Upcoming Comander Update - Wishes

* Con ppsh, they seem not really viable to me, maybe make it one more ppsh model and one less rifle? i believe it was 3 ppsh and 3 rifle models now? def dont want to make them broken. But atm they are clearly overshadowed by 7 man cons or svt cons. or shocks.

Agree, the PPSH upgrade has been made pointless after 7 man Conscripts were introduced.

Some thought on some USF doctrines:

NB: they are not meant to be all implemented together.

Armor Doctrine

The commander feels up on some critical points.

1. Assault Engineer - great unit they don't need any changes.

2. Crew package - the repair boost is all what it needed to be relevant, no need any changes.

3. M10 - Being tied to T3 cut any interest to build them because its simply too late for them on a regular USF BO. For 20 fuel more you'll get a sherman thats going to be able to support your infantry better and keep you safe from a Pz4 rush even if inferior in AT. The only reason why you would need a M10 is if you're really late behind and can't wait for those 20 fuel.

My suggestion would be to capitalize on this last aspect and makes it shine with a specific BO. Make the M10 available from HQ once you've fully unlock both T1 and T2 to open this different BO path for USF: extensive play with LT and CPT tier and then having a lower level tier TD available without having to spend 120 fuel on the Major. Price from the HQ could be different than the price from T3.

4. Sherman Bulldozer - The unit is really nice on some maps but IMO fails in comparaison with the Dozer upgrades. Yes it has a better damage per shot ratio than the Sherman HE but the WP shell shot make the difference in my opinion. I mean if you really need that HE shot to stop infantry or to force move a team weapon then the WP shell is as good as what the bulldozer can provides to force the retreat of your opponent. Then the regular sherman has more range and obviously can switch shells which makes it a better overall choice.

My suggestion is to gives the bulldozer a "bunker buster" ability or "KV2" mode or a WP barrage, I mean something that at least makes it different from the Dozer upgrade.

5. 240mm artillery barrage - IMO this ability is a relica from old game design full of randomness. I clearly believe this type of arty isn't anymore appropriate in this current meta. I would replace it not necesarily with something more deadly but much less random.

My suggesion is that even the Willy Peter barrage from Rifle company is better than the 240mm today while being an ability that can't kill anything it has a strategic purpose other than randomly denying access to an area.

Rifle Company Doctrine

A lot of discussion about this doctrine that's barely used today

1. field defense - Solid ability letting riflemen to plant mines and build sandbags.

2. RE flamethrower - Even if it is a solid ability I'd like to change it to Molotov/rifle grenade since it would affect both riflemen and rear echelon. I don't think RE flamethrower are much more relevant in the current meta when Mapsmakers are especially looking into not puting problematic houses on chock points.

Suggestion, replace it with Molotov/RG from urban assault doctrine.

3. Fire up - Not sure if this ability has any relevance when you compare it with Cover to Cover.

Suggestion would be to replace it with Cover to Cover.

4. Willy Peter Barrage - Many don't like it, I do like this barrage. Nothing to change here for me.

5. Sherman Ez8 - The big problem here. While the unit has really good stats on paper it fails to meet its relevance in the USF gameplay. I once proposed to make a it panther like class of unit and still stick to this idea.

My suggestion is to make it a panther equivalent unit and probably limit it to one unit/can't self repair. At the end USF players would have the choice between Pershing oriented AI and Ez8 oriented AT unit able to brawl 1o1 with Panthers and Tigers and seriously threaten Super Heavies. Its cost should obvioulsy be on par with its class.

this (and your previous posts on this) is quite interesting! as far as i'm concerned, the ability to force mgs and even at guns to retreat is the main selling point for propaganda arty. i guess the randomness, especially with team weapons as you mentioned, is what keeps it more or less balanced. a guaranteed AoE retreat of a pair of at guns for some 80 mun would be quite game-breaking obviously. would be interesting to know how exactly you'd brush it up.

