Long Time HoI Series Player WiF Impressions

[unmerged(80461)]

First of all, thanks for the great (and voluntary) work everyone has done in producing this mod. It's great fun to play and gets me much more involved than the original campaign.

My first game is with the USA on N/N and the Japanese were giving me quite a hard time when I started the furious AI script They pushed me as far east as Pearl Harbour and by that time it was already 1943, so I gave up and started over. Now, I'm playing on N/N without starting the script, and I already feel sorry for the Japanese empire. We also have a bit of a problem with the USSR which has already turned Romania and Bulgaria on its side and is advancing into Poland. (that's in February 1943).

A technical note, which I believe is rather important: I've discovered that if the player has a Cyrillic language defined in the "Language for non-Unicode programs" (in my case, Bulgarian is defined) in Regional and Language Settings in Control Panel, the game will CTD as soon as the player causes a tool tip to appear over a unit that has in its name any of the symbols: èóôüáàäèö (...etc.)

I have confirmed the ü, the others are assumptions. My guess is that the modding team has saved the txt files it has modified in unicode encoding, whereas the HoI.exe doesn't use unicode fonts. This causes it to try to "convert" the unicode "ü" into something and checks the Regional and Language settings in order to see what to convert it to. Then the .exe finds it should convert the unicode "ü" into the ansi "ь", a symbol which doesn't exit in Hoi.exe's fonts, and the game CTDs as a result. I'm quite sure I have seen such symbols display normally in the original game, and it could be because of the txt files' original (ANSI) encoding.

I had a particularly interesting problem with the English AI switch (the file is ai\ENG_Weserubung.ai) where I was getting an error that the .ai file can't be found when the shift was to happen. I opened the directory and the AI file, where (obviously because of encoding problems) the name "Weserubüng" was displayed as "Weserubьng" ("ь" is a Cyrillic symbol). I changed it to "u" in both places (file contents and file name), restared the game from the nearest autosave and the problem was fixed. Anyway, I wouldn't suggest using special Latin symbos unless it can't be avoided.

I'll write more impressions later, stay tuned

 

[Lord de Seis 85]

I haven't played Vanilla or any other mod since I tried WiF.

I think the combat system is much much better (longer battles and the need for armor and air power to be used to ensure a break through).

Glad to see your enjoying it g_antonov!
All the majors can be very difficult!

 

[Pleiades]

All the majors can be very difficult!

On the other hand, minors are very easy. For example - Luxembourg. :rofl:

 

[unmerged(80461)]

I reached 1943 today and the situation is looking less than pretty. The Soviets took all of northeren France before my handful of marine divisions could conquer enough German-controlled provinces to draw a firm border before the reds. The British armies were behaving totally oblivious to the threat and as a result, right now we have an Europe of Stalinist, Soviet-liberated countries, (none of them are Soviet puppets though) and a northeren France which is under direct Soviet control. Southern and Central France are still under Vichy control, Italy is unscathed. On the Pacific theathre, I already control the two southern main Japanese islands. I don't know what you think, but imo, there's lots of scripting and event-writing work left on the post-ww2 order in Europe.

I've made a few small changes to Bulgaria-related txt and csv files, to improve historical accuracy of information and fix transliteration and language errors. The changes are as follows:

Directory: db/
Importance: minor
1. fixed suffixes for army names, navy names, air force names (airnames.csv, navynames.csv, armynames.csv). The old suffixes were not in correct Bulgarian in some places.
2. changes the random leaders' names to more common Bulgarian names. The policy to use the names of present-day ministers for random leader names isn't a very good one (randomleaders.csv)
3. Rewrote many names in unitnames.csv, where the Bulgarian-Latin transliteration was inconsistent.

Directory: db/leaders/
Importance: minor
1. Fixed Bulgarian-Latin transliteration for Bulgarian leaders (bulgaria.csv). Many more leaders need to be added, mostly Communist Party officers.

Directory: db/ministers/
Importance: minor
1. Fixed Bulgarian-Latin transliteration for some ministers (ministers_bul.csv). Added "Tsar" in front of "Boris III". Many more ministers need to be added, mostly from BZNS, the Democratic party, the Bulgarian Workers' Party (the future Bulgarian Communist Party), etc. I think I will replace the unrealistic (although humorous) "Comrade Boris III" with "Regency Council". After Boris III's death a council of regents took his place and that council isn't listed in the ministers list. G. M. Dimitrov is also a must-have as a minister.
Note: if it's allowed by the game, I think I could write separate personalities for the more prominent ministers, with their own bonuses.

Directory: db/WIF/
Importance: medium
1. Noted the incorrect reference to Constanta as an object of Bulgarian claims to Romania. In reality, Bulgaria never asked for the Constanta region (that would be Northeren Dobrudja), the territorial claims were only directed towards Southern Dobrudja. Consult any source you want (including the Wikipedia article on Dobrudja) for more info. (bulgaria.txt)

Directory: config
Importance: medium
1. Improved the historical accuracy for the death of Boris III event. (new_text.csv)

I would send you the changed files, but I see the forum doesn't allow attachments to be used. I'm also composing a list of events that would need writing, up to 30th Dec 1964. So far I have:

1. The Sobolev Campaign (1940)
2. Joining the Tripartite Pact (1st March 1941)
3. Communist Party Reaction to Germany's attack on the USSR (22 June 1941)
4. Bulgaria Declares War on the United Kingdom and the United States (13 December 1941)
5. The "Farherland Front" Programme (17 July 1942)
6. The Comintern Is Dissolved (1943)
7. National Comitee of the Fatherland Front (10th August 1943)
8. The Tsar Dies (28th August 1943)
9. Council of Regents (28 September 1943)
10. Soviet Consuleships Demands (spring 1944)
11. Ivan Bagryanov's Government (1st June 1944)
12. Konstantin Muraviev's Government (2nd September 1944)
13. Bulgaria Severes its Alliance With Germany (4th September 1944)
14. The Soviet Union Declares War on Bulgaria (5th September 1944)
15. The Fatherland Front's Coup (9th September 1944)

Since minors like Bulgaria don't offer much activity to the player, in regard to waging wars, building units or conducting research, I think the best way to improve the player experience of playing a minor is to add more events which give him historical info and scripted options to alter the minor's history. Now I don't promise I'll write most of these events or even finish the list, but it's fun for now Cheers!

