Faction Imbalance

In DoW 2 I played Imperial Guard and Eldar because I liked them. Everything else was not important.

In CoH2 I play Ost because I am not a fan of US, and I play Soviets when I have to just so I could play with some mates since they are mostly playing allies.

Being hard or easier to play has no meaning to me, I just follow my personal preference and try to enjoy the game.

We think alike. I play Ost becauses they are fun and require proper positioning of MG, mortar, Grens, Pak etc. Soviet because my 2v2 partner likes playing Soviet. I don't play USF nor OKW much because they're more about dealing out the most damage possible without worrying too much about positioning, manuever and tactics when compared to Soviet or Ost.

Soviets are easier in 1v1 than Ostheer/OKW. It's all about maxim or m3/flamers with guards or shocks. You can rely on a lot of cheese/abuse tactics at mid-high level matches. Plus their call ins are superior (ISU, IS2, t34/85... ).

Ostheer is a harder faction overall. Although most players rely on the broken strategy of only getting tigers, if players don't choose this path it's much harder.

I like spamming Conscripts so for me OKW is easier because SturmPios rape early on

Not just you, terrible faction design IMO. You're basically in mid game before you can build anything but riflemen. I feel they tried to solve this by giving you some 0 CP commander options (Assault Engineers, Jeep) but being that they are 0 CP units they are marginally effective early game and ineffective mid-late game. This also makes most of the only 6 US commanders lackluster at best.

I like playing USF, I like managing Rifles but I have to admit you are so right. except the inf commander with vet rifles and easy8 which I never tried (if it is broken, it going to be nerf so I don't want to get use of it), all other commanders are so badly designed, I only use mech commander for the fast jeep and the 8cp arty really accurate. Other commanders just don't bring anything usefull except 1 ability each.

And to reply the OP, Balance Forum are always full of whiners, those guys lose a game and automatically create to topic to cry that the unit he didn't excepted in the game or managed well the counter he had, is broken and need to be nerf - or that his counter need to be powered up.
There are probably more Axis players by now in the game since USF riflespam + halftrack strat is better known and people now understand how to counter it. No more easy win for USF so people change side as they know Axis are better mid-late game.

I like playing USF, I like managing Rifles but I have to admit you are so right. except the inf commander with vet rifles and easy8 which I never tried (if it is broken, it going to be nerf so I don't want to get use of it), all other commanders are so badly designed, I only use mech commander for the fast jeep and the 8cp arty really accurate. Other commanders just don't bring anything usefull except 1 ability each.

And to reply the OP, Balance Forum are always full of whiners, those guys lose a game and automatically create to topic to cry that the unit he didn't excepted in the game or managed well the counter he had, is broken and need to be nerf - or that his counter need to be powered up.
There are probably more Axis players by now in the game since USF riflespam + halftrack strat is better known and people now understand how to counter it. No more easy win for USF so people change side as they know Axis are better mid-late game.

If there's a early jeep like COH1 for non-doctrinal.... that will be great! And make US AT gun at tier2


and......I think since WFA commander become buy-able(some what obtainable by luck), I still hoping they will give us a Pershing eventually.

I'll put in my own opinion, to add my 2 cents.

My favourite factions are as follows:

1: Ost-They seem better designed, imo, than all the others. Well rounded with a clear, logical progression.

2/3: USF/OKW (tied)

OKW: I'd say they're ok design wise, but there's so much core infantry (volks/sturms/obers for OKW)- I find managing all that infantry much more microintensive, and my micro is not the best. The lack of infantry support options (mgs/mortars) makes you depend on making more and more core infantry so you don't float excess mp. Their vehicles are too specialist-I mean, as ost, I can field 2/3 pz4s and know they'll be useful no matter what, OKW has no similar unit. Its either pumas for AT or AAHT/Arty for AI, no general purpose vehicle.

USF: Again, USF almost always turns into core infantry spam for me. Compounded because the officers play like another rifle squad, so even if I build only 3 rifles, i'm bound to have another just by teching. Better than OKW in terms of vehicles/support options though.

4: Soviets: way too dependent on commanders/callins for my taste, and their core infantry doesn't scale well at all. Penals should be similar to rifles performance wise, I mean they only cost 10 mp less.

Axis are easy to play. allies require FAR MORE SKILL to keep fragile units alive

everyone just loves to pat themselves on the back... "my faction takes so much skill!!!"

everyone just loves to pat themselves on the back... "my faction takes so much skill!!!"

They're all right. Every faction takes skill. Especially mine though.

