GAME MANUAL - Steam

HEARTS OF IRON DARKEST HOUR●If you are using Win98 orWinME, type winipcfg andthen click OK. Make a noteof the IP Address and thencommunicate it to yourguests.●If you are using Win2000/WinXP/ WinVista/Win7, typecmd and then click OK. Inthe new window thatappears, type ipconfig.Make a note of the IPaddress and thencommunicate it to yourguests.Routers and FirewallsIt is common for computersto be “behind” routers or beprotected by firewalls.Firewalls:vNet and internet multiplayergames use ports 2300-2400,28800-29000 and 47400-47700 for communication.You will need to make theseavailable to host or join agame. Note that this willresult in limited exposure tomalicious internet users andthat you do so at your ownrisk.Routers:Since there are manydifferent routers on themarket, each with uniquesoftware controls, pleaseconsult your user manual fordetails. You will also need tohave a network clientinstalled in Windowsnetworking. If you’re havingtrouble, ask for help in theDH Multiplayer subforum onParadox’s website.Known Issue:Please be aware that thereis also a known DirectXrelatedissue that maycause clients to “drop out”of a multiplayer game ifboth the host and a clientare behind a NAT-enabledrouter and the game ispaused for longer than 30seconds. This issue isunresolvable throughgame coding, so it isrecom-mended thatanother (non-NAT) host bechosen, or that any longpauses be avoided (trytemporarily reducing thegame speed to a crawlinstead).Events andDecisionsDarkest Hour incorporates aspecial event and decisionsystem. These are usuallyhistorical events of greatsignificance that have beenprogrammed to occur duringthe course of your game andthat can’t easily be modeledusing the regular gameengine. In some cases, thereare prerequisite conditionsthat must be met in order foran event to trigger, and manyof them have a degree ofrandomisation to make theexact date of their occurrencesomewhat unpredictable.There are also a variety ofrecurring random events thatmay have very beneficial orpossibly detrimental effects.An event will always display ina box, which cannot bechanged via the messagesettings, and will cause asingle player game to pauseuntil you have responded to it,should the event require aresponse; multiplayer gameswill not pause in this fashion.Most events include explanatorytext to give you somedetails about their historicalcontext. Many events will offeryou more than one possibleresponse and the effects ofmost events are often quitesignificant, although the exactimplications of a choice maybe hidden in a few instances.Events may also cause anadditional event to trigger,possibly for you or for anothernation. It is also possible thatan event will result in changesthat couldn’t be achievedother-wise during the normalcourse of a game, such ashuge shifts of domestic policyor dramatic changes in publicopinion. An event may alsocause certain officers orcabinet members to becomeavailable, or even to beremoved from the game.Read the text carefully andhover your mouse pointer overthe available response optionsto see an expanding tooltipthat describes the eventeffects. Once you have madeyour decision and clicked theappropriate response, themessage box will disappearand the game will resume.22