HOI4 Dev Diary - Bag of Tricks #2

[Meglok]

As far as I'm aware, captured equipment was a very big thing in the North Africa campaign, on all sides. The British even used the Italian 20mm AA guns they captured on their ships until the ammunition ran out, as well as one captured German submarine (HMS Graph). Not British, but same chain-of-command, here are some Italian tanks that have been tastefully redecorated for use by Australian troops

Soldiers on the front line would put anything to use if if was better than what they had, at least until it broke or ran out of ammo.
The Germans made an industry out of it only because:
they captured the Czech factories intact and Czech equipment was pretty darn good;
France folded in 6 weeks and left huge stockpiles of useful equipment the Germans and their allies could use;
British troops abandoned piles of equipment around Dunkirk, much in repairable condition;
and in 1941-42 they overran hordes of Russian equipment and stores in usable condition.
The Germans were nothing if not efficient.

 

[Axe99]

That shouldn't really be an option, unlike Germany, by 1922 all real monarchy sympathisers in Russia were either dead or emigrated. Also the rule of recent monarchs was in no way a "Golden age" of Russia, unlike Germany, that grown more powerful under Wilhelm, till their defeat in WW1

A "realistic" tree would consist of different factions of Communist Party clashing, yeilding "Russian national socialism", "Democratic Socialism", "World revolution faction" or historical "Communism in one country".

Something like this would be great for ahistorical mode - where the USSR ends up in terms of motivation and goals is probably the second-largest influence on the shape of the game after Germany - good ideas . (at least imo, but it's the only o I've got )

Could it be that the HoI4 team will adapt a game-design philosophy of "one word has one meaning" and its inverse, "one meaning has one word" ?

Perhaps, but that would be terribly inconsistent with the approach to words in the English language .

 

[khade]

Looks good.

Regarding equipment, something I'd like to see is nations starting with a supply of older equipment, preferably enough to actually equip your starting troops, as well as the newer stuff that they start with already. Some would logically not have the older surplus weapons, but, for example, Poland just finished a war with the Soviets a few years before the early starting date, so they should be fairly close to having all their troops fully armed, even if the equipment is old.

Edit
They shouldn't be so far deficit that it takes years to fully equip their starting soldiers, never mind new ones.

Uh, a note, the war was like 15 years before the early date, but still.

 

[Fryslan0109]

Assuming flight wings still don't let you choose what model plane to use, will it be possible to collapse the plane model list when deploying new wings to just the plane classes?

Instead of the scroll-hell that has all the various models you've created, captured, or been lend-leased, we could just reduce it to "Create Air Wing of 100 Fighters" with the game, as it currently does, fulfilling the order in whatever manner from your stockpile.

 

[Gamer_1745]

Here is my take on the new features:

6 Min. video of me talking about the new features. If you don't want to watch, in short I like them.

For a few hours Youtube would not process the uploaded video & I feel asleep so it is delayed.

 

[Secret Master]

First thing I thought of was Runescape, where for $10 you can buy 20 treasure chest keys.

Pffft. Those prices are so cheap compared to Star Trek Online. Apparently, replicators can't make gold-pressed latinum or master keys for lock boxes.

Perhaps, but that would be terribly inconsistent with the approach to words in the English language .

 

[brantodb01]

Good work, looks like a lot of effort put into the polish and fell of the game however to be brutally honest i'm internally debating whether any of these features should have a price tag. I understand how much work can go into these things but everything but the lend leasing feels like it should really be in the base game. I could see an argument for the recovery of equipment perhaps but everything else feels too essential

 

[teutonkaiser1214]

Hey, nice dev diary, but, please, please, can you expand the german focus tree when you decide to support Hitler?
Just like: Ban communism, improve nationalism, support Southamerica, Mexico, central America, influence on England, France, etc.
Please

 

[billcorr]

we are planning on adding more ways to get more resources.

mmmmm.

Resources.

 

[Sarastro.]

At the end of combats it will now be possible to capture enemy equipment. The divisions involved will grab stuff depending on participation

I presume you have to win to capture equipment? Is there a difference if I attack and win or defend and win? Getting stuff from a driven off enemy should be much easier than from someone you just stopped at your frontline.
If a defender can grab lots of weapons, infantry attacks can just end up in giving the enemy your weapons for minimal manpower losses

higher level maintenance companies help a lot here if you want to take full advantage of capturing

I understand that conquering stuff is cool, but wasn't repairing your own damaged equipment after a won battle far more relevant? (give trickle-back)

 

[billcorr]

The overflowing abundance of names associated with captured equipment might be a bit ...expansive .

