Hello everyone!
We've been hard at work fixing issues and tweaking some of the mechanics released in 1.9 and the La Resistance expansion, and now have a big patch available in beta.
If you have experienced any kind of bug, crash or glitch in 1.9, it will be worth trying 1.9.1 out, as there is a good chance that your issue has been fixed.
We've also added a quality-of-life feature for your airforce, that we talked about in yesterday's Dev Diary, allowing you to choose whether an airwing should be reinforced by older aircraft, newer aircraft or no aircraft at all.
See the full changelog for 1.9.1 here
Our plan at the moment is to update the beta with the latest fixes and tweaks each week, before pushing the patch live around the middle of April. This means that until then, the default patch will continue to be 1.9.0, while 1.9.1 is opt-in through the Steam Beta's tab in the library.
How to Download the 1.9.1 Beta
1. Right-click on Hearts of Iron IV in your Steam Library, and left-click the 'properties' option in the dialog box.
2. Once the properties window has opened, navigate to the 'betas' tab, second from the right.
3. In the betas tab, click on the drop down box and select the 1.9.1 beta. It will then automatically queue for download.
4. Play the game!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 1.9.1 'hot code'?
It is, yes. Being a beta means that its not been tested to the same level a released patch will be. You should be cautious about playing ironman saves on 1.9.1, in case you run into any unexpected issues that could cause you to lose progress.
Will my 1.9.0 save games be compatible with 1.9.1?
They should be, yes. We always aim for saves to be compatible between minor patches, but we can't promise that will be true in every single case. If a save is important, back it up by making a copy before loading it in 1.9.1.
Will mods that have been updated to 1.9.0 be compatible with 1.9.1?
This will depend on what precise changes have been made by a mod in question, but in most cases the answer will be yes. The changes in 1.9.1 are centered on fixing issues and tweaking values, not changing mechanics.
Why aren't you just setting 1.9.1 as the default patch?
By taking some time before we set 1.9.1 as the live patch, it gives the opportunity to do more testing and fix more bugs, so that when the patch is released its bigger and better than it would be otherwise.
Having an open beta for several weeks also gives us more opportunity to tweak the balance of mechanics based on feedback, and be more flexible about making minor improvements here and there.
How often is the 1.9.1 beta going to be updated?
We're going to update the beta around once a week. As with the change from 1.9.0 to 1.9.1, these updates to 1.9.1 should not break your save games or mods.