The Map

The map is the most important piece of information into game. Determines ditances, determines the type of terrain and with in the speeds of units and also the atrition (its not defined here but linked to type of terrain).

So whats the problems with map? Less than prevois HOI versions, but even its easy to modify, the problem is that many maps would be incompatible.

We must understand the elements of the maps:

• Provinces: Minimal unit. Define type of terrain. Usualy they are quiet small areas (except sea). Only can build naval base, defenses.

• States: the states defines de resourses, th building slots, the population. Is defined by a group of provinces. Also defines the slots for infraestructure, airbase, antiair, radar station and other modded buildings. Also sea areas work as states but this doesnot contain any resourse or building.
• Strategic areas, defines areas for aerial combat.

Well were's the stuff?

The mod compatibility. Some elements could be changed without break a mod. Changing land conections (island conection wich needs no ships transports) or sea-doors as strights like Gibraltad.

But adding a province will need the inclusion of this id in many files incluiding the states files incluiding it in one of them or creating a newone.

You can split a state into 2, this also means you must change events and other files.

Stategic zones are more complex becose are linked to supply lines system. We will not develop this point now becose its more related to game engine than the moddeable elements, but this areas are linked to states definitions.

So in this earyl aprouch we should say that a Great Campaing or century mod needs that all mods incluided in the pack not only were linked and using similar ideas/laws systems and politic table definition. They must have the same map.

The map also is linked to resourses and them resourse events, crucial for a century mod.

Actualy the most important mods "Great war", "road to 56", "Keiserrich", BICE and "Cold War: Iron Courtain". I exclude modern day becose it have extended complication, even with yugoslavia disolution it split in many parts into balcan region let some restriction for post 1993 mod.

Posible the cold war mod that needs more state division (North Korea and Vietnam requieres provice changes, Yugoslavia and Afrika minor States).

Great War needs colonies coast in India and China, Eupen provonce as a state and posible minor changes. You can see some of this in the image.

A key for dont lose performance is not split states into a big number, becose ai should admistrate building and other stufs related. Also more calculation are needed if more states are deployed.

Once built the states couldnt be changed on running game, so this is only declared on file dont on events.

So, what we have here? The requeriment of a common map for the mod wich compose a century map. The the fist step is the normalization of request from every mod timelapse.

We will talk some about this in nest post.

Resourses, the ruler behind the wars

In eraly XX century warfare, the resourses was the limiter in the ambision of many countries.

Lack of food in both side (UK, France and Germany) in ww1, naval interdicciion by submarine was much efective than ww2. So supply, resourses and equipment production is a key for vistory or just survive.


Lack of oil for motorization in ww2 was a restriction for many operation. The incapacity to reach bakú for oil fields was the last nail in the coffin, even if they reach the zone would be imposible build the transport chain to central Europe.

I recomend see this documantal for baku, oil and logistical problem of german-army
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdrqx_QEaAo

Actualy vanilla contain: Oil, alumium, iron (steel), tungsten, rubber and cromiun. Vanilla contain a very few equipment, Bice may contain to much but equipment is no the main idea in this post.

Actually a mod called: "Expanded Resources: RT56 Edition" a version for Road to 1956 explore the new resourses and equipment from them.
Here the modders added food, coal and wood. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1121913987

Also a mod called world resourses The Resource War thay the same path, but balanced the resourses in a map.
 http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1209878005

Here they incorporate grain and copper, equipments: Rations, Gasoline, Light Munitions, Heavy Munitions, and Anti-Tank Munitions.

Therefore he included rations, fuel and ammo as equipment, used by attrition in units.
Replace oil for coal as "energy" in legacy hoi series.

With a correct re balance in attrition values and modifiers the model works very well.

But still needs a re balance of amount of resources because the amount of oil in the world is irrational.

The procedure is:

• add resources, 
• change requirements for existing equipment, 
• built new equipment, attach to units,
•  balance general terrain attrition, 
• balance reabilty for all equipment. 
• Balance all resource amount.

I recommend the implement resources: vanilla (Oil, aluminum, iron (steel), tungsten, rubber and cromiun.), grain/food, copper and coal (for ww1 and as energy for industries). After of some games with great war and looking his effort for resourses (ecxept oil) the wood could be noticed as a interestig resourses.

For equipment i recommend many more than this (i like bice vision, but no complex in some points):

fuel and/or gasoline & diesel, plane fuel if its possible generate a consume of equipment for planes and ships in further updates. Ammo, artillery ammo and anti-tank ammo. If they implement ship consume equipment the naval shells.

There should be a usage of coal or fuel in industry as a fix, maybe as an idea but no actually command or modifier for that, needs code.

This things could change all the game background.

Check the mods, are pritty good.
This need a map modification, so that's will be next post.

Description of this page: games and philosophy blog

Hi, I'm Agustin from Argentina, you could call me Aquelarre or Aquelarrefox.

I like some strategy and simulators as Heart of Iron series, Silent Hunter, Rule the waves, Patrician III, Europa Universalis and other similar, and STALKER because you know its a experience.

Tee main objective is speak about modding stuff, principally on HOI iv, i have made mod for silent hunter iii and tropico iv, and help on the most interesting Darkest Hour (moddeable HOI 2): The grand campaign.

I would see a mod as the gran campaign in hoi IV. But that's a complicated thing actually in December 2017.

The Grand Campaing concept is a campaign of war and politics in HOI from 1897/1900/1914-1985/1995 depending of the modder you ask, the darkest hour version is 1914-1991 line time.

The mod posible reach a limit actually been operative and could a historic path even to cold war, but is imposible employ e3 map becose the logic of the ai can handle large fronts far away from ww1 where they hold the fronts.

So, HOI IV have the solution for many of the problems for a modern version of the mod and seruis problem.

We will approach several points about the possibility of the building of a TGCM for HOI IV.

Fist we need to understand that is a enormous mod and cant be modded by a lone group of other modders.

Grand Campaign was a mod composed by a ww1 mod, a inter war mod (build for the mod), several ww2 minor mods, Chinese civil war and a cold war mod.

Except the parabellum or inter war period theres no mod avaible, and could be needed a 1897-1910 precule to adapt and interesting ephoc where you see the build up of the modern sea fleets, the new war tactics and equipments quick evolution. Even if this time is taken by the developers from Paradox something thats could be modeled into Victoria series, i feel the engine concepts for HOI stars in 1890s like old 1914 mod was maid long far away.

Is HOI IV a finished game: NO.
Is playable, yes from OAK patch and including 2 main DLC. But it have several heavy problems: No fuel system so you see continuous ships movement in sea, airplanes all the time. Solve this need a big overhaul in AI handle.

But he realize the tiger DLC for the Chinese war a always forgotten point in vanilla version of HOI series, comes with a patch version with and New Point in history of HOI IV were decision system comes to play. The desertions were the inflexion point of HOI 2 version were game become much flexible.

The decision system should change main points in mod developments for HOI IV because it came to deterred the abuse of original idea of focus tree than modders and the self developers have done.

There are several themes to talk: 

• HOI gets into EU systems pro and contrs, 
• Needs for Grand Campaign,
• Needs for a petrodependece mod (dealing with seven sisters),  
• Mood philosophy related to National focus system, tech tree and decisions
• Concepts to handle with a long long game.
• wishes.

Next time i will talk about the actual needs of game engine to run a long time game crossing wars (quiet-warm-political explosion-war-exhaust war-peace-peace conferences and restriction to wait a new start).