Worth the cost?

[Ujio]

Been playing EU for awhile now, and since my interest towards WW2 is growing again, I was thinking about buying HOI 3.

Thing is, I don't know if it's worth the 17€ (Semper-fi+HOI3)
So is it?

[TheBromgrev]

If you go here, you can get both expansions, the base game, and all the sprite and music packs for $9. http://www.gamersgate.com/DD-HOI3C/h...n-3-collection

If you like EU, then HOI3 is most definitely worth $9. I don't know how long that sale will last though.

[Ujio]

Thanks man, saved me 22 € .

EDIT: wow it's even more complicated than HOI 2

[TheBromgrev]

Yeah, it is. The HQ structure takes some getting used to, as does the higher province count, but once you get used to it it's hard to go back to the clunky HOI2 system.

My advice is to play the battle scenarios first. Those scenarios limit the scope of where you fight and what you can do, so they're easier to learn how to play the game. Desert Fox as Italy is actually really easy once you get the hang of it. Encircle the Allied troops near Benghazi and you're pretty much free to do as you please.

After learning how combat changed, I'd recommend playing as Germany in the 1939 scenario with all the tabs (diplomacy, production, etc.) on AI control. Keep playing the '39 scenario until you can beat France. Once you get comfortable with that setup I would play as a smaller nation, like Hungary or Romania, then take manual control of each tab one at a time. Hungary and Romania are small enough to not be overwhelming and powerful enough to help or perform their own conquests. Don't play as the US, USSR, UK, Italy, China, or Japan right away, as those countries are huge and require a lot of attention on many fronts, or in the case of Italy, China, and USSR their militaries are horrifically organized and take around an hour to redo to a competent state. Germany is good to learn the ropes using the '39 start, but is harder in the '36 start since you need to build and research everything from scratch and have a lot of things you need to do. Picking a smaller medium power is best I think for learning the non-combat aspects of the game.

Here's a post I made earlier about what I do when I start up a game: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...3#post10975563

[Ujio]

Thanks once again, guess I will just have to play by the trial-and-error method
Was a bit surprised about there not being a combat tutorial in the game (even though there are 6 tutorials).

But luckily I found these :
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...7&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...1&feature=plcp

[TheBromgrev]

Yeah, Surray's stuff is pretty good for getting the basics down. I learned by trial and error playing smaller nations. There is an in-game tutorial, but it's basically garbage. I don't think it even works anymore with the latest expansions.

[Aikanár]

Regarding tutorials I suggest to have a look at:
Rensslear's Strategy Guide and the Supplement too, even if outdated they are still worth reading, some of the principles still apply.
Then there are a couple of brilliant AAR's on paradoxplaza, f.e. Explorations on Strategy - Italy at war or Hitler's Gamble or Kriegsgefahr only to name a few.

And of course there is the HOI3 wiki, which is like THE source for getting a hang on HOI3

[Ujio]

Yeah I spent most of my time at HOI-3 Wiki now, but the problem is that with the HQ-system, you really need to see it in action for yourself to really understand it.
For example Surray's Tutorials...

[Aikanár]

You'll figure the CoC, the HQ-structure and whom to assign where out in no time when you play the game

[Bernhardt]

HOI 3 isn´t for people who hate micromanagement. The AI and tech system is much better than HOI 2 and Arsenal of Democracy, without a doubt everything is more realistic. Whoever, eventually it becomes such a chore to handle more than 600 brigades that you´ll have to put lots of stuff for the AI to control, and then where´s the fun in that? It becomes one huge spreadsheet. And in that aspect HOI 2 derivatives are better - you can feel involved in each battle and maneuver since you´ll be doing much less of both.

Also, should you buy it I seriously recomend that you manage naval and air force youself and put the message settings to stop always when sea or air battle starts. And if you´re playing as Germany, maybe also settings so that the game stops when you´re being strategically bombed. Else you won´t be able to handle all those convoy raiding and bombing (and as the UK, if you are not prepared you will lose LOTS of convoys!).

[Ujio]

You'll figure the CoC, the HQ-structure and whom to assign where out in no time when you play the game

They should have said ''Go play the Game'' in the tutorial..
Seriously enough with the mad painter joke already,we know who he is..

HOI 3 isn´t for people who hate micromanagement. The AI and tech system is much better than HOI 2 and Arsenal of Democracy, without a doubt everything is more realistic. Whoever, eventually it becomes such a chore to handle more than 600 brigades that you´ll have to put lots of stuff for the AI to control, and then where´s the fun in that? It becomes one huge spreadsheet. And in that aspect HOI 2 derivatives are better - you can feel involved in each battle and maneuver since you´ll be doing much less of both.

Micromanagement isn't a problem, as long as I know how to do it properly..



@ all
Thanks for the replies and tips

[Aikanár]

Actually I found the tutorials entertaining, especially how Hitler was portrayed -not that I find the historical Hitler funny-, but indeed, they should've included a disclaimer reading something like:

"Attention, attention! These tutorials will teach you nothing, but they are sort of amusing, if they happen to meet your humor. If you expect to learn something of a certain value regarding how to play the game, please do yourself a favour and stop the tutorials right now, open a scenario instead and play."

[Ujio]

It would be entertaining if they added other leaders the same way as they did Hitler..

[Bernhardt]

I bought the game one week ago, if you need info I´ll be happy to share with you because I´m still learning stuff. The HOI 3 wiki is a must, but doesn´t cover everything (for example, some countries are hard-coded to NOT join your alliance unless they are attacked or conditions are met. Sweden is a prime example, don´t bother trying to put them in the Allies).

Also, planning serial builds is very important - if you learn to build a better plane or ship, the builds in the queue will NOT update... you´ll have to delete and create a new queue, or else you´ll have to pay for the upgrades later, or even worse: be stuck with an outdated unit. Example: you begin building a serial build of 4 battleships with 1936 guns. Then you discover 1938 guns. The guns will NOT be updated in ANY of the 4 battleships in the queue and you will NOT be able to upgrade the guns later!