General Information
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjaG4wIJxdKQLZPy3uDC9pg
Steam: 76561198080227972
Residence: United States
Nationality: United States
All factions can now build MG bunkers from T0 for 100 manpower 10 fuel.
Ostheer's MG bunker and Command bunker are now sepearte
The Command bunker can be upgraded with both repair pioneers and medics
Aircraft will now be shot down by lost of health instead of random chance
All the Vehicle AA have been adjusted to act like super heavy HMGs
Soviets Quad Halftrack
-Upgrade increases health by 80
-Damage increased to 15 from 12
-suppression increased
-can only apply suppression when stationary.
Ostwind
-can only apply suppression when stationary.
-range increased to 50 from 40
M15 AA halftrack
-Health Increased to 400 from 320
-MG suppression increased
-can only apply suppression when stationary.
-37mm suppression removed
-37mm may only fire when stationary
-37mm range increased to 50 from 40
251 Flak Halftrack
-Health Increased to 400 from 320
-can only apply suppression when stationary.
-no longer fires in bursts
-able to fire on the move
Centuar
-can only apply suppression when stationary.
-no longer fires in bursts
I did a quick search in the mod tools, all other white phosphorus is in fact ballistic. If it where flame, it would help burn down buildings and if it where big explosive or small explosive it would help destroy buildings. I am not an expert on damage types how they interact with everything else but it should not make much of an difference for it being small arms.
How about a demolition specialist role? The booby trap was a good start, but add it the ability to lay mines like partisans. Flare mines, shu mines, and reinforce barb wire? (okw wire) Replace the bundle grenade with either a cooked stick grenade or an grenade assault. For weapon upgrades, there is the unused PzB 39s. A x4 undropalbe slot items (equal to guards ptrs) to reduce anti infantry damage while increasing anti vehicle. Another potenal weapon other than the MP40 could be a MP41(r), a PPSH chambered with German 9mm parablum.
I really liked what you've done with USF, besides removing Officer Squads (LT and Cap), any chance you can make them buildable after unlocking their tiers?
In live, the Lieutenant and Captain really did not offer anything new. USF already has good infantry which makes it a bit tough to find a good fit for them. I have thought about something as a utility squad. I could make the captain a T1 Utility Squad. For the lieutenant, I may have stole his model for the squad sergeant models.
As for your ideas, the Afrika Korps makes no sense, there were no Elefants, Hummels, Hetzers, Brummbars and so forth in Afrika, I understand that you are trying to make them gameplay wise relevant but this is sacrificing too much historical authenticity in order to reach gameplay playability, it's almost funny, hell even the Soviets are pushing it, fighting heavy stuff like King Tigers and Jagdtigers with AT rifles.
Also, you mention about Germany having enough stuff for even a 4th Army, what do you have in mind for that?
This where I would separate multiplayer from single player. Single player can be as accurate as needed, but in multiplayer each of the factions need to be unique. I honsetly see too many similarities between OKW and Ostheer. Something as small as infantry equipment, STG44, Kar 98, G43s, Stormtroopers, to larger items, 251s, Panzer 4, Puma, Ostwind, Panther, Ju 87s. Sound is a big thing for when it comes to a lot design. How offer you look at model for a Bar or for a Bren? For me I hear the difference before I see it. You do not confuse a mosin for a lee enfield, primarly for the sound.
For a fourth faction, there are some things I did cover such as the StuG 4,Panzer 2, Maraders. Potentail these could be doctrinal items, an SS unit, or lend lease weapons to a Finnish faction. I know Finland is not a axis power but very notable at the time. Other non German factions is quite limited such as Italy, who does not really have a full arsenal, and Japan, who had less than Finland when it comes to armor.
Also, please read it if you have the time and tell me what you think. And I know some things like the bunkers and repairs might not be the most practical ways of doing it but I wanted to showcase the specialization of the Germans and how they did less but went deep in what they did, as in compared to the US Army they wouldn't touch their tanks if they needed major repairs unless absolutely needed and rather preferred to drag them to their proper repair guys.
I agree with you, for the most part, however still the WFA are centered largely around the Battle of the Bulge, while the Brits are based around their Rhine crossing Army in 1945, which perhaps makes sense with the lack of the 25 pounder emplacements and their less reliance on emplacements to some extent.
I actually went as far as to have the idea of replacing the Wehrmacht base buildings with the OKW HQ trucks since it made more sense, the Ostheer part of the Wehrmacht was lightly armed and armored during Operation Barbarossa and highly mobile, as well as well trained and equipped, supplied and had a lot of available manpower.