In the example provided in the original post, captured equipment had names such as:

• MP 38
• Leichte Feldhablitze
• Opel Blitz

along with lost equipment with names such as

• kbsp wz 38m
• karabin wz 98a
• phased plasma rifle in 40 watt range
  
• and something called "support equipment"

Kudos and respect for those gamers who know what is what. Very impressive.

You know your weapons, buddy.

Imagine the international potpourri of nomenclature as you review all the accumulated domestic and foreign equipment in your stockpiles.

But I'm sure that the good designers will keep it simple for us monoglots.

 

[Ahovking]

I love the idea of assign up to 150 factories to a line, and the new way you can interact with the production line.

And one of my biggest annoyance is the fact I end up with a bunch of outdated enemy equipment that I can’t get rid off, so I’m excited I can finally clear out my stockpiles.


>Starting to think bag of tricks means


Tricks equals minor (but important updates) updates and treat are the big updates.


So today we have a nice trick.<

 

[Sleight of Hand]

@podcat
@billcorr

I completely agree that some of the Lend-Lease screens are very confusing in terms of what equipment is what, and in particular with aircraft.

Whilst I like the flavour names, it should be explicitly clear what each piece of equipment is, e.g. light tank, CAS, anti-air.

 

[Gamer_1745]

I really like the captured equipment feature!

This maybe minor, but I am one of those guys @billcorr is referring to who knows all weapon names (well most all the small arms & some others), that there should be some penalty for using non-core weapons. Maybe higher attrition rates for non-core weapons? If we had supplies as a thing in the game I would have higher supply usage for them.

Note I have been saying non-core weapons. Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia, Belgium, Turkey, Iran & Lithuania all used the same rifle caliber. Britain painted a red band on U.S. caliber rifles to show they used different ammo ( U.S. made Enfield rifles in both .303 & .30-06 during WW I and when the .30-06 rifles were later shipped to Britain after Dunkirk the British needed to be able to quickly tell the difference and this practice continued even when importing weapons like the M1 Garand which had no British caliber version). So weapons could be given 'cores' and if you are using weapons (from Lend-Lease or captured) that don't match your cores you have higher attrition rates. This also works very much for things like Tanks when you don't have a lot of spare parts for them.

 

[Sleight of Hand]

Note I have been saying non-core weapons. Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia, Belgium, Turkey, Iran & Lithuania all used the same rifle caliber. Britain painted a red band on U.S. caliber rifles to show they used different ammo ( U.S. made Enfield rifles in both .303 & .30-06 during WW I and when the .30-06 rifles were later shipped to Britain after Dunkirk the British needed to be able to quickly tell the difference and this practice continued even when importing weapons like the M1 Garand which had no British caliber version). So weapons could be given 'cores' and if you are using weapons (from Lend-Lease or captured) that don't match your cores you have higher attrition rates. This also works very much for things like Tanks when you don't have a lot of spare parts for them.

I really dislike this idea, and I don't think it's remotely suitable for vanilla. BlackICE maybe, as I know that mod loves more for the sake of more, but expecting people to know what 'core' equipment is and how they get it, and having the seemingly random modifier of 'oh, apparently this particular equipment type is giving me greater attrition'... no. It's convoluted and would, I think, be needlessly confusing for the player.

 

[Gamer_1745]

I really dislike this idea, and I don't think it's remotely suitable for vanilla. BlackICE maybe, as I know that mod loves more for the sake of more, but expecting people to know what 'core' equipment is and how they get it, and having the seemingly random modifier of 'oh, apparently this particular equipment type is giving me greater attrition'... no. It's convoluted and would, I think, be needlessly confusing for the player.

Fair enough & good points. I still like the idea, but can see how this could be confusing to many players.

 

[Jim the Knight]

What are these symbols at the top? a telephone with 0 points?, flexing arm at 30%. and a balance scale at 84%?? Maybe I missed something, but i'm rather curious as to what those are?? Getting memories from hearts of iron 3 and 2.. I wonder how this will all play out..

 

[Olanov]

What are these symbols at the top? a telephone with 0 points?, flexing arm at 30%. and a balance scale?? Maybe I missed something, but i'm rather curious as to what those are??

Balance would be stability. Flexin' arm being war support. There was a dev diary on that if you're curious: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...-dev-diary-stability-and-war-support.1044766/

Correct me if I'm wrong, of course.

 

[Gamer_1745]

What are these symbols at the top? a telephone with 0 points?, flexing arm at 30%. and a balance scale at 84%?? Maybe I missed something, but i'm rather curious as to what those are?? Getting memories from hearts of iron 3 and 2.. I wonder how this will all play out..

 

[Jim the Knight]

Balance would be stability. Flexin' arm being war support. There was a dev diary on that if you're curious: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...-dev-diary-stability-and-war-support.1044766/

Correct me if I'm wrong, of course.

That leaves the mysterious telephone then.. hmm. Someone will find that answer i suppose