Hearts of Iron 2: Initial Impressions

[bhlloy]

I've been playing 1.3 a bit (in between other things) and first impressions are very good. Everything in Europe has fired as expected. I managed to get the US into the Allies by the start of the war and I had 12 infantry divisions and 3 HQ's in France, and the German armour just sliced straight through. I managed to get them out via Cherbourg to the UK, but only just. Managed to salvage quite a few Belgian divisions as well, but the French army got cut off and completely destroyed. I have tons of fighter divisions in southern England but the German bomber offensive is relentless.

Improvement over 1.2 is huge. Countries actually build balanced forces other than just infantry, and this makes AI Germany 10 times tougher. Pre-patch, my forces in Europe probably would have forced a stalemate. Now, AI Germany actually builds armour and kicked my ass.

Japan was making inroads in 1939 into Nationalist China and I was worried they'd control the whole Far East, but it's now mid 1940 and they seem to be bogged right down. Belligerence is very high (I've been siding against the Japanese wherever possible) and I'm waiting to see if the Pearl Harbour event kicks in properly.

Anyway, I would definitely recommend that anybody who has put it on a shelf dusts it off and gives it a go. Some of the big AI problems seem to have been very nicely sorted, and the game seems a lot harder.

[Airhog]

I have to admit, that I fired this game back up with the 1.3 patch. I conquered most of europe pretty easily, but I didnt realize one thing. You must station troops in captured provinces to keep them from eventually revolting. Makes sense, but now I have forces spread to guard my borders, but my interior is wide open. So It looks like I will have to redistribute them soon...

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by Airhog

I have to admit, that I fired this game back up with the 1.3 patch. I conquered most of europe pretty easily, but I didnt realize one thing. You must station troops in captured provinces to keep them from eventually revolting. Makes sense, but now I have forces spread to guard my borders, but my interior is wide open. So It looks like I will have to redistribute them soon...

I have built 50 garrison units with MP regiments, those are dead cheap and do a better job than any other unit than reducing partisan activity. Put a couple of parallel runs on, that' still only 5-6 IC and once you get a good chain going you will be producing one every two weeks easily. Plus you can strat. redeploy them. Keep your good troops guarding your borders

[bob]

I briefly played the original HoI, and have been very interested in getting the latest one, but then saw that the Hearts of Iron II: Doomsday is coming out in a few months. It is a stand-alone expansion that will only cost $20. Just thought I would pass this along.

[BYU 14]

I am waiting for the WWI mod to come out for this......That War is so hard to do because of the monotony of Trench Warfare but I think this Mod might finally make it interesting.

[twothree]

Originally Posted by Calis

For those interested

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/...d.php?t=219906

Expansion announced, major things being an expanded timeline, up until 1953, and some hypothetical scenarios. It's standalone also, looks like it could be a good pickup, supposed to retail at $19.99 also.

I just picked up a copy of Hearts of Iron II: Doomsday at a local EB games. I never bought Hearts of Iron II, since the original Hearts of Iron was still very playable for me. But, at $19.99 and with a longer time frame, nukes, spying, sabotages, coups, stealing techs, assassinations, a scenario editor, and more, I decided to spend the money.

There is already a patch out (version 1.1) at http://www.paradoxplaza.com/Downloads.asp . Patch change log located at http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/...d.php?t=239930

There are some reported problems with the scenario editor and of course bugs in the game play. But Paradox will probably have most of these fixed before I can get done reading the approximately 130-page small type manual.
No table of contents, but at least it has a four page index.

[MrBigglesworth]

Can you play the WWII scenarios with the Doomsday mod?

[twothree]

Originally Posted by MrBigglesworth

Can you play the WWII scenarios with the Doomsday mod?

I believe all the WWII scenarios from HOI2 are included in the stand alone expansion, HOI2: Doomsday. All the WWII scenarios, I believe again, have some changes made to them. This is from reading the paradox message boards. I do not own HOI2, just HOI2: Doomsday so I am not positive on any of my answers.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by MrBigglesworth

Can you play the WWII scenarios with the Doomsday mod?

All the scenarios from the original HOI 2 are there, plus the Doomsday scenario.

[twothree]

A new patch for HOI2: Doomsday was released last week (version 1.3).

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/...d.php?t=290826

[Greyroofoo]

Hearts of Iron II: Arsenel of Democracy

Anyone tried this?

Apparently Paradox got together with members of the mod community to make this stand-alone expansion/ update/ whatever it is. Some of the features do make my mouth water.

I was bitterly disappointed in HoI3. I was hoping this is the game HoI3 should've been.