Why do you like HoI?

[unmerged(14271)]

First of all, I find myself playing HoI alot. I wonder why, because I inheretly hate the game And so many have complained about crappy AI, crappy supply system, weird stacking limitations, Brazil conquering the world, too much micromanagment etc etc etc. Are we just starved for "grand strategy games" as HoI is the only one (or am I mistaken?). Or is it a Civ-factor hidden here somewhere?


JT

 

[unmerged(31814)]

- we are stupid, have too much spare time and too much spare money.

Why do the laundry when you can drive T-34's through Washington. lol

I think HOI is the only decent WW2 game I have seen, but I have had enough of some glitches and am playing vicky and CK now.

but i'll be back

 

[unmerged(34042)]

Great Game Indeed

I think once again we all have to take our caps off to the Paradox team for attempting to bring the period 1936-45 onto our computers. This game is absolutely brilliant, as its got a bit of everything in, ie economics, politics, diplomacy the fascinating tech tree and of course sheer brute force.

I have played loads of computer moderated games over the years and this is truly at the top of the tree, for its research and presentation, and its infuriating capability to make me drop everything and just invade Russia. Just wish the AI was a bit more intelligent, but who cares.....its just a great game

Lets hope HOI2 is even better, although Gary Grigsbys World at War will certainly give it a run for its money!!!!!!!

 

[unmerged(31328)]

I'm mostly into monster wargames myself (I have spent many, many, many hours on Gary Grigsby's War in Russia over many, many years, for instance...) but the reason I play HoI is for the very factor that people like me trash it: for it's strong potential for ahistoricity. Plus, its wide array of playable countries.

It's just fun taking a second-rate power or minor and try to make a powerhouse out of it.

It is also so modifiable... I am thinking about modifying it to create a Spanish Empire (The Spanish-American war never happened and Spain still controls Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines)

 

[unmerged(29126)]

Although it may have some flaws, HOI1 is exactly the game I've always wanted (HOI2 even more so by the looks of it). Having to make true strategic decisions, having to manage an economy, having mobile forces available etc. is what makes this game a hit IMO ... and I'm willing to put up with a lot of inadequacies (not that there are many) to satisfy my (virtual) megalomaniac tendencies ( ).

the larger the scale the better. To me it would be even better if there were more operational level decisions the gamer could take (Got Micro ?) but (as I've said before)before my ideal game comes out that allows for strategic/world-conquest decisions and allows for squad-based tactics and uses 1 square-kilometer for terrain some years will have to pass. Until then HOI is the most fun & detailed strategy-game I've come across in years. I'll have to take a look at TW:Rome tho. History-wise I like the Roman Period even more than I do the WW2 one.

 

[unmerged(14683)]

The best part of HoI1 is replayability potential and level of complexity (in a good way).

Most of the time, WW II strategy games focus either on the operational warfare (WiR, WiTP, TOAW) or on grand scale conflict (Axis vs. Allies, GG WaW). HoI 2 is both operational and grand strategy. It is also very open for player - there is seriously less hardcoded limitations like "USSR is frozen up to the X year" or "first winter in USSR is always suprise for Germany" or "this country is not playable, it's your province instead".

Of course this open system got many holes that can be used to exploit it, but many players actually enjoy it - where else you can make Brazil world power or invade USA as Germany?

 

[Steel]

War in Russia, TOAW etc are all great games but none of them have the scope of HoI. How many games out there cover the pre-war years (1936-1939) which saw the conquest of Ethiopia, the Spanish Civil War, the start of the Sino-Japanese war and the battles between the USSR and Japan at Changfukeng and Nomonhan? Most games ignore anything prior to September or if they have anything for the early years then it's stand-alone scenarios that are un-related to the main conflict.

It's not that long ago that I player WiR and while it's still an enjoyable game it struck me that the AI is pretty helpless (easily defeated it in 1941 despite not having played the game for many years), the factory & pools system has a nice 'feel' to it but doesn't really add much to the game and the game tends to either overload you with irrelevant messages or not give you any messages at all as it lacks detail customization.

