An In-depth Hearts of Iron IV Gamer’s Guide
Hearts of Iron IV (HoI4) war strategy game. It is not all about war, and it’s about diplomacy too. You have to plan things and then properly execute them. This guide will give you a head start and also provide you with a smooth and easy game experience.
Different Modes of HOI4 — Hearts of Iron IV
Hearts of Iron 4 can be played in two different modes. The first is Single Player and the second is Multi Player.
Single Player: This mode lets you play with com. Player chooses one country, and all other countries are controlled by com. It also has a tutorial which is highly recommended.
Multi Player- In this mode, you get to play with real players all around the globe. Maximum 32 players can play one game of HOI4.The host has all powers to start, stop or restart the session.
Different Scenarios in HOI4
When you start the game HOI4 provides to two scenarios to choose from -1936 and 1939. Both scenarios have different difficulties and challenges and the gameplay depends on the type of scenario chosen by the player.
Now, what is the difference between 1936 and 1939? What will happen if you choose 1939 and not 1936? Let me Explain.
1936
Both scenarios will lead you towards World War 2, but when you choose 1936, the game will start from 1st January 1936. The world war started on 1st September 1939. So, in this scenario, there is peace when you start the game. You have to plan and build your economy for the war to come. You have to set the ground for war plans. In this scenario, you have to focus on production, diplomacy, and research.
1939
When you choose 1939, the game starts on date 14th August 1939. By this time Germany is the most powerful country in Europe and about to start its attack on Poland. So, this scenario is more about leading your armed forces and supplying and helping your allies in war.
Now it’s all up to you what you choose. If you like planning and diplomacy then you should choose 1936 and if you choose to go straight in the battle then choose 1939.
Choosing your Country
This game lets you choose from seven major countries of the world in both scenarios. The seven major countries are United States, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet Union. Not only this you can choose other countries too. Players can also use Hoi game console terminal to enable Heart of Iron Country code but you should not select a weak country as your first country.
How to Begin with HOI4
Now after doing this stuff now you are the game. What you have to do is to develop both civilian and defence side. Set up factories, do research, etc, etc. If you are wondering what to start with I suggest you develop the civilian side first and then the military side. Set priority, civilian > military>dockyards.
Do not neglect anything, when you start the game few production line of the military units will be active. So try to make more production lines while using the active production line to build an army. With this, you will have a small army ready before real production starts.
Set up civilian factories, by this I mean they must be large in number. They are an investment, and they help your economy. With more these factories you will get some extra advantage, and it will increase the speed of developing other buildings.
Plan your Nation Focuses and make allies as soon as possible in the game. Making Allies will help you to run for a long time. Research the national focuses which will help to have a better army.
Never try to rush when you are researching. If you try to rush and try to unlock advance things early in the game, then your economy will be crushed, and there will be no fun. Also, don’t research a technology before its timeline.
Also, dockyards are on least priority but never ignore them. Work on your dockyards it will give you a stronger navy. With dockyards, you get other ships too which will help you to send or get supply and trade.
Set up a good police department. It is necessary to have smooth police working. Use cavalry units for police. Also, make sure your army gets proper rest after completing their objective. Do not let them exhaust. Provide them reinforcement and supplies.
In air force division focus on having more fighters than bombers. Fighters are quick and useful in battle so make sure you have them in large number. Also, prepare yourself with anti-aircraft guns for defence.
Don’t forget to research about engineering and industry. They are necessary for acquiring future technology. Also in war, it is better that army uses new technology.
You can change your recruitment laws at any time, and your manpower will increase very fast. So wait for it and use it when required as it takes very less time but keep in mind it uses political power. You should use your political power and switch to war economy too.
Provide your army practice if you are not at war this will help them in gaining experience, and it will be beneficial in fights to come.
