MANUAL PARADOX INTERACTIVE: CEO: Theodore Bergquist PRODUCER / LEAD PROGRAMMER: Johan Andersson GAME DESIGN: Joakim Bergqwist Henrik Fåhraeus Johan Andersson PROGRAMMING: Henrik Fåhraeus Johan Andersson ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING: Jonas Bjering Thomas Johansson Pontus Åberg LEAD ARTIST: Marcus Edström ARTIST: Dick Sjöström GRAPHICS DESIGN: Stefan Thulin AI SCRIPTING: David Martinez CAMPAIGN DESIGN: Joakim Bergqwist Markus Herrmann Henrik Fåhreaus Stefan Carlsson BATTLESCENARIO DESIGN: Markus Herrmann Joakim Bergqwist Wesley Ferris Simon Aistleitner Wojtek Waluk Fernando A. Turi José M. Aguirre Joshua Raup DATABASE RESEARCH: Maxime Penen Sören Birch-Jensen Birger Fjällman Wesley Ferris Lars Wetterling Markus Herrmann Simon Aistleitner Wojtek Waluk Kevin McCarthy HISTORICAL EVENTS DESIGN: Joakim Bergqwist Alf Melin Henrik Fåhreaus: ORIGINAL MUSIC: Andreas Waldetoft SOUND EFFECTS: Wave Generation MANUAL: Chris Stone MARKETING: Fredrik Lindgren Stefan Thulin Susana Meza BETA TESTERS: Alf Melin Andrew Davidson Andy Dunlap Artur Godlewski Birger Fjällman Brian Schulz Carsten ‘t Mannetje Chad Cutlip Charles Schmidt Chris Stone Christoph Hemmerle Dave Cheeney David Ballantyne David Smitmanis Dominik Adolf Drew Swinerd Fernando A. Turi Fernando J. Nebot Igor Lulic Inge Davidsen Jacob Michael Lundgren James L. Erwin Jan Peter Dijkstra Jason Schaub Jason Snyder Jean-Alain Grunchec Jean-Philippe Duflot Jeff Barkhauer Jeff Bow Jens Juhl Eriksen Joakim Bergqwist Joe Gurney Joel Herrero Enseñat Jonathan Barcus Jonathan Gartshore-Baxter José María Aguirre Joshua Raup Juan Camilo Gómez Juha Ekholm Jussi Laaksonen Kalle Isotalo Kevin Byers Kevin McCarthy Kevyn Taylor Kristo Karvinen Lars Lindholm Lars Erling Neergård Lars Thomsen Lars Wetterling Michele Pollaci Marcus Olausson Mark Kvistgaard Thomsen Markus Herrmann Mathias Forsberg Matteo Polacchini Matthew Davies Maxime Penen Michael Kohler Nacho Zapata Neil Paradise Nicholas Malouin Nikolai Tuuri Nikolaj Dybdal Vinther Óskar Björnsson Panu Alku Patrick Daniel Wegerle Patrick Hendriks Patrick Murphy Paul Rae Pent Ploompuu Peter Hodosi Peteris Paikens Petter Trillkott Rand Pratt Rick McGregor Romuald Louvrier Ron Peterson Sascha Cyrus Shawn Tse Simon Aistleitner Simon Jaeger Stefan Carlsson Steffen Behncke Steffen Potter Steven Brengard Sören Birch-Jensen Tamás Kiss Taras Wach Thomas Broman Thomas Corriol Tim Linden Tom Smiley Tony Lozina Wayne Jackson Wesley Ferris Ville Mällinen Wojtek Kubicki Wojtek Waluk Xavier Follebouckt Yacine Gouaref SPECIAL THANKS: John Breeden All the people at our forum FORZA: DJURGÅR´N! Uses Bink Video Technology. Copyright (C) 1997-2000 by RAD Game Tools Inc. Hearts of Iron 2 © 2005 Paradox Interactive AB and Panvision AB. Hearts of Iron is a trademark of Paradox Interactive AB. Related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Paradox Interactive AB unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. When Paradox Entertainment asked me if I’d be interested in writing this manual I jumped at the chance. It seemed like a unique opportunity to try something a little different: to write a manual from the perspective of a player, rather than a developer, employee, or third-party “pen for hire.” I’m also a Paradox fan, a moderator on their public forums and member of their beta testing team. I hope this combination of “qualifications”: and my less formal “player-to-player” approach: will result in a manual that’s refreshingly different and possibly a bit more useful and user-friendly than seems to be the norm these days. In sitting down to plan the content and layout of the manual, I knew that it would be impossible to write this in the form of a strategy guide or an FPS walkthrough. Everything: and I mean everything: in HoI2 is interconnected and there’s no step by step “do this, then do that, then attack this… ” way to gently introduce you to the game. If you’ve already played HoI then you’ll know that unless you’re familiar with most of the controls and interfaces you’re not likely to do very well. Similarly, you’ll know that there are as many styles of play as there are players. Some like to attempt global domination, others prefer less aggressive “limited conquest” games, and still others enjoy simply trying to survive as a (historically) “insignificant” or doomed nation. Even when you’ve mastered all of those, there’s still the incredible challenge of multiplayer (human vs. human) games. I felt, then, that my primary goal should be to give you a manual that provides a good overall introduction to how the game works, and one that thoroughly details the interfaces while making it easy to find all the necessary information when (and as) you need it. After the obligatory “getting started” instructions about how to install and launch the game, I will introduce you to the Key Concepts of HoI2. There are things that you should really be aware of before you start… perhaps something to read while you’re waiting for the installer to finish putting HoI2 on your hard drive. I