Hearts of Iron IV Dev Corner: Army Quality and Expertise

Greetings, everyone! Jamor here once again. I want to extend my sincere gratitude for the thoughtful, constructive feedback you shared in our previous Airborne Dev Corner. I am hoping to tap into the community’s collective brilliance and insights once more.
Currently, unit progression in HOI is relatively standardized. Divisions across various nations gain experience at a comparable pace and share similar caps on the proficiency they can acquire through pre-deployment drills and active-duty maneuvers. Historically speaking, distinct military capabilities have mostly been represented through static national modifiers. Unfortunately, this approach limits player agency and restricts potential alternate-history outcomes. Furthermore, battle casualties are perpetually replaced by completely green recruits, making the long-term preservation of elite, battle-hardened forces an uphill battle. While this design streamlines overall game balance, it largely prevents the rise of those iconic, legendary formations that famously forged their reputations during the conflict.
Moving forward, I am eager to hear your thoughts on a few key questions:
- Where do you feel the existing mechanics for unit progression and casualty replacement fall short?
- How receptive would you be to a dynamic system that introduces meaningful trade-offs between sheer army size and overall troop quality?
- What specific features would you love to see in an overhauled system designed to make military development more engaging and diverse?
Drop your thoughts below—I will see you in the comments section!
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Hearts of Iron IV Dev Corner – Military Production
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HOI4 Developer Interviews with Leadership
HOI4 Dev Diary: Warfare in the Third Dimension – Airborne Units
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HOI4 Dev Corner | Q&A: Civil Wars
HOI IV – Summer Open Beta™