July 3rd Patch Notes

http://www.reddit.com/r/CompanyOfHeroes/comments/29oyd5/july_2nd_update_notes/

USF

The Sherman M3 75 Heavy Explosive shells that were underperforming in a sense that it did not deal with infantry effectively. Most of the time the player using HE shells would often miss their target completely. With a lower scatter and slight increase in splash damage the HE shells should become an effective counter against clumped up infantry.

The M151A AA Halftrack is something we believed was over performing all levels of the game. The time this unit came out it was effective counter against infantry and light vehicles. Another issue was its ability to get out of danger without suffering too much damage. With making minor tweaks to the units stats believe units like the 222, Puma, and other forms of soft AT will have an easier time dealing with this unit.

Volley Fire was another big issue that we wanted address; the design intention of this ability was to be used as a support ability to give rear echelon combat utility. However what we ended up seeing were rear echelons winning engagement that shouldn’t have won. There was also an exploit with the modifers that were applied when rear echelons equipped with bazookas would fire bazooka shells rapidly. With the new implementation of the ability Volley fire will now have its strength and weakness. The suppression modifers have also been tweaked so there will be very rare cases that a squad will get pinned.

-Sherman M3 75mm HE Shells
Radius increased from 3 to 4
Distance Scatter Max reduced from 6.9 to 5.5

-M15A1 AA Halftrack
Cost increased from 55 fuel to 60 fuel
Penetration reduced from 30 / 40 / 50 to 30 / 35 / 40
Acceleration decreased from 4.75 to 4
Armor reduced from 20.5 to 15
Rear Armor reduced from 15 to 10

-Volley Fire
Added Animator state while ability is active
Rear Echelon now receive a 50% receive accuracy penalty while active
Removed Cooldown bonus
Removed Reload Bonus
Reduce suppression values from 0.4 to 0.2


Soviets

A lot of small tweaks were added to the Soviet units to address a few small issues. With the use of receive accuracy modifers stacking with veterancy there were instances where a sniper would miss its target. This was more of a bug fix than anything else.

The Satchel Charge also had its bonus damage to buildings reduced to prevent 2 shoting OKW truck buildings. It will take 3 Satchels to destroy an OKW truck building. PPSH had its profiled tuned to make it’s short range damage kick in a little bit earlier. Previously you would have to get really close to start dishing out good damage against infantry.

Sniper
Modified behavior of snipers to no longer miss vs. units with veterancy. Garrison cover and retreating accuracy remains the same.

Satchel Charge
Bonus damage from buildings reduced from 480 to 340

PPSH
Profile change from 8 / 12 / 30 to 10 / 16 / 30

SU-85
Now has hold fire

KV-1 Heavy Tank
Reload time reduced from 6.2 - 6.8 to 5.2 - 5.8


Wermacht

Sniper
Modified behavior of snipers to no longer miss vs. units with veterancy. Garrison cover and retreating accuracy remains the same.

OKW

The biggest change to the OKW were to the Base Building Flak Gun. Currently the building does not feel very threatening to infantry and light vehicles (which it should feel like) We are seeing at the high level players always setting up their truck inside their base because it is too much of a liability to put it anywhere else.

Another change was to the Panzer II with it coming out at such a late time we wanted to beef up its stats so it could still be useful during the mid-late stages of the game. Various cost adjustments were also added to OKW Call ins that were previously set at a lower than intended value.

LE IG 18 Support Gun
Is now immune to cold

Schwerer Panzer HQ 3.7cm flak gun
Damage increased from 20 to 40
Penetration increased from 35 to 45
Range increased from 40 to 45
Suppression increased from 0 to 0.3
Nearby Suppression multiplier increased from 0 to 0.8
Nearby Suppression radius increased from 0 to 15
AOE increased from 2 to 4
Rate of fire increased from 2 to 4

Panzer II
Health increased from 320 to 400
Moving accuracy increased by 25%
Added Camouflage extension

Command Panther Call in
Cost increased from 560/170 to 560/200

Panzer IV Battle Group
Cost increase from 720/180 to 720/210

Puma
Reduced the aim time and increased the penetration of the puma aimed shot
Puma aimed shot can now be activated while other orders are being issued

