Hearts of Iron IV - Development Diary 52 - Modding

[LukeCorn]

Hey Paradox! Thank you for making this for everyone :3 And thank you for releasing this after my final exams (Stellaris releasing three days before my finals, pretty scary though)

Will it be possible to add new political parties with all this modding, or is that hard-coded? I myself, really liked the gradual parties of Hoi 3 and I'm sure history geek modders would be right up there to represent all the different parties in countries at the time. Idk if this is the right place to ask but is there also some kind of modifier that determines how easy/hard it is to influence a nation's people to accept a certain ideology? (For example the Netherlands had the pillarisation of society, which pretty much meant political opinions were set in stone, but in Hoi 3 it was pretty easy to turn into germany's little facist brother) *Thinks of all the possibillities*

 

[JoyAndMisery]

Hey paradox,

will it be possible to recreate the OOB with mods? I really liked the feature and made the game different from any other strategy game. To be fair, HoI has never been a eye candy game (never wanted) and its depth was appealing to me. Taking away OObs removes depth, dumbing it down to a tactical level. I mean all the strategic decisions who should lead that Korps-level so I safe fuel and who that AG? That's what made HoI3 great.. #MakeHoIGREATagain

Or well maybe you can ship OOB later in a DLC? I'd pay money for that. Maybe without divisional leaders and no Korps HQ-units, aswell removed limit of 5 units, which was a bit of more clicking - indeed. You could always include a sissy-switch for those overburdened with assigning leader to Korps-level+ and moving this unit . So you can preserve the current clusterfuck 1 leader solution? Dont get me Wrong pdox. A militaristic STRATEGY game with out oob....cmon. I can see why and how you wanted to make the game more accessible but THE COMPLETE removal of ANY Tool to organize a huge force in a grand strategy game... Heck remove all leaders except Theater but leave THE POSSIBILITY to ORDER the units. *Sits down and cries*... you are forcing people to use those shitty AI plans because it's even more confusing cause there is no anchor unit (KorpsHQ, ArmyHQ etc) and every unit runs around like a headless chicken .. that's my only gripe but such a huge one that I refuse to buy the game at full price. BUT I really want to. But without any way to organize the forces it's not worth more than 10€. Sad but true

So pls make it possible to add the OOB or deliver later
Best wishes

 

[hansnery]

Sublime Text is much better ;o)
So many things that suit our scripting language better than Notepad++


Unfortunately no. The way event chains are set up can get pretty complex, so building a tool for that is a major task. It's not that we don't want it, but all Content Designers at PDS use text editors like Sublime or NP++ and get the work done. If you're lucky a community member might build one for you =)

How to configure this Sublime Text to paradox language (does it have a name?)?

 

[potski]

Yes, Paradox Script Language

It's possible to create a syntax definition file for Sublime Text, and someone may do that. But Sublime Text is not free - a licence is $70.

Notepad++ is free, and you will be able to get a language definition file for that, with all of the script keywords such as triggers and effects for events.

 

[Axe99]

It would be seven shades of awesome if PDS already had syntax definition files for Sublime/language definition files for Notepad++ and wanted to share them with us - any chance @Havebeard? No pressure, or worries if not, but figure it doesn't hurt to ask .

Also, if easy and you have time - how much better is Sublime Text? I'm planning to mod HoI4 for a long time, so in that context $70 isn't the end of the world, but if it's only a little better, then I'm already familiar with Notepad++. Sorry for all the questions, ignore if a pain.

Edit: Sorry - I just remembered Sublime does have a free trial - so I can start that when HoI4 launches and have a play and see how it's different. That said, if there's 'deeper' stuff I may not notice in a trial, deffo interested, but again only if easy to answer.

 

[hansnery]

Yes, Paradox Script Language

It's possible to create a syntax definition file for Sublime Text, and someone may do that. But Sublime Text is not free - a licence is $70.

Notepad++ is free, and you will be able to get a language definition file for that, with all of the script keywords such as triggers and effects for events.

I guess I will stick to Notepad++ then. Do you know how to get a language defnition file for it?

 

[haximodor92]

Can I use Japanese or Chinese characters? (like 漢字)

Yeah I also want to know if Japanese or Chinese are available for localisation...

