Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Micro102]

I got this in a super cheap paradox pack sale and decided to play it, seeing how it's related to EUIII and a certain let's player I like likes it. However it's completely overwhelming.

First off, I couldn't figure out how to pick certian nations. I could only play as the 4 main campaigns. So I picked the USA and got a map that had a ridiculous number of "provinces" or areas. I assume these are ignorable until you have to fight on them. But then there is the research, the production, the army customization, the HQ's and lines leading to a whole bunch of other places.... And the tutorial explains very little of all fo this.

Anyone have an idea where to start?

[Mictlantecuhtli]

I got this in a super cheap paradox pack sale and decided to play it, seeing how it's related to EUIII and a certain let's player I like likes it. However it's completely overwhelming.

First off, I couldn't figure out how to pick certian nations. I could only play as the 4 main campaigns. So I picked the USA and got a map that had a ridiculous number of "provinces" or areas. I assume these are ignorable until you have to fight on them. But then there is the research, the production, the army customization, the HQ's and lines leading to a whole bunch of other places.... And the tutorial explains very little of all fo this.

Anyone have an idea where to start?

Delegate Politics and Intelligence to the AI and focus on Research, Production and Unit Command on your own. That's how I typically play, unless I need to do specific things (mass spies to a hostile country, or replace a kleptomaniac secretary). It's not too terrible deep and overwhelming, atleast in my opinion. It plays like an action-version Hearts of Iron almost. I remember having a much more... Legitimately fun time playing HoI2.

Of course if the Unit Command is overwhelming you, since it can in a game of this scale, the new HQ/Command Line feature is pretty nifty. Assign an objective to a squad, platoon, or a whole region of forces with ~3 clicks, with the ability to set their aggressiveness and strategy.

If you can't find your Supreme HQ or even regional HQs, just click on any soldier and follow their line of command to the top. It's listed above the actual troop screen as bars, pretty easy to find once you can recognize it.

[Micro102]

O thats right, you can assign the AI to do things.... How? 

And I don't even know when I shoudl move my troops. Are there supply limits like in EU3?

Why do some nations have more industrial capacity then their base amount?

How can I play as a small nation to get started?

[Simmura McCrea]

I'd recommend playing as the USSR to get started. You basically have a single front to focus on, and it's all land. You get the help roflstomp Poland for practice, kick Finland for a little trickier, then help wreck Germany to finish. You produce a surplus of all the resources and have a crapton of IC.

[Mictlantecuhtli]

O thats right, you can assign the AI to do things.... How? 

And I don't even know when I shoudl move my troops. Are there supply limits like in EU3?

Why do some nations have more industrial capacity then their base amount?

How can I play as a small nation to get started?

1) The option is in each of the seperate menus. I don't remember exactly where, as I don't have HoI3 installed on this machine, so I'm going off of memory.

2) Yes. BIG supply limits. Especially for huge nations like Russia. Infrastructure is crucial to victory in any war, be it attack or defence.

3) Lots of nations have bonuses to their IC, and they typically get unfair bonuses as well unless you're playing on >normal difficulty. Its to give the AI a fighting chance, really. I think HoI3 assumes that players to this game are atleast slightly adept at this type of game. ALWAYS watch out for Britain and Germany, no matter who you are.

4) In short: You can't unless you're a deity at this game. One of my main goals was to bring a tiny nation to prosperous victory, and every time I picked a bumfuck country (Ecuador, Yugoslavia, even Ethiopia) I ultimately gave up or was decimated because it's a looooooong time to build a tiny country to power, especially in this game, where it's hard to prepare a big country for WW2 starting at '34.

I suggest you stick to the larger countries until you're more experienced, trust me, it's very demotivating to play as small countries right off the bat in this game, it doesn't give it the right feel, since this is primarily a WW2 game, I assume they want you to play a moderately industrial nation.

[Micro102]

No I am asking how you actually choose a smaller nation. I don't care if I will lose, it will be infinitely easier to get used tot he controls. I will learn the game, die, then come back and probably play as the USSR like Simmura suggested.

[Simmura McCrea]

Right click the flags to get a list of nations. Although that might be HoI 2.

[Nirur Torir]

There should be a "Custom Start" button in the lower right corner. I think you can select who to play by clicking them on the map.

I liked using the Spanish Civil War (1938 start, either Nationalist Spain or Republican Spain) as basic war practice in HoI 2 and 3, as the forces are somewhat balanced, war is immediate, and you'll not be distracted by multiple fronts halfway across the globe.

[snelg]

Necro powers go!


So, there was a new expansion announced a week or so ago called "Hearts of Iron III: Their Finest Hour". Will apparently be out "later 2012" if everything goes well.
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?612134-E3-2012-New-Expansion-for-Hearts-of-Iron-III-Announced!

Looks pretty solid but guess we'll have to wait and see for more details.

[BuriBuriZaemon]

Hearts of Iron series at 75% off on Gamersgate. You have about 18 hours to buy from the time of this posting.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

Kay people, click on the actual nation on the map that you want to play as to select a nation other than the "interesting selections"

I recommend Japan as a starter nation

[RedKing]

Kay people, click on the actual nation on the map that you want to play as to select a nation other than the "interesting selections"

I recommend Japan as a starter nation

I dunno....Japan requires a lot of naval logistics, supply convoys, etc.
The nice bit with USSR is that you can neglect your navy entirely if you so choose. Heck, you can neglect your airforce. Just put everything into infantry and militia research (and eventually tank) and build fortifications out of the bodies of the Glorious Proletariat itself.

[gimlet]

For the 1st games I did
 1) Spain - small country, you get into action quick (civil war) and can get the basics of ground combat
 2) France - you can concentrate on ground and a bit of air, get into action in 1939, experience the blitz from the other side
 or 3) Poland - ditto but smaller.  France is nice cause you get some navy to play with but don't really have to build any more
 or 4) Nat China - ditto, get into action even earlier so you better have a plan.  Awful infrastructure so you will learn to manage (and curse) supply.
 5) Italy - You have all kinds of targets around the Med, you have to balance land, naval, air without the tons and tons of units and decisions that is !!GERMANY!!
 6) Germany - Might as well, this is the focus of the game, lots of production and research to manage, once you can take down France within a month without bleeding your manpower dry you've passed a milestone.  And then the USSR is often still no pushover.  You drive the whole war.  Lots of different strategies to try.

I switched to HPP mod relatively early on to make the game not so cut and dried and to remove some of the gamy options (ie can't just grab all the balkan minors in 1937 without one a big neighbor getting pissed), they're not QUITE done with their For the Motherland version though.  I keep meaning to try the ICE (other major mod) and other mods again, I know they made a lot of interesting changes in the last few years since I tried 'em.

[Oliolli]

So, there was a new expansion announced a week or so ago called "Hearts of Iron III: Their Finest Hour". Will apparently be out "later 2012" if everything goes well.
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?612134-E3-2012-New-Expansion-for-Hearts-of-Iron-III-Announced!

- Two new detailed battle scenarios, the Russo-Finnish Winter War and the Spanish Civil War

Weren't those there already? Or am I just mistaking III and II?

[BuriBuriZaemon]

I plan to not play HoI3 'til all the DLCs and patches are released. So I bought Darkest Hours today using my bluepoints on GamersGate because it seems to be alive compared to the other two fan-made add-ons, Arsenal of Democracy and Iron Cross.