BlackerICE mod for Hearts of Iron III: Their Finest Hour

INTRODUCTION:

BlackerICE is a total overhaul mod for Paradox Interactive’s classic WW2 grand strategy game, Hearts of Iron 3 (HOI3). Yes, I tried HOI4, and I didn't like it ... at all. Paradox has removed some of the key features that made HOI3 such a fun experience. Sorry, but I don't want to play a supply sergeant simulation. :) If you are like me, and think HOI3 is a better game than HOI4, keep reading!

BlackerICE was originally based on the BlackICE (no “er” in the middle) mod, of which I was a major contributor.

Currently, we are primarily supporting and distributing BlackerICE via a Facebook group, though we will likely be switching primarily to this site at some point. For now, if you want to download BlackerICE or participate in the discussion, head to Blackerice.com and you'll be forwarded to the FB group!

NOTES:

• BlackerICE was/is designed and tested on the PC platform, at 1920x1080. Using anything else may or may not work, but has not been tested. Distributions for the Mac have not yet been developed, though if you are familiar with how to install mods under the Mac version of HOI3, you should be able to use the PC distribution of BlackerICE.
• Many of the in-game menus and other things use hardcoded English text. This will change over time, but I have some custom font work to do first.
• BlackerICE v1.0 started from the last release of BlackICE that I was involved in (v8.5), so anything the new BlackICE team has done since then is not in this mod.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BLACKICE AND BLACKERICE

Since BlackerICE was originally based on BlackICE, there are obviously some similarities. However, quite a lot has changed! Here are a few helpful notes for veteran BlackICE players who are just getting into BlackerICE:

• Coverage is provided for what I call "controversial" events of the period. We want to give the player true and honest moral choices in how they lead their nation. I believe that the mod can be used as an educational tool to learn about the less "glorious" aspects of the war.
• The unit statistics (things like attack and defense values) have been scaled WAY back from BlackICE. This, of course, affects techs as well. Over the years, the units in BlackICE became very laden with stats, making balance tricky to achieve. We purposely reset every stat to 0 and used some formulas to create the initial unit stat values and values of tech benefits.
• All of the screens have been reworked, as have a great many of the techs and tech folders. So you'll want to spend some time browsing through these before digging into your first serious game.
• There is an increased focus on “battalions” rather than just brigades. For many brigade-level units, there are battalion-sized equivalents. These are great for smaller forces, backwater garrisons, etc. Even larger division formations can benefit from the battalions.
• As a part of this trend, we have increased the number of slots available to divisions to 10 (11 if you have the Superior Firepower tech).
• The air war is relevant again. While every ground unit has some form of defense against air attacks, the only ones capable of “shooting back” and damaging those enemy aircraft are AA units. So you’ll want to keep this in mind as you build out your forces. No longer will a stack of bombers get pummeled by a stack of infantry!
• There is an increased focus around Special Forces units.

SOME OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:

Sampling of new unit types available to you as a player (in addition to the long list of unique units we created for the original BlackICE):

• Medical Support Battalion
• Field Hospital Brigade
• Quartermaster Battalion
• Destroyer Seaplane Tender (Flushed Deck/Fast Tenders)
• Fighter Aces
• Armored Cavalry Squadrons
• Motor Landing Boats (early landing craft)
• Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) brigades (Japanese "Marines")
• Chemical Battalion (Chemical Mortars)
• Armor Service Battalion (Maintenance & Recovery)
• Naval Engineer Battalion (Amphibious Assault experts!)
• Airborne Anti-Air Battalion
• Airborne Anti-Tank Battalion
• Airborne Engineer Battalion
• Airborne Artillery Brigade
• Machine Gun Battalion
• Motorized Machine Gun Battalion
• Flame Tank Battalion
• Artillery Battalion
• Commando Battalion
• Semi-Motorized Infantry Battalion
• Light Recon Battalion
• Armored Recon Battalion
• Arctic Brigade (formerly the "Ski Brigade")
• Specialized player CAGs (Torpedo Bombers, Dive Bombers, CAG Fighters)
• Battalion-sized support units for most brigades (e.g. Heavy Anti Air Battalion)
• Command Battleship (Flagship)
• Command Heavy Cruiser (Flagship)
• Command Light Cruiser (Flagship)

SAMPLE DIVISION BUILDS USING THE FULL 11 SLOT LAYOUT:

01: Division HQ Unit
02: Infantry Brigade
03: Infantry Brigade
04: Infantry Brigade
05: Armor Battalion
06: Artillery Battalion
07: Light Recon Battalion
08: Anti-Tank Battalion
09: Anti-Air Battalion
10: Medical Support Battalion
11: Light Transport Unit

01: Division HQ Unit
02: Armor Brigade
03: Armor Brigade
04: Mechanized Infantry Battalion
05: Motorized Artillery Battalion
06: Armor Service Battalion
07: Armored Recon Battalion
08: Self-Propelled Anti-Air Battalion
09: Armored Engineer Battalion
10: Quartermaster Battalion
11: Truck Transport Unit