M36 being buffed? it also went from 240 damage to 160, sight bonus removed, popcap +2 and +20 fuel.
Survivability has been buffed at cost of damage spike. Do you really consider Mr.Smith who did the job an USF fanboy?
Don't you remember the shit storm we had every time a wheraboo forum's fighter had a bad RNG luck vs Jackson back in the days? The same shit storm we have today when the same wheraboo forum's fighters have a bad RNG luck vs the same Jackson.
Your vision of the M36 is biaised when you compare it to the Su-85, where is the Katy, where are the many mines you spend you munition on, where is the super cheap T34, the -I don't need ammo to pen you- zig gun, where are the half of doctrines with the -Out of jail card- Button to save your Su-85's ass from flanking etc... Where is the equivalence of the Su-76 when you don't have 145 fuel in bank for the M36?
Seriously, you can't be serious comparing both units in a vacuum. Not you please, leave it for Vipper and his kind. M36 weakness is everywhere else as USF late game is still dependent on crutch units as per original design.
I'm all for changing it, reducing M36 potential and giving USF late game more balance but the last +5 fuel change the balance team made let me think there is little to be done or Relic is vetoing any proposed solution.
We could rollback the 600 health back to 480. And it's armor down to Stuart level.
... We could also bring back it's dps 160 back to 240 dmg
Popcap -2 Fuel Cost -20
(Note the Panther got a Health buff since)
So 12 pop, 125 fuel, 240 dps Jackson with less health.