then move on to a series of sections that detail how (and why) to use each of the Folders and their multitude of submenus and interface controls. The Combat section can be found towards the end of the manual since it depends rather heavily on knowing how to use the various other menus and interfaces and understanding their impact. That doesn’t mean that you can’t read that part first… only that it will assume that you’re already familiar with the other game concepts. I then conclude with a quick guide to the Tutorials (which I highly recommend as a starting point for new players). You will find that I generally avoid giving precise details about some things (e.g. exact unit values) since they are easily seen in the in-game tooltips and some may be adjusted between the time of this writing and the date of release. In my experi- ence, there’s nothing more annoying than a manual that gives false information and, further, Paradox is renowned for listening and responding to player feedback and will usually offer enhancements to their software (free!) which can result in further changes. Detailed charts and tables are included with the game in pdf form to allow them to act as a fully accurate and updateable companion to the manual. For the latest update and the most accurate, detailed, information and charts I encourage you to visit the Paradox forums at www.paradoxplaza.com/forums. It’s a friendly, welcoming (and I dare say well-moderated) community where people from all over the globe: including the game’s developers and beta team: meet to exchange tips and ideas, discuss game strategies, arrange multiplayer contests, present some pretty amazing AAR’s (after action reports), and work on large joint projects to create new scenarios or modify various aspects of Paradox’s remarkably open game design. I hope to see you there. start: or is disabled for this drive: then click Start> Run and Introduction then type X:\Setup.exe to launch the installation program Hearts of Iron II is the sequel to Paradox Entertainment’s (replace “X” with the drive designation for the CD-ROM in award-winning Hearts of Iron, a game where you will guide which you placed the Hearts of Iron II CD: usually D or E your nation to glorious victory (or ignominious defeat) in on most systems). Simply follow the on-screen prompts the World War II era. With several Grand Campaigns, nu- to install the game. merous Battle Scenarios, multiplayer capability, and your choice of the more than 70 playable countries that spanned the globe at the time, Hearts of Iron II will give you hour Keeping Up To Date Paradox is deeply committed to its customers and in my upon hour of challenge and entertainment. experience their product support is almost unparalleled in This is a highly complex grand strategy game, not a the gaming industry. The developers read (and frequently historical simulation or FPS. With HoI2’s nearly limitless participate in) the discussions on the public forums and will options and exceptional depth comes a comparable learn- often implement some of the best player-requested fea- ing curve. It may take some time to become familiar with tures or enhancements post release. They also make minor its richness and its multitude of controls, so don’t be sur- tweaks or alterations to existing features and squish the prised if your first few campaigns end in disaster. There is occasional bug that had previously escaped detection. You no “right” or “wrong” way to play HoI2, and no sure way can go directly to the downloads page at www.paradox- to win. You’ll probably find that the lessons you learn in plaza.com/downloads.asp under the HoI2 heading or visit your early defeats will be just as valuable as any that you the thriving community at www.paradoxplaza.com under later gain through victory. Use those experiences and don’t the same heading. (You probably think I get paid to promote be afraid to experiment or save the game and then try a their forums, but I don’t. They’re just that good!) variety of alternatives. While this manual will familiarise you with most of the ins and outs of Hearts of Iron II, the most valuable resource Getting Started of all is the Paradox public forums (www.paradoxplaza. com/forums). You can usually get the answer to any ques- Launching the Game Click Start> Program Files> Paradox Entertainment> tion you might have about the game in a matter of hours Hearts of Iron 2> HoI2 to launch Hearts of Iron II’s opening (if not minutes). It’s also a place where tips and strategies movie. HoI2 (and most Paradox titles for that matter) tend are exchanged, where people from around the world will to launch a little more slowly than some games because arrange multiplayer games, where you can read about oth- Paradox leaves a large number of files in simple text format ers’ HoI2 experiences (or post your own), and where new to make them easily modifiable by users who might want to battle scenarios and user game modifications will often be tweak unit values, write their own events, or even construct developed.