Hearts of Iron IV News

Paradox Interactive are notoriously enthusiastic about DLC, often releasing years of expansions and add-ons for their big strategy games rather than leaping straight into sequels. So as an alternative to spending £100-odd for all a game's DLC, Paradox have started dabbling in letting players pay monthly fees to play them. The next game to start such a DLC subscription service is Hearts Of Iron IV, launching today. Like the others, it'll charge £4 per month. Or alternatively, you can still just buy DLC for keepsies.

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[h3]Greetings Generals!
[/h3]
We have two big things to talk about today so let's dive into it. First of all Hearts of Iron 4 is joining other PDX titles, and gaining an additional way to experience our catalog of DLC through a subscription model. If you have any questions about the subscription service, farther down the post there is a FAQ, and we’ll do our best to answer any questions you have in the comments.

Second, and unrelated to the subscription service, all players will have access to their “Career Profile” from the title screen in Hearts of Iron 4. This will track information about your time playing HoI, from this point forward. It will look like this!



And if you own any DLC (or are currently subscribed), you will be able to see per DLC additional info, as seen here by clicking on the DLC banners at the top.


The Career Profile is entirely unrelated to the subscription service, so ALL players will have access to these infographics just by playing the game. The Career Profile will be live tomorrow, Wednesday the 16th.



[h2]Subscription Service FAQ[/h2]

[h3]How do I get the subscription? [/h3]
You need to own the base game only, then simply purchase game time from the Steam store page. There is also a button on the title screen that will take you there if you are not currently subscribed.


[h3]
What does the subscription include? [/h3]
The subscription will give you access to Together for Victory, Death or Dishonor, Waking the Tiger, Man the Guns, La Resistance, Battle for the Bosporus, No Step Back, and cosmetic DLCs. Future releases will be covered in the subscription as well.


[h3]
Why a subscription? [/h3]
With a plethora of DLC options to choose from, starting out from scratch can be daunting to new players. This is an affordable way for players to experience the entire HoI4 catalog without having to weigh which items they would prefer to purchase. This does not mean it is the only way to get DLC moving forward. The subscription service is entirely optional, and buying DLCs as you have always done is still, and always will be available.


[h3]
I already bought a bunch of HoI4 DLC, will this affect me? [/h3]
Nope! Nothing will change for you. You still own all your DLC and you still have the option to purchase future DLC.



[h3]What happens if I stop subscribing?[/h3]
If you stop subscribing, you will lose access to any content you have not separately purchased.



[h3]I won't be playing HoI for a while, how do I cancel my subscription?[/h3]
Canceling is handled through your Steam account. Visit Account Details, where you can cancel a subscription at any time. Your canceled subscription will remain active until the paid plan expires.



[h3]Will my subscription cover future DLC?[/h3]
Yes! When new DLC and content packs are released, current subscription owners will have immediate access to them upon release.



[h3]What if I want to buy a DLC?[/h3]
That option is still available and always will be. The subscription service is an additional option that some players may find better suited to their situation. It is in addition to, and not instead of, a normal purchase.


[h3]
Can I get a refund?[/h3]
If a renewable subscription has not been used during the current billing cycle, you may request a refund within 48 hours of the initial purchase or within 48 hours of any automatic renewal. Content is considered used if any games within the subscription have been played during the current billing cycle or if any benefits or discounts included with the subscription have been used, consumed, modified or transferred. More details can be found in Steams refund policy.

[h3]Get the subscription here[/h3]

[h3]Balance[/h3]
- Flattened tank chassis IC cost, raising earlier chassis by 10-20%, up to no change at later chassis.

- Transport planes now cost fuel to run.

- Reduced truck damage from logistics strike mission by approx 30%, reduced train damage from logistics strike mission by approx 15%


[h3]
Modding
[/h3]
- Fixed dynamic modifiers not returning localized keys when supplied

- set_nationality effect will no longer check if the character is 'available' in the target country before transferring them

- set_nationality on characters will no longer cause their owning country to reset to their original country on loading savegame. This addresses several CTDs and some unexpected behaviour


[h3]Stability & Performance[/h3]

- Fixed OOS and other subtle issues caused by bad ordering of logistics stockpile in deployment logic

- Fixed CTD with mods that fire leaders without giving AI a proper 7 days notice period

- Liberal use of diplomatic_relation in script will not longer slowly corrupt memory, triggering random CTD and OOS


[h3]Bugfix[/h3]

- Fixed CTD when clicking on provinces with no owner (mods only)

[h3]Greetings all![/h3]

As you’ll no doubt be aware, the launch of the No Step Back expansion last year was the climax of a busy year of development for the HoI team, and it continues to be one of our best received releases to date.