To that end I'm not going to go into much detail but this is how the Ostheer would look like in my mod if I made it:
HQ truck (T0)
Combat Pioneers - 5 man squad armed with MP40s, could be upgraded to flammwerfer 35s and Panzerbusche 39s exclusively. Could also plant demo charges to destroy cover and so forth, build sandbags, Tank Traps and Bunkers of course. Can't repair vehicles, only structures.
Grenadiers - 5 man squad using the AT crew models armed with K98k-s, could be upgraded to MP40s or an MG34, access to rifle grenades at first, gets replaced by regular Stick grenades when upgraded, can stack sandbags.
Kubelwagen - comes unarmed and can cap, can be upgraded to an MG34 but loses the ability to cap then.
The HQ could also be upgraded with medics.
Infantry Support HQ truck (T1)
MG34, GrW 34 and Pak 36(renamed M42, but can garrison due to small size, was on the fence about giving it a retreat like the raketen).
Mechanized Panzer HQ truck (T2)
Panzergrenadiers - 5 man squad armed with Kar 98k-s same as the regular grens, could be upgraded to Mkb 42s (renamed StG-s) or an MG34 again like the Grens and also perhaps to Panzerbusche 39s? Can only repair vehicles and throw bundled grenades.
251 Halftrack - Open Topped, when infantry are inside the MG34s on it are manned, can be upgraded to a mobile ambulance (can be setup to deploy medics and reinforce infantry, perhaps could even have a forward retreat point?), mobile repair shop (same as the ambulance but instead of medics it deploys repair pioneers) double flammwerfer 35s on each side and doctrinally can be upgraded to the Walking stuka and perhaps others.
250 Halftrack - comes unarmed, can be upgraded with an MG34 or a GrW 34 mortar. It can also carry a single squad, serves more as a light and faster support HT compared to the 251. It would be nice if we could put a Panzerbusche 39 on it but I sadly think it's impossible atm due to no model editing.
Panzer support HQ truck - (T3)
StuG III E - Short barrel StuG, nuff said.
Panzer IV F1 - Short barrel Panzer IV, found in Theater of War missions, same as the StuG. Would be nice if we had a Panzer III as well...
Schwerer Panzer production upgrade - (serves as a pseudo T4)
Upgrades both the StuG and Panzer IV to their long barrel versions, allows the calling in of a Command Panzer IV, said Command Panzer IV can be upgraded to a long barrel version but has a lower rate of fire and accuracy due to additional radios. Also unlocks the Panther.
Bunkers can only be upgraded to MG34s, that means that healing will come from the HQ or mobile ambulance HTs, repairs are divided by Combat Pioneers and Panzergrenadiers, repair pioneers can repair both buildings and vehicles in their immediate vicinity. I am also still wondering where to put a forward retreat point, in the infantry support HQ or in the ambulance.
This redesign of the Army is meant to replicate the early to mid war Ostheer, like I said, mobile, well trained and equipped (not best) and having a lot of manpower available to them, that's the reason why for the 5 man squads.
It also has an interesting dynamic where you could go pure infantry without the need of tanks so it's entirely up to the player and how the match goes.
As far as the OKW goes, they would get the wooden base structures, heavier and later war stuff like the MG42s, Pak 40s, Panzerschrecks, Stg-s (proper assault rigles compared to the Mkb 42s) side skirted Panzer IVs, Jagdpanzer IVs, Panthers by default, concrete bunkers, dragon teeth tank traps, Pak 43s, King and Jagdtigers and so forth.
Of course the Ostheer would also have access to heavier stuff like the Tiger, Pak 43s and Elefants, MG42s, Pak 40s and Panzerschrecks but doctrinally.
The OKW would however be a slower to develop and heavier more defensive Army like the CoH Wehrmacht than the current early game rush Axis force they are right now, they would also have more 4 man squads because of the lack of firepower and more experience.
So it would basically be a trade off between the 2 German Armies in my mind, the Ostheer becomes this early to mid war rush Army that is mobile and light and the other things like I said while the OKW becomes this slow and "fragile" behemoth that has access to less manpower and resources but more experience and better weaponry.
So to get back to the topic, I would cut Ostheer to 1943 in terms of tech and the OKW would take off from there until the end of the war basically.
Still tho, I mean your suggestion is nice and all but I'm gonna go with the "unique" crowd this time (god forbid) and say that the KT just simply doesn't fit with the Ostheer's time frame so to speak.
And yes the Soviets would be redesigned as well like the Ostheer in an early defensive Army again focusing on the early to mid war period and I guess most of their stuff would not be weird since they didn't really "tech up" during the war compared to everyone else so to speak, no rocket propelled anti-tank weaponry, no Halftracks of their own and so forth.
