Hearts of Iron IV

[The Brain]

Why is the UK led by the PM and Japan by the Emperor?

[frunk]

So far it looks like the Allied AI doesn't bother with convoy raiding, or I have stealth convoys.

[FunkMonk]

In my US game the UK had a large landing in northern Italy (30+ divisions)  while I jumped in a little later into southern Italy with 50+ divisions. We proceeded to knock Italy out of the war. The advance only ended on the Alpine borders with Germany and Vichy France.

Meanwhile, Germany was bogged down in the Balkan as it managed to force Yugoslavia to capitulate only to have to face the might of the combined Greek-British armies. Greece took its 50 divisions  and steamrolled Axis Romania and Bulgaria. 

Thousands of American B-17b's bomb Germany into oblivion as America has achieved air superiority pretty much everywhere while I landed in Normandy with another large contingent of troops. It's 1943 now and most of France has been liberated while Allied troops advance into western Germany from former Austria to link up with my French forces. Also the Germans never declared on the Soviet Union so the Soviets did it for them in late 1942. The Soviets oddly decided to largely ignore their Polish front with Germany and sent a hundred divisions into southern Germany via the Allied Balkan-Southern German front. 

This game can get kinda wacky and I love it for this. Despite its warts, it's still super fun. After the kinks get worked out its going to be utterly amazing.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Damn how did they get the manpower for 50 divisions?  Greece starts out with...I think like 25k dudes available.

Is there a combined arms bonus in this game like with the other three?

[frunk]

Is there a combined arms bonus in this game like with the other three?

No, however the stats on the units encourage combined arms.  Infantry of all types have more HP and defense, Armor has more attack stats and breakthrough (which is defense when attacking).  So purely defensive units can get away without armor, but any primarily attacking units would be best to have some armor (or I suppose lots of Arty).

Purely armor units would be attacking powerhouses but also extremely fragile and vulnerable to counterattack.

[DGuller]

Damn how did they get the manpower for 50 divisions?  Greece starts out with...I think like 25k dudes available.

Is there a combined arms bonus in this game like with the other three?

DDRJake had 50 division as El Salvador.  It can be done, you just have to play with manpower settings and not have a lot of battalions in them.

[frunk]

Is the national focus tree supposed to be finished by mid-game?  I've done all the national foci that I particularly want to by 1941.

[Josephus]

This game can get kinda wacky and I love it for this. Despite its warts, it's still super fun. After the kinks get worked out its going to be utterly amazing.

This. It has lots of warts, but despite this is fun.

[Josephus]

Is the national focus tree supposed to be finished by mid-game?  I've done all the national foci that I particularly want to by 1941.

It does go by fast. Plus it's not particularly dynamic. By that I mean, in my england game, because I'm not at war with Germany, a lot of the tree doesn't apply to me.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Hm.  In my current game, it has decided to stop pausing for the notifications. 

[Josephus]

How do your airplanes repair? Also do destroyed planes restock from the reserve supply?

If I have complete air mastery, is there any point in continuing to build planes?

[MadBurgerMaker]

They don't really seem to get damaged as far as I can tell, just destroyed (the number on the map ticks down, then ticks back up vOv).  Replacements appear to come out of the reserve. 

I guess if you aren't losing planes anymore you can stop.  They have accidents and such too though, so maybe keep some sort of production?  Unless your reserve will just never run out or something. 

E: From the HOI4 Reddit:

[Solmyr]

After viewing Marbozir's playthrough I got this game. Started a game as Turkey to learn things. Started going fascist and just conquered Bulgaria. Next targets are Greece and Iran, after that I'll see if I can get anything else without joining a faction (maybe Yugoslavia; Hungary and Romania are already in the Axis).

[frunk]

I've gotten much better at handling fronts/armies, and now the combat AI doesn't seem nearly as braindead.  Typically I stick all the offensive units I want to attack in a particular direction under a specific general and have it cover the front where the attack will originate.  Defensive generals cover the other areas.  Draw the attack (waiting for divisions to get into position at least, wait for prepared divisions if not in a hurry or for tougher battles), initiate and monitor.  Shrink the offensive general's frontage to maintain focus, increasing the frontage of adjacent defensive generals as necessary.  Right click and hold on the big circles at the end of each front to shrink/grow it.

Defensive generals can of course initiate attacks, but those typically aren't the main focus.

Doing this about the only time I've had to command individual divisions is to mop up pockets.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Playing as Finland, Feb 1939.  Shit is about to go down, and I've only got 10,000 in manpower reserves.  I'm going to get stomped.