Experience Increase

Have you ever wished your best commanders could keep growing beyond the normal Hearts of Iron IV limits?

Experience Increase expands the military XP and commander progression system, allowing long campaigns to properly reward the generals, field marshals and admirals that keep fighting.

This mod is designed for players who enjoy extended campaigns, Road to 56 playthroughs, large wars, and commander progression that does not suddenly stop once the normal limits are reached.

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Main Features

Increased XP Storage

The maximum XP storage limit has been increased for all three military branches:

• Army XP cap increased to 9,999
• Navy XP cap increased to 9,999
• Air XP cap increased to 9,999

This removes the restrictive vanilla-style XP cap while keeping the values readable and manageable.

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Faster Unit XP Gain

Land units now gain more experience from combat:

• Unit combat XP gain increased by +50% over Road to 56 values

This allows divisions that fight continuously to improve at a more satisfying pace.

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Faster Commander XP Gain

Generals, field marshals and admirals now gain leader experience much faster:

• Land leader XP gain increased to x3
• Navy leader XP gain increased to x3

This makes the new higher level caps realistically reachable during long campaigns.

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Improved Trait Progression

Leader trait XP gain is improved, but kept under control for balance:

• Leader trait XP gain increased by +50% over Road to 56 values

This helps commanders develop traits faster without turning trait farming into an instant exploit.

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Reduced XP Losses

The mod also reduces experience losses in several areas:

• Army leader XP loss reduced by 50%
• Navy leader XP loss reduced by 50%
• Battalion/template change XP penalty reduced by 50%

Changing division templates is still not completely free, but it is less punishing than before.

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Max Leader Level Increased to 20

The maximum leader level has been expanded up to:

Max Level 20

This applies to:

• Generals
• Field Marshals
• Admirals

Leader skill progression has also been expanded properly.

Land Leader Skills

The following land leader skills can now continue progressing up to level 20:

• Attack
• Defense
• Logistics
• Planning

Naval Leader Skills

The following admiral skills can now continue progressing up to level 20:

• Attack
• Defense
• Coordination
• Maneuvering

The new levels follow a balanced progression curve instead of jumping to extreme values. High-level commanders become powerful, but not absurdly overpowered.

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Balanced Level 20 XP Curve

The XP curve has been rebuilt so level 20 is difficult, but actually achievable in long campaigns.

For land leaders:

• Levels 10–15 continue at the vanilla/R56 maximum level cost
• Levels 16–20 gradually become more expensive
• Land leader XP gain is increased to x3 to make long-term progression realistic

For admirals:

• Naval leader progression is extended up to level 20
• Navy leader XP gain is increased to x3
• Naval overall skill scaling after level 13 is intentionally tempered for better balance

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Start Event

At the beginning of a campaign, you will receive an event that lets you choose how much extra starting XP you want.

You can choose between:

• No bonus
• Small bonus
• Large bonus
• Sandbox-level bonus

The event can grant Army, Navy and Air XP, allowing you to decide whether you want a balanced campaign or a more experimental run.

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Air XP Note

This mod increases the Air XP cap and the start event can grant Air XP.

However, this mod does not change:

• Air wing XP gain
• Air aces
• Air combat experience gain
• Air leader progression

The commander progression changes apply to generals, field marshals and admirals only.

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Road to 56 Compatibility

This version is updated for the current Hearts of Iron IV version and is designed with Road to 56 compatibility in mind.

Recommended load order:

1. Road to 56
2. Experience Increase

Place this mod after Road to 56 in your playset.

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What This Mod Changes

This mod affects:

• Army XP cap
• Navy XP cap
• Air XP cap
• Land unit combat XP gain
• Land leader XP gain
• Navy leader XP gain
• Leader trait XP gain
• Army leader XP loss
• Navy leader XP loss
• Template change XP loss
• General maximum level
• Field marshal maximum level
• Admiral maximum level
• Land leader skill progression
• Admiral skill progression
• Start-of-game XP event

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Compatibility Notes

This is a gameplay-changing mod and will change the checksum.

It is intended for players who want longer-term commander progression, stronger leader development, and more rewarding extended campaigns.

Be sure to check my other mods.