For one, it should be decided whether forcing anti-tank guns to retreat is bug or feature. On one hand, its unique behaviour; on the other, it's current implementation has very low chance of occuring while having considerably greater impact than just forcing a reposition.

In any case, I would consider making it a stackable "propaganda debuff" that gives progressively more negative effects the more it stacks rather than a handful of randomised effects. From top of my head, something like:
1 stack lowers accuracy;
2 stack causes slowdown;
3 stack causes suppression;
4 stack forces a retreat.

That way, you still get all the effects, but they aren't randomised. Plus, if your opponent gets caught by just the first shell, they have a decision to make - do I keep troops with lowered accuracy in the fight, soft retreat them to wait out the debuff or outright retreat them? I'll try implementing it in my spare time, but it should be possible.

second part of my things that should be taken a look at.

* Maybe cav rifle man could get an upgrade with 3 ranger bazooka's for like 150-130 ammo. to provide a some what viable bazooka bus play. i dont think it will be OP as long as its just an upgrade for 3 zooks and not 3 wapon slots. If that is even possible.

* the m3 half track out usf mechanized should heal squads inside like the m5 and 250.

* ez8 and fire up from usf Rifle Company should be taken a look at. currently severly under used.

* The brit wapon half track should heal squads inside. also it should not require the hq wapon upgrade to deploy wapons from the truck. If there really needs to be an upgrade. make it a cheaper upgrade called 'unlock weapon storage'. its a doctrinal unit it hsould be somewhat good. atm its just a truck to reenforce. no real reason to get it if u dont want vickers but just brens and piats.

* the Brit Hold the line ablity should be looked at. cant remember when someone ever got use out of it. maybe rework or remove it.


* okw tiger 1 should be able to use the panzer commander ability. atm u got 2 ablities that cancel eachother out. i feel tiger 1 is currently shitty enough across the board that the panzer commander upgrade should be able to be done. Maybe buff the ost tiger by itself a bit too. But not the okw one because it can get the panzer commander, unless its even then shit.

* Maybe merge the muni scav from scavenge with JLI and replace it by the old mp increase ablity from fire storm, or the 221/223. atm is impact doesnt justify taking it a whole slot

* radio silence obviously needs to be taken a look at. its either broken or useless depending on the degree someone is a tacmapper. Maybe it should just act as a counter to the sovjet radio intercept and thats it.

* the artilerry flares for okw and brits should be maybe nerfed a bit. maybe shorter duration of the vision they provide. Maybe make it like Risky possible long vision duration by a plane, or guaranteed short vision by a flare. This might balance planes and arty flares out across the board.

* The rapid conscription and relief infantry ability should be looked at. atm no one uses it because u have to throw your veteran premium squads/take casualties to get useless ones in return. How about making it that the rapid conscription gives 2 7 man cons instead of 6man and the relief infantry gives 2 5man grens (or 2 ass grens?)instead of ostruppen. Like who wants to get ostruppen in the mid or late game, there main impact is in the early game. But the ablity where u get them is a midgame one at best. it just doesnt work imo. Relief infantry is def weaker then the rapid conscription even atm.

i will type a part 3 later today

Third final part of things that should in my opinion be looked at.

* The sovjet 120mm mortar shell reload seems insanely long compared to other mortars or pakhowis. Hack even a ml-20/lefh reloads in the next shell faster. maybe fixing this is was the 120mm needs to be good but not OP.

* I saw a post about sovjet Industry tactics. And that got me thinking. The Crew repairs ability might better be replaced by another feature that helps to embrace the vehicle focus in this commander. I was thinking of either, ptrs for conscripts,marktarget, the dankhunter tank camouflage or the good old engineer scav upgrade, to redeem more resources from tanks u lost. I also saw someone saying that the kv8 should be replaced by t34/85. I think it should be replaced by the kv1 maybe. other wise it looks to much like another version of armored assault to me. In my proposoal u can have armored assault symbolizing the later ww2 sovjet heavy armor tactics and sovjet industry tactics the early ww2 heavy armor with the kv1 and kv2 which were early sovjet ww2 tanks if i remember correctly.

