Sander's personal balance changes

T-34 Ram
It's already ther are so many argues of that ability. Ability that force you to play in russian roulete to lost 300\90 unit (you almost never have a chance to save t-34 after that). That have serious restrictions - distance, direction, engine overheat. WHile such ability like blietzkrieg don't have any drawbacks and could be used as no-brainer tool to save your armor. It will be interesting if it have some drawbacks.
There are only 2 ways - keep it as is or replace by another ability. T-34 keeps old vanilla design from start of game as cheap, replacable tank. When it cost 60 fuel, it could work. Now in most cases, you have medium without any ability that could be used in 1vs1 (how often you used ram or cap point ability in 1vs1). Really, the game that have design that you MUST keep your units alive, give you unit with suicidal ability? Ridiculous.

Some examples of possible abilities:

1. Repair engine damage
2. HVAP shots - timed ability, low range, higher penetration.
3. Passive aura ability - tank platoon. Need 3 t-34 to get full strength. 2 t34 - little ROF bonus, little turret rotation bonus. 3 t34- movement bonus, turret rotation bonus, ROF bonus. Just as idea, bonuses could be other or tweak by another way.

Also t-34-85 should have churchill smoke instead ram and cap point. It have smoke chargers on rear and don't have smoke....

Cause i know were this will lead, take the ram discussion (outside of the specific changes applied by OP) to the other thread.

Thank you for a skill howie nerf suggestion.

overall, some incredibly good changes however, i can see members on the balance team going to veto alot of this as they usually do (from i heard). Only things i disagree/suggest with below,

OKW

Panzer 4 shouldn't come earlier even if its the OST version, this means OKW gets the best of both worlds because they can just upgrade it later to the J version. U get ur med out later because its one of the best MED's in the game.

Falls dont need changes, they are very good already and hit the field earlier then obers, so ther is enough insensitive to choose them. Not many people go falls because the overall doctrine sucks.

USF
Paratroopers. (Airborne Squad)
Right now paras are excellent AI inf but they come too late. It really would be nice if USF can get these units available at CP1. Ofc, ther upgrades might have to be locked bh tech or something.

I pray your changes will make it.

Regarding the Flak HT, being able to shoot on the move seems very strong indeed. But I don't think it would actually be that good because the Flak HT relies mostly on accuracy to kill stuff. I don't see it being very potent with 0.5 moving accuracy considering it has pretty bad scatter and AOE values The only scenario in which this would really help a lot is against diving vehicles like the AEC or the T70. Also as Sander said it wouldn't have any suppression on the move so it couldnt suppress squads trying to snare it. This is a change that has to be tested for a few games to know how it would actually translate into the game. If it is too OP the moving accuracy could bet set to a lower value like 0.25 so it would be useful against vehicles only.

I don't like your suggested T4 changes, they seem overly complicated and "fix" something that isn't broken in the first place.

The nade cost on Sturmpios should definitely be reduced as Sander suggested in the OP. Right now their stun grenade is ridiculously overpriced. Paying 30 munitions for a super short stun is just crazy. I mostly don't even bother dodging it and continue fighting because of how bad it is.

Shocks are IMO also a unit that is slightly too good as it is. I find playing against them very frustrating as OKW. It makes skipping LVs almost impossible because Volks are basically useless against them.

Flak HT i found it specially fine with attack ground post vet 2, which is why i found it worrisome to just give it straight attack on the move.
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The concept is broken in the first place which gives completely different performance depending on the mode. On 1v1 is utterly hard or impossible to kill in some cases and in 2v2+ you have access to so much indirect power or offmap which makes it destroying it trivial if put in the front line. Same with been able to spend mp in multiple AT guns or mortar to tackle it down.

Not sure how the change is "complicated". Basically nerf the shit out of it been an MG bunker with no player input whatsoever protecting points (requiring at least vision) while giving it the tools to fend it off if munition is spent. Same way with protecting itself from offmap which can go from taking it down by 75% to completely destroying it if unlucky. This pseudo brace costing munition would make it fair compared to UKF one.

I could be wrong, but i see it as a nerf for 1v1 and a buff for 2v2+, where you get to be more free with resources.

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If stun nade was still a vet 4 ability, i would say that 15 muni would had been fine. Been a vet 1 ability and having it affect whole squads by just touching a single model is a nono.

At vet 1, the most i would go for is just -5 muni reduction.

If changes to performance would be needed i would swap vet values and give the discount at vet5.

Move "no longer takes increased dmg while repairing" to vet 3 (same as other engineers).
Move and fuse the increase construction rate to 25% and then decide where it belongs to get a -15 muni reduction on the grenade. At vet 4 or vet 5 (which i still don't think is necessary).

I misread the cost for the Stun Grenade by the way. The Ostheer one is 20 munitions and not 15, so it would be a reduction from 30 to 20 for the SP's Concussive Grenade.