I think HoI (especially the Platinum Edition) and HoI 2 are going to be titles that I can look at in my collection and say 'now that was a great game' in five or ten years time, just like I view TOAW and WiR today.

 

[unmerged(12244)]

I think once again we all have to take our caps off to the Paradox team for attempting to bring the period 1936-45 onto our computers. This game is absolutely brilliant, as its got a bit of everything in, ie economics, politics, diplomacy the fascinating tech tree and of course sheer brute force.

I have played loads of computer moderated games over the years and this is truly at the top of the tree, for its research and presentation, and its infuriating capability to make me drop everything and just invade Russia. Just wish the AI was a bit more intelligent, but who cares.....its just a great game

Lets hope HOI2 is even better, although Gary Grigsbys World at War will certainly give it a run for its money!!!!!!!

Hardly, WaW seems more like axis&allies than any complex modulation of WW2.
You can play,what? 5 countrys, very limited diplomacy, look at the map that too is very limited and dont leave much room for strategic moves, no resource managment.
When i think of it everything about it seems very simplistic compare to HOI, then the AI might be better, possible.
My guess it will be fun first couple of times you play it and then you tire of it because of all limitations. And if you have had played HOI before WaW im not even sure i would play through the first campaign.'
The choice between these 2 games will be very easy for anyone who played HOI i think.

 

[unmerged(2907)]

I love it because you never play the same game twice. The AI always does something different, you can research and build differently. Want to create a fascist UK? Fine! Nazi-Soviet Pact? Go for it!

That's why I haven't been outside in two years.

 

[unmerged(34042)]

Hardly, WaW seems more like axis&allies than any complex modulation of WW2..

I'm not sure if I agree with you on that one, the game will certainly have a more capability to play multiplayer games, and it will follow a more historical course.....it is still being tested after all. HoI is fantastic but the 'real time' aspect of the game is certainly a drawback when it comes to MP. I want to oversee everything when I play and leave nothing to chance ( unless I'm desperate!!) . Great for SP but not much fun for the other players while you fiddle around with the huge forces at your disposal.If you are playing others the game can be VERY slow indeed!!!! I am an avid fan of Uncommon Valour and am impatiently awaiting shipment of War in the Pacific. You don't get more detail, and historical accuracy than that.

You can play,what? 5 countrys, very limited diplomacy, look at the map that too is very limited and dont leave much room for strategic moves, no resource managment.
When i think of it everything about it seems very simplistic compare to HOI, then the AI might be better, possible..

Who wants to play Ethiopia etc?? :rofl: Seriously though, a Gary Grigsby led game usually has loads in it.

My guess it will be fun first couple of times you play it and then you tire of it because of all limitations. And if you have had played HOI before WaW im not even sure i would play through the first campaign.'
The choice between these 2 games will be very easy for anyone who played HOI i think.

Copper Nicus has hit the nail right on the head in his previous post. What he has written is what we all like about HoI.
My favourite WWII game is World in Flames, something HoI has come quite close to. The sheer skill of the Paradox team in implementing this game just blows me away ( Thanks yet again guys !!!!!)

Until then HOI is the most fun & detailed strategy-game I've come across in years. I'll have to take a look at TW:Rome tho. History-wise I like the Roman Period even more than I do the WW2 one..

Ancient Rome is also my favourite period, but no game up until now has fired my imagination. There was a game on the old C64 called 'Annals of Rome' that had the right idea but was poorly implemeted. I am impatiently waiting for the 14th as I've been told I have this for my birthday. If its anything like Medieval TW its going to be great!!!!!!

I think WaW will follow the historical timelines much closer than HoI. The ahistorical nature of HoI can sometimes be annoying ( like building jet fighters in 1939 or a German A bomb in 1942, but that is also, I agree the beauty of HoI. Come on Eyeswitcher....don't write it off yet!!! What do you think of War in the Pacific???

 

[unmerged(33694)]

Lets hope HOI2 is even better, although Gary Grigsbys World at War will certainly give it a run for its money!!!!!!!