 

[Havebeard]

How to configure this Sublime Text to paradox language (does it have a name?)?

It would be seven shades of awesome if PDS already had syntax definition files for Sublime/language definition files for Notepad++ and wanted to share them with us - any chance @Havebeard? No pressure, or worries if not, but figure it doesn't hurt to ask .

I can generate a syntax file that has most keywords for both Sublime and NP++ and put it on the mod forum when we release.

Also, if easy and you have time - how much better is Sublime Text? I'm planning to mod HoI4 for a long time, so in that context $70 isn't the end of the world, but if it's only a little better, then I'm already familiar with Notepad++. Sorry for all the questions, ignore if a pain.

There are a lot of multiline editing features and other tricks that I just really like, but you can definetly get by with NP++. Most of it is what you are used to I guess. Give Sublime a test spin, it's free to try =)

Yeah I also want to know if Japanese or Chinese are available for localisation...

Unfortunately our fonts don't support them.

 

[Axe99]

I can generate a syntax file that has most keywords for both Sublime and NP++ and put it on the mod forum when we release.

I'm sure I wouldn't be the only person who'd be very grateful if you were able, thanks heaps both for the info in this thread and in advance for syntax files .

There are a lot of multiline editing features and other tricks that I just really like, but you can definetly get by with NP++. Most of it is what you are used to I guess. Give Sublime a test spin, it's free to try =)

Cheers for the response and insight, will definitely give it a gander .

 

[Sousuikakka]

Unfortunately our fonts don't support them.

OMG

 

[Havebeard]

Will it be possible to add new political parties with all this modding, or is that hard-coded? I myself, really liked the gradual parties of Hoi 3 and I'm sure history geek modders would be right up there to represent all the different parties in countries at the time. Idk if this is the right place to ask but is there also some kind of modifier that determines how easy/hard it is to influence a nation's people to accept a certain ideology? (For example the Netherlands had the pillarisation of society, which pretty much meant political opinions were set in stone, but in Hoi 3 it was pretty easy to turn into germany's little facist brother) *Thinks of all the possibillities*

You can create new parties.
Not sure about the modifier for a specific ideology. There is one that will make it harder to push ideologies in general.

 

[Fawr]

This is great. I love the trigger_docs and letting us use the modding tools that you do.

 

[Snow Wolf]

Thank you BjornB & Warial


I think what threw me off is that the only experience I have with mods is in City Skylines. I just never found a place on Steam to download maps (or other things) that other people made for HOI3.


Since I have really no other experience with mods other than City Skylines all I’ve been thinking about is one day being able to go to Steam and download maps and other user made content and have it be just as simple as it is in CS. Hoping that is the case but I’m not sure.


Thanks

I'm pretty sure there is a Game of Thrones mod for CKII, so I can imagine people will turn HoI 4 into Westeros aswell..

... that isn't too far off is it? Exchange factories with blacksmiths, horse resources and...

 

[Nelfe]

I can generate a syntax file that has most keywords for both Sublime and NP++ and put it on the mod forum when we release.

If you make this for NP++, I'll call you God.

 

[JerkyJerry]

Another ?
How do modders know if what they are working on is not being worked on by one or more people already?
Is there a list or a site or something?
Thanks

 

[Nelfe]

Another ?
How do modders know if what they are working on is not being worked on by one or more people already?
Is there a list or a site or something?
Thanks

You have to find by yourself if someone else is not already making the same mod.

 

[Rotteknokkel]

This is (one of at least) the best DD so far, however I have a few questions, perhaps also experienced modders will know this. As it supposed to be easier (thank god) than HOI3 to mod, I like to make my own personal mod or at least try.

