Hearts Of Iron 4 Focus Tree
In this case the technology tree resembles the ideology one. There are two possibilities that exclude each other and you must decide whether to use the bonuses provided to the fighters, or to the bombers. Note that the air tree gives significant benefits and if you see your chances of success by using air units, you shouldn't delay the development of those national focuses. An interesting thing about this tree is the situational reduction in the research times, which can be used to gain a bonus. It all depends whether the technology you're interested in is located or not within the actual timeline.
Below you can find national focuses associated with air units. The tree doesn't have a lot of different routes, but the final part of it is quite interesting.
Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, France, US, Russia and Poland have their own focus trees. If you have Together for Victory DLC: Canada, South Africa, British Raj, Australia and New Zeeland will also have their own focus trees. If you have Death of Dishonor DLC: Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Romania will also have their own focus trees. Nov 15, 2018 Hearts of Iron IV (HoI4) Console Commands And Cheat Codes. Hearts of Iron IV is a strategy based video game based on World War II. The game has been developed by Paradox Interactive. The game usually tends to attract people who play FPS and MOBA games. The game was released on June 6, 2016.
Air Innovations
If you decide to develop air units, you are sure to complete this section of national focuses. Note that before completing the second focus in the above table you will have to decide whether you will focus on developing fighters or bombers. It all depends on your playing style, as the bonuses provided by both routes are equally interesting.
Icon | Name | |
Air Innovations | Air Experience +25 Air base +2 Air Doctrine 1x 50% | |
Air Innovations II | Air Experience +25 Air base +2 Air Doctrine 1x 50% |
Hearts of Iron 4 is a video game created by Paradox Interative, which focuses on World War 2, and allows you to command a nation of your choosing to try and win the WW2, or rule the world. Hearts of Iron 4 (HOI4) has had great modding support from day 1 of release with many mods, small and large alike, being released.
Commentary: by completing the focuses from the above table you will be able to get 4 air bases and experience points needed to create an advanced air squadron. Note the additional bonuses to the Air Doctrine researches - similarly to the other doctrines they have routes that exclude each other, which is why you can develop only a single one of them. Finally, you will be able to get free air bases without the need to use your own supplies and factories to do so.
Fighters
Think carefully when you want to start developing those focuses and manage technologies in such a way that before you start the 'CAS Effort' you will have all of the technologies associated with the current timeline completed. If you don't do that, you will be given an immediate bonus to the research time reduction, but you will waste half of the benefits of this focus, the one that allows you to research units outside of the timeline without suffering additional penalty. Before starting this focus pay attention to how much time is remaining before the technology is normally available.
Icon | Name | Benefits |
Fighter Focus | Interwar Fighter 2x 50% Fighter I / II / III 2x 50% Heavy Fighter I / II / III 2x 50% | |
CAS Effort | Reduce ahead of time penalty by 100% or gives a 50%, research bonus if not ahead of time. |
Commentary: If you decide to develop fighters, you will be given bonuses from the above table. Thanks to them you will be able to decrease the research times for those units, which will in turn affect your army strength in the air.
Bombers
Similarly to the previous tree, you must figure out if the benefits coming from this tree and those focus will bring anything to your game. If you won't be using bombers, you should focus on developing the fighter tree, especially because you will need both focuses of that tree while developing rocketry. If you decide to develop units from the bomber tree you should try to get a general development of naval aviation.
Icon | Name | Benefits |
Bomber Focus | Strategic Bomber I / II / III 2x 50% Tactical Bomber 2x 50% | |
NAV Effort | Reduce ahead of time penalty by 100% or gives a 50%, research bonus if not ahead of time. 1x Naval Bomber models |
Commentary: in the case of this tree the benefits are equally as attractive as with the fighters and it's up to the player whether he want to dominate in the air, or finish off the enemy with a massive bombing attack. Note that the second focus in the table is related to the possession of aircraft carries, which is why you must consider whether developing it will be useful to you.
Rocket Effort
You shouldn't wait for too long. If you are interested in activities related to rocket technology, you should aim to complete this focus regardless of the costs. The use of jet engines won't suddenly grantee you victory in the war, but if you manage to use them before your enemies do, you will have greater chance of success. Additionally, you should devote a single research slot to develop technology associated with the bonuses, so that you can benefit from it earlier.
