🥝 Community The New Order Rises Again - "The Evil Kiwi Farms Hoi4 Mod"

[NuovoContenuto]

Well to be honest I'd like if you kept us more updated on your work, I myself and GoodWinSon have had to go back and forth and backtrack with Dengist and Go4 Speer content because we didn't coordinate and keep each other in the loop.

I completely agree, I don't have an excuse for this. I'll try to inform you both more regarding the content that is planned/implemented.

 

[GoodWinSon]

Can you give us an update on your Italian/Triumvirate content?
@GoodWinSon By the way, can you explain why you made it so the Battle For Italy result in a detente instead of Italy joining a faction?

Well off the top of my head there's a few reasons.

1. If Italy has the entire OFN or Sphere on its side, that severely unbalances the future Med War plans. It introduces a level of complication that doesn't need to exist

2. The AI is stupid and Japan would rather dump troops in Italy then protect its colonies

3. The superpower rank is partially determined by number of allies in the superpowers alliance, so Italy joining the USA's or Japan's sphere screws up the ranking system

4. Italy joining the sphere or OFN should realistically really shake up geopolitics but it doesn't really mean much as the foreign policy of Germany, USA, and Japan remains unchanged. Again, accounting for that adds a level of complexity that is avoidable.

5. Because Goering code is rubbish, there's a scenario where Japan and USA are dragged into an unintended war against Germany which would break Goering content.

6. I think mighty Italy would not wish to lower itself and become a junior partner of the USA or Japan. That isn't to say they cant be friendly with those nations, just that they'd assert influence over their own sphere.

7. Admittedly extreme long term, but my Vic2 rip-off economy plan uses factions as economic spheres. Two superpowers in one economic sphere is too overpowered.

8. I also want Italy to act potentially as a rival to the USA and Japan, especially in Africa.

Basically I want Italy as a major power and not as a secondary.

 

[Sooty Soot]

mittedly extreme long term, but my Vic2 rip-off economy plan uses factions as economic spheres. Two superpowers in one economic sphere is too overpowered.

That's just shortsighted, COMECON wasn't just the Warsaw Pact and France and Britain had their own spheres in the early Cold war. TNO already models EconSpheres fairly well post-TT, so there's no reason why we can't backport that into the mod.

 

[NuovoContenuto]

1. If Italy has the entire OFN or Sphere on its side, that severely unbalances the future Med War plans. It introduces a level of complication that doesn't need to exist

2. The AI is stupid and Japan would rather dump troops in Italy then protect its colonies

3. The superpower rank is partially determined by number of allies in the superpowers alliance, so Italy joining the USA's or Japan's sphere screws up the ranking system

4. Italy joining the sphere or OFN should realistically really shake up geopolitics but it doesn't really mean much as the foreign policy of Germany, USA, and Japan remains unchanged. Again, accounting for that adds a level of complexity that is avoidable.

5. Because Goering code is rubbish, there's a scenario where Japan and USA are dragged into an unintended war against Germany which would break Goering content.

A potential idea could be where the OFN and Sphere send volunteers to Italy's opponents, concealing their involvement while also avoiding any potential public backlash (I believe there would be some form of this if either happened to enter a war with a great/major power).

8. I also want Italy to act potentially as a rival to the USA and Japan, especially in Africa.

I haven't thought much about it but it could be interesting to do some sort of standoff or contest in Africa between the Italians and OFN if German Africa collapses.

 

[GoodWinSon]

That's just shortsighted, COMECON wasn't just the Warsaw Pact, France and Britain had their own spheres in the early Cold war. TNO already models EconSpheres fairly well post-TT, so there's no reason why we can't backport that into the mod.

Regardless, there are still numerous reasons why Italy joining another faction is a difficult proposition. I also see how it has much gameplay or narrative benefit.

Italy wouldn't exactly be warm to the USA either, considering they were enemies in a war that ended in a humiliating defeat for the USA. Italy and Japan are geographically isolated as well, so Italy would hardly be rushing off to join an alliance half a world away. But friendship and cooperation? Sure why not.

A potential idea could be where the OFN and Sphere send volunteers to Italy's opponents, concealing their involvement while also avoiding any potential public backlash (I believe there would be some form of this if either happened to enter a war with a great/major power).

You share my thoughts exactly. Volunteers are much better balanced and easier to manage. It also fits in well with the proxy war mechanics.

 

[NuovoContenuto]

You underestimate how hellish map modding is. Making Antarctica a pure GUI is the easier option. It's not a huge priority anyhow so we'll cross that Rubicon (or not) when we get to it.

This is an old post but I want to comment anyways due how relatable it is and regarding the idea purposed. So many hours were spent adding new states in the Mediterranean build and then having to manually configure the buildings of these new states along with pre-existing states to try and keep the map faithful to the original in gameplay.

Adding Antarctica onto the map would be pure hell and (in my opinion) would be extremely underused by players, a diminishing return.

 

[Sooty Soot]

This is an old post but I want to comment anyways due how relatable it is and regarding the idea purposed. So many hours were spent adding new states in the Mediterranean build and then having to manually configure the buildings of these new states along with pre-existing states to try and keep the map faithful to the original in gameplay.

You can press the "randomize" button to automatically fill up a state with new buildings.

 

[Sooty Soot]

@GoodWinSon I guess I should speak up now so we don't inevitably have to talk about it later, but I can't help but disapprove of your plan for post-SAW Africa. It seems like it's arbitrarily limiting the player for no good reason when it just shouldn't logically, like locking Germany out of Africa in an OFN-leaning ceasefire. There's also the meme path as South Africa where you can crown Elizabeth Queen of Africa, I call it a meme path because it just is something straight out of Kaiserredux or Disaster Death of Peace, same as the Indonesian Dutch path you talked about.

