Which Mod is the most worth playing?

[Napoleon79]

Hello Folks!

Coming back to HoI2: DD after about 9 month of pausing, I was surprised to see how very much alive the modding community still is... Congratulations on that!

So now I am considering trying out some mod that is new or updated out there, but I simply cannot make up my mind which I should give a go. If I had loads of time, I surely would try one after the other, but I don´t. So I was hoping that some of you guys could recommend me some mod.

I am mostly interested in historical accuracy as well as strategy (what a surprise :rofl: ), so those would be the main benchmarks.

Anyways, I think it may be a good idea, if the main Mods were to present themselves in short within a dedicated thread so that casual players like me don´t have to browse the forums for hours until they find something for their taste (I know, there is the "Ongoing Projects and Modifications - Links"-Sticky, but its not very helpfull either, since it takes quite a while to find out what each mod is actually like& all about). If the mods are made to be played by a large number of people, so why not make them more accessible? And while we are at it, it might make sense to allow players to give marks to each mod in different criterias like historicity, playability, AI, etc.

 

[Hagar]

I wouldn't mind having such a tread, as it would save us the hassle of having to explain the workings of CORE over and over again. Unfortunately we can't sticky things, so for now questions like these pop up time and again. I like the idea of a list with rating in different areas though - but it has to be per major release of a mod (things do change), and it would be nice if the versions required/supported are listed as well (Vanilla, DD, ARM including patch level).

Based on your preference in historical accuracy combined with strategy my personal picks would be CORE (obviously), Mod33/Mod34, TRP and perhaps Compendium (basically a mixture of existing mods). I know there are other, less known mods out there that should be listed as well, but as I am no expert on them I can't recommend them myself.
TRP has the best AI, whilst CORE and Mod33/34 have the best tech trees, and CORE the best historical accuracy and diverse model lineup AFAIK. All are pretty well covered in terms of events.

As a member of the CORE dev team I can assure you that we use mod-dir exclusively, so there's no harm in trying it out. Plus it comes with a manual, explaining the most elementary differences and the CORE philosophy. The major downsides of CORE right now are an AI that needs further improvement (scheduled for the next upcoming release, where we will migrate to an AI based on that of TRP), the time it takes to get a good feel with the ins and out of our vast tech trees, and the addictiveness of CORE (especially the tech trees).

For more information about CORE you can check out these threads for one:
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ad.php?t=323934

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ad.php?t=318135

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ad.php?t=276601

As to graphics packs in combination with CORE you can check out this thread:
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=314314

I certainly would install either the CORE B&W graphics pack add-on or GIP combined with the CORE in Color graphics pack add-on.

 

[unmerged(55086)]

Compendium.

 

[CSABadass]

Obligatory plug for mod:

 

[unmerged(63908)]

Marking scheme would rather discourage the modders out there , if hours and hours of work pays of only with very low marks.
popular and good mods are automatically known by most people due to their publicity

 

[Lord Finnish]

Use Checkoslovakia, Hungary and China improvement packs. There, you have 4 more fun countries.

 

[unmerged(88789)]

I like Mod33 though if you are an English Speaker some of the Events are at times unable to be ciphered otherwise it is pretty good for being translated from French. Most of the other Mods I like are rather ahistorical like Kaiserreich and I love Modern Day Scenario II.

 

[unmerged(90249)]

I play mod33 since a year.

What I like about it :

1) not much manpower, so no capacity to create endless hords of anything. With vanilla, DD, Arma, I never build land force infact (no need as I play SP, and the computer will still be not clevert as I am; or to reformulate the computer was never tought strategy or grand strategy, I was tought at the french 'ecole de guerre' 20 years ago).

2) the capacity to go ahistorical (Germany with Willem, Austria with Habsbourg, Scandinavia in 1933 ....)

3) The combat system

4) interesting brigades, or interresting new techs.

I also use to play HSR, but I do play it as France. The challenge is great, but it's the only mode were you can have fun without building lvl 10 forts allaround the border and go to take Italia andthen south Germany. HSR give more new tech that could allow to have original ideas for the strategy during the WWII

For the graphics I use a mix of Cpack (icones) and GIP (if I do remenber well), Bebro and VonManstein for the animations.

