Spring update from design point of view.

"OKW/M3 medkits
To help make the OKW faction less reliant on its medical truck upgrade, resolve an existing exploit and improve forward healing capabilities, the following changes have been made.
• Now heals all squads in a radius around the squad that picks up the medkit
• Duration 30 seconds
• Cost increased to 45 munitions"

Buffing the M3 medical kits should be avoided imo. The reason is that M3 can be given to other players in team games and can become problematic.

There is very little reason for the M3 to provide heal in the first place especially in non connected territories. If one want to give heal to unit make similar to the old ambulance by with a very long CD requiring to own territory to activate. Alternatively change the crew with a medic crew.

For the OKW simply allow medic to be upgraded in base once 2 truck are deployed.

Currently this abilities are OP compared to EFA like the M5 assault group/250/251 can not heal, Ostheer medical kits and even the doctrinal medical supplies.

If one want to make changes one should consider what is available to other faction establish a benchmark, compare the ability with the benchmark and adjust according to faction design.


"Stand Fast
The make this commander less situational, the following change has been made.
• Replaced with Sapper flamethrowers"

Imo the commander should be more focused around emplacements. So the ability should be replaced with something that has to do with emplacements like:

"Improved emplacement"
or
improved bonuses when garrisoning emplacements
longer brace duration
faster repair/build times on emplacements


"Hull Down
To increase the usability of this ability, the following changes have been made
• Cast time from 15 secs to 7.5 secs
• Offensive bonuses removed (defensive bonuses remain)"

The removal of range and reload will leave the ability in a worse position the current one. The reason being that allied TDs out range Ostheer vehicles and will simply snipe them from max range.

If you want to improve the ability rename to "defensive stance" and redesign the bonuses it for each vehicle separately, examples:

Stug can not move but rotate faster, range to 60.
Ostwind hull down, damage reduction, now suppresses.
PzIV hull down, damage reduction range to 55.

Panther can not move, rotates faster, reload and accuracy bonuses
Brumbar now uses a lighter version of KV-2 siege mode

"Elite Troops Doctrine
Damage is being greatly reduced on stun grenades to solidify their role as a stun platform.
• Model 24 stun grenade damage from 40 to 5"

Increase their utility as anti cover weapon. Rename to "concussion grenades" and increase stun duration and add bonus damage +25-35 (total 30-40) vs garrison, trench heavy cover.

"Elite Troops Doctrine
Damage is being greatly reduced on stun grenades to solidify their role as a stun platform.
• Model 24 stun grenade damage from 40 to 5"

Increase their utility as anti cover weapon. Rename to "concussion grenades" and increase stun duration and add bonus damage +25-35 (total 30-40) vs garrison, trench heavy cover.

I disagree with most of what you wrote but this is the worst. Imagine this: stun grenade into a building, unit is stunned for extended time and takes 40 damage, takes 2 bursts from a flamethower whilst stunned, is now dead.

Stun grenades are very cheap and spammable, the stun alone is strong enough since they are almost impossible to dodge and if 1 model gets hit the whole squad is stunned.

Buffing the M3 medical kits should be avoided imo. The reason is that M3 can be given to other players in team games and can become problematic.

Healing is already shareable with teammates. Just walk your infantry over to a friendly ambulance, medbunker or Battlegroup HQ and they'll be healed.

if 1 model gets hit the whole squad is stunned.

Changed this in DBP IIRC. only models hit by the blast are stunned, not that that helps if you're trying to move.

The stun already auto-wins engagements, the damage is unnecessary. It still counter cover and is still near-impossible to dodge.

Changed this in DBP IIRC. only models hit by the blast are stunned, not that that helps if you're trying to move.

That change was reverted in one of the iterations and wasn't implemented in the final patch.

That change was reverted in one of the iterations and wasn't implemented in the final patch.