There are some design problems, I would like to point out. Both the Panzergrenadiers and the Grenadiers both use K98s. It will result in conflicting roles as well as some miss interpretation. Units should have clear and define role. Expamle in live: Stormtroopers, and Obersoldaton. Stormtroopers by stock are better than Grenadiers however seeing they do not feel unique people doubt this. Oversoldaton uses the same weapon a Volksgrenadiers but what people do not know, is that there stock performance is equal to vet 2 riflemen with two BAR and greater that vet three no BAR riflemen.
Another overlapping role is the short barrel StuG and P4. Both are focused on anti infantry and when upgraded with long barrels, they both become more anti-vehicle focus. Additionally, I did not see any thing about an Ostwind (another anti infantry unit) and some sort of non doctrinal AA I say is mandatory. A separating the global upgrades for the P4 and StuG would be good so the player can designate one from another.
This reminds me of a side project that I a typing up before publishing. It is possible faction designs of CoH3. Germany has enough unit variety to support three to four unique factions. Here are three rough ideas.
Wehrmacht (Eastern Front)
A more linear teching faction with having access to weapon racks. This faction more simulates fighting the eastern front.
Afrika Corp
This will combined inspiration Soviets, OKW, and Panzer Elite. This will focus around a singular infantry unit, the Panzer Grenadiers. A lot of global upgrades for there singular infantry unit.
Atlantikwall (France)
This faction I would make it more defensive in nature. Infantry, Emplacements, French equipment, and the King Tiger for late game. I would also make this faction use the Battle Phase system and base it around three tiers (0,1,2) Germany is largely know for the big tanks but also know for field craft and modification of captured French items.
We played some matches with a pal using your mod. There are some really cool ideas along with others that are not.
I wanted to ask what do you think of changing the M3 scout car vet from a useless speed/RA buff (useless because of the low HP and armor of the scout car) with a passive capture, like the kubel.
M3 barely sees any use outside the first 5 minutes of the game, often because its too weak to whitstand any damage available at the start of the light vehicle phase and it gets outshined as a recon unit by the T70.
Out of curiosity what ideas did you not like?
I have been thinking of adjusting all the initial vehicles. I have modded in that the M3 would get a passive capture at vet 1. The other veterancy can be altered. Vet three could be suppression, and seeing its Front MG is a 50, vet 2 could increase penetration.
I have thought also that the M3, WC51, and kubal could have some sort of mobility buff to make them more responsive.
Just wanted to share my thoughts about the German repairing.
The Axis Armies, for one reason or another, are handicapped in terms of repairing, only the OKW have repair pioneers on their Mech HQ truck but that's about it, oh and their Emergency Repairs from Elite Armored, apart of course from their engineer units being able to repair.
To that end, I think that the should Wehrmacht get a 4th Bunker upgrade like in CoH where they get repair pioneers spawn out of the bunker, or you can just combine the Command and Medic bunker into one, seeing as you made it a 200 ammo upgrade together with the forward retreat point.
While the OKW can get a mobile truck (Opel Blitz) or Halftrack (special sWS) that spawns repair pioneers when setup, got the idea from Europe at War, a mod for CoH.
Anyhow, I already stated my reason why I'm suggesting this, the Allies seem to have so much more options on how to repair, the USF is probably the best because of their vehicle crews but the Brits and Soviets still have lots of doctrine that allow them to repair quickly.
Inspiration comes from CoH, Europe at War like I said and a book I am currently reading, Tigers in the Mud by Otto Carius. There he often talks about how hard it was for them to actually recover damaged Tigers and drag them to their maintenance in the workshops in order to get them back in action, often having to drag the vehicles under fire and hooking them to the working Tigers.
The mobile pioneer truck actually comes from a more specific scenario of them taking a few welder guys with them from the shop to a Tiger that snapped it's track so they had to weld it under fire while the rest of the Tigers parked in front of them to provide cover.
Some really interesting and non-biased stuff there, definitely recommended for a read if you have the time.
So what do you think of the idea? I have yet to test your mod since the newest update so I'll do so now.
I can look into alternative Ostheer vehicle repair. A repair bunker is very potential, or an altertive is a 251 upgrade.
On a side note. In the Ardennes Assault, the M3 halftrack has a repair upgrade. There is in fact a voice line for this. However, the voice line is for generic light vehicles. This means another light unit, say the M20 Utility car, also has this voice line.
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Tordenskjold
Lord Ægion
Bobzenho
Relic Entertainment