These ideas focus on increasing the viability of underused units, filling out holes in faction rosters or buff under performing ones


OST
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OKW
None currently

SOV
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USF
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UKF
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USF
Paratroopers. (Airborne Squad)
It really would be nice if USF can get these units available at CP1. Ofc, ther upgrades might have to be locked bh tech or something.

That would completely brake the game. No thanks.

Your changes to the ambo would be problematic. What's stopping the USF player from taking his medics out of the ambo and leaving them at base then letting allies crew the ambo and using it normally?
Perhaps this was the intention but seems cheesy to me

That would completely brake the game. No thanks.

ofc, the base stats can be changed or how about they come as 4 man?, right now something needs to be done. because by the time they are available USF has so many inf on the field due to riflemen and teching/ free squads.

ofc, the base stats or how about they come as 4 man?, right now something needs to be done. because by the time they are available USF has so many inf on the field due to riflemen and teching/ free squads.

I think they are perfectly fine to be honest. They are insanely strong with double LMG on open maps and wiping machines with Thompsons on close quarters maps. They can't come any earlier. Yes USF has a lot of infantry squads when they arrive but considering how the faction is designed there just isn't much that can be done about that.

OST

Recrewing

Ideally, it should be optional or automatic so you don't lose squad (basically 3 by default, 2 if you get down to 3 models).

Since i don't think there's a way to make it so as the properties of recruitment are (IIRC) of the support weapon itself i'll rather not change it.

Medics

Not sure what is the point when OH has the most amount of healing options and makes it a no brainer to get.

Also, at this point in the game, not sure buffing OH early game is the greatest idea.

222
Don't think it necessary and the ability looks bad.

PW
It looks like you just want a longer range/faster version for wiping single squads. It looks and sounds like precision strike (cause you only need like 3/4 rockets for it to wipe).

G43
Even if you nerf moving acc so 3 G43 is equal to 2...I don't know. Sounds fine on paper but looks like would be the next following FOTM.

Relief
At it's current duration, sounds even weaker than giving you 1 or 2 Osstruppen squads.

Stug-E
NOT SURE it needs anything.

I would rather see the Stug-"G" have the TWP damage been 160 back again, now that it's been nerfed and that it already forces a reload first.


Rest of changes looks ok.

I like many of the changes but only one little question.

Where is muh krupp stahl) Its missing. /s

OH clearly strongest faction this patch, rest are about equal

1. What a hilaorious nonsense. Consxrips repair kit is trash ability that is NEVER used by anyone. And they want to replace il2 with it. This ability is 100% useless and need to be removed completely

2. Teller to 40 muni ftw. They should be at least twice more expensive than normal mines. Its already mandatory to have double sweepers vs OH any game. While vs OKW 1 sweeper is enough.

3. Penals needs a significant late game buff. They arent potent without guards. While having higher reinforcement cost than any axis unit including obers - 162 mp. They must have ura and not only that.

Conscript repair is amazing, especially now that cons scale into the late game. It's much eaiser to keep armour in the fight with 4 cons on the field that could also repair it than just at most 2 CE (whom you might still have anyways)

Global Changes
Rocket Artillery
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Simply removing vet bonus is a mistake. Unit should be balance in all vet level and removing vet bonuses would leave these units is UP performance like mortars currently have.

If these units fire too frequently one could lower CD vet bonus or add other bonuses as lower arc/faster projectile speed, faster reload/aim times, acceleration, 20-40 HP.

If the issue is the damage this vehicles do one could replace the HE barrage with incendiary one and make the HE come with veterancy or even add MU cost.

Panzerschreck (all factions, experimental change)
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Turning shreck into bazooka is bad idea especially since the main problem with lights is the T-70. One should actually tone down the T-70 and especially it ability for wipe on retreat. Or one could increase the target size of the T-70 insttead.

Flamethrowers (and incendiary grenades)
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I would rather add an ability to flamer to set building on fire. The ability is already in campaign.

Sandbags build time for mainline infantry
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It is an improvement which I had pointed it is need year ago and similar change should happen to tank traps that should only provide yellow cover that should also be more resistant to ballistic weapons.

Imo they should actually be removed from mainline infatry and moved to engineers and other support units increasing units diversity.

These are just a lot of quasi intelligent changes. Too many of them and too extensive. Went through all of them. Buffs on Axis, nerfs on Allies. Ally changes are negligible and on units that are niche and seldom used. Ally mains will protest while Axis mains will welcome the changes wholeheartedly. This is cookie cutting balance thread. I just hope most of these changes never see light of day. Some are good like artillery flares overhaul and Pak Howi change. Open Blitz truck, Assault Package for Sturms, SU76 and ISU 152 rear armor nerf are also good.
Valentine and Medic squad on UKF also good.
These changes are good, rest should be in the class of "really really experimental". Some of this changes would require even more micro input on USF (like also nerfing scott as a mobile anti blob unit since the barrage on it is near useless due to the low angle of approach). Also M20 doesn't need a buff, it's in an OK place.