Soviet teching comparison

OST vs SOV teching comparison as of patch V5

mp cost
fuel cost
SOV teching costs no tier skip
160+160+200+280 = 800
10+15+75+100 = 200

OST teching costs no tier skip
80+100+100+200+140+100+100 = 820
50+20+105+40 = 205

SOV teching cost to T4 + sidetech and mobilize reserves (cuz LV skip) T1 skip
160+200+280+150+200= 990(1090 with mobilize reserves)
15+15+75+100 = 205(225 with mobilize reserves)

OST teching cost to T3 with medics
150+80+100+100+200+140 = 770
50+105+20 = 175

OST teching cost to T4 with medics
150+80+100+100+200+140+100+100 = 970
50+20+105+40 = 205

SOV teching cost with T-70 + molly/AT + medics T1 skip
160+200+260+280+150+200 = 1250
15+15+75+70+100 = 275

OST teching cost to T4 with 222 and medics
150+80+100+200+100+200+140+100+100 = 1170
50+20+30+105+40 = 245

SOV teching cost to first T-34 + molly/at + medics T1 skip
160+200+280+150+200+300=1290(1390 with mobilize reserves since LV skip)
15+75+100+90+15 = 295(305 with mobilize reserves since LV skip)

OST teching cost to first P4 + medics
150+80+100+100+200+140+350 = 1120
50+20+105+120 = 295


its clear that soviet teching alone without side techs already equals ostheer teching costs... soviet sidetechs only increase the teching costs of an already expensive teching system.... judging by the performance of SOV`s earlygame i see no reason for SOV`s teching to be more expensive than ost`s teching...

lastly the T-34 comes ridiculously late as a medium tank due to SOV teching... its timing needs to be adjusted...


suggestion:
1. make mobilize reserves free with T3 (youve nerfed the T-70 anyways)
or
2. split T4 with armor authorization... base T4 grants the T-34 alone + armor authorization unlocks SU-85 katy and doctrinal soviet units...
or
3. make T4 require mobilize reserves + reduce T4 cost by 100/20...
or
a combination of the above suggestions...

Past balance decisions have trended towards cheapening tech for other factions/ making some units available earlier, and so I think some reduction in SOV optional tech costs is overdue.

My personal preference would be to increase the number of meaningful economic choices other factions have to make though.

Soviet Tech has always been inordinarily expensive. For a faction that is meant to embody the projection of immense manpower, it's pretty ironic. In old faction profiles, they were actually intended to lose units in combat and replace them with new ones, although mechanically this was never implemented well (or at all for that matter; their tech and units were still standard price). I would like to see them having cheaper tech to bring them in-line with other factions.