Profile of Kothre

The biggest problem I have with the game right now (from a 2v2 perspective) is how OKW is basically the British/Panzer Elite Conglomerate 2.0. It's not even necessarily the power of the faction rather than their design. They are simply not fun to fight when players just camp by their trucks and spam MG's. German players spam MG's almost as much as Soviets spam maxims but because 80% of players searching are Axis, nobody complains on the forums about it, and instead they complain about maxims.

Unless you cheese OKW out of early territory and force them to build their trucks far back, you're playing at a severe handicap for the rest of the game. This why people spam maxims so much. I realize people do it against Wehrmacht, but you pretty much have to do it against OKW to prevent them from turning your half of the map into WW1's no man's land then pelting you with Walking Stukas. Many of the maps- basically all of them that are based on chokepoints and/or have many important points right next to each other- favor this strategy. Artillery would be a good answer if allied artillery wasn't so hopelessly worthless.

The OKW in alpha had severe drawbacks to counteract their tremendous strengths. Their trucks had to be linked together (although that did kind of suck), they had 33% fuel/munitions income across the board unless a truck was on a point, and their tiering was a little different. In return, they got godly sturmpios, a flak truck to defend territory, legitimate sandbags, very mobile AT, the best artillery in the game, a non-doctrinal heavy tank, ridiculous barbed wire that not even wire cutters can remove, etc.

Now Relic has removed just about all of their weaknesses but kept in the features that let them overcome those now non-existent weaknesses. Trucks are quite literally nothing but advantages now. OKW play isn't about defending the economy-crucial trucks, the trucks now serve to augment their offensive capability. Even losing them, while tragic, doesn't set you as far back as it used to. And to destroy a truck (at least the Schwerer Panzer HQ), the enemy almost always has to invest a lot to kill it. Fuel income is now 66%, plus more if you use the fuel conversion ability. Munitions is now 100%. And OKW can just sit there with their nearly drawback-free faction now and just camp the map. They may be fine in 1v1, but goddamn do they ruin team games. This is what nearly every dual OKW team we play against does. It isn't fun. The original design of OKW was a faction that was strapped for resources but had elite, well-trained troops to compensate. Now they're just elite and well-trained.

And the most frustrating part is that nobody is saying anything about it because, as I said 60-80% of everyone is searching as Axis at all times. That's the part that gets me the most.

I think the call-ins should require one of either tank building (which doesn't matter), then adjust the fuel costs accordingly. Plus make the T34-85 call-in a single unit like in advanced warfare doctrine.

Welcome to the forums. I also recently joined after a long time of lurking. Anyway, let me input my two cents.

Hi guys,

Long time lurker first time poster. Just wanted to express my opinion about the current state of balance and issues plaguing the game. Please feel free to add your opinion to any of my points:

Soviets:

- Not a whole lot can be said about soviets. They are the strongest Nation in 1v1 by a considerable margin. They have a diverse set of units and strategies that can be used. Units are extremely powerful and they have multple armor options. T-34 85, IS2, ISU, KV8

- Zis3 barrage a bit too effective for price. Especially when combined with maxim. Perhaps increase price to 80 muns?

- Soviets do need a few issues addressed however. Balance is generally good. However i believe now too many people are exploiting the over performing nature of the MAXIM. It is extremely durable and difficult to dislodge added to the fact the soviets can merge and its combined suppression and damage makes it far too effective. Particularly vs OKW.

- I believe IS2 heavy tank has slightly too much Armor a little too difficult to penetrate

- Shocks and guards need an armor nerf in the same way Obers have JAegers have and decrease incoming accuracy the same way in line with relic viewing the game.

- Soviets are a great faction indeed, arguably my favorite so call me biased if you wish (though I do play all factions), but their tier system is pretty bad so just about everything they do is based on which doctrine they pick. I don't feel too many changes are necessary, though I'd actually go out of my way to get them less reliant on doctrines.

- The ZiS barrage (as well as almost all forms of arty besides the walking stuka) are basically RNG dice rolls. I already barely use 60 munition ZiS barrage unless the enemy is clumping up in front of my anti-tank gun like an idiot. If you want to make the barrage cost 80 munitions, I'd really like the hit zone to be much more reliable. I'm not paying 80 munitions for a gamble, at least not in the early game.