I like that the M15 AAflak was nerfed, but I still have an issue with the timeframe that both FHTs arrive. Because of their strength, they force your opponent to preempt AT even before they know if the unit will arrive. As OKW your options are essentially go T2 for a puma (and your own FHT) or risk losing the game at the ~6 minute mark. I really enjoyed the direction Relic decided to take with the armor overhaul that pushed back the arrival of armor. Its a little shocking to have such a hard counter to infantry available so early in the game, especially in 2 factions that rely so heavily on early game infantry. The two new armies have a great opportunity for infantry skirmishes but the strength of these halftracks really limits this.

Perhaps the changes to the M15s armor will make it manageable with only a shreck and a RK43, but I have my doubts about this, as a vet0 RK43 takes ages to target and fire. Can't wait to play and try it out.

Also, I am really glad that they buffed the aimed shot ability for the OKW puma, as it was a little odd that such a fragile tank killer had to remain stationary to use its vet ability.


I'll reserve feelings on the flak gun till I see it in action. In the alpha it was pretty freaking scary. It created a no go zone for opposing players and it wasn't that fun. However, in the alpha it was available as your first building and could be used extremely aggressively early in the game. Its current fuel cost of 100 should keep it from being too much of an offensive spearhead. I think it should be strong enough to justify the risk of putting it in a key location, but it shouldn't be so strong that it zones an opponent from the area completely. Hopefully this change puts it somewhere in between the current popcorn shooter and the killing machine from the alpha.

Good changes, but once again buffs and nerfs are over-done. The damage on the flak sws truck was effectively quadrupled, so now if you accidentally find the flak truck with any light vehicle it's going to die immediately. I do think the flak truck needed a buff, but it wasn't so crappy that it needed four times the damage.

What about making smaller changes and seeing if they work? The M3 is the best example of Relic's issues with over-reacting to balance problems; that vehicle has gone from OP to crap and back again a few times already.

buffing the HQ flak truck was diffinately not needed. Its already pretty strong by itself.
On the side note, those AA halftrack nerf are not going to solve anything. Its still going to shred infantry, nerfing the armor will not fix anything as OH and SU has nothing besides Pak/ZIS to counter it till T3. Nerfing the dps on the flak and remove the suppression will help.
Need to test the new sherman HE. I do feel that buffing the splash to 4 is not necessary, the biggest issue with it was the scatter. Currently, if Sherman HE hits, it could kill the 3/4 german squads. This might just replace Sherman 105mm as splash 105mm HE has 4.5 AOE

liking the new patch notes aa truck got some solid (over)nerfs sherman he ammo looks kinda scarry now and the flak hq will be increadilble ( back to alpha stats it seems )
ppsh buffed omg!!! finaly!!!

LoL what ? flak buffed ? did relic saw what it is already doing to us infrantry ? 1 shot and half of squad dead... if these patch notes are true im will not play us anymore. OKW here i come.

LoL what ? flak buffed ? did relic saw what it is already doing to us infrantry ? 1 shot and half of squad dead...

Have you actually seen it lately though? You can stroll up to the damn thing and still have half your squad. It's supposed to be the defense weapon for your truck camp, yet it can't shut down a single squad. God forbid he actually attacks with something more.

It costs 80 fuel. All it takes is 3 riflemen, cover or not, with bazookas to destroy it. The flak halftrack kills a stuart faster than it. And its fire rate is pretty slow - as long as you keep moving one squad sideways - itll never hit it. With your other 2 squads, you blow it up, since you cant select which unit it targets. It needed some buff, but we'll need to see whether or not its over the top.

I wish they'd let you change the default facing of the gun as well.

Still not sure if Panzer II will be bought. It should just be moved to T2 (building w/Jagdpanzer).

Were the P4Js and the C-Panther even overpriced? Hardly IMO but I never used the P4Js.


Panzer II
Health increased from 320 to 400
Moving accuracy increased by 25%
Added Camouflage extension

Command Panther Call in
Cost increased from 560/170 to 560/200

Panzer IV Battle Group
Cost increase from 720/180 to 720/210

ppsh buff.
YEEEES!!!