Of course, the last year also saw the departure of @podcat as Game Director who was reassigned to Siberia greater things at Paradox. Many of you will also have read the roadmap document that was produced towards the beginning of HoI4 development, and are asking questions as to the veracity of that plan under a new director, and whether I have any different ideas or plans to announce.

[h2]Looking Forwards[/h2]

I mentioned at the beginning of my tenure that both @podcat and I see HoI4 in broadly similar terms. This hasn’t changed, and you can expect to see many of the parts of the previous roadmap make an appearance at some point in the future.

My approach to a ‘Grand Plan’, however, may be somewhat different. I have a preference for leaving plenty of space for reactive development (something that served us well on Imperator), and while there are many things that I feel are ripe for future development, I am also keen to leave a lot of space for changing course and acting on community sentiment.

There are two main points I want to raise before we get to details, however. Firstly, we intend to up the tempo of our releases a little. This is, of course, an ambition, and not a promise, however it informs some further decisions related to the development of HoI. Namely, that we are considering ways to change how and when we release information on development to you folks. Since faster development is the goal, this also means getting ideas into public view slightly faster, for feedback and conversation. We’re not exactly sure how this will look yet, but it is likely that there’ll be a reorganization of the traditional dev-diary schedule into something that feels less like a milestone delivery. This comes in tandem with a need to shift the community’s expectations on what ‘in development’ means: getting fans accustomed to seeing placeholders, WIP balance, and half-built systems in early phases, and seeing things develop as time goes on.

The last major point here is that we recognize a need to maintain the game as well as to develop it, especially if development pace is picking up. We’re still considering how best to achieve this, and I’m watching initiatives such as the Custodian team on Stellaris with curiosity. For the time being, what this is likely to manifest as, is the inclusion of older system maintenance into our patch planning - you may start to see patch bulletin features including things such as minor focus tree revamps, as well as attention paid to older systems and expansion content.

[h2]
Roadmap[/h2]

As mentioned above, the 2020 roadmap for HoI4 included many things which have now either been completed or rendered unnecessary. This leaves several from podcat’s list which I believe are still important for the future of the game:

• Improvements to frontline stability (progress in NSB, more to come)
  
• Long term goals and strategies to guide ai (progress in NSB)
  
• Improving peace conferences
  
• Update core national focus trees with alt-history paths and more options (Italy)
  
• Wunderwaffen projects
  
• More differences between sub-ideologies and government forms
  
• More National Focus trees
  
• Make defensive warfare more fun
  
• Adding mechanics to limit the size of your standing army, particularly post-war etc
  
• Have doctrines more strongly affect division designing
  
• Strategic and tactical AI improvements
  

In addition to these items, I will of course add some of my own personal intentions:

[h3]Great Power Diplomacy[/h3]
This is one area that I feel doesn’t need much explanation. More diplomatic tools are a clear area for expansion, and a careful look at how this module can be developed without interfering with the overarching global war, is likely to happen.
[h3]
Economic Decision Making[/h3]
The economic system is very abstracted in HoI, and I do not foresee ever making it a major part of the game loop. This said, there are elements of an industrial economy that I feel could do with being part of decision making in HoI.

[h3]Immersive/Roleplay Elements[/h3]
Optional tools for making your mark on a game, and/or development of further building blocks to enhance attachment to a HoI campaign. Bring the simulation to life.

And of course, many more that I feel do not need as much of an explanation:

• Battleplanner improvements
  
• Advisors/internal politics improvements
  
• Ideological distinctions
  
• Multiplayer & social layer improvements & support
  

I like to remain as open as possible to the needs of the community, and the inclusion or omission of any particular item above should not be considered ‘set in stone’.

As we look at how we plan on structuring future communications, there may be some space for a few more dev diaries on what you’ve all been getting up to in NSB in the near(ish) future!

/Arheo