i know there's a vicky3 to hoi4 converter out there and I keep an eye on it's development, but it's not there yet.

All the HOI4 mods that try to cram in a century of historical events and alt-history into a few years do a heroic job but vicky 3 is so much better at setting up state of the world (social, economic, alliances, great powers, etc).

Full disclosure, I state this as someone that prefers the HOI4 build up phase over the warfare, but also think vicky 3 warfare is too simplistic and janky. So best keep vicky 3 focused purely on the set-up, the run up, the historical materialism and great social forces churning together in the shadow of industrialization.

Let HOI4 handle the big war and the frantic industrial conversion and tech rush. Why is that the "big war" vs a bunch of WW1 style great wars that broke out in vicky 3?

Nukes. Fundamentally, that's what HOI4 is about. It's the last, conventional war possible before everyone can just start flinging nukes at each other. It's a ticking clock. The rush before the great equalizers that promise untold destruction to all sides. Whether you are leading a glorious global communist revolution or just rapping the knuckles of some unruly fascists (how dare you turn colonialism inward! uncouth!)

Obviously if you achieve global communism by 1936 there might not be a fun playthrough there. Maybe a reactionary/capitalist uprising to put down, or World War Leftist Infighting.

i've actually thought that if I finish a good run of Vicky 3 and like the result that I might just transfer what I can using the converter and try to make a bunch of focus trees based on my game's historical lead up. Using whatever tools I can find since my modding skills are limited to edits.

Anyone else thought of this as something that sounds really great together? your peanut butter + chocolate?

small addition: this is about converting Vic3 playthrough to HOI4 and playing it as a "long HOI4", not actually combining the games into one system.