Oh look it's the same order as the faction winrates.
You see it play out this way because light vehicles are the first unit that can single handily win a match. When you have the best players in the world playing against each other they are all incredibly skilled light vehicle drivers, whomever wins the light vehicle duel that happens in 80% of the matches will win the game. The T-70 especially tips the scales into the Soviets favor significantly.
You don't see these win rates in normal matches with average players because they can't handle the light vehicles as well. A skilled player with an unmatched light vehicle can absolutely trash their opponent. The solution is to revisit light vehicles again to try and make them strong without being able to single handily win a match. I recommend reducing raw power and adding more utility to keep them as high skill units, without being able to wipe the opponents entire army after one mistake.
I wouldn't even say Soviets are that much better than the other factions, it's pretty much entirely the T-70.
I think it's possible Relic was contracted to produce the engine for the game, then hand it off to the other studio for the actual gameplay.
My estimated timeline:
2012-2016 Team A : CoH2
2015-2017 Team B : DoW3
2017-2019 Team A : AoE4 engine
2018-2019 Team B : CoH3 preproduction
2020-???? Team A : CoH3 with new engine
This meshes with the fact that Relic has said literally nothing about the game, even at the game reveal. Makes me think they were working behind the scenes on backend engine work.
The Ostheer crew members have actually fairly decent close range dps, the best of any team weapon by far. With all 3 men firing they manage to have about 10 dps out to 10 range. The USF weapon crews also manage to eek out a respectable 7.5 dps, with a little more useful dps at longer ranges. The other faction crew weapons are pretty much garbage and can be 100% ignored.
This pretty much means if you are trying to kill a full health mg42 or a USF 50 cal with a 1-2 model squad in close range you're gonna have a bad time.
They should be, but not all factions have it. Giving USF a 5th Assault unit would be boring and uninspired, and dampen the need for any of the other options. I'd rather have Assault Engineers come to the faction stock than to have another Assault unit added. Even with OKW having the same number of assault units, they aren't all just using MP 40's, they have 4 different weapons and squads. US's all use the same 2 guns, the Grease Gun and the Thompson, and so would this theoretical 5th squad as well.
You say that like the Lt isn't already a riflemen with some abilities. How about something that isn't just a ton of garrands on a 5 man squad?
Unfortunately I have to disagree here. Between Assault Engineers, Cavalry Riflemen, Airborne, and Rangers, the US Forces have more variety in assault units than any other faction*, far from needing a fifth assault squad that is always available.
*Tied with OKW, who have Sturmpioneers, Assault Volksgrenadiers, IR Obersoldaten, and Fallschrimjager.
I'm of the opinion that basic gameplay elements should be included in all factions without needing a doctrine. Same reason Soviets got a stock "elite" unit, penals, despite having a bunch of elite call-ins.
I'd like to see officers completely reworked. Right now they function exactly the same as normal rifleman squads, with different niche abilities and 1 thompson. They play exactly the same.
I would love them to be reworked to be optional units with more diverse roles.
- Make the Lt 4 man, 1 Thompson and 3 greaseguns. 300 mp, not free with tech. Functions as a stock assault close range unit, different from rifles.
- Make the Cpt 6 man, 1 thompson and 5 bolt action rifles. 300 mp, functions as a strong long range defensive unit to soak up damage and recrew weapons.
Just spitballing some ideas here. Officers as 5 man squads just feel way too similar to riflemen. Having 3 riflemen, a Lt, and a Cpt on the field plays exactly the same as having 5 riflemen. Needs some more variety.
You need to factor in that putting a sweeper on those squads instead of a flamethrower makes them terrible in combat, and they are unlikey to vet up all the way.
I haven't played enough of the patch to decide whether this was a balanced change or not.
I could see some of their language hinting to something like the Opium wars, other wars fought colonizing Africa and the different wars of colonial independence. Would somewhat be a follow-up to AoE3 time period aswell.
Personally I do agree with this, and even though I think the Puma at T2 (with a build time and maybe with a 4-5 CP hybrid system) would likely not be overpowered, I do think it has a very high risk of making MobiDef hardcore meta again simply because the Puma is so much more reliable at countering Allied light vehicles than Ostheer's other options. And I'm not sure if we'd want that to return. People got sick of MobiDef being picked 9/10 games.
I don't think making a doctrine useful is a good reason to leave it... not useful?
It should be a goal to make as many doctrines viable as possible, right now it is just not worth using ever.
The game is in a much better state than it was 2 years ago. Ostheer has been dealing with allied light vehicles fine without the puma all this time. Making the Puma relevant again just opens up another viable commander, it isn't 100% necessary right now to rely on the puma. I'd expect mobile defense to be popular again after this, but not any more than the other meta commanders right now. Don't let past memories of this doctrine taint your thoughts. You said it yourself, it wouldn't be too strong.