I’ve gotten to spend a bit of time testing 1.2 and I’ve come to a few conclusion which are both promising and disappointing.
What is disappointing -
Game Speed: Prior to a war breaking out between major powers the game speed is now fully acceptable. Once war has broken out between major powers the game speed slows drastically. I haven’t tried to play past early ‘42 but the speed by that point makes the game a good deal less enjoyable then I would like. It’s not game breaking but it’s far from encouraging.
Weather: As unworkable as it was in 1.1c.
Provincial AA: It’s useless
Strategic Bombers: They can’t be intercepted, AA does nothing to them and they are totally devastating in spite of having every relevant AA technology available in ‘41 and spending a lot on building radar stations.
The map: Most of the geographical errors remain but at least Stalingrad seems to be in the right place.
Blitzkrieg: Not possible in ‘38 since attackers take far to little time to lose effectiveness and far too much time to get going again.
Industrial/Research AI: Demented production decisions are common for major and minor powers a like which is a real problem. The UK for instance seems to make nothing but transports, convoys and strategic bombers and it appears that not able to make enough supplies. Haven’t tried out espionage yet. Nations controlled my the AI often do little in terms of research and they do nothing at all in terms of doctrine. The later especially true for minor powers, Germany, U.S. and and the USSR.
AI Trading: It’s simply impossible for most minors to get enough supplies in even peace time to maintain full ICs and during war it’s worse. Japan can’t get anything it needs from trade and losses lots of ICs a result. Germany has the same problem but not quite as severe.
Odd retreats: I’ve found that both major and minor powers controlled by the AI often retreat after a successful offensive for reasons I can’t figure out.
German AI: German troops seem to be chronically out of supply in Poland, Southern and Coastal Germany and for some odd reason massive troop build ups take place Belgium while never attacking any other low country they are at war with.
Japanese & Chinese AI: A complete disaster with little improvement over 1.1c. Puppets still declare war on the master and act in ways totally at odds with being a puppet. Japan simply won’t build convoys and are always having units out of supply.
- Define Theaters function: It doesn’t work.
Diplomatic AI: The old “everyone” rushes to join the allies in ‘38 (even Finland) problem remains the same although Canada usually waits far longer then most to go against a truncated axis.
For some odd reason when ever I play Japan, Germany, Italy, Hungary or Bulgaria a successful offensive always ends in my armies retreating if they are managed by the IA.
Mobilization: For some reason I don’t get when ever I play Japan, Germany, Italy, Hungary or Bulgaria my mobilizing my armed forces rarely results in anyone else doing likewise. No one will mobilize until war is declared on them.
Radars: Usually they have far less range they should and if you reload the game they have no range.
All of the supply problems from 1.1c seem to remain as bad as ever.
The promise: HoI 3 has basic functionality now and can actually run. I think that PI is serious about making a game worth playing out of the current product. Assuming that the issues mentioned above can be sorted out 1.2 could become a great game.
