While most areas I do have adjusted, but now there are some areas that I would like some ideas on how to adjust it.
Teching for OKW and USF in the live game is poorly designed. While I have adjusted the OKW teching to my liking. USF teching is a bit stumping to me. The problem with both is the fact there are only two levels of teching to reach the final tier. The items in their respective tiers either arrive too late or too early. In my mod I am working on I am satisfied with OKW just not USF. Here are my suggestions.
Add a tier to major
This way M10s and Scotts can arrive properly however, non doctrinal this a quite limited option pool.
OKW healing
With self healing nerfed to vet 4 and must going to an entire tier for a basic necessity this must be changed.
UKF, indirect fire and smoke
UKF mortar pit provides either complete dominance vs garrison and weapons teams or if it is out of range, they have really no effective way on removing weapon teams or dealing with garrsions. I had my ideas in the past and others had their ideas as well. What should it be?
Unlocking a building gives access to 2 units:
T1 LT/HMG building the gives access to M20/AA
T2 Cap/ATG building the Cap Gives access to Pak/Stuart
Requiring T1-T2
T3 Gives access to M8/Major the Major gives access to M10/M4
Further tech required for M36.
OKW
Truck are set up without choosing there specialty, unlocking grenades/faust/hmg/RW.
Once they are set up one can upgrade to medic/repair/AA
Once set heal can be purchased in base.
Medic truck has 1 upgrade combining heal and FRP.
(one should actually allow OKW to either be built as normal base building or invest heavily in forward bases with expensive upgrade providing armor/HP, even work a bit like cashes. That could give to the player to use the faction in its original design of aggressive play)
New role as defensive weapons. Work similar to current but get the "counter fire" ability similar to Ostheer mortar, but with extended range. So they are basically built as counter to enemy spamming indirect fire support weapons.
Offensive support comes from base howitzer. One has to unlock the gun to offer at first smoke rounds and then unlock explosive rounds.
I don't think that OKW needs more accesable healing considering they already have sturmpioneers that may drop medical supplies for a fair price, for up to 3 squads. I'd rather have the cooldown on it reduced, and call it a day.
I do believe that all Armies should have an HQ medical upgrade like in Wikinger, not just the Soviets and OKW, but that may be just me.
As far as other things go, if it was up to me I'd replace the bugged raketen with a less gimicky AT gun and just give the OKW a PaK 40 at Tier 1, making the MG34 Tier 0 and buffing it a bit as to not still be the shittiest MG on the list.
Other balance changes to the OKW would probably be an upgrade to unlock the King Tiger, similar to the Panzer Elite's Panther battlegroup unlock from CoH, or straight up just put it in a another doctrine and give the OKW resource caches. I'd also suggest the same thing for the Raketen, make it a German M42 and stick it in a doctrine somewhere for when you wanna use it for shits and giggles.
As for the Brits, your light artillery mortar pit is a good idea as I've said before, but I still think that Planet Smasher's idea is superior due to it being mobile.
But if you really want to give the British player another option you can probably include your light artillery pit idea as well for like let's say the Advanced Emplacements Regiment to give it more of a unique feel or something.
Because I really do love your idea, but I just prefer a mobile mortar, that's all.
Edit: I forgot one more thing, maybe an upgrade for the heavy Panzer HQ truck for the OKW to unlock it's gun? It's been suggested quiet a while now. Perhaps with it and my suggested unlock for the KT it would suffice as to allow the OKW to construct resource caches?
I also forgot if I've asked you this before but... Can you make your light artillery pit to be garrisonable similar to what Planet Smasher has done? So let's say you can garrison it with MGs and mortars, perhaps even a light AT gun and not just infantry units?
So I got lots of potential directions for you if you'd like to hear them.
Would you be interested in trying 1man officer squads that can be merged into riflemen? There's a lot of ways that sort of thing could go, so I'm interested in how radical you're trying to get with this.
Anyway, I think the biggest struggle with WFA teching is that it's a challenge enough just to order their unit rosters in a way that makes sense, let alone balance the pacing of those units to the other factions in the game.
