Panther won't change much, tbh. Ostwind (projectile QoL is a mega-buff) and Brummbar (T4 availability & the fact that you can't predict which vehicle is coming out) buffs will, however. Elefant is almost a buff for USF, if Jackson wasn't such a pile of shit.
Easy:
- Fix USF popcap abuse
- Fix insane USF popcap requirements on basic units
- Make Jackson not shit
- Rationalise unit pricing for the late-game (officers cost more -> Tier units cost less; 340MP for a minelayer? wtf is this?)
- Improve USF late-game indirect fire options (Pak howie and partly the scott); so that they can break through pak-walls
- Tone down cheese doctrines
We won't do other factions though, until we're sure about the OST vs Soviet match-up.
The problem is not how the panther is powerful, it's how it is accessible.
USF is the only faction with only 3 Tiers if we consider OKW KT as a T4 on its own. Soviet and Brit have T3 and T4 TDs to deal with it, SU-76, SU-85, FireFly and Comet/churchill as damage sponge. USF only has 3 tiers and 1 tank to deal others, M36 Jackson.
Until now the Jackson was balance because Ostheer T4 comes late, because you can't really deploy a Panther before the USF can have at the same time 2 jacksons.
Now If you make the Ostheer T4 more accessible, you'll also need to make USF T3 more able to deal with it, so to buff the jackson. But what about the Ostheer T3? Buffing the jackson will make Ostheer T3 underperforming so forcing Ostheer players to go T4.
You have 3 options as far as I see.
You buff the jackson so it can deal with Ostheer T3 and T4, be ready for the Axis Fanboy spam, one unit countering two tiers isn't really what we want.
You buff the jackson so it can only deal with Ostheer T4 but how are you supposed to counter Oshteer T3 as USF?
You buff the jackson so it can only deal with Ostheer T3 but how are you supposed to counter Oshteer T4 as USF?
This is where my vision of Ostheer is difference from yours. In my Opinion Ostheer T4 is supposed to be the equivalence of OKW KT, a kind of cherry on the cake.
Ostheer isn't supposed to have the opportunity to go T4 every single game. It is supposed to do so if the game last long enough after building T3 and T3 units.
Why do we see continuously Ostheer going T3 + Tiger isn't link to how Ostheer T4 performs today. It is because Ostheer early game was too weak and Ostheer T3 still is too weak today. The modification you brought to Ostheer T3 are already good enough to make the tier sustainable on its own so you don't need a Tiger over it.
With those modifications, you'll be less pressurized by the VP's countdown and have more time to build T4.
I can see how you want to balance the game tiers per tiers between Sov and Ostheer but the game hasn't been design for that. If is has been possible so far to balance Sov and Ostheer it is also because both factions have 4 tiers with dedicated units in it.
OKW having only 3 tiers is less of a problem because it also has access to those dedicated units (jagpanzer + panther) + KT.
USF lacks of dedicated units, USF lacks of a medium TD that would be suitable vs Ostheer T3. It also lacks of super medium and heavy, even in doctrines, there is only one heavy and one super medium doctrine.
In my opinion the design you are putting in place is going to end any diversity in doctrine selection for the USF players.