* obviously the stuka divebomb and il2 bomb runs in the ISU/elephant docs need to be replaced with something else. bassically anything else. Really liked the idea of the single anti infantry strafes, or stuka fire bombing run.

* the ost mobile defense counter attack tactics should be replaced with the okw breakthrough tactics one. The okw version quickly decaps enemy points. the ost version caps neutral points faster. i think the okw one is more valuable. Maybe a small sprint could be added to both of them.We could also replace ost counter attacktactics with the ablitily from encirklement where tanks move faster and can cap points. this would fit the Mobile aspect of Mobile Defense doctrine.

* Maybe the ostheer concrete bunkers from the ostheer defensive doctrine could be added to the trench/cover built ability from other docs like ostruppen. getting just trenches feels like a lackbuster nowadays.

* The sovjet antitank overwatch should maybe get slightly nerfed, because of the way how powerfull it is and will remain with a ram or even just a snare. Maybe it should even be replaced with something else. Like if people hate il2 bombs/rockets+ RAM then antitank-overwatch+RAM has no reason to exist even in nerfed state.

* Maybe the USF ez8 should get similar AOE and PEN values as the t34/85 and then see how it works from there. Maybe give it a white phosphor shot on top of that, to make it distinct from the m4c sherman with its HVAP round as well. Would also be a funny "Fury" reference. Then the M4C 76 sherman would be the beefier generalist sherman with slight AT focus and the EZ8 could be the beefier generalist sherman with slight AI focus.

Considering how meta these doctrines are in teamgames, Jaeger Armor and the ISU-152 commanders will already be nerfed in the upcoming patch.

Their bombing strikes will be replaced by the JU-87 AT strafe (the single pass) and the IL-2 AI strafe (the single pass) respectively in order to tone down the versatility of these commanders and to create more room for counterplay with heavy indirect fire. The latter will likely also be buffed/fixed a bit in the next patch, given how it works a bit weird atm.

+1

Make close the pocket even more potent so my allied noob teammates actually respect it and retreat Kappa
Jokes aside I'm very happy command p4 and the close air support commander is gettting updated.

Considering how meta these doctrines are in teamgames, Jaeger Armor and the ISU-152 commanders will already be nerfed in the upcoming patch.

Their bombing strikes will be replaced by the JU-87 AT strafe (the single pass) and the IL-2 AI strafe (the single pass) respectively in order to tone down the versatility of these commanders and to create more room for counterplay with heavy indirect fire. The latter will likely also be buffed/fixed a bit in the next patch, given how it works a bit weird atm.

1+

Time to invest in Fortified Armor before the squeeze.

Considering how meta these doctrines are in teamgames, Jaeger Armor and the ISU-152 commanders will already be nerfed in the upcoming patch.

Their bombing strikes will be replaced by the JU-87 AT strafe (the single pass) and the IL-2 AI strafe (the single pass) respectively in order to tone down the versatility of these commanders and to create more room for counterplay with heavy indirect fire. The latter will likely also be buffed/fixed a bit in the next patch, given how it works a bit weird atm.

Good changes, doubly so because IL-2 AI strafe will get fixed! Giving it a better name to differentiate it more from IL-2 Loiter would be welcome too.

Giving it a better name to differentiate it more from IL-2 Loiter would be welcome too.

Yeah that's on the list. It's weird that it's called exactly the same as the loiter.

Brit Spec Weps Regiment

- Boys AT reduced CP to 1, CD reduced to 45 seconds, Boys AT given same stats as Penal PTRS with 3 AT Rifles. Upgrade PIAT will remove all 3 AT rifles.
- HT no longer needs the PIATS/Bren research. CP remains the same. Fuel cost increased to compensate.


