Question on the formation within a Division template

[gocdavies]

Ive tried looking on youtube and here and i cannot see anything regarding the formation of units within your division template. i see many that has a lot of infrantry and art. but everyone has themin different position sin the. division template
Why?
does this matter? is there a front line aspect to the division grid? which is not mentioned anywhere? example

Art inf inf
art inf inf
art inf inf

or

inf inf inf
inf inf inf
art art art

does it matter which way they face and form up in battle?

Such as having art the rear so they do not get overwhelmed by enemy attack? but then which is the back and which is the front? the division template make not sense in this aspect.

if anyone can put me right that would be great
thanks

[Imhotep]

The vertical lines are regiments. You can see a line going through them in the template. The templates are simplified versions of orders of battle, such as this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:German_WW2_Infantry_Divsion_1943.png

The game has different categories of units: slow (infantry), mobile, armoured. One can't mix these categories in a single regiment. So a regiment could contain motorised infantry and motorised artillery, but not motorised artillery and regular infantry.

Other than that, I don't think the placement of units in the template matters.

The most common infantry division format in WWII was three infantry regiments, each with three battalions of infantry, and a regiment of artillery with four artillery battalions (three light/medium, one medium/heavy). There were also separate battalions and companies, such as recon, engineers and anti-tank. In the linked order of battle above, the Fusilier battalion is recon and Panzer-jager is anti-tank.

Usually, the artillery is in their own regiment, so in their own vertical line, rather than mixing artillery into the infantry regiments.

The 1943 German infantry division I linked to above only has two battalions of infantry in each regiment. They originally had three battalions each, earlier in the war, but were reduced to two later on due to manpower shortages.

[failsafe]

actually, I wish someone from Paradox has answered this question, though I believe Imothem is right, it doesn't really matter. But still, Paradox should explain things like these. I wouldn't expect them to say what kind of template is better or whatever, but in the same time...

[mk11]

I don't think game companies should explain things that have no effect. They don't state that the ordering has an effect so why do you even think it might and ask the question?

[failsafe]

they don't state a lot of things about this game, so lack of statement doesn't really mean anything. But okay, it doesn't matter in this case anyway - my idea is that certain information (in form of hovering info) could just save a lot of time to many players. That is all.

[wildlifeluvr]

Originally posted by failsafe:

they don't state a lot of things about this game, so lack of statement doesn't really mean anything.

You are right. As a new player (I love the game; I love the complexity), I have discovered I spend less time on the game and more time researching the forums, Paradox WIKI, the manual, Google searches, ...

I figure my game time is an ongoing tutorial. I don't picture myself actually "playing the game" because I project I will not have the grasp and understanding I want for about 12 months or so. In about 1 year or so, I may be actually ready to start "really playing" the game.

Again, I love this game, I just wish my learning curve could accelerate; simple things are not explained.

EXAMPLE: Paradox mentioned "The battlefield" referring to 80 Width and all the talk about 20 Width, 40 Width, etc.

Battlefiled? Province? The State? The entire Soviet front from near FInland down to near the equator?

How is it possible numerous players, web sites, Steam comments, Paradox all refer to:

"The Battlefield"

... but NOBODY has yet to define What the heck is the battlefield is? I'm stunned, really. I have advanced college degrees and was a successful VP of a Fortune 500 company. I'm a pretty intelligent guy. Why is it nobody wants to DEFINE a term like "battlefield"? Paradox assumes every player of Hearts of Iron IV has played other Paradox games. I have not. They "assume" I would understand what defined a "battlefield" when with all my age, experience and common sense, I am unable to read their minds and after my first nearly 75 hours of play time and 200 hours of researching my questions, I STILL do not know why they don't DEFINE what a term like "the battlefield" is.

The short of it is ... yes, failsafe, you are right in saying "they don't state a lot of things about this game ..."

UPDATE 11 JUL 2021
I finally saw a reference, by Paradox, that "the battlefield" is (if I read it right) a province. I do not know why everybody refers to "the battlefield" when stating "the province" makes it clear and prevents new players from wasting hours trying to figure out if "the battlefield" is the size of the tank battle in Kursk or 2 generals duking it out in an outhouse.

[bubbas]

Originally posted by wildlifeluvr:

...EXAMPLE: Paradox mentioned "The battlefield" referring to 80 Width and all the talk about 20 Width, 40 Width, etc....

Care to explain a bit more, like where and what context?

[Mikey]

The smallest entity you have in combat is a division and while you can set up divisions almost to your liking with regiments and support battalions those entities are never represented outside of the division itself. As such the way you place your regiments inside the division has no meaning inside the combat system, only their presence at all has an effect as they add their strengths and weaknesses to the divisions averages.

[failsafe]

when I started playing HOI4 - and I used to play HOI1 and HOI2 a lot of time ago - I just quit it after five minutes. I've been playing other games then - I think it was Transport Fever and World of Tanks - and very quickly I came to understanding that it is just impossible to play HOI without full commitment.

I never said that it is wrong.

The thing is, however, that this game involves billions of details. And now we know that actually placement of battalions within regiments doesnt really matter - only thing that matters is count of battalions. But when u start playing HOI4, and You open division editor... it is like... wow... and it is just too much ;-P.

Having said all that, I actually don't mind spending a lot of time searching for information. Discussions work very well - I've asked question about how to set soviet's army and I got a bunch of very practical answers. There is always someone explaining stuff, this is great. And, at the end of the game, You still have to just play over and over just to test solutions and alter them according to current experience. This is very good and nice. Though, Paradox could simplify this learing process just by stating in several cases that "this doesn't matter". Before You say something: if You take a look at the division editor, You can easily notice regimental organisation and while adding battalions You quickly learn that some battalions just don't come together - so You actually notice that there is something about it, but You just don't know how much of "something". That is it.

Okay, this problem isn't really worth this discussion, but just keep in mind that before You learn something obvious it is not that obvious.