For reference, the M8 Greyhound worked in vCoH because it could, potentially, beat anything that Wehrmacht fielded from it's T3. (A Greyhound could circle strafe a stug to death. This was unlikely and all, but it was still a threat.) It was great for rushing a nebelwerfer. Though the puma could be upgunned to annihilate the M8, that was an axis investment that reduced the puma's AI. The M8 wasn't an efficient counter to T3, but it could punish rushing T3 effectively enough and that is what mattered.
USF in CoH2, however, has nothing similar to handle Ostheer T3 since it has the P4 and Ostwind. The Stuart can handle Luchs, but isn't really great against Pumas. The AAHT and M20 then struggle for a role for their costs. I feel that this is the reason that USF has had to rely on M10 callins so long: They have to have something that actually competes. Adjustments to USF teching needs to address the pacing of both OKW and Ostheer.
M10s and Shermans I think do this well, since both Axis factions have a lot of resources to handle cheap mediums. (Thanks to Soviet design and T34/76s.) Shermans and M10s are both solid units that are able to trade efficiently against Axis mediums, but are outclassed by panthers, tigers, etc. Not only that, the Puma can harass both (more the Sherman) rather effectively. But the point is the M10 Wolverine and the M4 Sherman are balanced counters to both Axis mediums by being roughly equivalent but cheaper, but ultimately outclassed by the more expensive big cats.
The Jackson, past and present, does not share this kind of balance with Axis mediums: it's too expensive and performs too well. In many ways the Jackson may function well as a doctrinal unit, switched with the M10. Though as an idea, it could be interesting to put the M36 Jackson behind a Brit-style side tech upgrade. Choose between Jacksons and the Scott. (Or something) But IMO the M10 really should be migrated over to being a stock unit for USF. I highly recommend it when trying to come up with a solution for USF teching.
WFA have had chronic issues with their indirect fire options and countering garrisons. Allies (Well all the factions really) have had chronic issues with having many doctrinal components that should really have been stock. (The 2CP community commander is pretty much a testament. That's how CoH2s core incompleteness was addressed: as commanders.)
As far as the pack howie is concerned, I think it should just be switched outright for the mortar halftrack. Pack howie could be an airdropped support weapon option for any of the commanders with airdrops. (OKW could ditch the leig for a mortar halftrack too, for better gameplay AND continuity with USF! ) The USF mortar team should probably go away though. I mean, as it stands, USF has the mortar team, pack howie, and the Scott as stock indirect fire options and has the mortar ht, calliope, priest, and an increasing number of units that can callin offmap artillery in commanders.
I really think, at the very least, the USF AAHT be swapped with the doctrinal halftracks. Especially now that FRPs have been nerfed I don't think it's the craziest thing in the world for WFA to have reinforcing halftracks.
TL;DR:
I think the linear tech idea isn't a bad one, but you should consider making the M10 stock.
As far as Brits are concerned...
I really like Planet Smasher's Artillery pit concept and function, but I really like the model used for your version Aegion. The single team weapon nature is best for gameplay I believe. Quite frankly an equivalent of a USF fighting position that a vickers or a mobile mortar squad, (or an 6lber or land mattress, etc) could use to gain hulldown effects I think could work nicely. The double mortar nature of the existing mortar pit is a little much IMO.
Thank you for all the feed back. I do not have much time before I go to work so I will go a bit more depth later. Basically, I am going to make it so base non-doctrinal items are simply are available. For OKW, their late game vehicles have overlapping roles and can be hard to produce sometimes because the teching costs are tailored to bring out the King Tiger, the heavies Main Battle Tank thats is also non doctrinal. As long it is non doctrinal late game teching can be problematic. This is why I am going to replace the Sturm Tiger call in with the King Tiger. This will all the cost of teching to adjusted to allow it to be more appropriate. The Sturm Tiger is just a horrbile unit design so I will be removing it from the game. The AVRE will transford into a unit like the Brumbar.
The JagPanzer stats are ajusted to act like more an SU 85 rather than a Stug
The OKW Panzer 4 is adjusted to be a short barrel that is relativity on par to a t34/76 on a 1v1. Able to fight each other while both are good vs infantry.