- I can fully understand why people are upset about maxim spam in 1v1's, though it feels necessary vs. team game blobbing. Honestly, I feel like most people do it because conscripts and penal battalions are not very reliable blobs to fight other blobs with, and Soviets have no non-doctrinal full auto-capable infantry. When the blob gets bigger, especially in team games, nerfing the maxim would arguably cause the Soviets to get face-rolled. Sometimes even my 2-3 maxims aren't enough because sturmpioneers wipe everything in 2 seconds if they get close enough, even if they're in front of the maxim and they didn't start getting shot at from far away.

- The IS-2 had thicker armor than the Tiger and came out about a year later, while in the game they're pretty comparable. Not to mention the IS-2 costs more. I fail to see the problem.

- Shock troops, unlike Obersoldaten, are not terminator squads at long range. They need the armor to close in at range. Guards are debatable.

OH

- MG42 needs a moderate damage buff and slight durability increase.

- I agree with all your Wehrmacht grievances except this one, though I can understand the slight durability increase. The MG42 is supposed to be used defensively and performs its role fine as is. It's already a monster at suppression. It also really needs to go back to its old sound. The new one sucks and sounds too much like the MG34.

Hi guys,
OKW

- Panther too expensive, lack of adequate counters vs blobbing and extremely susceptible early game

- Volks are pretty trashy. The problem is Cons can Oorah in close and the the long range advnatage is negated almost instantly.

- Flak HT is the same price as US AA track yet cant move, does less damage and has a 3 second set up time ? While US AA has a mobile 50 cal ? No idea what is going on here.

- Make MG34 availabe as normal Unit.

- Lack of adequate counters vs blobbing? That's honestly every faction when you take MG's out of the equation, especially after WFA. Countering blobs usually boils down to having a better blob nowadays. MG's aside (and don't underestimate the kubelwagen), OKW already gets tier 0 sturmpios which are amazing at bumrushing in blobs, Obersoldaten terminator squads, and volks with great AT capabilities, alongside a forward retreat point that heals for free. While American rifle blobs tend to be the best (the faction is built around that one strategy, basically), I would hardly call OKW bad for it. Not to mention that OKW have the only reliable artillery in the game with the Walking Stuka, and Relic are content with nerfing every other form of artillery ever into the ground, including Wehrmacht's.

- Volks are really not that far behind non-LMG grenadiers. They're really supposed to just be used as tanks for your sturmpioneers and obersoldaten, not to mention they get a reliable source of anti-tank. They're fine. They really shine with veterancy, as well.

- I agree about the flak half-track. It's not very useful now and very difficult to keep alive.

- I'd really rather MG34's stay doctrinal, though I suppose that would stop everyone and their mother from using only Luftwaffe tactics. Kubelwagens serve to make the faction more unique and it makes me sad people don't use them. They're great when micro'd well.

Hi guys,
US

Boy where do i start..

- Lack of options really. Rifles are simply too powerful and there is little need to deviate from spamming them. So why go for anything else. Add a m1919 and watch the enemy cry in fear.

- US AA, basically gamebreaking atm. Especially for OH. Mobile death factory.

- Need at least one heavy armor option on a free to use commander.

Thanks

- I agree. I've been saying this since alpha. Americans are basically a one-trick pony: spam rifles. There is literally no other strategy until you unlock other expensive tiers.

- I don't necessarily disagree, but I'm afraid to call the AA halftrack OP for fear that Relic will, as they often do, overnerf it and make it so utterly worthless that nobody will ever use it again. The US doesn't need any more reason to use only riflemen. This thing needs baby-step changes, nothing drastic. Not to mention I don't see it as a problem for OKW. The reason it's so good against Ostheer is because Ostheer aren't that good at the moment, rather than America being too strong.

- Agreed. American late game sucks.

Just play Oberpowered West. It's clearly what Relic wants you to do.

I agree in that it is frustrating to fight OKW A-move blobs because of how effective they are with minimal or even no micro whatsoever. That's not to say it isn't beatable. My friend and I have been doing well for ourselves in 2v2's, but the amount of effort it takes to counter what is essentially a one-button click is rather absurd.

Part of the reason this is so frustrating is because maxims are pretty much the only thing you can do about it, then everyone goes and whines about how OP maxims are and now Relic wants to nerf them to a 4-man crew.