Healing & Quality of Life changes idea

I've been busy putting a set of quality of life changes in a mod, which I have published in the Steam workshop. You can access the mod here:

https://www.coh2.org/topic/55521/mr-smith-s-quality-of-life-mod

One of the issues I have been trying to solve in the mod is try to make the healing mechanic feel a bit more cumbersome. I have some ideas about how to do it. However, I would like to know what you guys think about them.

Medic behaviour (already implemented)

One of the issues that I, personally, find annoying about medic behaviour is that medics will very often chase after injured, low-value units, when there are higher-value units that needs their attention more urgently.

Given that the behaviour of the medics is entirely AI controlled, the player, currently, has absolutely no control about hwo to increase the efficiency of the medics.

IDEA:
Make medics stop chasing after friendly units the moment the injured units stop moving (sort of how OKW repair-engineers work).

I believe that this will increase the efficiency of medic-based healing. Do you?

OKW healing

We all know that OKW healing is at a very awkward spot at the moment. It requires researching a medic upgrade ON TOP of picking the right tier that makes that upgrade available.

IDEA 1:
- Make the healing upgrade available at the headquarters.
- Researching the upgrade spawns medics on both the HQ and any Medical HQ available to the player (both current and future)
- Revert the healing rate buff (since OKW can receive 2 sets of medics)
Show Spoiler

IDEA 2:
- Same as before (healing upgrade separately available at HQ)
- Separate upgrade available to each MedHQ for 60 munitions after global upgrade is researched (sort of like OSTheer bunkers)

OST Medkits

Currently, OST field medkits:
- Require a casting time of 3 seconds
- Require a separate squad to be present to cast this
- Only heal 40 hitpoints in the span of 10 secs

IDEA:
- Make those things heal 80 hitpoints (full health) in the span of 20 seconds (same munitions cost)
- Allow squads to cast the ability on themselves

Brit Healing

Do you remember how the USF ambulance used to work when you had to click it every single time you wanted to heal your units?
- This is too much, annoying micro, for micro's sake
- Super-blobberific (since you need to time when you use the ability). Again, requiring micro for micro's sake.

However, when you compare Tommies to the old Ambulance, there are a few differences.

Disadvantages:
- Tommy healing rate is super-slow (not even healing units to full even during an entire healing cycle.
- Brits have absolutely no way to heal their units without requiring micro and coordination. This really bites in last minute rushes. (at least USF had their medics)

Advantages:
- Tommies can heal themselves (and other units) even while moving.
- Tommies can safely retreat.

Thus, in my opinion, we shouldn't straight-out buff the ability.

IDEA:
- Give (medkit) Tommies a passive healing aura when Tommies are stationary near (i) the HQ (ii) a glider (iii) a forward assembly
- Scale the rate of the healing aura down accordingly, so that it won't outheal medkit usage
- Make the aura and the medkit mutually exclusive

The spirit of the idea is that the player can choose to pull a Tommy squad out of combat when they decide they want to have access to micro-free healing.

EDITED TO ADD:

Aura/self healing (OKW/USF/UKF)

Some factions have an advantage over other factions when it comes to their healthcare system.

OKW: Passive heal on Volksgrenadiers (vet3)
USF: Strong aura heal (Ambulance)
UKF: Ubiquitous aura heal (Tommies)

Personally, I have nothing against that. However, if you guys want to, I can implement the following changes to level the playing field:

OKW: Volks lose passive healing
USF: Ambulance spawns AI medics near the unit while the ability is active (sort of like OST bunkers)
UKF: Replace medkit ability with a toggle ability (no cooldown). While the ability is active, Tommies behave like a medic squad.

The toggle ability will allow the player to control whether they want their unit to hold position or move freely.

I can't promise anything, but I think that those changes are implementable.

Well, I see no reason for double medicks for OKW.

Simple upgrade in HQ for 150MP 10F avaible once 1 truck is converted.

But with such change, there will be need to change Schwerer Flak as a research.

I voted option 1, 2, 1 ,2

Like the idea's Mr.Smith!

Why do I have the feeling there are some hard core trolls around these parts just going on knocking no on every poll.

Well, I see no reason for double medicks for OKW.

Simple upgrade in HQ for 150MP 10F avaible once 1 truck is converted.

But with such change, there will be need to change Schwerer Flak as a research.

Sort of agree other than if the later side tech applies to schwerer then luchs comes out sooner. Mostly a problem for the brits with out a snare, honestly now that every other faction has snare I think they should too. Then just change AT tommies to something else.

Why do I have the feeling there are some hard core trolls around these parts just going on knocking no on every poll.

What gives you that impression?

People have different opinions,and these arent changes that "everybody" is going to agree to.

I added a blob healing suggestion to my list of ideas.

If a moderator could step up, I would like to see a yes/no option regarding aura heals.

For those of you that already voted in the poll before that option became available, feel free to discuss it

I will do my best to implement whichever set of options gains the lead within the week.

I guess people think American Ambulance is perfectly fine.

Well, I see no reason for double medicks for OKW.

Simple upgrade in HQ for 150MP 10F avaible once 1 truck is converted.

But with such change, there will be need to change Schwerer Flak as a research.

