Hearts of Iron IV is testing a major overhaul of its energy system through a new Open Beta. The developers have made several changes based on player feedback from the previous Dev Corner and are asking players to try the system and share their feedback.
The rework changes how energy is produced and consumed across countries, with power plants, factories, production lines, resources, research, and infrastructure all playing a role.
Power Plants Become Part of the Energy System
Under the new system, Power Plants are upgradeable state-level buildings. Players can build up to three levels of Power Plants in a single state, with their output affected by factors such as terrain, oil resources, and dams.
Civilian factories, military factories, and dockyards will also generate some power.
Dams have been given a larger role as well, with new dam types and massive dams added to the system.
Production Now Uses Energy
One of the biggest changes is that production lines now have an energy cost.
The new system shows players how much energy is being used across different production categories, including air, naval, and land equipment.
Countries now have a power pool that tracks energy generation and demand. The balance between the two affects the bonuses or penalties applied to factories.
Coal is burned when it is needed to meet energy demand, while oil remains focused mainly on fueling armies.
Spare Power Can Provide a Bonus
The reworked system also introduces spare capacity.
Generating more power than the country currently needs can provide a surplus bonus. The amount of spare capacity needed is influenced by the total number of factories a country has, making it easier for smaller nations to reach the required level early in a campaign.
This means players will have another reason to invest in power generation instead of only building enough capacity to cover their immediate demand.
Research Can Increase Energy Production
The Energy rework also adds a new research technology related to power generation.
One example shown by the developers is Hydrogen-Cooled Generators, which increases total energy production by 10%.
Industrial focus branches in most focus trees will also provide Power Plant rewards.
Oil Will Affect Power Generation
Oil will not become a general fuel source for energy in the vanilla game, despite players asking for the option.
Instead, oil-producing states will provide benefits to nearby Power Plants. States with natural oil resources can generate more power, while oil itself remains primarily associated with military fuel.
The developers said this is intended to keep oil focused on the army and coal focused on industry.
Power Plants Can Be Targeted by Bombing
Power Plants will also create another strategic target during war.
They are more vulnerable to strategic bombing, allowing enemies to target a country’s energy infrastructure and disrupt its industrial capacity.
However, maintaining enough spare capacity can help damaged Power Plants recover faster.
New MIO Policies Affect Energy Costs
The rework adds two new Military Industrial Organization (MIO) policies: Electrified Assembly and Power Rationing.
These policies can change the amount of power required by production. Players can therefore trade higher energy costs for production benefits in certain situations.
The developers have also added energy-related modifiers and updated the technology and trade windows to support the new system.
AI Will Build Power Plants
The new system isn’t limited to human-controlled countries. The AI has also been updated to build Power Plants when needed.
Starting setups for Power Plants have been added for 1936 and 1939, giving countries an initial energy infrastructure based on their starting situation.
The top-bar power display has also been updated with information about energy generation, Power Plant states, coal usage, and maximum generation.
Hearts of Iron IV Energy Rework Is Still in Beta
The developers stress that this is an Open Beta, meaning the Energy system is still being tested and balanced.
The beta currently has no new art assets and is not translated. Players are being asked to try the rework and share their experiences, including after-action reports and feedback about balance or other problems.
The team will use that feedback while deciding how the Energy system should work going forward.