Axis are easy to play. allies require FAR MORE SKILL to keep fragile units alive

lol. i got a good laugh outta this joke. yea i want 10 man squads and 30 man hmg teams.

They're all right. Every faction takes skill. Especially mine though.

but youre wrong because you dont play my faction. your faction is easy mode.

but youre wrong because you dont play my faction. your faction is easy mode.

I don't even know which faction you play, but I'm sure that it's easier than mine and that all its units deserve a nerf.

lol. i got a good laugh outta this joke. yea i want 10 man squads and 30 man hmg teams.

With lategame tanks is arguably true though, it's much easier to work with a small number of tough, heavy units than it is to work with a large number of fragile units, even if, on paper, the larger number of units is actually "more powerful".

I was just curious as to the reason behind the imbalances in terms of what factions players are playing. I have noticed this over the last few months but only now decided to find out why. It seems Axis seem heavily stacked in terms of players, if I search for 1v1/2v2 currently both are around 88% Axis and last night for the majority of the night I was seeing 96% Axis and this seems like a general trend and I was just curious as to why?

Also could these percents at all affect the calls for nerfs/buffs? As far as balance goes I honestly have no say, I don't know the game well enough to really know but I do notice that the majority of nerf calls do seem against the allies, is this affected by the fact everyone plays Axis? And say the nerf calls are just and allies do get nerfed would this potentially lead to even less ally players?

But yeah just really curious as to why everyone seems to play Axis

Everyone likes to be the bad guy

I'm not sure where all of the complaints are coming from.

Before the patch, I played mainly ost. They required more tactical and strategic planning than their counterparts, but were much more rewarding.

After the patch, I've played mainly USF, and enjoy them as well. Playing both sides, I can honestly say that I feel the game is well balanced because I have experience with both and because:

1) The early game is definitely dominated by usf, and late game the axis. However, any good usf player will be able to build on their early game advantage and have a numerical advantage in armor by the time the axis starts rolling out their better armor. Likewise, any good axis player will be able to hold out early game and take advantage of their late game.

2) The allied forces, imo, are an "all around" strong faction. With my playtime, I consider both the usf and Russians to be a strong "bread and butter" faction. IMO, they are easier to play with(and I've played the majority of my time with ost), but less able to adapt and more rigid, making them less rewarding and the faction which must be "responded" to. The axis, on the other hand, require more of a "reaction", but are extremely rewarding.

Bottom line: I prefer the usf now, but there is still nothing more rewarding than winning as the axis. I have experience in both and consider them well balanced. Axis= reacting, but if you pull it off, you will always win (though it may be more difficult). Allies= proactive but unable to react as well.

I don't even know which faction you play, but I'm sure that it's easier than mine and that all its units deserve a nerf.

...and with that 3 posts we can resume 3/4 of CoH forums...

@OP, as Axis player the Allies seem more easy to play for me. Put in the equation some more factors than balan e: The Axis are "the cool big bad guys of history", most of the axis playerbase in EVERY GAME (Red Orchestra, for example) are dedicated players with experience in other WW2 games. Aslo, A LOT of scrubs plays Axis because "OMG TIGER SUCH PORSCHEPOWER" or "SO MUCH SUPRIOR TECHNOLOGY", the same ones who get killed when they park his tank on enemy base, get rekkt and complain on forums.

Everyone likes to be the bad guy

I'm quite sure that most players are indeed really bad, so the goal is met

Don't know what people here are discussing. The balance in coh2 is and was always very questionable because of the rng factor. The factions are assymetrical that makes it hard to balance the factions, with the new factions it's even harder now. And yes the usf are strong in the early game and yes they are weak in the lategame, and there's always something to comlain about. And if some ally only player thinks that the okw is a blob only faction is wrong. It's not the game which desides if a faction is good for blobbing it is the player playing the faction.

But if i remember correct this thread is about the faction imbalance in the auto-search function.
Well it's been like this even in coh1 the germans were always more played than the allies, it seems the playstyle of the axis is more attractive than the playstyle of the allies.

Dunno. In Vcoh, I found nothing more satisfying than pulling off a well coordinated rifle flank against a competent opponent. Of course, Wehr had its own charms here, one needed to be methodical, calm and careful at all times since just one major mistake could cost you the map/and or your weapon teams, but I guess the aggressive rifleplay just suited my disposition better. PE vs Brits, jeez. I liked neither tbh.

Since the new war spoils system got implemented, I've been vaguely expecting relic to announce "Double War Spoils to queue as the minority side!" Or some similar incentive. Also a "random faction" auto search option, but that's a real stretch goal.