14 DAY TRIAL // Hearts of Iron IV is one of the most important titles set to arrive in the first few months of 2015 and the team at the Paradox Development Studios is now delivering more info on the game, with a focus on the way the graphics and the art style have been improved for the new installment in the long-running grand strategy series focused on World War II.
In a new diary, Joakim Larsen, one of the 3D artists linked to the project, explains how the improved power of PCs will be used to make the game more appealing by moving to a more realistic approach.
He explains, “For this we have improved our lighting and shading substantially. Instead of just having texture channel control the specular of the item, we now have both glossiness, reflectivity and metallness (yes thats an actual word). We also use HDR, all adding up to giving a more physically correct look, and adding to the feeling of realism.”
The map, on which the attention of gamers will be trained most of the time in Hearts of Iron IV, is designed to be appealing and to offer information about the way the conflict is going for the selected nation.
The terrain map mode is offered when zoomed in and the title will then seamlessly transition to a political outlook once the gamer zooms out and wants to get a more strategic overview.
World War II never looked this good from a strategic point of view
Paradox Development Studios wants to make sure that Europe feels green while the winter season is clearly cold for the player, and the map also offers a simple way to see the advantages linked to fighting in various terrain types.
The team adds, “HOI4 now displays weather directly on the map depending on zoom distance, to make it instantly clear what is going on. We will have another diary later focused on all the gameplay aspects of weather, but we simulate rain/storms, snow/blizzard, mud as well as sand storms currently.”
Hearts of Iron IV is designed to allow gamers to take control of any nation on Earth just before the outbreak of World War II and then guide it through the conflict.
Gamers will have to take control of the production of weapons and the evolution of tech while also moving armies across the map, trying to control territory and gain more allies for their ideology.
