Hearts of Iron 4 just turned a "dangerously shippable" idea into a new system of frontline command, with a splash of HOI 3

The next Hearts of Iron 4 DLC, ‘theater pack’ Thunder At Our Gates, is all about “the art of organizing a campaign.” Along with expanding on the potential for Australia, Siam, and Indonesia to act as key players in the WW2 grand strategy game, it allows you to deploy generals into local command positions using a new system of Military HQs. As developer Paradox explains, this went through quite a few iterations, including input from the community and some inspiration from predecessor HOI 3, to reach where it’s at now.

“Army HQs began with a prototype looking at the simple concept of placing generals on the map,” Paradox explains in its latest Hearts of Iron 4 dev diary. To start with, you would simply slap a general onto an existing division, creating a radius around them that could be filled with various effects – a design the team immediately considered “dangerously shippable.” This allowed players to more intentionally direct general abilities and skill bonuses, and make their impact much more visible. It would also create the potential for generals to be captured if their division was encircled and wiped out.

In practice, however, “it would lead to some odd cases,” the developer recalls. Players and AI alike were able to carve paths using these commanders, but would be quickly halted when they ran into an opposing one. “Additionally, there were concerns about funneling players into a behavior of microing all their units to fit inside the command radius,” Paradox adds. It also acted as “this big thing basically begging players to get their generals encircled.” Perhaps most importantly, it didn’t feel especially true to life.

The team also looked at the order of battle system from Hearts of Iron 3, which came with its ups and downs: “It has been enjoyed for its depth, but has also been considered a micro nightmare, and I’ve also seen people call it ‘a game in and of itself.'” The team liked the visual of the dashed lines clearly defining how bonuses were being passed forward, but realized this could get rather messy in “the more extreme examples of experimenting,” as seen above.

“Features ultimately need to provide something for the player to play with,” Paradox continues. “Plopping a general on the map is a nice visual treat but doesn’t do very much for the player. Attaching generals to orders at least gives the players a consideration of where to prioritize the placement. If you put up multiple frontline orders, which one gets the benefits?”

Putting together its testing and embracing feedback “from both internal sources and the community,” the team set its new goals for HQs. “They should give the players reason to use generals as a resource in terms of prioritizing certain frontlines and theaters over others. They should allow for customization that can allow them to make their armies better suited for the conditions they will be facing. And they should provide an additional layer of consideration when it comes to the use of abilities and planning.”

As it stands now, players can build dedicated HQ division/company templates designed for certain benefits, then use these to deploy generals to an on-map army HQ. From here, these can be assigned to the same order as other divisions in the same army to propagate bonuses. Deploying allocates a set amount of Command Power while it lasts, along with an equipment cost. The benefit comes in the form of improved planning bonuses, and the ability to confer its specific unit bonuses exactly where you want them.

Army HQs don’t count towards total division caps, although they are factored in with volunteer limits, “to prevent exploits.” When an HQ is assigned to an order, you get a nice clear line between them, which grows thinner as it extends, visualizing the weaker bonuses at longer distances. Set a proximity to the frontline, and the HQ will attempt to stay a certain amount of provinces back. If you prefer to micromanage, the option is there.

Your generals can still be captured, although this “does not carry the extreme emphasis” of the earlier incarnations. Once taken, the unit is moved to a VP or supply hub of the opposing country. You’ll lose their effects, but can attempt to get them back through land raids or a spy operation. If they’re being kept near the border, retaking that space is enough to bring them back.

Hearts of Iron 4 DLC Thunder At Our Gates releases on Thursday June 11. It’ll be available as a standalone purchase, or as part of the Expansion Pass 2 bundle. “It’s been quite a ride getting this feature to a state where it’s both workable and engaging, and not forcing a full commitment from new or old players,” Paradox concludes. “We hope that you enjoy it in whatever way you choose to play with it.”