The panther will require all three HQs built and will be called in like the King Tiger
Flak HQ cost is reduced to around 70 so the mediums will come out with the same relative fuel timing.
Rakenwerfers were designed to be a deterrent to support volks shrecks. The Puma is a pretty effective tank hunter so I am adding PanzerJaegers (4 man squad with two panzershreck) to Med HQ to allow an effective anti tank unit through this tech path.
Swapping the Jackson and M10 is not a good idea for the extra armor pen is needed against Panthers and have a reasonable tank destroyer vs doctrinal heavies so USF is not constrained to either armor or heavy cav.
Oh hay, me too.
Would you be interested in trying 1man officer squads that can be merged into riflemen? There's a lot of ways that sort of thing could go, so I'm interested in how radical you're trying to get with this.
Already done. Also adds the smoke grenade. Able to merge with riflemen and RE.
And this all the time I had before I go to work, so I will answer the rest/additional questions I can.
I don't think that OKW needs more accesable healing considering they already have sturmpioneers that may drop medical supplies for a fair price, for up to 3 squads. I'd rather have the cooldown on it reduced, and call it a day.
Currently, I do believe that strum pioneers are over taxed. I am including a AT option in the med HQ so the panzershreck option is less needed. I could play around with ability so it is a better on field healing option. The poll suggest that people want a T0 healing upgrade so I will probably bundle the Med HQ upgrades as result as well.
New role as defensive weapons. Work similar to current but get the "counter fire" ability similar to Ostheer mortar, but with extended range. So they are basically built as counter to enemy spamming indirect fire support weapons.
Offensive support comes from base howitzer. One has to unlock the gun to offer at first smoke rounds and then unlock explosive rounds.
With a counter barrage ability, it would be a bit overlapping with the doctrinal ability from advance emplacements, and for a howitzer barrage there is pyrotechnics package. For a smoke barrage, I could tie it in to hammer or anvil? Like in my previous mods, I am planning to move those two upgrades to T1.
OKW
Truck are set up without choosing there specialty, unlocking grenades/faust/hmg/RW.
(one should actually allow OKW to either be built as normal base building or invest heavily in forward bases with expensive upgrade providing armor/HP, even work a bit like cashes. That could give to the player to use the faction in its original design of aggressive play)
Like in my previous mods, I am going to add an initial research a T0.5 which will unlock the Raken, Mg34, Fausts, SWS (one is included). This will result players to have access to these items reasonably to allow less man spam play styles.
Why the HQs are pretty tanky enough, this idea has given me an idea on how to adjust Overwatch. Over watch would contribute a HQ style play.
Edit: I forgot one more thing, maybe an upgrade for the heavy Panzer HQ truck for the OKW to unlock it's gun? It's been suggested quiet a while now. Perhaps with it and my suggested unlock for the KT it would suffice as to allow the OKW to construct resource caches?
I can make the Flak HQ Gun locked to an upgrade. If I am going to add in cashes, then standard salvaging must go out. Through salvage can stay in. Instead of a standard cash why not a Opel Blitz as well, to make the faction more unique?
I also forgot if I've asked you this before but... Can you make your light artillery pit to be garrisonable similar to what Planet Smasher has done? So let's say you can garrison it with MGs and mortars, perhaps even a light AT gun and not just infantry units?
This is probably what I am going to do. I am going to move the Trench from Infantry sections to the royal engineers. That tench can use mortars as well. Infantry section do not really be able to build trenches seeing they can already build sand bags. My light mortar pit can not be garrison like mortars. You can add a mortar weapon to anything based on the visibility model but it stays at the bottom center of the unit. It just happens that the USF Fighting positions do not move and really low to the ground so it seems natural.
I have been thinking about USF, there teching, doctrines and everything. Here is my big pile of everything about everything USF Armor
Sherman (75)
This in my eyes is the best Medium armor in the game. The AP rounds are almost identical to the Cromwell, a very good gun. The HE rounds are extremely good vs infantry. Able to be upgraded to the pintel mount that is really good.
