Automated Research - Automatic Technology Research and Research Queue for Hearts of Iron IV

Automated Research introduces a comprehensive technology management system to Hearts of Iron IV, allowing players to automate research, create technology queues and focus on military operations without constantly returning to the research interface.

Instead of manually selecting a new technology every time a research slot becomes available, players can prepare an entire research plan or let an automated system manage technological development.

The modification includes a dedicated Research Queue interface, customizable autopilot, technology prioritization, saved research plans and compatibility with Military Industrial Organizations (MIOs).

Research Queue System

The main feature is a customizable Research Queue that automatically researches technologies in the selected order.

Players can add technologies directly from the standard technology tree using Queue Mode.

Key features include:

• Custom Research Queue - Create a sequence of technologies for automatic research.
• Queue Mode - Select technologies directly from the technology tree.
• Automatic Research - Technologies are researched according to the prepared queue.
• Research Modifiers - Existing research bonuses and penalties are taken into account.
• MIO Integration - Supports Military Industrial Organizations.
• Queue Search - Quickly find technologies within the research queue.
• Sorting Options - Organize queued technologies by name, duration, technology category and other parameters.

This system is especially useful during major wars, when players need to concentrate on managing armies, production and strategic operations.

Autopilot - Fully Automated Research

For players who prefer not to create research queues manually, the modification includes an Autopilot feature.

With a single click, the system begins selecting technologies automatically and continues managing research throughout the campaign.

Autopilot also includes configurable priorities, allowing players to influence which technology categories receive attention.

Prioritized Technologies

Individual technologies can be marked as Prioritized directly in the technology tree.

Autopilot will attempt to research these technologies as quickly as possible, helping players focus on important military, industrial or technological goals.

This combines automatic research management with the ability to influence long-term national development.

Save and Load Research Queues

Automated Research supports saving and loading research plans between different campaigns.

When Steam Cloud is enabled for Hearts of Iron IV, players can store their research queues and reuse them in future playthroughs.

For example, a research plan created while playing the Soviet Union can later be loaded during a campaign as Germany.

This feature is useful for players who frequently restart campaigns or prefer to follow established technology development strategies.

Integration with Vanilla Research Slots

The modification preserves the standard Hearts of Iron IV research system.

• Vanilla research slots remain available.
• Technologies selected through vanilla research slots are automatically added to the custom queue.
• Research bonuses, penalties and MIO mechanics are supported.

However, technologies selected through the mod's Queue Mode do not appear inside vanilla research slots because of technical limitations.

The modification also disables the glowing effect on research slots.

Important: If your research queue contains technologies but the game displays an empty research slot notification, you can safely dismiss that notification.

Additional Interface Features

Automated Research includes several tools for convenient technology management:

• Dedicated research queue menu.
• Search functionality for queued technologies.
• Multiple queue sorting methods.
• Statistics tab.
• In-game tutorial.
• Custom notification when the research queue is empty.
• Configurable autopilot priorities.

These features help players organize research without losing access to the familiar technology tree.

Compatibility with Other Mods

Compatibility patches are available for:

• The Road to 56 (R56).
• Black ICE.

These patches are intended to help Automated Research work with the modified technology systems introduced by those overhauls.

Localization

Community translation submods are available for:

• Russian.
• Chinese.

Other translations may become available through community contributions.

Why Use Automated Research?

Automated Research is particularly useful for players who want to:

• Reduce repetitive technology management.
• Prepare long-term research strategies.
• Automatically prioritize important technologies.
• Reuse research plans across multiple campaigns.
• Spend more time managing armies and production.
• Maintain control over research without constant manual intervention.

Automated Research transforms technology management into a more flexible and automated system, making long Hearts of Iron IV campaigns easier to manage while preserving the existing research mechanics.