A new beta version of the mod is now available from the downloads section. More AI adjustments, reworked armor/piercing values (still WIP), the Escalator Clause (allows naval treaty signatories to build treaty ships after April 1937), and some rework on the special forces brigades are the main new features. We've been able to get to 1946 without crashes in our hands-off tests, so the mod is now in an unfinished beta state. Full changelog is in the download.
More AI adjustments, reworked armor/piercing values (still WIP), the Escalator Clause, and some rework on the special forces brigades are the main new features. Special forces like paratroopers are now limited in number. You can build at least 4 brigades of them, but no more than 5% of the total number of infantry-type units in your army (the infantry CA type from the production screen). So, if you have 100 infantry, 50 garrison, and 50 MOT brigades (so, 200 total), you can build 10 brigades each of paratroopers, mountain troops, marines, and assault troops. The assault brigade has new stats to reflect its role as close-combat stormtroopers or pioneers rather than bridge-laying engineers.
Also, Germany now has 2 temporary strategic resources in Hamburg and Bremerhaven. If Germany recognizes Manchukuo (required for AI Japan to join the Axis) then these will go away. If playing as Germany, you'll have to save-reload to remove the icons from the production tab due to game engine limitations.
The mod is now in a beta state and we expect there to be bugs, but no crashes. If you follow the install instructions to the letter then it will start up without any problems; I'm testing with the exact same download you guys will get and I follow the instructions I wrote down in the download section and can start up the mod with no problems, so if you're getting startup issues then go double-check the install instructions. Once the game starts though, there may be buggy AI behavior due to TFH changes to the AI system from the FTM expansion. If you get a crash or see the AI fall asleep or build/research something silly then please comment here, in the ModDB forum for the HPP (check out the forum link to the upper-right, next to images), or the mod's main forum (official page in the mod's profile to the right) telling us what happened. The more detail you can provide the faster we can fix the bug or crash.
For AI-related bugs, it would help tremendously if after you quit the game you would go to the folder Documents\Paradox Interactive\Hearts of Iron III\HPP\logs, open the file system.log in notepad or some other editor, and check the bottom of the file for errors. This file is deleted every time you start the game, so please look at it and report any errors at the bottom before you start the game up again if you saw the AI fall asleep. If you do see any errors please report them, because the errors will point us to the files we need to fix.
Also, please keep in mind that generating the map cache can take a long time and hog up a bunch of memory. If you have an older computer, you may want to go to Documents\Paradox Interactive\Hearts of Iron III\map and copy your vanilla cache folder to Documents\Paradox Interactive\Hearts of Iron III\HPP\map (make this folder if it doesn't exist). This will bypass the map cache generation. You'll lose out on the visual region changes (the thick black borders on the map), but nothing else.
Known issues:
*Game will crash if you try to view strategic resources in the statistics screen.
*unit-limiting strategic resources not implemented
*leader tactics not affected by doctrines
*I think lend-lease, licensed builds, and the new spy system aren't fully implemented yet. SSmith can correct me if I'm wrong
NOT bugs:
*Anything you also see in the base game is obviously a base game problem. I'm talking about stuff like the music stops playing, the interface disappears, supply system is stupid, allied nations do nothing, etc. Things like missing cores, AI not researching infantry techs, and events not working are mod-related bugs. Basically, if you see an issue related to the interface not looking right, music/sounds not playing correctly, or what the AI does on the map, it has nothing to do with the mod since those areas are hard-coded.
*If pictures are missing or wrong, then you didn't install the graphics pack from the addons section.
*If the mod doesn't start up, then you didn't follow the install instruction
*France has been coded to declare war on Germany once Germany's threat gets too high. This can happen as early as 1938 if Germany is too aggressive or allows spies to raise its threat.
