Hearts of Iron

Infobox VG| title = Hearts of Iron


caption=
developer = Paradox Interactive
publisher = Strategy First
designer =
released = 2002
modes = Single player
genre = Strategy
series=
ratings = ESRB: E (Everyone)
USK: 12+
platforms = Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Mac OS X
media = 1 CD-ROM
requirements= Windows:
64 MB RAM, 4X CD-ROM drive, DirectX 8.1, Windows 95
Macintosh:
333 MHz CPU, 128 MB RAM, Mac OS 9 or Mac OS X
input=Keyboard, mouse

"Hearts of Iron" ("HoI") is a grand strategy computer game developed by Paradox Entertainment and Strategy First, set in the years 1936-1948. In the game you can control any one nation as World War II unfolds. It was released for Windows-compatible PCs in 2002. A Macintosh version was also released by Virtual Programming. The lead game programmer was Johan Andersson. A sequel to Hearts of Iron, Hearts of Iron II, was created and released with several changes in the tech tree and gameplay. Hearts of Iron III was announced to be in development on August 20, 2008 for release in Q3 2009.

Gameplay

"Hearts of Iron" is based on Paradox's successful "Europa Universalis" game engine, but has many changes:
*a very detailed tech tree divided in 14 sections (infantry/artillery/industry/armoured units/navy/etc.) with dozens of researchable technologies in each section and the ability to customize some units
*an economic model based on 4 natural resources: coal, steel, rubber and oil on which your army and industry will depend
*you can select military and political leaders
*dozens of military units, from colonial militia to ICBMs
*a weather model, affecting movement and combat efficiency of your units and supply lines Gameplay revolves around surviving (either before or during) World War II, and the player may cause or witness events different from how they historically occurred. "Hearts of Iron" is considered an alternate history game.

There are three main alliances in the game, the Allies, the Axis, and the Comintern (Communist International) that the player can either participate in or stay out of. The game ends when there is only one alliance left standing, though that hardly happens. The game also ends on midnight of December 30 1947, and the winning alliance is determined through a victory point system, giving points to alliances controlling key regions or cities.

Controversy

The game was banned in the People's Republic of China because the game depicts Tibet, Sinkiang, and Manchuria as independent countries, and Taiwan under Japanese control. [http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-05/29/content_334845.htm] "Paradox Interactive" maintains that the game is historically accurate, and that it represents the "rough times" that China endured, as well as the incredible odds that the Communist Party of China overcame in order to win the Chinese Civil War. [http://www.gamershell.com/articles/810.html]

External links

* [http://www.paradoxplaza.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=58&Itemid=144 Hearts of Iron 2 at Paradox]
*moby game|id=/hearts-of-iron|name="Hearts of Iron"
* [http://www.heartsofiron.eu DMP (Design Mod Projekt), an international Mod and Game Community of hearts of Iron]
* [http://www.heartsofiron.eu/forum DMP Community Board]