GG's WaW is HoI for dummies. What i've seen its more comparable with Axis & Allies (or even Risk ) than with HoI!

I really like some of GG's stuff, but WaW is not giong to be one of them.

Chck Multiplayer AAR Teaser at the HoI2 forum. It will tell you a lot about MP potentials of HoI2.

edited by gzav - Please read the Double posts sticky.

 

[gzav]

Let's keep the focus on HoI and not on other games...

 

[Mr.G 24]

HpI brings a unprecendented scope to strategy games. Sure some features seem to hurt the game but no other game can let you play so in-depth and at the same time so easily.

You don't know fun when you actually send Rommel over to Africa and kcik ass only to be shiped back because of a faulty supply line by the Brits. History might be fun but its nothing compared to the ahistorics. The unlimited possibilties are there except most don't try. What other game can be fun playing as Ireland in WW2?

 

[Atomcreator]

I'm surprised no one has said ' I get to trash the world as Germany '

Lets face it almost everyone likes to play the germans don't they ? Its something about that period of terrible despotism, war and technology that sets the WW2 era apart from so many others.
Everyone wants to command panzer divisions led by Rommel, watch the Bismark sailing off into the north sea - to finetune the economies of the world and squeeze that little bit more out of your countries scientists.

Everyone who plays HOI would have loved to have sat in war-rooms of the time, pushing those models of tanks and planes around - admit it !

 

[unmerged(34042)]

How True!!

How very true!!! I think alot of us are not only fascinated by the grotesqueness of this fascinating period and horrible conflict, but HoI allows us to give full vent to our megalomaniac tendencies, that stay on the computer and do not harm anyone

Huzzah for HoI!!!!!!!!!!

 

[agoofydad]

OK I'll say it

I'm surprised no one has said ' I get to trash the world as Germany '

I would have said it, but didn't see the thread until now, so here goes: Because I love to trach the world as Germany.

Actually I probably would have said "Because I just love taking over the whole world as Germany.

I have commented on these pages before that I really am impressed with the economic model used in the game. Admittedly it's simple and has some flaws, and if you have a few hours (and probably some massive amounts of no-doz) I could give you the "Economics Professor" criticism of it. But I have seen few games that have any sort of economic content (or even real logistics for the squad or tactical level games). The fact that Germany largely went to war for economic reasons and may have lost the war largely for the same reasons means it's important to include those.

I usually grow bored playing the same computer game after a while, but I keep finding myself drawn to HOI. You can try so many different things (I'm playing a scenario now where I am mostly developing rockets and nukes as germany and holding off invading to see if I can conquer everyone by nuking them...how horrid...how fun).

 

[Atomcreator]

(I'm playing a scenario now where I am mostly developing rockets and nukes as germany and holding off invading to see if I can conquer everyone by nuking them...how horrid...how fun).

hey that sounds interesting - sounds like something I might try myself

 

[unmerged(14583)]

Well first of all many of the complaints are highly exaggerated.. the game isn't that buggy at all and hasn't been for some time. The AI isn't that bad at all... try to compare it to AIs in general and not your own perfected strategies. Sure there are a LOT of gripes about this and that but I think that's just a symptom of making a WWII game.. attracts a lot of diehards with very high expectations.

As for why I love HoI it's probably different then most... I'm a huge fan of the development type Paradox games where war is only a step in the process. Wars in EU2 are so simplified by necessity and much is glossed over. HoI is a magnified version of the grand wars you get in EU. Not just raising a vague tech level but actually picking and choosing applications.. different units.. the ability to toss your huge stacks into the fray and not having to rely solely on luck and terrain to get you through. In essence HoI is what happens in my imagination when EUs diplomacy fails.

(I just noted gzav's note.. I hope this doesn't apply to EU if it does I'm horribly sorry)

 

[FERT]

Because I WRITE THE HISTORY as I prefer.


ROMA DOMA ! ! !

 

[unmerged(17617)]

Everyone who plays HOI would have loved to have sat in war-rooms of the time, pushing those models of tanks and planes around - admit it !

Guilty as charged.