Icon | Name | Benefits |
Rocket Effort | Reduce penalty for premature work Rocketry 2x50% Rocketry 2x50% |
Commentary: one of the most important national focuses. With it you will be given a significant reduction to the penalty for premature work and will be able to gain large advantage in the air. Note that the bonus applies to up to four technologies and those technologies can have a significant impact on the course of action on the battlefield.
| Hearts of Iron IV | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Paradox Development Studio |
| Publisher(s) | Paradox Interactive |
| Director(s) | Johan Andersson |
| Engine | Clausewitz Engine |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Grand strategy, war |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Hearts of Iron IV is a grand strategyvideo game developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive. It was released worldwide on June 6, 2016.[1] It is the sequel to 2009's Hearts of Iron III and the fourth main installment in the Hearts of Iron series. Like previous games in the series, Hearts of Iron IV is a grand strategy wargame that focuses on World War II. The player may take control of any nation in the world in either 1936 or 1939 and lead them to victory or defeat against other countries.
- 2Expansions and mods
Gameplay[edit]
Hearts of Iron IV is a grand strategy wargame that primarily revolves around World War II. The player may play as any nation in the world in the 1936 or 1939 start dates in singleplayer or multiplayer, although the game is not designed to go beyond 1948. A nation's military is divided between naval forces, aerial forces, and ground forces. For the ground forces, the player may train, customize, and command divisions consisting of various types of infantry, tanks, and other units. These divisions require equipment and manpower to properly fight. The navy and air force also require men and equipment, including the actual warships and warplanes that are used in combat. Equipment is produced by military factories, while ships are built by dockyards. These military factories and dockyards are, in turn, constructed by civilian factories, which also construct a variety of other buildings, produce consumer goods for the civilian population, and oversee commerce with other nations. Most nations are initially forced to devote a significant number of their civilian factories to producing consumer goods, but as the nation becomes increasingly mobilized, more factories will be freed up for other purposes. Mobilization is represented as a 'policy' that the player may adjust with the proper amount of political power, an abstract 'resource' that is also used to appoint new ministers and change other facets of the nation's government. In addition to mobilization, there are other policies, including the nation's stance on conscription and commerce.[2]
Land in Hearts of Iron IV is divided into tiny regions known as provinces, which are grouped together to form states. Each state has a certain amount of building slots, factory slots, and 10 infrastructure slots. The major seas and oceans (for warships) and the sky (for warplanes) are similarly divided into different regions. These provinces each have a type of terrain assigned to them that determines how well different types of units will perform in combat there. Divisions are placed in provinces and can attack enemy units in adjacent provinces. How well divisions perform in combat depends on various factors, such as the quality of their equipment, the weather, the type of terrain, the skill and traits of the general commanding the divisions, and the morale of both sides. Technologies can be researched to improve equipment and learn new military doctrines, among other things, which often means that a more technologically advanced nation will have an edge in combat. If a division (or a group of divisions) successfully overwhelms an enemy province, they may occupy it. Some provinces may have victory points, and if you secure enough enemy victory points, the enemy nation will capitulate. Occupying key provinces within a state allows the occupying power to access the enemy's factories and natural resources in that state. Resistance to occupation within a state can hamper the occupying power's control over it. Late in the game, nations may develop nuclear bombs if they have the proper technology, which can be used to devastate enemy provinces and states.[3]
Hearts of Iron IV also attempts to recreate the complex diplomatic relationships of the day. Nations may undertake a variety of diplomatic actions; they may sign non-aggression pacts, guarantee the independence of other nations, and offer or request military access, amongst other things. Another key feature of diplomacy is the ability to create a faction or invite other nations to an existing one. Factions represent the main alliances of the era, like the Axis and Allies (for gameplay purposes, real-world factions like the Axis and Allies are split into numerous smaller factions, like the Comintern, the Chinese United Front, and the Co-Prosperity Sphere). Faction members may assist each other in wars, making faction members very valuable assets. A number of more clandestine diplomatic actions are also available. For example, the player may justify war against other nations, spread their ideology abroad, or stage a coup. Countries in the game may be democratic, fascist, communist, or non-aligned. Each of the four ideologies have advantages and disadvantages; for example, fascist nations can go to war with other countries easily, but other nations are not as willing to trade with them as they are with democratic countries. If a different ideology becomes too popular in a country, a referendum may be held that will peacefully convert the nation to the more popular ideology. Otherwise, ideologies may come to power violently through coups, civil wars, or forced subjugation by a foreign power.[4]