Sherman (76)
Only are marginally better vs Armor than the (75) while not being as effective vs infantry. This doctrinal unit allows the the (75) to be upgraded to a dozerblade to allow the (75) to take an additional hit is actually more powerful. Granted it does reduce mobility.
Jackson
An effective Tank Destroyer necessary to deal with Heavy Armor. Moving this to a doctrine is not a good idea since that doctrine and heavy cab would be considered only thing viable.
M10 'Wolverine'
I can tweak this unit to make it a good T2 TD to work similarly like a Puma, AEC, and SU76. This could be a good non doc unit.
Scott
I have said that this unit would receive a buff if it was in a doctrine. If it was in a doctrine it would come out earlier allowing to actually preform to its timing.
This would be a bit radical here is a propose rework and reorganizing of these units.
T2
Stuart, M10, M3, M15
T3
Sherman (76), Jackson
Armor
Bulldozer (105) replaced with Sherman (75) and Sherman (105). Both can be upgraded with dozerblades
M10 Replace with Withdraw and Refit
Mech (reworked)
Raid
-0CP
WC51
-1 CP, Comes loaded with assault engies
-WC51 can be upgraded to a command truck (exclusive)
unable to be loaded, gains the 155mm and mark target
-400 Manpower
Withdraw and refit
2cp
Combine Arms
-6CP
M8 Scott
-6CP
Tactical Support
M5 replaced with this?
M7 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage
This is different than the M7B1 Priest for this is a direct fire support unit and is historically accurate. Or at least accurate enough for CoH2. The unit should preform similarly of a combination of a SU 76 and the Brumbar. It has good anti-infantry while still able to damage medium tanks with at least direct hits.
The main gun is similar to the Brumbar except for the following.
-Range is increased to 55 from 40
-Unable to fire on the move
The MG damage is equal to the M20 to provide additional fire support
The armor is the same as the priest (60) but the health is increased to 400 from 320 for increase resilience.
There's one thing I would like to suggest which is a general redesign of light indirect fire. It's cancer. Moreso in team games but random mortar shells wiping squads are just too much for a competitive environment and this shit happens on a regular basis.
I would propose making mortars more responsive overall and changing them as follows (I'm only looking at non doc, so we can get that straight first. As was said before, one problem with the game in general was it's lack of coherent design decisions and the gap filling with commanders which has done a lot of damage to the balance (see doctrinal flamers, M10 vs Jackson etc.).
All Mortars should have their core function in effectively combating team weapons (forcing pack-ups, retreats and repositions) and softening garrisons/emplacements (but not outright hard-countering them). Further, all of them should have smoke.
OST and Soviet: Ost and Soviet both have a mortar in an early tier and rocket artillery in T4, but that's it.
Therefore I'd say these two mortars should have a "quick barrage" and a "long barrage", where the difference between two barrages is that the long one takes longer to get started, but overall has a way longer duration, like 8 shells or something, making it best suited for anti garrison and anti emplacement (softening them up!). The short barrage should be kept very responsive, since it will mainly be used to force team weapons away and thus it consists of about 4 accurate shells.
For flavour we have the vet abilities which can stay as is, I see no big deal here, except make that flare shell work properly please, since it's been bugged since forever.
The late game rocket artilleries on Ost and Sov should be heavy blob and emplacement/garrison killers, but they are not the main concern here so allow me to skip that part for now.
OKW is in a similar spot with ISG and Stuka, but their timing isn't as distinctively spread apart like for Ost/Sov. I don't know how to fix the ISG without making it UP/OP, so maybe give it slightly more AOE first to make it more consistent and appyly similar changes like for the Ost/Sov mortars.
USF are bloated with indirect fire and I would suggest giving the mortar only the quick barrage option and leave it at that, plus smoke obviously. The long barrage should go into the Pack howie, but apart from this distinction it's getting fuzzy, since there's still the Scott which could be/stay a long range squishy Stug-E type of unit?? This is a part in my proposal that could use some more work, but I can't think of anything good right now. Maybe making the Pack howie a doctrinal airdrop and replacing it's role with the Scott would be good like it was already suggested here.