USF Airborne Company
- Reduce muni cost on P47 loiter to 180.
- No other changes.

https://www.coh2.org/topic/107608/upcoming-comander-update-wishes/post/852419

This is kinda of contradictory in itself.

No new units I sort of understand due to Relic disabling the model editing and importing, however currently present assets can be re-used for said new units like for example the German heavy weapon crews.

Their models look like normal infantry models with just the red shoulder pads indicating that they're artillery but given some Kar 98ks and called reserve infantry or something could work without 99% of the people noticing that they're not proper infantry models with all of the equipment.

No unit swapping between factions is again sort of understandable altho it has been done until now many times, for both the Germans and the Allies (lend-lease) and I don't really see a problem with it since they have their own unique traits so they're not just the same unit carried over.

Many more new units can be created with swapping, for example a King Tiger for the Ostheer or a Churchill for the Soviets. Again both of these units can have new unique mechanics.

Changes being minimal makes sense from a developer perspective, and from a balance such I suppose, but the problem is that things like the Sturmtiger need an overhaul or rework.

The last 2 points are completely contradictory.

- new abilities are possible, but nothing crazy (think about mostly copying existing abilities);
- no total reworks of commanders, but multiple ability swaps or replacements per commander are possible if needed.

You want to copy existing abilities, but you're limiting it to only it's own faction. So what you just take a broken/underpowered/overpowered ability and just copy and paste it and call it a day? Really now?

No total overhaul of commanders makes sense however again some really need it. And again only limiting it to only within a faction is just stupid if you ask me.

And honestly this all just sounds like a lazy excuse for them to be able to downvote most (good) ideas.

Good changes, doubly so because IL-2 AI strafe will get fixed! Giving it a better name to differentiate it more from IL-2 Loiter would be welcome too.

Just quoting you to say that your OKW desperate measures doctrine is awesome and has an epic theme to it.

https://www.coh2.org/topic/107608/upcoming-comander-update-wishes/post/852419

This is kinda of contradictory in itself.

No new units I sort of understand due to Relic disabling the model editing and importing, however currently present assets can be re-used for said new units like for example the German heavy weapon crews.

Their models look like normal infantry models with just the red shoulder pads indicating that they're artillery but given some Kar 98ks and called reserve infantry or something could work without 99% of the people noticing that they're not proper infantry models with all of the equipment.

No unit swapping between factions is again sort of understandable altho it has been done until now many times, for both the Germans and the Allies (lend-lease) and I don't really see a problem with it since they have their own unique traits so they're not just the same unit carried over.

Many more new units can be created with swapping, for example a King Tiger for the Ostheer or a Churchill for the Soviets. Again both of these units can have new unique mechanics.

Changes being minimal makes sense from a developer perspective, and from a balance such I suppose, but the problem is that things like the Sturmtiger need an overhaul or rework.

The last 2 points are completely contradictory.

- new abilities are possible, but nothing crazy (think about mostly copying existing abilities);
- no total reworks of commanders, but multiple ability swaps or replacements per commander are possible if needed.

You want to copy existing abilities, but you're limiting it to only it's own faction. So what you just take a broken/underpowered/overpowered ability and just copy and paste it and call it a day? Really now?

No total overhaul of commanders makes sense however again some really need it. And again only limiting it to only within a faction is just stupid if you ask me.

And honestly this all just sounds like a lazy excuse for them to be able to downvote most (good) ideas.

Regarding Unit Swapping in particular:

Unit swapping (Primarily from Soviet, though from the western allies as well) into the Axis factions would provide an awful lot of fodder for new units/abilities in doctrines, theming around "BeuteWaffen" and "BeutePanzer", which the Germans made extensive use of.

I expect the allies (Primarily the Soviets) did a lot of the same.