While Hearts of Iron 4 does feature some scripted events, the game features a 'national focus' system that makes fixed events less necessary than in previous installments in the series. Each country in the game has a 'focus tree' with various 'national focuses' that grant certain effects or trigger events. For example, in order for the Anschluss to occur, Germany must first complete the focus that is related to it. Other focuses can grant special bonuses, like faster research times for certain technologies or extra factories. While some bonuses (like extra factories) are very tangible, others (like improvements to morale) are more abstract. These abstract bonuses are represented by 'national spirits' that can be temporary or permanent. Not all national spirits are granted by focuses, and not all spirits are entirely beneficial in nature. Focuses are completed over time; only one focus may be worked on at once, and working on one consumes some political power. Initially, only a handful of key nations, like Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States, had unique focus trees; all other nations shared a generic one. Subsequent updates and DLCs have added focus trees to other nations as well.[5]
Hearts of Iron IV also introduces the concept of 'world tension,' an abstract representation of how close the world is to war on a scale from 0 to 100. Aggressive actions by any nation can increase world tension, while peaceful actions can decrease it. Depending on the circumstances of a nation, like their ideology, a certain level of world tension may be necessary to perform certain actions, like justifying war against another country.[6]
Expansions and mods[edit]
Expansions[edit]
Hearts Of Iron 4 China Focus Tree
| Name | Release date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Together for Victory[7] | 15 December 2016 | Together for Victory is the first expansion pack for Hearts of Iron IV. It adds focus trees to multiple nations within the British Empire: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the British Raj. It also expands the relationships between puppet states and their masters, with a special autonomy system that determines a subject nation's degree of independence. Features like an expanded Lend-Lease system and the sharing of technology are also added.[8] |
| Death or Dishonor[9] | 14 June 2017 | Death or Dishonor is the second expansion pack for Hearts of Iron IV. It adds focus trees to several minor powers in Central and Eastern Europe: Yugoslavia, Romania, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. It also adds the ability to license military equipment.[10] |
| Waking the Tiger[11] | 8 March 2018 | Waking the Tiger is the third expansion pack for Hearts of Iron IV. It mostly focuses on the Second Sino-Japanese War, with new focus trees for Manchukuo and Nationalist and Communist China and a shared focus tree for the Chinese warlords of Guangxi, Yunnan, Ma, Shanxi, and Sinkiang. The expansion also adds more opportunities for alternate history, with the focus trees of Germany and Japan being reworked and a number of formable nations being added. Special projects and policies can be enacted with decisions, and several changes to the managing of generals are present in the expansion.[12] |
| Man the Guns[13] | 28 February 2019 | Man the Guns is the fourth expansion pack for Hearts of Iron IV. It mostly focuses on improving the naval combat of the game, although numerous other changes and new features are also present in the expansion. For example, the expansion adds focus trees for the Netherlands and Mexico, more alternate history paths for the United States and the United Kingdom, fuel as a resource, and governments-in-exile.[14] |
Mods[edit]
Hearts of Iron IV was developed to be more open-ended than previous games in the series. Partially as a result of this, the game can be more readily modded than its predecessors.[15] A variety of mods for the game, most of which can be found on the Steam Workshop, have been developed, including a number of total conversion mods that dramatically change the game. Some mods have been successful enough to attract attention from the media, such as Kaiserreich, a mod set in a world where the Central Powers won World War One, Red World, a mod set in a world where the Soviet Union won the Cold War, Millennium Dawn, a mod set in the modern day, and The Great War, a mod set in the First World War.[16][17] Some mods have also attracted controversy for alleged racism and bigotry, such as Deus Vult, a mod that adds the Knights Templar to the game and allows them to commit various atrocities.[18]
Development[edit]
Hearts of Iron IV was announced in 2014 and was originally slated for a late 2015 release.[19] At E3 2015, creative director Johan Andersson confirmed that the game would be pushed back from its original release window, with the new release date being scheduled for the first quarter of 2016. This was an attempt to resolve several issues encountered with the game.[20] In March 2016, it was announced that the game would be released on June 6, 2016, which is the 72nd anniversary of the Normandy landings.[1]
Reception[edit]
| Reception | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
Currently, the base game has a score of 83 from review aggregator Metacritic, translating to 'generally favorable reviews'.[21]