UKF is also in a wird position, but you already have great ideas for it and I'd go with the little mortar pit that you drafted there. Maybe have the long barrage locked behind being inside the mortar pit and otherwise treat it like USF mortar? There are base howies for late game heavy artillery so I don't see much of a problem there.
That's all the factional indidrect fire units covered, but here's the most important change of them all which should be applied to ALL of them:
Nerf automatic firing! Either increase the delay between aiming and firing, increase scatter, decrease rate of fire, decrease auto-fire range or maybe all of that to preserve their role as anti team weapons and soft garrison/emplacement counters. As of now, they add inconsistency by wiping squads randomly and just increase the "explosive noise" on the battlefield.
I'd hope they'd be more micro heavy and thus more rewarding compared to their passive use, which isn't all that worse than microing them heavily as of now. This is my personal pet peeve with this game and I hope It's okay that I post my ideas here, but since this area of the game needs some major work IMHO, I thought it could be done in a mod and you asked for ideas, so there you go!
TL;DR
Make mortars fit their role (anti team weapon + soft garrison/emplacementcounter) more distinvtively and make them more rewarding to play with and against (by rewarding micro and punishing negligence), all by nerfing their auto-fire heavily and splitting the normal barrage in two distinct versions, each sercing a specific puprose each which have been mentioned above.
M7 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage
This is different than the M7B1 Priest for this is a direct fire support unit and is historically accurate. Or at least accurate enough for CoH2. The unit should preform similarly of a combination of a SU 76 and the Brumbar. It has good anti-infantry while still able to damage medium tanks with at least direct hits.
The main gun is similar to the Brumbar except for the following.
-Range is increased to 55 from 40
-Unable to fire on the move
The MG damage is equal to the M20 to provide additional fire support
The armor is the same as the priest (60) but the health is increased to 400 from 320 for increase resilience.
I really like this.
If memory recalls correctly there is something similar in Wikinger if you've ever played that, Assault guns can fire both directly and indirectly since they're armed with howitzers (or field guns in the case of the SU-76).
And I've never understood why proper Self-Propelled Guns such as the M7, Sexton, Hummel, Grille and Wespe (just to clarify, Sexton in this game as well as CoH mods, and the Grille and Wespe from CoH's mods as well) cannot fire directly, they all have their guns pointed flat forward but none of them had the ability to do so, and it's possible since it's done with the Assault guns.
Now one argument could be that they would become OP, but I don't really consider a glass cannon on tracks with a short direct fire range to be OP by an margin, if you want a proper assault vehicle you will call in something more armored. Direct fire these vehicles should be used ONLY if needed, in a situation where the vehicles are moved forward to gain more range and let's say an enemy infantry unit swoops in from somewhere, why couldn't they lob off a round before retreating to prevent the infantry unit from catching up to them so easily and save their skins? It just never made sense to me at least.
This another approach to OKW aiming at retaining to original design of aggressive truck use that has been lost its strength with the change to FRP.
Changes to trucks:
No limit to number of truck
Buy Cost 100/10
Set UP cost 50/5
They set up faster and are less vulnerable during set up. Once set up the about a bit tougher then Ostheer command bunkers.
Once set up the act as reinforcement point and can built the following units:
1 truck set up access to Leig
2 truck set up access to Obers
3 truck set up access to Puma
Aim of changes:
to make aggressive placing of truck a viable option of player while still allowing him easy access to basic tools if he loses 1 truck.
Leig provide indirect fire support, Obers elite infantry, Puma supports the RW.
Trucks can then upgrade:
1) to medic for 50/35 that gives access to 251 variants (AA fuel cost lowered to 40). Once medic truck is unlocked truck HP/armor to 75% of current levels.
Medic truck can be further upgraded with FRP (100/10) increasing HP/armor to 125% of current. Has aura decreasing reinforcement time by 25% does not heal.
Aim of changes:
Make FRP viable but one has to rely on med box for heal. Upgrade add the bonus of a tougher truck.
2)Mechanized 100/55 gives access to Luch and JP.