Ostheer can also have 2 sets of medics, provided they spend the resources. Personally I am more in favour of option 2:
- Global upgrade (for HQ medics)
- Small cost for activating for each MedHQ (Ostheer-bunker style)

Let's not open the discussion about FlakHQ here. We're trying to find the set of options that will make all players happier/less frustrated about how CoH2 handles healing here.

I guess people think American Ambulance is perfectly fine.

You are right; this might be an issue. I edited my original post, and I hope a moderator will add an extra option to my poll regarding this.

Do you agree or disagree with the ambulance proposition I laid?

What gives you that impression?

People have different opinions,and these arent changes that "everybody" is going to agree to.

I don't mind people voting no in the poll. However, I would really appreciate that the people who voted no take the time to explain why they voted this way:
- Did they voted No because that would make their life more difficult when they played that faction, or
- Because they believe that would be too OP
- Did they vote no just because they hate a specific faction?

I added a blob healing suggestion to my list of ideas.

If a moderator could step up, I would like to see a yes/no option regarding aura heals.

For those of you that already voted in the poll before that option became available, feel free to discuss it

I will do my best to implement whichever set of options gains the lead within the week.

Ive added the question, tell me if you dont like the form of the question and i'll change it

- agree about stop medic chasing
- Osteer make medkit AoE healing and can heal themselve (like UKF one) cost the same or a bit more munitions
- OKW Med HQ must have the best healing aura in the game after full upgrade !!!
- UKF agree ... they must autoheal while in the base and waiting reinforcements
- USF plz bring back the old one ambulance !!!

I was actually just complaining about people base diving for the Amby too often, I wish rebuilding it was cheaper, or it was cheaper overall.

Ive added the question, tell me if you dont like the form of the question and i'll change it

Thanks!

Just to make the poll options abundantly clear, could you rephrase the question as follows?

"Are you in favour of removing aura-healing abilities from the game (read proposal)"
- Yes
- No

- USF plz bring back the old one ambulance !!!

The old ambulance was terrible, in every sense of the word. Why would you think that the old ambulance is an improvement over the current one?

Thanks!

Just to make the poll options abundantly clear, could you rephrase the question as follows?

"Are you in favour of removing aura-healing abilities from the game (read proposal)"
- Yes
- No

Done

old ambulance is worse that the curent one ?
sry my bad
how about USF medic in ambulance healing rate ?

-Improving the medkit vet1 ability is a 3 year overdue. I'll even say buff the healing speed, from what i guess is 4hp/s to 5.33hp/s (15s).

-Both OKW healing options are interesting.
On wider approach to OKW tech, i'll slightly reduce T1 cost, use this global medic upgrade*, split the OKW T3 unit access while gating the AA gun behind an upgrade.
Say now T1 cost 4/5 it's current cost. T3 without AA gun and access to Ober/JPIV cost 3/5. Then the AA gun would cost 2/5 of it's current cost + the differential of T1.

*If possible, make it so that you can choose ONCE where you want the medics to spawn for free after the upgrade. Further would require 60muni expenditure.

-I don't have a strong opinion with AoE/self heal. I'm on the it's fine on a general sense.

-Simil opinion as before with the Brits healing.
I wouldn't mind a long cooldown AoE automatic healing only useable near HQ/Glider/FA which disables combat capabilities. It should be worst than the medkits and if possible scale with number of models (so you don't just leave a 1 model IS as passive healing).

All med stuff should use aura healing like the USF and Brits have, Ostheer would get that from med bunker (and finally it could be used in field and not only in base) and OKW med truck the same

All med stuff should use aura healing like the USF and Brits have, Ostheer would get that from med bunker (and finally it could be used in field and not only in base) and OKW med truck the same

Absolutely agree, would solve the medics chasing issue, and also the medics or the units they heal getting stuck. It would be a small loss of immersion (lack of actual medics) for gameplay's sake.

Also, is there a point to the Ambulance lockdown? Could it simply not be made to always heal when stationary (and in friendly territory)? It's not like the ability has a cooldown that prevents you from moving immediately, it only adds frustration. It feels like a leftover from the timed ability.

Absolutely agree, would solve the medics chasing issue, and also the medics or the units they heal getting stuck. It would be a small loss of immersion (lack of actual medics) for gameplay's sake.

Also, is there a point to the Ambulance lockdown? Could it simply not be made to always heal when stationary (and in friendly territory)? It's not like the ability has a cooldown that prevents you from moving immediately, it only adds frustration. It feels like a leftover from the timed ability.

lock down is necessary because when you're at base and you select blob, it'll most likely select ambulance, and it would move then, that's why lockdown is required

All med stuff should use aura healing like the USF and Brits have, Ostheer would get that from med bunker (and finally it could be used in field and not only in base) and OKW med truck the same

This isn't a bad idea at all. It's also super-easy to implement. However, I am a bit worried it will be very difficult to convince Relic to actually change the current healing implementation.

Thus, my original proposition had to do with smaller changes and/or existing fixes to the current healing implementation (regardless of whether I agree with the design).

Done

Actually, can we rephrase the aura question as follows:

What is your opinion on Aura healing in the game?
- Turn all heals into aura heals (bye bye, medics!)
- Keep things as they are (OKW self heal, USF/UKF aura heals)
- Turn all aura heals into squad heals (read proposition)