Hearts of Iron III v. Blitzkrieg

Hi, guys, I just joined your forum and I have 1 big burning question for you all that I hope will get many thoughtful responses.

Basically, I can't decide which game to buy, Hearts of Iron 3 or Blitzkrieg.

A little info about myself:

I'm an amateur historian who is interested in testing some of my pet theories regarding the major (and several minor) battles between Germany and the Soviet Union in Southern Russia during WW2. It's not only the battles that interest me, but also the grand military strategies, political intrigue, and the ideologies between National Socialism and Communism that captivate me.

I DO want a game that is historically accurate, realistic, etc. Otherwise, one might as well play those shoot-em-up sci-fi games.


However, I DO NOT want to buy a game that is so historically accurate that the end of the battles (and the game, for that matter) is a foregone conclusion and the different sides are merely playing out their preassigned historical roles.

What I want to do ultimately is make a few tweaks and changes here and there to test some of my favorite theories regarding the outcomes of certain battles, the successes of particular Field Marshals, etc.

If, for instance, I were able to stop the arrests, show trials and executions of the Red Army's top generals by Josef Stalin, would that be reflected in the game?

Or, if I were to successfully purge Adolph Hitler and install a military junta, or at least an overall CinC for the OKH's Eastern Front coupled with a coherent military strategy for winning (which was sorely lacking under Adolph Hitler when he decided to name himself Commander in Chief of Eastern Operations), could that make a difference in the game's outcome/s?



Would I be able to stop the Final Solution which not only horrified the rest of the world, worked to deplete more war materiel than was created by this genocide, and also put a mortal strain on the Third Reich's transportation infrastructure (supply trains)?

Yes, I have some ambitious plans for one or the other games, but I told you I'm an amateur historian. I take my games pretty serious!

I realize in advance that either of your games may not cover all the ideas I’ve detailed, but I don’t expect perfection. However if either of the games is as detailed as advertised, I expect one or the other to at least cover some of the broad strokes of the social, economic, political and military aspects of that monumental struggle between the 2 behemoths.

Both games look interesting but I'd rather not buy both. As a disabled veteran living on social security, I try to make my $$ count with wise decisions. So, can you help me with some input regarding which game would be the best fit for my military and political ambitions to rule the world?


I can't decide which game would provide the most realistic and user-friendly experience coupled with the ability to create my own destiny as one or the other combatants.

I've disclosed to you my ambitions to "change history" as either the Red Army or the Wehrmacht. Which game would allow me to change history as we know it?
Thank you for taking the time to read all this, and I really appreciate your info and points of view. I can't wait to hear back from all of you.

Thanks again!

G

 

Hearts of Iron is what you're looking for.

 

Heart of Iron III is by far the game you need to get

 

HoI 3 is what you want. Be prepared though. All my local gaming stores no longer carry the title for lack of a solid fan base. You may want to use Amazon, or some other site. Also a expansion is due to be released sometime this quarter that will require you to dish out even more $$$.

 

i personally like boths games but blitzkrieg did have some good points in it

 

You can buy HoI 3 through Steam if you have it.

 

or on Impulse, which is like steam but with less games but far fewer problems.

 

I'm not familiar w/Steam or Impulse. I use a Mac and both of these games are available for Mac with all the updates, etc.

Can any of you go into detail about why HOI is better than Blitzkrieg, or what features make one game better than the other?

I really have very little info about either games other than a referral from an acquaintance that I might like them. Therefore, ANY info some of you can offer me is almost certainly more than I know now and is greatly appreciated.

When I tell you I'm a newbie I'm not kidding. Some of the things that are posted in this thread go straight over my head! I'm still trying to navigate this site w/o getting lost, which has happened a few times already...

Thanks for your time and replies,

g

 

Hearts of Iron is a grand strategy game. It puts you in control of pretty much everything. You deal with things like diplomacy, resources, trade, technology research, production, and military unit. You can also plan full scale attacks on land, sea, and air. Keeping with realism though, it has an event system which makes significant WWII events almost impossible to avoid. You have a chance at preventing things like this if you do it yourself by playing that country. If you want to test out alternate history theories, this is your game.

Blitzkrieg focuses more on isolated battles where you control much less. For example, you would partake in the Battle of El Alamein where you control tank movement, artillery, base building, etc.

Basically, HoI puts you in command of an entire nation and Blitzkrieg puts you in command of a division or two.

 

HOI III = you being the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces

Blitzkrieg - you being the Lt. General

 

Thank you, that's exactly the kind of input I was hoping for. Yes, it seems that HoI3 would be the game for me!

Another person has told me of a game, or rather a series of games called "Combat Mission." There are 3 theaters that I'm aware of with this series, "Beyond Overlord," "Barbarossa to Berlin," and "Afrika Corps."

Do any of you know if these games might be useful for my grand plans?

Thanks for the info re: HoI3 v. Blitzkrieg. You're not the first person to make that suggestion for me, but I like to hear several points of view when I'm engaged in a topic in which I have no point of reference

Now I have to decide to purchase the Mac version of HoI3 or go to Amazon and try for a PC version. The downside of Mac is (sometimes) the game is available, it's not the latest or most updated version of the same game released in PC format. That's because of changing specs, PC not changing their platform in forever, etc.

I found 1 version of Blitzkrieg, for instance, for Mac. I go online and there's umpteen different incarnations of that game, all for PC!

Well, as long as it works, I don't need all the latest bells and whistles. If HoI3 wasn't any good, why would the series continue for so long in so many different incarnations, varieties and scenarios?

I'd like to hear what any of you has to say re: Combat Mission. Otherwise, Monday I'll buy HoI3.

Thanks again for your help!

 

Back in the 80's I was in Germany, stuck in Friedberg (Hess) with the 3rd AD, 3rd Brigade, 1/36th Inf.

As you entered the Kaserne through the foot gate in the rear, you'd be walking through my battalion (1/36).

You'd see a large wooden billboard painted in "Infantry" blue and gold lettering that announced "Walk Proud, Be Proud, You're entering Spartan Country! Deeds, NOT Words!"

I've tried to live by those words since I first read them in 1986. I've tried to make them a part of my life and my character since they made a deep impression on me at the ripe age of 19 years.

Last night I happened to notice your signature. Pretty snazzy!

The more I learn and the more people I meet the world seems to simultaneously get smaller, yet larger and more wunnerful. Amazing!

Nice to meetcha!

 

Combat mission is more of a Brigade size battles, probably the most realistic turn based real action sequence game there is. You take turns to give units orders as does your opponent and then your orders play out in a 1 minute video, then you take turns again. It is realistic in terms of physics both with the units involved and with the shells and shell penetration. The camera can be moved anywhere and you control either company or brigade supporting artillery, so not as grand as Blitzkrieg that focuses more on the division level.

HOI 3 is the game you want though as already stated it is a grand strategy campaign game. Your divisions can either be a little animation or a military counter on the map, and you simply select that unit and tell it to attack the area of Berlin for example and if there any units in the area the two sides will battle and you get the results.

If you want more details on the game and its realism then you can go to the HOI forum we have here and you can see for yourself how realistic the game is in terms of military actions.

One review I have seen though says that the only people who will like this game is die hard grand strategy gamers who don't want to micromanage every unit. There is no need to select your plan and tell them to use rockets on this particaular tank, you simply select your Fighter Bomber wing and tell them to attack anything in this region and they do.