Mechanized truck can be further upgraded (50/10) with engineers increasing HP/armor to 125% of current.
Aim of changes:
Gives OKW access to 60 range AT weapon that is affordable and mid game specialized solutions.
3) Shwerer truck requiring at least 1 truck upgraded (100/75) giving access to Stuka and PZIV 4. Shwerer truck has no gun.
Shwerer truck can be further upgraded (100/60) that unlocks the Panther and gives the truck the gun. (Gun can use be aimed and has to use a 30 munition ability to engage aircraft).
Aim of changes:
Early access to medium and support vehicles. More tools to better time Panthers.
Once any truck is upgrade medic spawn in base truck.
Aim of changes:
OKW have access to heal while medic boxs remain an option for FRP.
Building a truck unlock Faust and grenades for SP.
Setting up a truck unlock the rest of grenades.
Upgrading all 3 truck gives access to ST44.
KT requires all tech unlock and is limited to 1 per Shwerer truck.
Other option for truck:
Truck in sector can be upgraded to gives access to a timed that increases (or decrease if enemy capture it) sector income at the cost of manpower.
Changes to units:
1)Now starting unit. VG flame-grenade replaced with a sort range explosive grenade. The grenade is a primary defensive weapon with 60 damage that adds suppression (close to 60% of suppress threshold) to target hits. Primary role to stop direct assault from enemy infantries.
Vet 1 ability "aim fire" cost 10 mu increases accuracy (10%) when stationary.
ST44 upgrade locked behind 3 truck, gives access to 5 ST44 on semi auto mod decreasing long range DPS but increasing mid to close DPS.(to M1 levels?)
2) SP 5 men squad armed with MP40. Cost 280 reduced repair speed. Access to flame grenade (pop down to 6-7). Can upgrade with wire Cutters increasing repair speed losing 1 weapon.
Get the ST44 upgrade with 5 ST44 full auto weapon with squad DPS about the current level.(bit lower close?)
3) Obers can now upgrade 1+1 shreck, lmg34. The lmg34 get the suppress ability from vet 0 but does all squad suffers accuracy penalties. (suppression increases with veterancy) (HMG34 becomes doctrinal?)
Ober can upgrade with 4 infrared ST44 about the DPS a SP but get a timed ability that bypass some cover bonuses.
4)JP redesign as 60 range Stug with a cost around 300/100 and cloaked being replaced by TWP. (cloak can actually be moved to stug). Armored is lowered target size becomes even smaller.
5)Stukas fires a single incendiary rocket at time.
Suggested changes are more a direction and numbers might be off.
The direction aim it one where OKW truck become a important part of the faction. In the same time losing trucks become less punishing since the player still has access to basic tools.
There's one thing I would like to suggest which is a general redesign of light indirect fire. It's cancer. Moreso in team games but random mortar shells wiping squads are just too much for a competitive environment and this shit happens on a regular basis.
I would propose making mortars more responsive overall and changing them as follows (I'm only looking at non doc, so we can get that straight first. As was said before, one problem with the game in general was it's lack of coherent design decisions and the gap filling with commanders which has done a lot of damage to the balance (see doctrinal flamers, M10 vs Jackson etc.).
All Mortars should have their core function in effectively combating team weapons (forcing pack-ups, retreats and repositions) and softening garrisons/emplacements (but not outright hard-countering them). Further, all of them should have smoke.
OST and Soviet: Ost and Soviet both have a mortar in an early tier and rocket artillery in T4, but that's it.
Therefore I'd say these two mortars should have a "quick barrage" and a "long barrage", where the difference between two barrages is that the long one takes longer to get started, but overall has a way longer duration, like 8 shells or something, making it best suited for anti garrison and anti emplacement (softening them up!). The short barrage should be kept very responsive, since it will mainly be used to force team weapons away and thus it consists of about 4 accurate shells.
For flavour we have the vet abilities which can stay as is, I see no big deal here, except make that flare shell work properly please, since it's been bugged since forever.
The late game rocket artilleries on Ost and Sov should be heavy blob and emplacement/garrison killers, but they are not the main concern here so allow me to skip that part for now.