An iconic weapon of the war, is finally not completely useless and is finally not a downgrade for your conscripts!

LoL what ? flak buffed ? did relic saw what it is already doing to us infrantry ? 1 shot and half of squad dead... if these patch notes are true im will not play us anymore. OKW here i come.

The flak truck in its current state is basically a non factor. It literally never kills half a squad in one shot. Good luck with the OKW btw, I think you'll find it...challenging.

IMO the sherman buff is way to much, it was decent, albeit a little underwhelming, before. This puts it way over the top.

The flak truck in its current state is basically a non factor. It literally never kills half a squad in one shot. Good luck with the OKW btw, I think you'll find it...challenging.

IMO the sherman buff is way to much, it was decent, albeit a little underwhelming, before. This puts it way over the top.

OK ok i see you are expert with 35 games in 1vs1

Community in CoH is worst in all games, on forums there is only crying for nerfs (most from germany side) and crazy thing is that relic is lisening to them... i never saw a good replay to validate how one side is OP and other under-performing.
With volley fire nerfed what is primary role of this shity unit now ?

OK ok i see you are expert with 35 games in 1vs1

Community in CoH is worst in all games, on forums there is only crying for nerfs (most from germany side) and crazy thing is that relic is lisening to them... i never saw a good replay to validate how one side is OP and other under-performing.
With volley fire nerfed what is primary role of this shity unit now ?

35 games in 1v1? I see 219 games as soviets, 191 as wehrmacht.

And the fact of the matter is, volley fire was overperforming to a very large degree. Therefore it was nerfed. Rear echelon can deny garrison, capture points, build tank traps and wire, equip rifle nades in fighting positions, AND still use the toned-down volley fire.

What is the primary role of the RE in this patch? Direct combat unit capable of suppressing any squad, and pinning in two seconds up close. What will the role of the RE be next patch? As a support unit, as it should be.

i never saw a good replay to validate how one side is OP and other under-performing.

Go play against a decent player who uses volley fire to six minute AAHT as the Ostheer, preferably before the patch hits.

Wow. Alot of okw buffs. Interesting concept with that truck with AA. Now people will be tempted to place it outside base. GJ.
Volley fire bug solvend and USF AA nerfed. Nice.
But was that ppsh buff really needed?!

Wow. Alot of okw buffs. Interesting concept with that truck with AA. Now people will be tempted to place it outside base. GJ.
Volley fire bug solvend and USF AA nerfed. Nice.
But was that ppsh buff really needed?!

PPSH is pretty terrible right now, so the answer, I think, is yes.

Not sure about luchs HP buff and satchel nerf.

I don't mind them getting these, but Relic obviously did another step back here, especially with satchels vs bunkers AGAIN. There goes reliable T1 counter.

Regarding luchs hp, all light tanks should get it and now that luchs have active camo its survivability will be way over the top, they all arrive too late to be meaningful and just cover in terror for being 2 shot by AT.

The luchs is in a weird place. I wonder what would happen if it was placed in T2- I'm guessing that the 20mm HT would disappear.

Lately the ppsh was worsening the usefulness of con squads unlike the g43 on grens. Now it seems like a viable option again, so going for a ppsh commander can be useful again.

I hope the aa track was not overnerfed. Before I used it to counter 222 cars and the okw flak track, gonna need to see whether it's still can do it.

Funny is that relic once HOTFIXED the satchel so that it can take out ost bunkers with one shot. That has been revoked now.

Not sure about luchs HP buff and satchel nerf.

I don't mind them getting these, but Relic obviously did another step back here, especially with satchels vs bunkers AGAIN. There goes reliable T1 counter.

Regarding luchs hp, all light tanks should get it and now that luchs have active camo its survivability will be way over the top, they all arrive too late to be meaningful and just cover in terror for being 2 shot by AT.

To be honest the OKW needs a vehicle that can reliably punish infantry and push an early game advantage in a way that infantry simply can't. If the panzer II could fill this role it would be a much needed change.