Anyway the best would be (I started but I do not have time to work on it) to mix various mods outof there (Naval improvement, Core, HSR and mod 33 for the tech for exemple). For the AI, I use to mod myself following what I notice, mostly I do a switch when I need some effects for a short time, it allow to have several behavior such as : build IC whatever happend if it before 38 and if you have less than 20 or 40 or 60 or 80, it will avoid Austria stuck at 18, Spain at 48, und so weiter. Used with a date it work well.

 

[Hagar]

I play mod33 since a year.

What I like about it :

1) not much manpower, so no capacity to create endless hords of anything. With vanilla, DD, Arma, I never build land force infact (no need as I play SP, and the computer will still be not clevert as I am; or to reformulate the computer was never tought strategy or grand strategy, I was tought at the french 'ecole de guerre' 20 years ago).

2) the capacity to go ahistorical (Germany with Willem, Austria with Habsbourg, Scandinavia in 1933 ....)

3) The combat system

4) interesting brigades, or interresting new techs.

I also use to play HSR, but I do play it as France. The challenge is great, but it's the only mode were you can have fun without building lvl 10 forts allaround the border and go to take Italia andthen south Germany. HSR give more new tech that could allow to have original ideas for the strategy during the WWII

For the graphics I use a mix of Cpack (icones) and GIP (if I do remenber well), Bebro and VonManstein for the animations.

Anyway the best would be (I started but I do not have time to work on it) to mix various mods outof there (Naval improvement, Core, HSR and mod 33 for the tech for exemple). For the AI, I use to mod myself following what I notice, mostly I do a switch when I need some effects for a short time, it allow to have several behavior such as : build IC whatever happend if it before 38 and if you have less than 20 or 40 or 60 or 80, it will avoid Austria stuck at 18, Spain at 48, und so weiter. Used with a date it work well.

Mixing CORE with other mods might prove a tad difficult, as our models and techs vastly differ from regular Vanilla. Compendium is the closest thing to a 'best-of-all-worlds' attempt of a mod, I guess. But the differences in setup is exactly the reason we have our own graphics packs, as we have to correct the graphics oddities because of it.
Based on your plus sides of Mod33 I would recommend having a go at CORE as well, as those are areas we focus on as well.

 

[yourworstnightm]

Try Kaiserreich, I love when every nation have such different paths to walk, it seldom get boring.

 

[unmerged(85184)]

Mod34 is just great. Try it. And I'm playing SMEP right now, but Mod34 is better (I think so)!

 

[Hallsten]

Of all mods I've played TRP is the only one that's given me a challenge on normal difficulty, it also improves battle length and gameplay in general. Strongly recommended!

 

[unmerged(67558)]

I'm also looking for a mod to play... I've downloaded Kaiserreich and am looking at both TRP and C.O.R.E. What exactly are these mods? I've looked at their sites and forum sections, and I just can't quite grab anything concrete. There are plenty of . Normally I consider myself able to RTFM, but I can't find TFM. Normally I would just download them and try them, but I'd like some kind of heads up.

Please?

 

[unmerged(90249)]

Mixing CORE with other mods might prove a tad difficult, as our models and techs vastly differ from regular Vanilla. Compendium is the closest thing to a 'best-of-all-worlds' attempt of a mod, I guess. But the differences in setup is exactly the reason we have our own graphics packs, as we have to correct the graphics oddities because of it.
Based on your plus sides of Mod33 I would recommend having a go at CORE as well, as those are areas we focus on as well.

Vastly differ, that I can do, no need to download a mod for that lol.

What I was trying to tell is ther e is many mods that focuse on one (or maybe 2) aspect of the game. The national mods (Austrian empire, Scnadinavia, China consolidated ....). The technical mods (the naval mod was one of them), the star_before , or finish_after mods (mod33 or mod34). The all round such HSR or CORE.

I already tried CORE, maybe should I retry!

 

[Hagar]

I'm also looking for a mod to play... I've downloaded Kaiserreich and am looking at both TRP and C.O.R.E. What exactly are these mods? I've looked at their sites and forum sections, and I just can't quite grab anything concrete. There are plenty of . Normally I consider myself able to RTFM, but I can't find TFM. Normally I would just download them and try them, but I'd like some kind of heads up.

Please?

