with the new decisions/mission system, rather than a full rework as some people are hinting at here; all the new focus trees have been revealed after all.

Also glad to see more namelists; I'd assume they've done all the historical ones.

 

[Duke_Dave]

Man, these forums sometimes.

PDX should collect data, make a survey, ask the players how important are non-historical options to them, who often and how strong do people change from historical gameplay. Based on these information we can have a civilized discussion, at the moment this is just fight-club with no database to substantiate any arguments made.

 

[CrazyZombie]

It is not bad that PDX invest some efforts in alternative history... BUT, some people seem to forget that in the term "alternative history" part "history" also has some meaning. Army-made coup of Tukhachevsky with return of Trotsky or Tukhachevsky himself, playing "Red Napoleon" is "alternative history". NKVD rebellion, led by no-name divisional commander Vlasov is not.

Also, I'm okay with PDX, making fun in their games in general. But in HOI4, it seemed to me that there are dozens of things to invest artists time BEFORE making fun with Mussolini. Like, for example, 2/3 of Soviet generals portraits, which need redrawing because someone couldn't take a look at what exactly they are drawing, when was taken the photo and etc. Stalin is from late 40-s, Franco is from 50-60-s, Mao from 60-s. WTF is that?

 

[Ksyr]

At worst - well... lets not go there just yet.

At worst I think they are making this a topic because of the accidental reveal in a stream. Without the accident it obviously could have remained an easter egg. I'm not sure why you wouldn't "go there yet".

 

[Broletariat90]

It is not bad that PDX invest some efforts in alternative history... BUT, some people seem to forget that in the term "alternative history" part "history" also has some meaning. Army-made coup of Tukhachevsky with return of Trotsky or Tukhachevsky himself, playing "Red Napoleon" is "alternative history". NKVD rebellion, led by no-name divisional commander Vlasov is not.

Also, I'm okay with PDX, making fun in their games in general. But in HOI4, it seemed to me that there are dozens of things to invest artists time BEFORE making fun with Mussolini. Like, for example, 2/3 of Soviet generals portraits, which need redrawing because someone couldn't take a look at what exactly they are drawing, when was taken the photo and etc. Stalin is from late 40-s, Franco is from 50-60-s, Mao from 60-s. WTF is that?

Mao has been fixed, Sure Franco will be fixed and Stalin could be fixed with a USSR redo.

 

[Sourlol]

I would be ok with that.

Bruh, I'm not a massive fan of the meme empires either. But people clearly are. Making accurate, plausible, and universally appeasing alt history scenarios is MUCH more difficult (read nigh impossible). Making alt history that is over the top, fun, light and 'pop-history' is easy by comparison.

We are playing a video game, not taking Foreign Relations 234: Europe 1936-1948.

Paradox has said in the past these 'meme' paths will be blocked off to AI and reserved for players.

Your idea of what is plausible alt history may differ from mine, may differ from FOARP, may differ from Axe99s, whomever. At least when it is so ridiculous as the new Roman Empire, no one is sitting there going "Per X historians data there is no way the Italians would've gone for this Roman Nationalism! And what--they just reprinted all the money?! Unplayable". People are going, "this is fun and new, and gosh what a cool objective for my next Italian campaign".