Rejoice! A new balance patch, 3.0.0.10542, is upon us!
The new patch includes many much-requested changes, including changes to the SU-85, MG42, and IS-2. A host of other units have also received love and attention from the developers, so get into the game, figure out which strategies work in this brave new 3.0.0.10542 world, and then post your replays here at COH2.ORG to show off the scalps you've harvested!
Also included in the patch, at no cost, is the new map, Semoskiy Winter! This winter-wonderland version of the popular COH1 map features frozen rivers and deep snowdrifts, and is blizzard-free. And yes, Semoskiy Winter will be included in this weekend's tournament. Be sure to sign-up before Friday.
Want to hear more about the patch directly from the team behind the changes? Watch the VOD of the livestream discussion with Relic balance designers, Peter Qumsieh and Piero Herrera, here:
Read on for the specific changes from the official Company of Heroes 2 forums:
Update September 10th, 2013
Units and Abilities
Focus on improving the usability and appeal of abilities based on their performance and design. Abilities which were underperforming were improved and vice versa.
SU-85
• Acceleration from 2.4 to 2.1
• Rotation from 20 to 18
• Max speed from 5.3 to 4.8
T-70
• The T-70 can no longer crush infantry
Guard Troop RGD 33 Grenade
• Cover modifiers set to be consistent with other grenades
Shock Troops
• Price from 480 MP to 440 MP
• Population from 12 to 9
Penal Battalion Flamethrower
• Fire aim time max from 1 to 0.5
• Fire aim time min from 1 to 0.125
• Post firing aim time from 1.5 to 0.5
• Ready aim time max from 1.5 to 0.125
• Ready aim time min from 1.5 to 0.125
• Suppressed reload multiplier from 1 to 2
• Horizontal tracking speed from 90 to 45
IL-2 Sturmovik Attack
• Loiter area radius from 70 to 60
• Target lead out from 20 to 8
• Target lead in from 20 to 16
• Delay between attack from 4s to 18s
• Attack sway width from 4.5 to 3
• Attack sway frequency from 3 to 2
• Search attack target from false to true
• Duration time from 40s to 75s
• Recharge time from 75s to 165s
• Modified UI Barrage Radius to be more noticeable
• Rate of fire from 13 to 10
• Damage from 15 to 20
• Penetration from 50 to 42.5
JU-87 Anti-Tank Support
• Loiter radius area from 50 to 60
• Delay between attacks from 4s to 18s
• Target lead in distance from 12 to 10
• Target lead out distance from 6 to 5
• Loiter timer from 60s to 80s
• Duration time from 50s to 100s
• Recharge time from 90s to 190s
• Modified UI Barrage Radius to be more noticeable
• Damage from 100 to 80
• Cooldown from 0.25 to 0.125
Demolition Charge
• Damage from 250 to 312
• Additional building damage from 550 to 488
• Area radius from 6 to 8
• Area distance far from 3 to 5
• Area distance near from 1.5 to 2.5
• Recharge time from 30s to 0s
Small Arms Weapon Profiles
Focus on better aligning infantry small arms within our health/damage system. This reduces the amount of overkill and better enables us to control how small arms functions within the game.
Grenadier Rifle
• Damage from 20 to 16
• Accuracy near from 60% to 65%
• Accuracy far from 30% to 35%
• Cooldown from 2.2 to 2
• Cooldown modifier near from 0.5 to 0.3
• Cooldown modifier far from 1.5 to 1.4
Panzer Grenadier SMG
• Damage from 6.4 to 8
• Accuracy near from 50% to 40%
• Accuracy far from 15% to 12%
Shock Troops PPSH
• Damage from 9 to 8
• Near Accuracy from 50 to 56%
• Far Accuracy from 15 to 17%
Penal Troops Rifle
• Damage from 14.9 to 16
• Near Accuracy from 50 to 47%
• Far Accuracy from 28 to 26%
Reaction System
Reduced the degree of reaction squads commit to while in combat to better improve unit control and responsiveness. The reaction radius modifier on all weapons was adjusted to better align with the weapons AOE values. Weapons with very low AOE will no longer cause infantry to take action in response to the attack.
Reaction Timers
• Squad reactions while in combat from 15s to 30s; this will reduce how frequently a unit reacts to incoming fire while in combat.
• Out of combat reaction timer from 5s to 25s; once again reducing how frequently a unit reacts to incoming fire while out of combat.
Heavy Tanks
One major issue we sought to resolve was the viability of heavier tanks within the mid-late game. Their cost and performance was refactored to better take into consideration their effectiveness at the later stage of a match. Additionally, heavier tanks should be more viable in smaller matches.
Tiger
• Reload from 6.25 to 5
• Armor from 350 to 300
• Acceleration from 1.25 to 1.8
• Max speed from 4.7 to 3.9
• Deceleration from 4.2 to 3.9
• Price from 600 MP and 250 FU to 720 MP and 200 FU
IS-2
• Armor from 375 to 325
• Damage from 160 to 240
• Penetration from 140 to 170
• Deflection damage removed from the main gun
• Price from 680 MP and 300 FU to 760 MP and 240 FU
Brummbar
• Price from 520 MP and 170 FU to 680 MP and 140 FU
Panther
• Price from 440 MP and 165 FU to 600 MP and 130 FU
Weapon Teams
Focus on improving early game flow and balance. Weapon teams should be support units rather than front line soldiers. The Maxim and MG42 had their weapon profiles adjusted slightly, resulting in some performance modifications. As a result of this change, the Maxim should suppression slightly faster than before. Their overall DPS remains relatively unchanged. The changes to weapon traverse make flanking a MG easier when using multiple squads.
HMG and Mortar Teams
• Now receive 25% more damage
Soviet Sniper
• Cooldown duration multiplier far from 1.5 to 2
Maxim
• Damage from 9.5 to 5
• Near accuracy from 0.6 to 0.64
• Far accuracy from 0.16 to 0.32
• Near rate of fire from 1.1 to 2.1
• Weapon horizontal traverse speed from 90 to 35
MG42
• Damage from 4.4 to 5
• Far accuracy from 0.1375 to 0.11
• Far cooldown from 0.8 to 0.85
• Suppression from 0.00159 to 0.00085
• Rate of fire near from 1.2 to 1.1
• Rate of fire far from 1.1 to 0.9
• Weapon horizontal traverse speed from 60 to 25
• Suppression modifier applied to suppressed targets from 0.5 to 1
What are your thoughts on the update? Share them below on the forum!