 

[Lord de Seis 85]

My understanding is Fernando only wants events to run historically for WW2 (Nothing past 1945 for example). I had some ideas for new events to allow for a more realistic Chinese Civil War but I was told they wouldn't be added.

 

[unmerged(80461)]

I don't see what's unhistorical about extending the events to 1964. That's the upper time limit for Armageddon anyway.

I did some research and I've revised my events chain for Bulgaria. It appears that Bulgaria was in a situation which is a perfect illustration of game theory application to international relations: Bulgaria could 1)sign a pact with the Axis, 2) sign a pact with the commies, 3) sign a pact with both parties, 4) sign a pact with nobody. According to these which of these choices is made, I'm thinking of writing a different chain of following events. I will first start with the historical chain though (a pact with only the Axis).

Here's my new list:

1. SOE Activities in Bulgaria: Contacting G.M. Dimitrov (December 1939)
no immediate effect
2.Bulgarian Declaration at the start of Germany's Invasion of Poland (15th September 1939)
The Bulgarian government re-declares its neutrality
no immediate effect
3. Talks with Romania about the returning of Dobrudja (27 July 1940)
Occurs if relations with Germany are above 150.
No immediate effect.
4. Return of Dobrudja (7th September 1940)
Dobrudja returned to Bulgaria.
5. The Sobolev campaign (October 1940)
Sign the pact with the USSR
Remain neutral
6. Italy Attacks Greece (28th October 1940)
Bulgaria joins - War with Greece. Relations with the Allies deteriorated.
Bulgaria remains neutral
7. Preliminary talks with Bulgaria on joining the Tripartite pact (20th January 1941)
Join the pact - Bulgaria doesn't become an Axis member, to avoid her technically getting into war with the USSR. Sliders changed. Relations improved with Germany.
Remain neutral - Relations with the Allies notably improved, sliders changed. Relations with the Axis are deteriorated.
8. Joining the Tripartite Pact (1st March 1941)
Occurs only if "Join the pact" was selected in the previous event. Sliders are changed. Rights of passage are given to Germany.
9. Germany attacks Bulgaria
Occurs if "Remain Neutral" was selected in the "Preliminary talks..." event. Germany invades and occupies Bulgaria. Relations with the Allies are improved. Bulgarian IC, manpower are cut. Bulgaria loses resources from its supply, dissent levels are raised. Bulgarian militaty units are dissolved. The Bulgarian player retains control over Sofia, and awaits the end of the war to determine the country's future. All further events, except 19 and 20, assume that the player has chosen the "Join the pact" option in event 7.
10. Bulgaria receives Vardar Macedonia and Southern Thrace from Germany
The two provinces are given to Bulgaria once Germany's war with Yugoslavia and Greece is over. Relations deteriorated with the Allies. Dissent down.
11. SOE activities in Bulgaria: Attempted Coup (12th April 1941)
The Coup is discovered and thwarted - Sliders changed, dissent slightly up.
The Coup is carried out successfully - Sliders changed, ministers changed, Bulgaria joins the Allies. Other events determine how Germany will react.
12. National Comitee "Free and independent Bulgaria" (May 1941)
Small dissent change
13. Communist Party Reaction to Germany's attack on the USSR (22 June 1941)
Small dissent change
14. Bulgaria declares war on the United Kingdom and the United States (13 December 1941)
Bulgaria is at war with the Allied Countries
15. The "Farherland Front" Program (17 July 1942)
No immediate effect
16. The Comintern is dissolved (1943)
No immediate effect
17. National Comitee of the Fatherland Front (10th August 1943)
No immediate effect
18. Official Statement by Foreign Office to the USA State Departament (16th August 1943)
No immediate effect.
19. The Tsar dies (28th August 1943)
Dissent slightly up
20. Council of regents (28 September 1943)
No immediate effect
21. Churchill's Balkans Plan (19th October 1943)
If Bulgaria has signed the Tripartite pact -> start strategic bombing missions (AI switch), dissent severe change
22. Churchill's Balkans Plan (19th October 1943)
If Bulgaria has not signed the tripartite pact (meaning that it's occupied by Germany), the Allies send troops to attack Germany through the Balkans, advancing on the right bank of the Danube only (UK, US AI switch)
23. Moscow Conference (30th October 1943)

24. Soviet Consuleships demands (spring 1944)
Dissent slightly up
25. Ivan Bagryanov's Government (1st June 1944)
Ministers change
26. Konstantin Muraviev's Government (2nd September 1944)
Ministers change, dissent slightly up
27. Bulgaria Severes its alliance with Germany (4th September 1944)
War with Germany.
28. The Soviet Union declares war on Bulgaria (5th September 1944)
War with the USSR. If "Declare war on the Allies" was chosen in the appropriate event, then Bulgaria is at war with all three alliances simultaneously.
29. The Fatherland Front's Coup (9th September 1944)
Ministers change, sliders change, Bulgaria joins the "Comintern" faction.


I've noticed wrongly labeled buttons for the Manhattan Project event for USA. The button that says "there will be total war", i.e. approves the addition of this tech team, will actually disable it, while the button that says "this is not necessary" has "no immediate effect" as an effect.