OKW is in a similar spot with ISG and Stuka, but their timing isn't as distinctively spread apart like for Ost/Sov. I don't know how to fix the ISG without making it UP/OP, so maybe give it slightly more AOE first to make it more consistent and appyly similar changes like for the Ost/Sov mortars.
USF are bloated with indirect fire and I would suggest giving the mortar only the quick barrage option and leave it at that, plus smoke obviously. The long barrage should go into the Pack howie, but apart from this distinction it's getting fuzzy, since there's still the Scott which could be/stay a long range squishy Stug-E type of unit?? This is a part in my proposal that could use some more work, but I can't think of anything good right now. Maybe making the Pack howie a doctrinal airdrop and replacing it's role with the Scott would be good like it was already suggested here.
UKF is also in a wird position, but you already have great ideas for it and I'd go with the little mortar pit that you drafted there. Maybe have the long barrage locked behind being inside the mortar pit and otherwise treat it like USF mortar? There are base howies for late game heavy artillery so I don't see much of a problem there.
That's all the factional indidrect fire units covered, but here's the most important change of them all which should be applied to ALL of them:
Nerf automatic firing! Either increase the delay between aiming and firing, increase scatter, decrease rate of fire, decrease auto-fire range or maybe all of that to preserve their role as anti team weapons and soft garrison/emplacement counters. As of now, they add inconsistency by wiping squads randomly and just increase the "explosive noise" on the battlefield.
I'd hope they'd be more micro heavy and thus more rewarding compared to their passive use, which isn't all that worse than microing them heavily as of now. This is my personal pet peeve with this game and I hope It's okay that I post my ideas here, but since this area of the game needs some major work IMHO, I thought it could be done in a mod and you asked for ideas, so there you go!
TL;DR
Make mortars fit their role (anti team weapon + soft garrison/emplacementcounter) more distinvtively and make them more rewarding to play with and against (by rewarding micro and punishing negligence), all by nerfing their auto-fire heavily and splitting the normal barrage in two distinct versions, each sercing a specific puprose each which have been mentioned above.
cheers!
I agree that mortars do need to looked over. Auto attacks need to be looked the most. So here are my thoughts for each faction.
Soviet Mortar is a bit more of a rare sight. Allowing it to be a bit more responsive is a good idea. Probably during a barrage action, I will probably increase the rate of fire in order it to allow to be more effective vs weapon teams and garrisons. Usually the Soviet Mortar when adjusted this should be standard when adjusting other mortars.
Ostheer Mortar. The auto attacks are very strong as we all know. A decrease to their rate of fire for the autos is quite necessary. It is my plan on moving the vickers to make a T0 MG an Ostheer thing only. So there is less need for a early lethal mortar.
OKW. With the Price reduction of the Lieg, I am not exactly sure the current state of the lieg. Though before it I do know that vs infantry it was not that strong. Maybe a further price reduction instead? I try to buff units since it maybe a power grab. With the additions of the Panzer Jaegers in the med truck, Manpower will be a bit thinner.
USF. Do not worry about the USF mortar. I am removing it. The pack Howitzer is coming out earlier and I am adding a smoke barrage to it. Additionally, for garrison clearing tools, I am making the flamer non doctrinal (requires weapon racks) and making a rifle grenade package for Rear Echelon like Miragefla's (requires grenades).
UKF. I am adding a mobile mortar. I am going to make adjustments to the advance emplacements to include my light mortar. For Infantry Sections, instead of the three "big" emplacements, that can build my light mortar pit, MG nests, and CoH1 Slit Trenches.
Think this a role better suited for the dozer. Instead of Su-76/Brumbar role the Dozer becomes a mini KV-2 capable of direct combat or siege mod.
My Idea for the M7 HMC is act like a "Sniper" like the ISU 152. A safer, longer ranged unit. A (105) that can set up like a KV-2 very interesting, I like it.
This another approach to OKW aiming at retaining to original design of aggressive truck use that has been lost its strength with the change to FRP.
Changes to trucks:
No limit to number of truck
Buy Cost 100/10
Set UP cost 50/5
They set up faster and are less vulnerable during set up. Once set up the about a bit tougher then Ostheer command bunkers.
