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Archangel85

Content Design, HoI4 [Retired]
Paradox Staff
64 Badges
Jan 27, 2005
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Hello all, and welcome back to another DevDiary! Last week, we released Battle for the Bosporus (some of you may remember it). Given that we took the number 1 top-seller spot on steam within an hour of launch, and without pre-orders, I daresay that the idea of a country pack has been a success.

Now, let’s look at some Telemetry we got from the first couple of days after release!

For starters, we are seeing a big increase in people playing the new countries that is not at all surprising. After release, Germany still leads the list of most-played countries, but it’s overall margin has shrunk quite a bit over the years. After the game’s initial release, some 40% of games were played as Germany, now it is less than 20%. In second place is, unsurprisingly, Turkey with 16%, followed by Greece at just under 10% and the Soviet Union at 7.4 %. Bulgaria comes in a hair below it at 7% of total games played.

Next, let’s look at the focuses everyone has been picking!

About a third of players in Turkey opted to bring back the Sultan, compared to 48% who decided to remain a republic and engage with the big three factions. 12% opted to form their own faction and integrate the Balkans. Of the players who opted to join the world war, most chose to join the Axis, while only a small handful managed to get the old Central Powers back together. Only about 11% managed to bring back Camelry, showing that perhaps the age of the Camel in warfare has passed.

In Greece, it appears that monarchy is in crisis, with 73% opting to bring back the exiled republicans, although more than two thirds then decided to compromise with the monarchists in what can only be described as a disgusting lack of principles. Unfulfilled with merely supporting a simple king, a total of 43% then continued to revive the double-headed eagle in an attempt to restore the Byzantine Emperor.

May we remind people that we have recently released an entire game where you can play as the Byzantine Emperor from the start?

Just putting that out there.

In Bulgaria, it appears that Monarchy is decidedly back in fashion as about two thirds decided to give power to the Tsar. A similar number then allowed the Tsar to form the government, before later having to choose between strengthening the royal dictatorship or arranging for an unfortunate accident for Tsar Boris. The vast majority decided to plot against the Tsar, showing that once again HoI players have the right mindset to play CKIII.

The vast majority then decided to back the old Tsar Ferdinand I - perhaps unsurprisingly, considering that the alternative is a literal child.

On the other side of the divide, there is a clear preference for the Balkan Federation of Socialist Republics, which was picked about 7 times as often as the alternative. Perhaps people just don’t like Stalin? For more than 10% of games, this ends with the Balkans fully unified.

We did also get a lot of feedback from you guys about bugs and other issues that we are going to address in the coming weeks. Like we did before, we will be having an open beta coming soon with a number of bug fixes and some changes to address some of the more widespread concerns raised, such as the time you spend addressing political issues in the Turkish focus tree. We expect that patch to become available for the main branch at a later date. More info on what is in the open beta and how to access it will come when the beta becomes available.

DevDiaries will be taking a small break as we continue work on the next DLC and Patch “Barbarossa”. More info on those will come when we resume. We don’t expect this break to be nearly as long as the one between La Resistance and Battle for the Bosporus, but 2020 has been a year full of unexpected events, so we can’t give you a firm promise on when they will return.
 
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"Barbarossa". A well known pirate! A further DLC on the Ottomans!
Or maybe it's a Akira Kurosawa reference and a Japan expansion... hmmm. It cannot be that simple. :cool:
 
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We did also get a lot of feedback from you guys about bugs and other issues that we are going to address in the coming weeks. Like we did before, we will be having an open beta coming soon with a number of bug fixes and some changes to address some of the more widespread concerns raised, such as the time you spend addressing political issues in the Turkish focus tree. We expect that patch to become available for the main branch at a later date. More info on what is in the open beta and how to access it will come when the beta becomes available.
I mainly think Turkish focus tree is slow but not very slow, decrease from 70 days to 35-50 in "some" options would make it perfect. I was following feedbacks whole week and tried myself. I guess inner politics might be shorter comparing to outer politics (getting along with majors)
Turkey gains some claims too late, I mean cores might be late it is okay, but when claims are late, you lost involvement in some regions.

I mainly think military branch of tree should definitely have shorter times (35 instead of 70), you need years to complete it and points, its hard to do as you also need to follow political branches.

I personally observed unimportant bug making Recep Peker leader and prime minister at the same time - it should be fixed.

People were generally annoyed by research options: Turkey starts with 3, and can only get 4th one (Ottomans stay at 3) while Mexico can get 5.

I think Turkey should get 4th research bit earlier if its possible, 5th research being late is not that important. If you think it would make Turkey too strong you might hide it behind Turan as it is already hard to complete.

There could be some other minor fixes/additions like construction of Anıtkabir decision I would really love to see in game, but all in all many internal issues in Turkey were well designed and represented, Kemalist ideology, 6 arrows - especially etatism, advisor lists are awesome, commander skills are on point, Kemalist-Traditionalist-Kurdish rebel tensions are fun to deal with.
Turkish community enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for everything.
 
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Only about 11% managed to bring back Camelry, showing that perhaps the age of the Camel in warfare has passed.
Or rather, showing that the Camelry focus is in the wrong place in the focus tree.

In my opinion it should be part of the Armed Forces tree, not dependent on going back Sultanate.
 
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DevDiaries will be taking a small break as we continue work on the next DLC and Patch “Barbarossa”. More info on those will come when we resume. We don’t expect this break to be nearly as long as the one between La Resistance and Battle for the Bosporus, but 2020 has been a year full of unexpected events, so we can’t give you a firm promise on when they will return.

Glad to see the DLC did well, more flavour for small nations is a nice thing to have (but not a must buy like a major expansion).

I'll be eagerly awaiting info on barbarossa, needless to say that land/air rework (strategic ressources revamp ?) and SU focus tree will be closely watched, please keep up the good work !
 
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"Barbarossa". A well known pirate! A further DLC on the Ottomans!
Or maybe it's a Akira Kurosawa reference and a Japan expansion... hmmm. It cannot be that simple. :cool:
I'm sorry my friend, but you are clearly wrong. Friedrich Barbarossa, the Emperor who fought the Italian Communalities... The hint is clear. Shattered principality italy + Crusade mechanics confirmed. Finally, after years the game is finished.
 
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Like we did before, we will be having an open beta coming soon with a number of bug fixes and some changes to address some of the more widespread concerns raised
I suppose you would have been more specific than 'soon' if you could, but I still feel the urge to ask: can we hope it comes before the week-end? Before next wednesday? Pretty please with a cherry on top =)
 
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Barbarossa was the German plan for the invasion of Russia in 1941, breaking the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.

Does this suggest both improvements in the German side, and a, finally, rebuilt Russian focus tree and functionality.
 
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Congratulations for the release! I'm both happy and sad seeing Hearts of Iron the top played PDX game at Steam (after awesome start for CK3) - https://steamdb.info/graph/?compare=394360,1158310
Screenshot from 2020-10-21 11-03-32.png
 
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Barbarossa was the German plan for the invasion of Russia in 1941, breaking the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.

Does this suggest both improvements in the German side, and a, finally, rebuilt Russian focus tree and functionality.

Nah, can't be that.

It's obviously a reference to 1988 board game classic Barbarossa by legendary board game designer Klaus Teuber (of Settler of Catan fame). Personally, I'm looking forward to finally seeing the German board game industry properly represented in a PDS game.
 
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