Well, there's CORE's manual right here.... There's plenty of material on CORE and it's specifics scattered within the subforum here at the Paradox forums, and the more detailed questions and discussions are on our own forum (www.terranova.dk). Should you still want to know more please feel free to post any questions (preferably in either our subforum or on our own - due to a broader CORE audience there). And, as we use mod-dir exclusively you can always download, install and try it out without problem in your 'regular' DD or ARM setup.

I already tried CORE, maybe should I retry!

Well, I'm somewhat biased I guess. But if you've haven't tried 0.3x then you certainly should, I'd say. It's true we have a low release cycle, but that's mainly due to the vast amount of changes we incorporate in a major release. The upcoming 0.40 (still several months away) will incorporate a TRP-like AI, revamped and improved naval and naval doctrine techs, along with new model ranges like CVLs, CVE's and such. Add to that a revised IC worldwide distribution, new events, new tech teams, new graphics etc etc and you'll start to understand what we define as a 'major release'.

 

[unmerged(87667)]

some of my unbiases mod impressions - these are my favorites so far

core - very realistic and in deep tech tree, very challenging. sometimes too real for my taste

mod 33 - very nice new events and a medium depth tech tree, cool special forces units, some new brigades, manpower restraints sometimes very severe until war starts, (translation to english not very good somtimes as well but if you speak french, you can get the gist of it)

mod 34 - moderate in realism and new events, deepest and most confusing tech tree, best brigades, would be rated higher but spanish to english translation is pretty bad so far

all the russias - a very interesting mod where the soviet union never occurs, adds a lot of interesting alliances and situations, the tech trees and units are the same as vanilla, a few good events

 

[unmerged(42794)]

I reccomend Compendium, it includes TRP, CCIP, the Naval MOD and GIP and the Skiff Icons adapted for the game.
It is a completely new game, awesome AI, historical and realistic, chances to go ahistoric within the historic boundaries, completely reworked combat system and tech tree, 1000s of new events.
It is stable, working thoroughly until the end, one of the best working mods out there.
Maybe when Core gets a few releases out it will be better, but Compendium is long past needing to work on basic issues, and Core is still very much a project in development.
So for a stable and working Mod that makes HoI feel more like a historic simulation, Compendium is the way to go, and when Core has done all the basics + bugfixes then it would be worth playing, but it is too much in a beta phase right now.

 

[unmerged(90249)]

Well, I'm somewhat biased I guess. But if you've haven't tried 0.3x then you certainly should, I'd say. It's true we have a low release cycle, but that's mainly due to the vast amount of changes we incorporate in a major release. The upcoming 0.40 (still several months away) will incorporate a TRP-like AI, revamped and improved naval and naval doctrine techs, along with new model ranges like CVLs, CVE's and such. Add to that a revised IC worldwide distribution, new events, new tech teams, new graphics etc etc and you'll start to understand what we define as a 'major release'.

I just DL it, 0.3.2 I think, installed , and just checked it (no play, no time for that for at least 5 days).

Well, let say I do not want to play with the original icones (they are ugly).

For the tech tree, well I do not like it, because mostly I do not think it's realistic. But that is personnal, and I do need to play it a lot to give a personnal judgement. Right now I just have glimpses of feelings.

I do noticed some interresting things thought, but have to verify how they work (such as varioustypes of TP ....)

In fact what I do like in some other mods is thefact you will research a tech not because you will build the corresponding brigades (whatever is it anyone who build an AC bg?) but because that tech will give a nice +1 in hard attack for all the existing divisions, and yes it's how it works in real : some people from a regiment will be trained for this materiel, learn new tactics, and even if the materiel is not delivered, tactic will be used (+1). In real world it's how it work.

But I repeat, I did not play, so that are ONLY and FOREMOST just glimpes of feelings, and maybe I am wrong.

 

[Hagar]

Maybe when Core gets a few releases out it will be better, but Compendium is long past needing to work on basic issues, and Core is still very much a project in development.
So for a stable and working Mod that makes HoI feel more like a historic simulation, Compendium is the way to go, and when Core has done all the basics + bugfixes then it would be worth playing, but it is too much in a beta phase right now.

Hopefully the upcoming 0.40 CORE release will cover the last of the major fundamental revisions, as that will upgrade our naval techs and models to the 1953(ish) timeline, and get the AI up to the level required.
We do strive to make every release a fully playable, enjoyable release. Despite the changes planned for 0.40 it should work fine as a mod. We hardly have any outstanding bugs as it is, which proves something. But CORE is still a mod very much in development, or should I say further improvement?

