New suggestion for Urban Assault

• Make the bulldozer sherman its own unit (credit goes to A. Solder for the suggestion)
  Idea: Make the sherman a pseudo jumbo (similar to a churchill/KV1).
  Thoughts: The unit becomes easier to balance since it is no longer tied to the sherman. For example HE shells and more armour and health was seen problematic by some. If it is a separate unit, it can be more easily changed and balanced. It also avoids wp rounds on the sherman, which some have raised concerns over.
  
  
• Give rifles an urban assault upgrade (suggestion)
  Idea: Rifles can be upgraded with airborne M1A1 carbines (lose a weapon slot), gain the ability to throw molotovs (locks out normal nades) and gain the "dig in" ability. "dig in" only works in heavy cover and garrisons. It is a toggled ability similar to "hit the dirt" meaning that once it is activated, it takes a bit until it can be turned off. The ability immobilises the squad but provides bonuses to received accuracy / fire rate / accuracy / received damage (or a combination).
  Implications: It's a unique new upgrade for the commander. It provides a potentially interesting alternative to double bar rifles all the time. The stationary and heavy cover requirement, plus the inability to immediately cancel the ability provide strong and meaningful trade-offs and avoid flat out bonuses everywhere in the late game, like we see for brit infantry and yellow cover.
  
  
• Remove "cover to cover" and replace it (with "fire up") (credit goes to Lago for the suggestion)
  Thoughts: The ability seems undesirable whether you face it (blobbed infantry running at you) or use it (overpaying for the smoke or overpaying for sprint, rarely you want both). The idea some have expressed is that by replacing it with "fire up" this might be an opportunity to make that ability more usable. Personally, I'm a bit torn. I would love to see "fire up" finally addressed and made viable, but that should happen without it having to be in this commander. Some have expressed that sprint + molotovs would also be problematic. However, if the rifle upgrade suggestion is adopted, it could be implemented such that it locks out sprint thereby sidestepping the concern.
  
  
• Replace the calliope with the mortar HT
  Thoughts: A mortar seems a good fit for the commander. Having both call-in rocket artillery and a premium medium tank might be too strong.
  

Jump back to quoted post1 May 2019, 11:57 AMsherlock

• Make the bulldozer sherman its own unit (credit goes to A. Solder for the suggestion)
  Idea: Make the sherman a pseudo jumbo (similar to a churchill/KV1).
  Thoughts: The unit becomes easier to balance since it is no longer tied to the sherman. For example HE shells and more armour and health was seen problematic by some. If it is a separate unit, it can be more easily changed and balanced. It also avoids wp rounds on the sherman, which some have raised concerns over.

Jump back to quoted post1 May 2019, 11:57 AMsherlock

• Give rifles an urban assault upgrade (suggestion)
  Idea: Rifles can be upgraded with airborne M1A1 carbines (lose a weapon slot)
  […]
  It provides a potentially interesting alternative to double bar rifles all the time.

Jump back to quoted post1 May 2019, 12:15 PMSander93

I think that would get too confusing for players. A Sherman Jumbo looks significantly different (extra armor plate on the front, very thick mantlet, different turret) and the current iterations of the Shermans (some having a bit more armor and one extra shot of health) is already pushing the boundries.

Jump back to quoted post1 May 2019, 12:15 PMSander93

Elite Carbines (and one BAR) would have only a small amount of extra DPS on close ranges compared to double BAR Rifles. At mid to long range they'd have less DPS. And close range DPS isn't something the commander needs because it has Rangers.

A rough comparison:
DPS at ranges 5 / 10 / 20 / 30
3x M1 Garand + 2x BAR: 44,4 / 28,4 / 20,5 / 14,4
4x Carbine + 1x BAR: 50 / 32,9 / 19,1 / 13

• molotovs
  
• "dig in"
  
• it doesn't require unlocking weapon racks to gain extra dps
  
• it is a bit of a compromise since you do lose some long range damage for close range and you do lose burst damage, ergo a trade-off (which in my opinion all uprades should be, it shouldn't be just a flat out buff to everything, but that's just me)
  
• this could replace rangers as one of the suggestions states
  
• if the upgrade is too weak, it could also reduce rifles' received accuracy similar to the tommy upgrade

Jump back to quoted post1 May 2019, 12:15 PMSander93

I think that would get too confusing for players. A Sherman Jumbo looks significantly different (extra armor plate on the front, very thick mantlet, different turret). Giving a normal looking Sherman 1000-1400HP would confuse people. The current iterations of the Shermans (some having a bit more armor and one extra shot of health) is already pushing the boundries.

Jump back to quoted post1 May 2019, 12:25 PMJibberJabberJobber

Making the Sherman with dozer a seperate 800 HP, 215 armor, 140 fuel tank, but removing the white phosphorous seems logical to me.

Jump back to quoted post1 May 2019, 12:53 PMSander93

But what's the point in that? The current dozer upgrade gives 720HP and 215 armor and its price went up to 390 manpower / 130 fuel (Easy 8 is 380/140). The WP shell can be tweaked if it proves too effective against ATGs.

Jump back to quoted post1 May 2019, 12:53 PMSander93

But what's the point in that? The current dozer upgrade gives 720HP and 215 armor and its price went up to 390 manpower / 130 fuel (Easy 8 is 380/140). The WP shell can be tweaked if it proves too effective against ATGs.

Jump back to quoted post1 May 2019, 12:53 PMSander93

But what's the point in that? The current dozer upgrade gives 720HP and 215 armor and its price went up to 390 manpower / 130 fuel (Easy 8 is 380/140). The WP shell can be tweaked if it proves too effective against ATGs.

Jump back to quoted post1 May 2019, 12:58 PMVipper

There is no reason to compare the upgrade Sherman with Easy8 since it they serve different roles.

Jump back to quoted post1 May 2019, 13:11 PMSander93

No they don't, they are both medium tanks with 720HP and 215 armor, meant to be used in a generalist role. The E8 just has better AT while the bulldozer Sherman has better AI.
If anything the 105mm Sherman is not comparable because its only purpose is pure AI.

Jump back to quoted post1 May 2019, 13:37 PMVipper

Easy8 is mostly an AT tank.

The Dozer Sherman and 105mm are allot closer with both being tough slow equipped with dozer blade. Dozer Sherman simply being superior 105 both in AI with WP and AT (105 does have deflection damage).

From design point of view the unit is simply superior to 105mm making it even less disable.
From a Balance point of view the unit is simply superior to the Panzer IV H.

There is little reason for this ability to exist, if there is reason for a unit with such characteristics simply replace with the "105" ability.

Jump back to quoted post1 May 2019, 13:40 PMsherlock

Please create a separate thread or maybe a pm discussion with Sander93. This isn't about whether the upgrade is op or not or how it compares to the p4 or the 105, it's about changing the commander and adding something unique