1. The new flags for each ideology - ie. Norwegian communists etc - do you change these with this tool? Or is it easy to change them? I'd rather have for instance both Fascist and Democratic Norway have the same flag, but Communist not the made-up flag I have seen from screenshot.
2. Will we with this tool, be able to build "static units" - ie. like coastal artillery and such - and have them demand manpower like a normal unit?
3. Will it be very hard to for instance create way (way way) more provinces? And text/names on these provinces? There is a tool (can't remember the name now) for HOI3 - that would let me change names for provinces and where stuff was placed, like radar, fortresses etc. For instance there was "two" provinces named "Hamar" in Norway in HOi3 - I used this tool to change those things. Will these things be doable with this tool?
4. How easy will it be to make new units? Or is there any need? For instance different types of Recon units - or is it automatically the same as the division itself: horse, armor, infantry etc. What about "small commando" units - that could work almost like a submarine on land (destroy infrastructure, try to avoid being spotted etc.
5. I guess it would be hard too hard for unexperienced people to mod the enitre map to look like a map? Don't know the english word, but "topographic map" instead of "seeing" 3D mountains, 3D trees etc. Something like this: https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topografisk_kart#/media/File:KiskaMap.jpg
6. Will it be easy to for instance make one type of unit only available if/when certain criterias are met? Low manpower or something similar?
7. How hard/easy would it be to remove the sprites entirely? And replace them with standard counters? Perhaps more ecperienced modders will do that though, or you through and DLC. But if I am impatient, will it be doable if you have almost no modding ecperience? I know my way around Photoshop.

Still playing HOI3, but really looking forward to this game, allthough I am not a fan of everything I have seen, this DD makes me very optimistic.

 

[potski]

Another ?
How do modders know if what they are working on is not being worked on by one or more people already?
Is there a list or a site or something?
Thanks

For HOI3 there was a subforum created that registered users of the game could access to share information about modding. Most people posted their plans there, and used the forum to get feedback about their plans. The finished mods were usually published there, though you could store them anywhere online.

However, HOI4 will have support for Steam Workshop. So that raises the possibility that most mods might be discussed within Steam.

What happened with other Paradox games recently like EU4 that are on Steam?

 

[Rotteknokkel]

Or well maybe you can ship OOB later in a DLC? I'd pay money for that.

I would easily pay double the base game for such an DLC.

 

[Havebeard]

The new flags for each ideology - ie. Norwegian communists etc - do you change these with this tool? Or is it easy to change them? I'd rather have for instance both Fascist and Democratic Norway have the same flag, but Communist not the made-up flag I have seen from screenshot.

Super easy. There is a folder with flags. Just follow the naming convention.

Will we with this tool, be able to build "static units" - ie. like coastal artillery and such - and have them demand manpower like a normal unit?

You will not be able to build units with the tool. You can change the 3D position on the map with the tool, but having something built from the start requires a little scripting in the files.

Will it be very hard to for instance create way (way way) more provinces? And text/names on these provinces? There is a tool (can't remember the name now) for HOI3 - that would let me change names for provinces and where stuff was placed, like radar, fortresses etc. For instance there was "two" provinces named "Hamar" in Norway in HOi3 - I used this tool to change those things. Will these things be doable with this tool?

Creating way way more provinces is a matter of painting more on the provinces.bmp. There is a tool in the Nudger to make sure you get unique colors. Adding them to states and strategic regions is also possible from the Nudger, but my guess is that it would take a bit of time.
You can't have names for provinces, only states. Changing the name of the states is very easy.

How easy will it be to make new units? Or is there any need? For instance different types of Recon units - or is it automatically the same as the division itself: horse, armor, infantry etc. What about "small commando" units - that could work almost like a submarine on land (destroy infrastructure, try to avoid being spotted etc.

You can make new units or change the stats of existing ones. You can't give units new mechanics, such as the stealth/infrastructure destruction you are mentioning.

I guess it would be hard too hard for unexperienced people to mod the enitre map to look like a map? Don't know the english word, but "topographic map" instead of "seeing" 3D mountains, 3D trees etc. Something like this: https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topografisk_kart#/media/File:KiskaMap.jpg

It should be doable, but I don't know how difficult it is.

Will it be easy to for instance make one type of unit only available if/when certain criterias are met? Low manpower or something similar?

You could have an event trigger when certain conditions are met that unlocks an equipment type and template. I'd have to look into this a little further to see if there is a nicer way of doing it.

How hard/easy would it be to remove the sprites entirely? And replace them with standard counters? Perhaps more ecperienced modders will do that though, or you through and DLC. But if I am impatient, will it be doable if you have almost no modding ecperience? I know my way around Photoshop.

You can remove the 3D models and change how the sprite looks, which should be pretty easy. You can't make them stack.