Well, let say I do not want to play with the original icones (they are ugly).

A matter of taste. A group of CORE fans have converted Scytth's icon set to CORE however. Should be available somewhere in the CORE subforum.

For the tech tree, well I do not like it, because mostly I do not think it's realistic. But that is personnal, and I do need to play it a lot to give a personnal judgement. Right now I just have glimpses of feelings.

The tech tree will take some getting used to. I'd hardly call it 'unrealistic', given the amount of research that went into it. The economic model and the depression simulation are working pretty well, based on the feedback. In any case you just can't 'research it all', so you have to be strong in one area and will be weak(er) in another. That implies planning ahead. But a first glance definately is too little to understand the subtlety of the tech setup. The manual should provide and explanation of the philosophy of the tech trees themselves.

 

[unmerged(90249)]

A matter of taste. A group of CORE fans have converted Scytth's icon set to CORE however. Should be available somewhere in the CORE subforum.


The tech tree will take some getting used to. I'd hardly call it 'unrealistic', given the amount of research that went into it. The economic model and the depression simulation are working pretty well, based on the feedback. In any case you just can't 'research it all', so you have to be strong in one area and will be weak(er) in another. That implies planning ahead. But a first glance definately is too little to understand the subtlety of the tech setup. The manual should provide and explanation of the philosophy of the tech trees themselves.

Converted icones? What do you mean? What have to be converted? From .BMP ot .WMF, or from .PSD to .TIFF? PArdon me, but usually you just drop some pictures (sorry to named it like that) in the right folder, and as long as the names are correct, everything is fine. (sorry to make it simple, but basicaly I.T. is what I am doing for a leaving, so technically speaking, there is no conversation to do, maybe some renaming if SCYTT ' icones are using DD naming and the person wantto use CORE with Arma).

Aboutthe tech tree, yes I feel it's less realistic than other mods. I do agree in real life you have to be weak somewhere to be strong somewhere else (best exemple being Austerlizt, where Napoleon traded a weak right wing - under Davout if I am not mistaken- for a strong centre). When I say unrealistic it's using a 2 dimensional model, such every year there is an advance for artillery (exemple). FAct is there were not such advance , and certainly not every year; and in case of any advance so it took quite a time to spread as a whole.

About artillery, let's take some exemple from real life , if you allow me. Still in 1990, the french artillery was using 105 HM2 build during the WWII and serving during it (4 out of the 6 in my former unit where in Monte Casino battle).On the other hand, the propellant (still powder) were the exact same in composition as the one used for the 155 au F1 (the top of the world artillery in 1990). So to reproduce that in a tech tree, you can simulate a new arty bg with stronger stat (France could have created new 105, but it would have a hight cost), or give a simply +1 to any division by so reflecting a minor tech advance that can be introduced quite quickly everywhere (amo have a short life, arms have a long life ... I could named a dozen of weapons created and used during the WWII that sere still in operational used in the 1990'). So in game I shoud have to make a choice such as : shall I get the AC tech, assuming I will NOT build any bg but get a nice +1 in hard attack for all the INF/MONT/Mar/Para or shall get the SP ART tech to improve the numerous bg I already build and make my strong ARM even stronger? Right now, I will NOT research AC, but I will tech rush SP ART.

It's why I was spoken about mix various mods. Mod33 give me the +1 to INF division, but the tech tree is far less complex than yours. I do love your tech tree, but still it lake of strategic choices I have to make : to invade and conquer SU, I will need inf , and I will need strong INF; anyway noone in SU at that time (1941) will stand against the ARM. But I will not waste my IC/day in building bg. that is a strategic choice I like to have, but I did not find yet (maybe because I did not play, but took a lookat the files) with CORE.

NOw what I am willing to agree with you is the following :

1) I strongly felt CORE was the result of a passionate work, made by passionate people who spended thousnad of hours. By so even if you feel I am harsh, be sure I am not, and I do respect what others have done.

2) If I was able to do better, the best would be me to release my own mod. As I did not, obviously it mean I can not do better.

3) a car is a car, mean a tool that allow me to go from point A to Point B. Some will use ferrari (because it's red and girls get horny if you owne one), some other will use a 2CV (french car that I invite you to look for in wiki). The point being : you will use what is the best fit for you, it will not mean it's also the best fit for your neiborough/brother/boss.