GameSpot gave the game a positive review, writing that 'Hearts of Iron IV embodies the hard truths about all-consuming war and the international politics that guide it.' It argued that the tutorial was the only weak point, and that 'for the dedicated, Hearts of Iron IV could end up being the best grand strategy game in some time.'[25]
It was also reviewed in Kotaku, with the reviewer writing it was 'overwhelming in both its depth and, more importantly, its complexity,' and arguing that some players unfamiliar with the franchise might find the game interface too complex to easily navigate.[26]
IGN wrote a positive review, describing it as 'an incredibly complex World War II simulation that will require potentially hundreds of hours to master, both in-game and pouring over wiki articles that read like an economics textbook,' but writing that 'the payoff is brilliant for those willing to put in the time to learn.' The review praised the layout, writing 'thanks to an unusually striking look and clean, easily navigable interface, the biggest challenges Hearts of Iron 4 presents us with are the good kind: strategic planning, division composition, and fine-tuning economic and political policies.' IGN went on to conclude that Hearts of Iron IV 'is a strong contender for the title of ultimate armchair-general game. The biggest problems I can point to are almost all performance-related, putting a slow, frustrating finale on what is otherwise an ingeniously detailed strategic stimulation of just about every aspect of 20th-century global warfare.'[22]
A review in PC Gamer described it as a 'unique, beautiful, thrilling wargame.. while I found a number of flaws when I stood close to the tapestry, it's important to remember that Hearts of Iron 4 exists to encompass the whole sweep of the war.'[24]
Hearts Of Iron 4 Mods
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ abDingman, Hayden (Mar 15, 2016). 'Paradox Interactive reveals release dates for Hearts of Iron IV and Stellaris'. PC World. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^Apolon (June 29, 2016). ''Hearts Of Iron 4' Beginner's Guide: Tips, Tricks and Strategies For Mastering The Basics'. Player.One. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
- ^JAFalcon (March 18, 2016). 'Hearts of Iron IV developer diary talks about nuclear weapons'. GameWatcher. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- ^Hannley, Sean (June 7, 2016). 'Review: Hearts of Iron IV'. Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- ^Dumitrescu, Andrei (October 4, 2015). 'Hearts of Iron IV Details Italy, National Focuses and Initial Setup'. Softpedia. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- ^Priest, Simon (May 8, 2015). 'World Tension and neutrality in new Hearts of Iron IV dev diary'. GameWatcher. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- ^'Hearts of Iron IV: Together for Victory Paradox Interactive'. www.paradoxplaza.com. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
- ^Brown, Fraser (December 16, 2016). 'Hearts of Iron IV: Together for Victory review'. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^'Hearts of Iron IV: Death or Dishonor Paradox Interactive'. www.paradoxplaza.com. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
- ^Cobb, James (June 14, 2017). 'Review: Hearts of Iron IV: Death or Dishonor'. Wargamer. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^'Hearts of Iron IV: Waking the Tiger Paradox Interactive'. www.paradoxplaza.com. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
- ^Robinson, Joe (March 19, 2018). 'Review: Hearts of Iron 4: Waking the Tiger'. Wargamer. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^'Hearts of Iron IV: Man the Guns Paradox Interactive'. www.paradoxplaza.com. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
- ^Donnelly, Joe (May 19, 2018). 'Hearts of Iron 4: Man the Guns expansion grows its naval game'. PC Gamer. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^Haas, Pete (23 January 2014). 'Hearts Of Iron 4 Coming In Early 2015'. Cinema Blend. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
- ^Moore, Zach (August 9, 2018). 'Best Hearts of Iron 4 Mods 2018: Recommended and Must-Have Mods'. GameRevolution. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^Booker, Logan (November 13, 2016). 'The Great War Mod For Hearts Of Iron 4 Enters Open Beta'. Kotaku. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^Winkie, Luke (June 6, 2018). 'The Struggle Over Gamers Who Use Mods To Create Racist Alternate Histories'. Kotaku. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^Frank, Allegra (March 15, 2016). 'Hearts of Iron 4 launches this 'D-Day''. Polygon. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^Hafer, Todd (13 June 2015). 'Kicking Hitler Repeatedly in the Kidneys in Hearts of Iron 4'. IGN. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ^ ab'Hearts of Iron IV PC'. Metacritic. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^ abHafer, TJ (June 6, 2016). 'Hearts of Iron IV review'. IGN. Imagine Games Network. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^Starkey, Daniel (2016-06-08). 'Hearts of Iron 4 Review'. GameSpot. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
- ^ abZacny, Rob (June 9, 2016). 'Hearts of Iron 4 Review'. PC Gamer. Future plc. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^Starkey, Daniel (June 8, 2016). 'Hearts of Iron 4 Review'. GameSpot. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^Plunkett, Luke (June 6, 2016). 'Hearts Of Iron IV'. Kotaku. Retrieved September 9, 2016.