I did a couple of French games, all of which are cake walks, regardless of your debuffs and what area you focus on. I'm going to play a friendly MP game with a friend at some point to try get back into it, but the system still feels off. It doesn't immerse me in the slightest and just thinking about it makes me not want to play, so I haven't.

I guess if you uninstall the DLC you can still play it although the resistance mechanics will obviously be present. it might be that the spy stuff you don’t find interesting and that would make sense. If you dont like it then take a step back and learn the mechanics to what’s making it suck for you. Other games in the Paradox catalogue don’t seem to suffer as much like this as the HOI4 games with DLC. It seems very divided on stuff, extremely difficult to ascertain on whether they are just annoyed because now they have something new that they do not understand? Is the resistant system now just annoying them? Is this because they have played the game since 2016 and the change is just too much now? Is there a mental block because people have just got into patterns of play? I find it really difficult to find the answer with the HOI community. something they have confessed at being something they have struggled with in the past. They have had a good go at getting spies right.

Hearts of iron 4 sucks