The main problems with this are the fact that there aren't any skins for these units pressed into German service, which kind of detracts from the "Quality" aspect of the game. That, and it might make factions a little too homogenous, if done incorrectly.

Still, if it would be reconsidered, unit/weapon swapping between factions could really help provide more selection in order to fix/diversify commanders.


(I also still maintain that USF and OKW need Snipers (Or at least their Light Infantry Squads to be nondoctrinal), as I think this type of unit is almost "Standard" in the same way as a Mortar, Machine-gun, or AT gun is, perhaps moreso given how completely different a sniper plays to literally any other unit in the game)

Regarding Unit Swapping in particular:

Unit swapping (Primarily from Soviet, though from the western allies as well) into the Axis factions would provide an awful lot of fodder for new units/abilities in doctrines, theming around "BeuteWaffen" and "BeutePanzer", which the Germans made extensive use of.

I expect the allies (Primarily the Soviets) did a lot of the same.

The main problems with this are the fact that there aren't any skins for these units pressed into German service, which kind of detracts from the "Quality" aspect of the game. That, and it might make factions a little too homogenous, if done incorrectly.

Still, if it would be reconsidered, unit/weapon swapping between factions could really help provide more selection in order to fix/diversify commanders.


(I also still maintain that USF and OKW need Snipers (Or at least their Light Infantry Squads to be nondoctrinal), as I think this type of unit is almost "Standard" in the same way as a Mortar, Machine-gun, or AT gun is, perhaps moreso given how completely different a sniper plays to literally any other unit in the game)

Agreed.

And also they don't really need to be actual snipers, US doctrine during the war didn't have solo or 2 man sniper teams like of other countries and there's even an icon of a marksman rifleman ability so they could put that to good use as a new ability of sorts of riflemen squads.

Like for example Recon upgrade, gives marksman ability to Riflemen, could also maybe work for OKW as well.

Just throwing it out there as an idea.

* I saw a post about sovjet Industry tactics. And that got me thinking. The Crew repairs ability might better be replaced by another feature that helps to embrace the vehicle focus in this commander. I was thinking of either, ptrs for conscripts,marktarget, the dankhunter tank camouflage or the good old engineer scav upgrade, to redeem more resources from tanks u lost. I also saw someone saying that the kv8 should be replaced by t34/85. I think it should be replaced by the kv1 maybe. other wise it looks to much like another version of armored assault to me. In my proposoal u can have armored assault symbolizing the later ww2 sovjet heavy armor tactics and sovjet industry tactics the early ww2 heavy armor with the kv1 and kv2 which were early sovjet ww2 tanks if i remember correctly.

Yeah crew repairs does seems superfluous in light of the repair stations ability. Either replace it entirely or add it to the repair stations slot as it can't do much harm. Generally its better to put the muni into repair stations anyway.

The KV1 would also be a good replacement for the KV8.

Stuka replaced with luft Incendiary Bombing Run

Speaking of the "Incendiary Bombing Run", it barely does any damage on live.

Speaking of the "Incendiary Bombing Run", it barely does any damage on live.

Which will be the best excuse to fix it as well.

G43 Grens need ungimping. They’re fine early, but drastically fall off late game to the point of being useless. It’s a double shame because they technically allow for a more aggressive playstyle, and unlike LMG grens, are actually able to attack into green cover to some degree.

Tiger I needs to be Made Great Again!

If Rifle Company is to ever be viable, the Ez8 needs to be viable. This is easily done by making it more like the T34/85 as Mirage did in his mod.

Ppsh cons need something to be made viable. Advanced Warfare is a cool commander that is brought down by PPSH cons.

Relief Infantry/Rapid Conscription need a complete rework.

Counter-barrage on Lefh needs to be nerfed or go completely.

ML20 needs a slight buff.

Add an OST King Tiger to either Strategic Reserves or Festung Armor to make those two doctrines interesting.

Land Mattress needs to be non-doctrinal. Period.