That's dumb :/

How would the crates be any worse in team games than Brit Healing? Or am I missing something

How would the crates be any worse in team games than Brit Healing? Or am I missing something

M3 half-truck can be given to allies, while keeping the assault engineer crew. Giving an M3 to Soviet player for instance allows viable reinforcement and healing anywhere on the map, that can create a number of issues.

Actually M3 has very little reason to the only half-truck to provide healing in the first place.

I disagree with most of what you wrote but this is the worst. Imagine this: stun grenade into a building, unit is stunned for extended time and takes 40 damage, takes 2 bursts from a flamethower whilst stunned, is now dead.

Stun grenades are very cheap and spammable, the stun alone is strong enough since they are almost impossible to dodge and if 1 model gets hit the whole squad is stunned.

Feel free to disagree.

As far as I know infantries with stun grenades do not come with flamers, and the idea here is that "concussion grenades" are used to force units to get out of garrison, which they should anyway if they saw a flamer coming.

M3 half-truck can be given to allies, while keeping the assault engineer crew. Giving an M3 to Soviet player for instance allows viable reinforcement and healing anywhere on the map, that can create a number of issues.

Actually M3 has very little reason to the only half-truck to provide healing in the first place.

If you mean the one in USF Mechanized then yes, you could decrew it and give it to your allies. Same for any USF vehicle.

Including the Ambulance.

really good ideas with the hull down.

Actually M3 has very little reason to the only half-truck to provide healing in the first place.

251 have very little reason to be the only ht with ability to clear garrisons post upgrade.
soviet M5 have very little reason to be the only ht that can take down planes and suppress post upgrade.
British M5 have very little reason to be the only ht to provide weapon upgrades for everyone.

Its almost as if devs wanted to create a varied and interesting Units instead of homogenized carbon copies of each other.

251 have very little reason to be the only ht with ability to clear garrisons post upgrade.
soviet M5 have very little reason to be the only ht that can take down planes and suppress post upgrade.
British M5 have very little reason to be the only ht to provide weapon upgrades for everyone.

Its almost as if devs wanted to create a varied and interesting Units instead of homogenized carbon copies of each other.

The soviet M5 is not the only HT to that has AA and can suppress. Both the USF M5 and M15A1 can both do that.

The British M5 dropping weapon is mechanism that should actually be removed, then conscripts could get their second weapon slot back.

USF M15 does not really start as reinforce platform, does it? USF M5 is literally copy pasted soviet M5.

Why this can never be posted in the main thread?

USF M15 does not really start as reinforce platform, does it? USF M5 is literally copy pasted soviet M5.

The Quad is not a reinforcement platform either, it has not been for several year. But one would probably have to load the game to notice.

The USF M5 is quite different from the Soviet one since the crew can disembark, is doctrinal, does not come with assault guards and has different vet bonuses.

This thread is about Spring update from a design point of view pls stop trying to derail it.

The Quad is not a reinforcement platform either, it has not been for several year. But one would probably have to load the game to notice.

The USF M5 is quite different from the Soviet one since the crew can disembark, is doctrinal, does not come with assault guards and has different vet bonuses.

This thread is about Spring update from a design point of view pls stop trying to derail it.

M3 medkits are part of it.

You questioned their existence in the first place.
I have pointed you out that all reinforcement HTs are unique and have diverse roles, M3 and ist medkits included.

You even brought the issue of soviets being able to heal on field thanks to that.
Well, guess what, they always could thanks to USF ambulance, tommies with medkits or their own FHQ.

Everything is on Topic, as much as you do not like it.

If there is an issue with design choices, ist the ever present murdering of asymmetry for the sake of Balance, where we do end up with more balanced game, but factions becoming more bland and same patch to patch.

Why this can never be posted in the main thread?

Because some people think their ideas are more unique and they are little attention whores.

Why this can never be posted in the main thread?

Because it has more do to with design and less with balance. Something can be a balanced and badly designed and vice versa.