On the flipside, Germany holdong onto Africa totally in the case of a Pakt victory just limits gameplay too much, where a proxy for the Congo would be enough. I also don't get why PanAfricans would be NatSoc/Ultranat when they're preaching the same anti-colonialist liberation rhetoric, to use a TNO subideology, they should be revolutionary nationalists, not outright NatSocs. Free France expanding into formerly-German Africa also feels rather unrealistic, like I said it feels like having a war for the sake of having a war, since Free France's ultimate goal in TNO is reclaiming the Metropole and not colonialism. If it's to expanded the French Community for once they reclaim the Mainland I can understand, but from how you worded it it seems like it'll be full annexation.

Really, I feel like you're more concerned with adding gameplay without considering that we're making a cold war simulator at the end of the day. We can balance fun without pouring unnecessary schizo paths into the mod, like for example I had the idea where the OFN still supports democracies or apolitical strongmen, and Japan still support Pan-Africans and natives, but Germany gets the option to support white settler states outside of the Congo which they can get back into the Pakt directly. One could obviously be Rhodesia, but there's also Namibia where we can have a similar situation to Rhodesia just with Germans instead of Anglos, and perhaps Tanzania or Kenya also with Anglos, I do know Kenya had a notable British settler population OTL. Now, these settlers states don't outright join the Pakt, but they do join Germany's economic sphere (Once we get around to implementing that) and perhaps join as Pakt observers, obviously this is not counting the Boers whose content should remain unchanged.

 

[GoodWinSon]

@Sooty Soot

Ultimately, the content coded for a nation or nation(s) is under the preview of the individual coding it. Whether that be myself or someone else. If I am not mistaken, our suggestions ultimately pursue the same goals as mine. That being:

-All SAW participants should have a post war content

-Huttig should have an achievable victory

-The Superpowers should be able to use a post-SAW collapse to their advantage

The essence is still the same. The RKs, South Africa, and the Boers should be able to exploit victory to its fullest or suffer defeat to its greatest. The superpowers should also be allowed and encouraged to partake in expeditions into the dark continent. I also have an aversion to "schizo paths". One or two is fine, but as we have seen with TFR, making every path a schizo path gets bland very quickly.

In simpler terms, I don't care what color the puzzle piece is, only that it fits. I may accept or reject certain details, but I've never been disappointed with code or art people have sent me.

If you end up coding the paths, go for it. The end result will still be fun regardless I think. The outlines and plans I create are also created with the assumption they will be executed by myself. Worst case scenario you might say, but happily more and more people have helped me over the past year, and it may not have to be so.

I would like to note the Empress of Africa title is not wholly without logic. Parliament declared Victoria Empress of India after all, which functionally changed little, but gave the crown more prestige. The Dutch led Indonesia idea is also a Panzer era idea and also not entirely out of the blue. But again that's semantics and Indonesia will probably end up under @local asuka's purview anyhow.

Words, words, words: if it's fun I don't care and if I'm really autistic about something I'll let you know.

 

[Sooty Soot]

By the way, these 4 foci at the end of Huttig's tree fire events that have no loc.

This one also has limited loc.

And the participants in the South African Civil War have no GFX for their ideas.

 

[NuovoContenuto]

Managed to create a few focus GFX for Red Italy today. I'm hoping to have more created later today.

They aren't perfect and could be improved however I am quite happy with the result. Especially when considering GFX isn't my primary expertise.

 

[GoodWinSon]

Managed to create a few focus GFX for Red Italy today. I'm hoping to have more created later today.

They aren't perfect and could be improved however I am quite happy with the result. Especially when considering GFX isn't my primary expertise.

Better then mine certainly! What software do you use for editing?

 

[NuovoContenuto]

Better then mine certainly! What software do you use for editing?

I appreciate it lol, I was a bit surprised by the result. Regarding the software used, I use Paint.NET. It's free software for Windows. I'm unsure if it supports Linux or Mac if you use either, but it might work via some sort of emulator or virtual machine.

I found this guide on youtube for creating focus icons similiar to the style of the mod to be useful, particularly the assets linked in the description. I'm unsure if you have these already but if not, it could be useful potentially.

 

[NuovoContenuto]

More focus GFX created for Red Italy. The one with the Italian and Soviet flags might be a bit rough around the edges. Hopefully I can improve it in a future revision.

 

[GoodWinSon]

More focus GFX created for Red Italy. The one with the Italian and Soviet flags might be a bit rough around the edges. Hopefully I can improve it in a future revision.

Use bump maps and the blank flag templates to improve the flag texture.

Also try increasing contrast and increasing image darkness. That's more TNO style.

 

[Sooty Soot]

Ian Smith portrait, 312 x 420.

And David Smith, who takes over since Clifford Dupont dies in 1978.

Managed to create a few focus GFX for Red Italy today. I'm hoping to have more created later today.

They aren't perfect and could be improved however I am quite happy with the result. Especially when considering GFX isn't my primary expertise.

More focus GFX created for Red Italy. The one with the Italian and Soviet flags might be a bit rough around the edges. Hopefully I can improve it in a future revision.

These aren't good focus icons, especially the last three. Get Photoshop, any version of your choosing, and download the styles below. The difference with and without them is night and day. Also look up some focus guides, generally desaturate, increase contrast, and lower brightness whenever possible.
See:

And here is a Github repo full of vanilla national focus icons, very useful since early TNO used a lot of them. Be sure to make em black and white and desaturate them if you'll color them afterwards.

https://github.com/Globvs/Ultimate-HOI4-GFX