Once set up the act as reinforcement point and can built the following units:
1 truck set up access to Leig
2 truck set up access to Obers
3 truck set up access to Puma
Aim of changes:
to make aggressive placing of truck a viable option of player while still allowing him easy access to basic tools if he loses 1 truck.
Leig provide indirect fire support, Obers elite infantry, Puma supports the RW.
Trucks can then upgrade:
1) to medic for 50/35 that gives access to 251 variants (AA fuel cost lowered to 40). Once medic truck is unlocked truck HP/armor to 75% of current levels.
Medic truck can be further upgraded with FRP (100/10) increasing HP/armor to 125% of current. Has aura decreasing reinforcement time by 25% does not heal.
Aim of changes:
Make FRP viable but one has to rely on med box for heal. Upgrade add the bonus of a tougher truck.
2)Mechanized 100/55 gives access to Luch and JP.
Mechanized truck can be further upgraded (50/10) with engineers increasing HP/armor to 125% of current.
Aim of changes:
Gives OKW access to 60 range AT weapon that is affordable and mid game specialized solutions.
3) Shwerer truck requiring at least 1 truck upgraded (100/75) giving access to Stuka and PZIV 4. Shwerer truck has no gun.
Shwerer truck can be further upgraded (100/60) that unlocks the Panther and gives the truck the gun. (Gun can use be aimed and has to use a 30 munition ability to engage aircraft).
Aim of changes:
Early access to medium and support vehicles. More tools to better time Panthers.
Once any truck is upgrade medic spawn in base truck.
Aim of changes:
OKW have access to heal while medic boxs remain an option for FRP.
Building a truck unlock Faust and grenades for SP.
Setting up a truck unlock the rest of grenades.
Upgrading all 3 truck gives access to ST44.
KT requires all tech unlock and is limited to 1 per Shwerer truck.
Other option for truck:
Truck in sector can be upgraded to gives access to a timed that increases (or decrease if enemy capture it) sector income at the cost of manpower.
Changes to units:
1)Now starting unit. VG flame-grenade replaced with a sort range explosive grenade. The grenade is a primary defensive weapon with 60 damage that adds suppression (close to 60% of suppress threshold) to target hits. Primary role to stop direct assault from enemy infantries.
Vet 1 ability "aim fire" cost 10 mu increases accuracy (10%) when stationary.
ST44 upgrade locked behind 3 truck, gives access to 5 ST44 on semi auto mod decreasing long range DPS but increasing mid to close DPS.(to M1 levels?)
2) SP 5 men squad armed with MP40. Cost 280 reduced repair speed. Access to flame grenade (pop down to 6-7). Can upgrade with wire Cutters increasing repair speed losing 1 weapon.
Get the ST44 upgrade with 5 ST44 full auto weapon with squad DPS about the current level.(bit lower close?)
3) Obers can now upgrade 1+1 shreck, lmg34. The lmg34 get the suppress ability from vet 0 but does all squad suffers accuracy penalties. (suppression increases with veterancy) (HMG34 becomes doctrinal?)
Ober can upgrade with 4 infrared ST44 about the DPS a SP but get a timed ability that bypass some cover bonuses.
4)JP redesign as 60 range Stug with a cost around 300/100 and cloaked being replaced by TWP. (cloak can actually be moved to stug). Armored is lowered target size becomes even smaller.
5)Stukas fires a single incendiary rocket at time.
Suggested changes are more a direction and numbers might be off.
The direction aim it one where OKW truck become a important part of the faction. In the same time losing trucks become less punishing since the player still has access to basic tools.
Sorry, I have my idea already modded and ready. Once I release the mod, let give it a spin first.
) The USF mortar team should probably go away though. I mean, as it stands, USF has the mortar team, pack howie, and the Scott as stock indirect fire options and has the mortar ht, calliope, priest, and an increasing number of units that can callin offmap artillery in commanders.
Relic Entertainment
cblanco ★ 
보드카 중대 
VonManteuffel 
Heartless Jäger 
