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HoI 4 Dev Diary - Policing Garrison Rework

Its Wednesday, so you know what that means. Today we will discuss a feature previously alluded to, the Policing Garrison rework.

The main thrust of this rework is the removal of the resistance suppression garrison mission from the map, and the addition of off-map suppression garrisons. This change is being made to increase performance, as well as remove what we feel is a tedious part of the game. Suppression garrison forces will now be managed through occupation laws and a choice in what division template will be used to provide suppression. The system will then distribute manpower and equipment to states with resistance. The old, defense-related, garrison missions will persist and will be named to “Area Defense.” This should result in a much cleaner map endgame. No more prebuilding and shuffling around horseybois.

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This feature is tied heavily to the rework of resistance. As we mentioned previously, resistance will no longer be so easily controlled. Active resistance will regularly attack defense forces and disrupt their local state. These attacks will result in a small but continuous loss in manpower and equipment. This should help to curb the power of a world conquest run (IE historical Germany).

DD_GARRISON_01.png


The higher the resistance level, the higher the suppression requirement. Suppression requirement is the main factor that controls how much garrison is needed. A secondary factor that controls how much garrison is needed is the occupation law. Different occupation laws will have modifications to suppression needs per for each percent of resistance. And finally, the player will be able to choose what type of garrison template they are using.

DD_GARRISON_03.png


The player will be able to design garrison forces as they always have, using the division designer. All existing templates available for recruitment will also be available to assign as a division template. The template being used will be able to be controlled at the national level, occupied nation level, and state level. A state may in turn use fractions of a division to meet suppression requirements.

DD_GARRISON_02.png


To manage these interactions, we have expanded the occupied territories menu to give a breakdown on resistance, compliance, and what forces the player has stationed in occupied territory they control. In the same menu the player can choose occupation law, and what division template is being used for policing garrison work. Different requirements in manpower and equipment will be shown when choosing which template to use. The player may choose to have no garrison present as well, but this will result in a huge boost to local resistance.

DD_GARRISON_04.png


When designing garrison templates, there will be a couple of factors to consider. Some existing battalions will have their suppression values reworked and battalions with hardness will have bonus to resisting damage taken from resistance activity. The result of this is that battalions with hardness will be more expensive materially, but provide protection for your manpower. If manpower is more of a long-term concern than production, there is a benefit to using battalions with hardness. If manpower is not a concern, using low hardness battalions in your division template is probably a good idea. This will also give some new life to light tanks that have found themselves collecting dust in your stockpile

That's all for this week. See youse guys next week.
 
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Oh heavens, let's make Germany even more OP in multiplayer then... Honestly, it's not that welcome.

I'm not sure how this makes occupiers more powerful. Now they lose manpower and equipment from occupying places - shouldn't that make them (and other conquering nations) relatively less powerful?
 
I agree, how does something that makes the occupier lose manpower and equipment, while rewarding even less from the occupied territories, make them MORE powerful?
 
I'm not sure how this makes occupiers more powerful. Now they lose manpower and equipment from occupying places - shouldn't that make them (and other conquering nations) relatively less powerful?

Two reasons, particularly in MP:
1) less hassle for Germany so more time to focus on micro-ing troops
2) now they have a use for all that out-of date captured equipment ...

In most MP, Germany doesn’t even bother building many guns early game as they’ll get so much stuff from captured.
 
Two reasons, particularly in MP:
1) less hassle for Germany so more time to focus on micro-ing troops
2) now they have a use for all that out-of date captured equipment ...

In most MP, Germany doesn’t even bother building many guns early game as they’ll get so much stuff from captured.

On the first point, I don't imagine game balance being achieved by variable load in micromanagement for players is probably the best way to go about (other than for members of the right honourable association of proud micromanagers, of course :) ) - so while your first point may well be strictly correct (although I'm not sure how much of a factor garrison management is in making Germany less competitive), I wouldn't think it would be a good game design approach, particularly for a game where the vast majority of players are single-player.

On the second point, couldn't they always use that out-of-date captured equipment for their garrison divs? If I have spare captured equipment, it'll get sucked up by the 'low priority' divs pretty well.
 
F"Recon company" support unit should, by all rights, include armored cars, and/or motorcycles, and/or horses, or some other kind of transport unit. I don't know about you, but I would have to imagine a recon unit made up of armored cars would operate differently than one composed of horses. The fact that it doesn't is just an abstraction/simplification. If you prefer that fine, but you should at least know that's what is occurring.

I would prefer to have the ability to improve my armored cars over time with tech and get benefits from it, just the same as we currently do with all the other things we spend the effort researching...unless of course you see all of that as just "pointless clicks" as well?

I think it would be interesting if Recon Company's equipment changed based on its level. For example if Level 1 recon requires horses, then Level 2 recon then requires armored cars.
 
I still can't see why people seem to think Armored Cars are going to be a new equipment type. From the one screenshot we saw with the armored car designer, it was grouped with the other tank designers . . . so my assumption is that it just applies different modifiers to tanks (like reduced cost in exchange for reduced armor and hard attack).
 
I still can't see why people seem to think Armored Cars are going to be a new equipment type. From the one screenshot we saw with the armored car designer, it was grouped with the other tank designers . . . so my assumption is that it just applies different modifiers to tanks (like reduced cost in exchange for reduced armor and hard attack).

I don't think the Devs are actually adding armored cars atm, but maybe we can pressure them into it ;)
 
Does this new system play any role at all from previous DLC feature where German decisions of balance between the Wehrmacht and the SS was important (i.e. going full Wehrmacht will cripple your policing efforts)?
 
Have the Devs said adding Field Hospitals and maintenance companies will reduce losses to garrison troops? Just wondering if support companies are worth it now for the new system. Perhaps military police and armoured cars only?