ORIGINAL: balto
HOI 4 is mega great and it keeps getting better thanks to the awesome gaming powerhouse called Paradox (aka, heaven). The UI takes a lot of time to understand because most of it's finer points are vague. Takes about 200 hours to get good at the UI, which is a lot of time, but with a Paradox product, you know the investment in time will pay off. With mods and the DLC, it is an incredible game. If you love HOI 2 and 3, you will super love HOI 4. I am up to over 500 hours and I do not plan on stopping. The comment about not using the PAUSE feature, I do not understand that.., you PAUSE when you need it, and you speed up when you do not. PS - get all the DLC and do not worry about the CONVERSION feature, presently it is useless despite what a lot of the forum people claim.
PS - The mention of Advanced Tactics, I am sure that is another way to go. I love that game, but never played the World War mod..,
Most sad thing about the whole HOI series is the lacking AI as it's just not good enough for the size and scale of this war. Even Crusader Kings II as much as I enjoy it doesn't have any kind of quality AI as one can just roam the map and take pretty much anything he/she wants when they want. It's just more of a roleplay game than any kind of wargame.
At least Making History gives me some challenge on the hard or hardest settings. I want more challenge than I want pretty interface or pictures. Making History is the turn based HOI game with a much better AI.